Auto dealer maintenance upselling

[gsganzer]

I understand the dealerships are in business to make money, but the constant push to upsell is becoming ridiculous. When you push back, they always have a canned response. This time it was "we noticed it was a company truck and those usually live a rough life". It really damages their credibility with me, when they push this crap. I'm all for reasonable service intervals, but on many of these recommendations, they're pushing to have the service performed at 50% of the recommended interval.

I brought my 2020 F250, 76000 miles, to a dealer this morning for an oil change and front brakes. I get a call from them with their service "recommendations". They include:

• engine air filter, which I just replaced 10K ago
• cabin air filter, which I also just replaced 10K ago
• coolant flush, manual recommends a check at each service and a flush at 200K
• front differential fluid change, manual recommended at 150K
• rear differential fluid change, manual recommended at 150K
• Transfer case fluid change, manual recommended at 150K
• Fuel Filter, just replaced at 40K, manual recommends at every 30K (Dealer claims every 15K)

 

[jonsstihl]

I hope you didn't go 66,000 miles on the original air filter. You are 6 K overdue for the fuel filter. Cabin airfilters I do one a year regardless of mileage to make sure I get optimal airflow for a/c and defrosting windows.

I tend to follow the manufacturers recommendations not a dealers since they are biased $$$. I think Maintenance is cheap compared to problems. but It does depend on where and how you are using your vehicle. Highway miles tend to be less hard on mechanical items but dusty conditions really hurt.

 

[gsganzer]

I hope you didn't go 66,000 miles on the original air filter. You are 6 K overdue for the fuel filter. Cabin airfilters I do one a year regardless of mileage to make sure I get optimal airflow for a/c and defrosting windows.

I tend to follow the manufacturers recommendations not a dealers since they are biased $$$. I think Maintenance is cheap compared to problems. but It does depend on where and how you are using your vehicle. Highway miles tend to be less hard on mechanical items but dusty conditions really hurt.

No. I'm on my 3rd air filter, I just replaced it at the last oil change. The truck has an air filter monitor, but the first time I had gotten to 40K and it still hadn't indicated the need for an engine air filter change, so I changed it anyway at 40K. Then again at around 60K to get me onto 30K intervals).

I've also been doing the fuel filters about every 30K. I authorized the fuel filter, so I'll now be starting my 3rd fuel filter at 76K, ahead of my schedule). Actually, I would have waited until the next oil change, but the service advisor threw me when he said they recommended 15K and I was in the middle of working on something out in the pasture, so I just authorized it, thinking I must have been mistaken on my interval. When I came inside and checked, I should have waited until closer to 90K.

Edit:
Sorry, just now realized my original typo on the fuel filter at 40K. It was replaced at 60K.

 

[mrmikey]

I dislike/distrust dealers soo bad. When I bought my Ram three years ago it came with three oil/filter changes. I wouldn't even take it there for those and did them myself

 

[Lastkidpicked]

A caution on air filters.

We used to be trained to open the box and inspect the air filter. Our latest training is NOT to do this, because it's so easy for tiny particles to get into that box.

Instead, the latest training is go strictly by mileage. If it's due for replacement then replace the filter. If not indicated by mileage then do not open it up for inspection.

Might save you guys some aggravation.

 

[gsganzer]

A caution on air filters.

We used to be trained to open the box and inspect the air filter. Our latest training is NOT to do this, because it's so easy for tiny particles to get into that box.

Instead, the latest training is go strictly by mileage. If it's due for replacement then replace the filter. If not indicated by mileage then do not open it up for inspection.

Might save you guys some aggravation.

That's a good point.

I did an oil change, oil filter and air filter service on my 2008 4runner last week. I forgot how stupidly easy that vehicle is to service. The drain plug is simple to get to, the oil filter is on the top, the air filter box is easy to open without having to disconnect any hoses and the driveline is super easy to grease.

I remember my 2016 Chevy 3500 diesel had some stupid things about it. You had to put the DEF fluid in under the hood, where overflow would run all over a fuse box, you had to remove a bracket to get the airbox open, the airbox had screws instead of latches and you had to remove the passenger side tire and/or wheel well skirting to change the fuel filter.

 

[not2old]

I have a 1990 F250 with 460 engine bought new. A few years old, I was buying a fuel filter at the dealer because the parts store didn't have one and was asked why I needed a filter as they are rated to last the life of the vehicle. At 33 years old and 445,000 KM I have only changed it once more and have had no apparent problems.

 

[dodge man]

It’s just as bad when buying a vehicle. The paint protection, the fabric protection, the extended warranty, nitrogen in the tires. When we bought our current F150 they were so thoughtful to install nitrogen in the tires ahead of time and wanted over $100 for it. I told them to take it out, which of course they didn’t. My wife must have said three times when we signed the papers “you took the nitrogen charge off right?”.

I hardly ever take a vehicle in except for a recall. YouTube can be your helper on car repair.

 

[Patches]

At 82 yrs of age I don't have much choice as I can' get under them any longer, or should say after getting down there, I can't get up from under them. Dealer maintenance is a must for me

 

[gsganzer]

It’s just as bad when buying a vehicle. The paint protection, the fabric protection, the extended warranty, nitrogen in the tires. When we bought our current F150 they were so thoughtful to install nitrogen in the tires ahead of time and wanted over $100 for it. I told them to take it out, which of course they didn’t. My wife must have said three times when we signed the papers “you took the nitrogen charge off right?”.

I hardly ever take a vehicle in except for a recall. YouTube can be your helper on car repair.

When I bought my 2020 F250, they tried slipping the window tint and nitrogen on the bill. I made them walk back out to the truck with me and show me that it had something other than the factory window tint and green caps on the tires signifying nitrogen. (I actually had my 4-way gas monitor in my glovebox, so I was prepared to even test the tire air). Of course it had neither. I told them I'd shop somewhere else if this was how they were going to do business.

 

[Dftodd]

Wife had her car in at the dealership for a service. Gal at the service counter started in on her about how her car needed new tires and that they were badly worn

Wife walked the girl out to her car and asked where the tires were worn???

Gal started back tracking pretty quickly.

We had just had new tires installed the week before and the tires still had the little nubbings on them.

 

[MTGreen]

It's not called the stealership for nothing.

I may be in the minority here with my dim view, but I'm of the opinion that no mechanic touches any of my vehicles/equipment unless it's a free warranty repair (or a computerized alignment).
Years ago I took vehicles to mechanics and every time there were broken/missing parts/fasteners, trash/tools left in the engine compartment, fraudulently charging for something that wasn't done, or blatant attempts at (IMO fraudulently) generating unnecessary work by attempting to prey on the ignorant like in the case of the OP.

 

[John0829]

The only time our vehicles go back to the dealer is for recalls which thankfully have been very few.

 

[BlueKnife]

I drive a 25 year old pickup, have no intention of ever buying a new vehicle and have never paid anyone to do anything on a vehicle for me, so this is just idle curiosity. If you don't like the service at dealerships, why are you going there? Is it required to maintain a warranty or something?

 

[ultrarunner]

Honest question…

When one buys a Tesla direct… at least I think this is the term… do you have to run the gauntlet of value added features and services pushed at the Dealership level?

 

[Hay Dude]

I must be lucky, because I have bought a Jeep and a Ram from the same dealer and although they do “suggest” extra services, they don’t force them. I kind of like the reminders and appreciate with so much to forget in life, that my Ram and Jeep are well cared for. Maintenance is pretty cheap compared to repairs.
Can’t believe how long the change interval is on the OP’s front/rear differential and transfer case.
Mine are 60K.My transmission is 30K with “severe use”, which mine is with all the towing I do. I did the front & rear diffs at 40K along with the transfer case.

Wife had her car in at the dealership for a service. Gal at the service counter started in on her about how her car needed new tires and that they were badly worn

Wife walked the girl out to her car and asked where the tires were worn???

Gal started back tracking pretty quickly.

We had just had new tires installed the week before and the tires still had the little nubbings on them.

omg thats so funny.
My wife has the dealer service her BMW and they always pull the “tire shaming” on her. Michelin run-flats “only” like $700 a pop.

 

[Tomtint]

Car dealers have 3 profit centers. The first is the sales department where they will put a ACV on your trade, that is banked with a wholesaler, ..then give you less than that ACV in many cases. Then they have the gross on the new sal as well as holdback in many cases. The second is the finance office where the after sell occurs. Paint protection, Extended warranty mud flaps, etc.. All high markup after sell items. This office is also responsible for finance rate bumps. Many dealers have deals with finance companies and make profit by signing you up well above their buy rate from said financial institutions. .. Every 1/4 point they can bump you..the more they make. Now you are onto the service department, where in many cases is where the most profit comes from in the dealership. Service writers make a living with aftersell. They instruct the tech to walk around every vehicle and provide the wish list while the vehicle is held hostage on the lift. Its all a numbers game.. If they pitch 50 add on tickets a week and 10 bite on 50% of the ticket.. It's bonus time.
a good service writer is vital to a dealership. For more reasons than you may realise. If a good one leaves the dealer, In many cases they will take the best mechanics with them as they move to another shop. The techs make book time for jobs, and many of the aftersell jobs pay much better than repair work on rusty old crap ..

 

[Tomtint]

Honest question…

When one buys a Tesla direct… at least I think this is the term… do you have to run the gauntlet of value added features and services pushed at the Dealership level?

Just get the dual fire extinguisher option.

 

[mrmikey]

Mine are 60K.My transmission is 30K with “severe use”, which mine is with all the towing I do. I did the front & rear diffs at 40K along with the transfer case.

That's something I have to do on my Ram in the next while, front and rear diff's, trans case and transmission. I've got the diff oil but have to get the transfer case and trans fluid. Going to use Valvoline Multi Vehicle instead of the the Mopar fluid at $35L

 

[Oaktree]

Wife had her car in at the dealership for a service. Gal at the service counter started in on her about how her car needed new tires and that they were badly worn

Wife walked the girl out to her car and asked where the tires were worn???

Don't know if your state has annual safety inspections, but that is always a big scam at dealers or chain tire places. They'll offer a low price for state inspection, but it's almost a guarantee they'll find something "wrong". And since a failed inspection gets flagged in the DMV database you can't just go somewhere else, you're stuck getting it "fixed" (though not necessarily at the same place that failed you).
Funny though, when you buy a used vehicle from them it always breezes thru.

I may be in the minority here with my dim view, but I'm of the opinion that no mechanic touches any of my vehicles/equipment unless it's a free warranty repair (or a computerized alignment).
Years ago I took vehicles to mechanics and every time there were broken/missing parts/fasteners, trash/tools left in the engine compartment, fraudulently charging for something that wasn't done, or blatant attempts at (IMO fraudulently) generating unnecessary work by attempting to prey on the ignorant like in the case of the OP.

I used to do most of the repairs/maintenance on my vehicles, but as I've gotten older and vehicles have gotten more complex I don't do much of that beyond brakes, oil changes, etc. Something about arthritic knees and hands that makes it a lot less fun.
The key is finding a mechanic you can trust. They are out there. Mostly independent guys who are established. They didn't get that way by being crooks.