Should I Have My Car Serviced At The Dealership

Media Platforms Blueprint Team

What'south a good reason to take your automobile to the dealer for routine maintenance, rather than to the guy with ii bays and a private store?

Allow's use Ford every bit an case. If you ain a Ford vehicle, the Ford dealership volition accept Ford-trained technicians who work on Ford vehicles 95 to 100 pct of the fourth dimension. During that time they volition use Ford resources and Ford grooming to repair your vehicle correctly, and (ideally) they take Ford classes and attend Ford schools to go along up on their knowledge. With the other guy, information technology'due south a tossuphe may work on two Fords one week and not run into some other for a month. Likewise, on regular maintenance it can sometimes be cheaper, not more expensive. To get an oil modify and tire rotation where I live, the Ford dealer is $38.95 plus tax, and Sears wants $75.

So information technology's not necessarily more expensive, and they know more than near your car. Whatever other reason?

Ofttimes times at Jiffy Lube or wherever they're paid by the hour, and they're non necessarily trained to know your vehicle. And that tin cost you your engine. If I could become half of what I've charged customers to supplant engines that were screwed upwardly by Jiffy Lube and Walmart, for such things every bit not enough oil, too much oil, the wrong weight of oil, wrong filter, loose filter or whatever combination of the above, I could take retired a long time ago. In that location'south no point to spending $30,000 to $40,000 on a new vehicle and then trying to go cheap on the maintenance.

What's an instance of a common tactic by dealers to pad the bill?

So-called shop supplies. That is, and always has been, the biggest crock of crap I've ever seen, and information technology's been going on for years! Information technology is essentially similar to going to a overnice restaurant, getting your check and finding y'all've been billed for napkins and silverware, which are necessary costs of the food service business organization. Store supplies include, simply are not express to, shop rags, lubricantsthis isn't the motor oil, transmission fluid, brake fluid and steering fluid they might put in your carand the cost of disposing of used oil. These are just some of the necessary costs of doing the auto repair business. Some dealers do not charge for them, but most practise, and what is considered shop supplies is at the discretion of each private dealer. I've seen a customer get billed for $thirty in shop supplieson superlative of their estimatefor the use of three shop rags! For that price, I can buy xx rolls of store towels at Auto Zone.

If you got a bill that had shop supplies on it, what would you exercise?

Ask to see exactly what that means. Inquire to see the precise items they actually used. Challenge them on information technology. You might not become them to knock it off your pecker, but you should try.

You also said that dealer service departments besides often recommend fluid flushes and replacements that aren't called for by the owner's manual. The dealers cite the "severe use" schedule that doesn't utilize to the vast majority of us. Should drivers simply veto a service or fluid replacement that isn't recommendedin the owner's manualunder the normal or calorie-free-duty service requirements?

Yes, you should go by what the owner'due south manual recommends for normal use. And, aye, this is a common practice, and I detest to admit that. When I was a customer relations manager, I had a service manager who would [bate people into buying the fluid changes] by showing new fluid versus used fluid. She made more than I did just in flush commissions, but had the worst customer satisfaction surveys. I have always stuck to the manufacturer recommendations, and my Escape has over 310,000 miles on information technology. Less than 5 percentage of drivers operate their cars nether atmospheric condition that would be deemed "severe." The ones who do are usually taxi or pizza-delivery drivers, or those who ofttimes take their SUV or truck off-road.

What's the single best slice of advice y'all'd offer to a friend about servicing his auto at the dealer?

A dealer won't come correct out and say it, but if you have your regular service work done at the dealer... (considering warranty piece of work pays the dealer a lot less than service piece of work), your value to the dealership increases. Here's an case: Suppose your vehicle goes out of warranty and a week later on you lot take a catastrophic failure. If y'all have shown loyalty to the dealership by using them for regular service piece of work, they will be more inclined to assistance youas opposed to the person who buys a car there and takes it somewhere else for regular service, and only brings it in for warranty work.

Then it'southward about building a relationship with the dealer?

Yes. You demand to know that dealers make very picayune on car sales. And warranty service doesn't pay as much as regular maintenance. Just if they come across that record that you've been loyal to them, they'll likely be loyal to yous.

What's a sign that a dealership doesn't value that relationship?

Constant turnover at the service desk-bound. You should get the name of the person at the desk. You should ask for him or her. If that person'due south unlike every fourth dimension, information technology's non a skillful sign. Good auto service work starts with a relationship between the advisor and the client, and that cannot be obtained when the customer sees a new counselor every fourth dimension he comes in. I e'er knew the person's car, I pulled up its history, and that'south something people capeesh. Only if that person is new or is always irresolute, they don't know you or your car stuff gets missed, and that'due south typically not good for yous or your car.

How come up a dealer might charge yous 30 percent more for a part than you can observe it for at AutoZone?

It's one of the hang-ups I've ever had about domestic automakers. Yous can often buy their parts cheaper at the machine parts store than you tin at the dealership parts counter. And the dealer knows this, but he can't do anything about it. The problem is that even though that's truthful, the dealer doesn't want to install a part that he didn't source, because if it fails, how does he warranty information technology?

And so what do you do as the customer?

In that location's non a lot you can do. They can install the part if you went out and bought information technology, but most won't.

Speaking of AutoZone, you tin can take your auto there to accept them read what a Check Engine light means. How authentic will that reading be?

Check Engine lights are big moneymakers for dealers and also the blight of a service manager's being. Anyone tin use a code reader. But what does the code mean? For every code there demand to be additional diagnostics. I've had customers come up in and tell me to swap some part, because they're certain it'southward the problem. Only all that is is a really expensive approximate. They might be correct x to twenty percent of the time, close 20 percent of the time, and dead incorrect 60 percentage of the fourth dimension. I had a customer become through six oxygen sensors when all it was was a shorted wire.

What'south the smartest thing y'all can buy from the dealer?

A brand-proper noun extended service contract. So if you're ownership a Ford, become a Ford contract. If information technology's a Toyota, buy the Toyota contract. The opposite is besides true. Never buy the extended service contract that'due south generically offered through the dealer but isn't backed by the brand of machine they sell.

How come?

Because the people who fulfill the generic contracts are paid by how little service they have to practice. And so they fight the dealer on every penny. They'll want to see the entire labor record on the car. They won't want to pay for parts. They'll fight on the toll of the labor. In the finish, the client is going to take to eat some of that cost, even though the contract supposedly covers the motorcar.

What's the worst day of the week to get your car serviced?

Friday afternoon subsequently luncheon, because the service department is trying to push out as many vehicles every bit possible. Mayhap a car has been there since Monday waiting on parts. Possibly there are a few cars like that. And so people cascade in around lunchtime wanting oil changes. And there are the cars there already with appointments, and everyone'south in a rush to get it all done. Brand an engagement for a Mon morning as early every bit possible. It's a lot more orderly, and they'll do a improve task.