[runittwiice]

I was wondering if anyone has ever questioned their dealership. For example when you bring your car in for a check-up or maintenance or whatever you want to call it and let's say they charge you 50$ for an oil change, how can you actually be sure they changed your oil, changed a little oil, all of your oil etc..

Sure some of you must've asked yourself these questions..or not..I could just be in a paranoid mood..

Anyways yeah..

 

[ADarkerBreed]

The only upside to taking it to a stealership is that you have someone to hold accountable if they did mess up.
Double check - does the oil look dark or old on the stick? Are the lugs cross-threaded?
It's common for dealerships to cut corners or do things without thought, on two separate occasions I've had lug stud replaced because a tech cross-threaded them with the impact wrench.
You're paranoia is well founded, just keep an eye out.

 

[Davidval18]

Agree with what @ADarkerBreed said, the dealership will try to maximize costs with little effort.

Always double check their work and don't be embarrassed to do so, remember you are the customer in the end.

 

[Road Trip]

As to the OP's question, very good idea to ask questions, interview our service departments.Unfortunate that not every dealership (and we are talking about every brand), is excellent, in fact some needing serious "help." However, we too have a responsibility to choose our dealership, not just blindly going to the one closest to us because it is the most convenient (and not talking about those who are a hundred miles away from their "second closest dealership" -- who thus have no choice).

Do we go to the closest gym, our closest restaurant, our closest doctor, the closest body shop, or do we "interview" and choose? If we have not done our "due diligence" in choosing who repairs our cars, and we have a choice, I say we are part of the problem. Not justifying dealership less-than-consistently-good service, but we have a part in this.

I drove by my closest, 4 mile away, Chevy dealership (before it closed), and still drive my the next closest one 20 miles away, and now without fail, drive to one dealership who is 38 miles away to have my Corvette serviced by a team there I totally trust.

 

[reky]

I had had bad experiences with some garages (in the UK) never hurts having a personal recommendation or checking good review sites.

 

[darvetis]

Last time I had the Mazda service department change my oil, I stepped out of the waiting room to check on progress. At my particular service dept. it's pretty simple to see my car on the lift with container underneath the engine, collecting the oil.

And they returned the 5 quart container of oil which I supplied, left with whatever oil they didn't use (half quart?)

 

[split]

You are lucky, here in Croatia I payed 210$ for oil change (first service interval).

 

[katho]

You are lucky, here in Croatia I payed 210$ for oil change (first service interval).

It's not only a oil change.

 

[nigelh]

I'm taking mine into the dealership on Monday, as the air conditioner has stopped working. Well, the light comes on, but no change in temperature (no change in revs either). The car is only a year and a half old, so unless there is a leak, I don't see how the gas could be gone.

Having said that, a car repair place I went to yesterday to query gas said the 2014-2017 models use a newer has that is pretty scarce currently, and some dealerships are charging over £300 to re-gas them (normally £50).

 

[split]

You are lucky, here in Croatia I payed 210$ for oil change (first service interval).

It's not only a oil change.

It was first service, after 12 months. They changed oil and oil filter, 0-20W, also they checked for any PCM error code and they checked suspension. And, yeah, they washed my car.
These days I have to go for second service, that includes oil change, brake oil change and cabin air filter. I was told that will cost about 280$.
And as I am informed, the price is similar with all dealers in Croatia.
Is that fair price or not, I am not sure. But I know that I feel robbed and that for sure will make me think twice next time I go for new car.
Mazda needs to check dealers because they are loosing possible customers of the new cars. More and more people are avoiding Mazda because of that, at least in Croatia.
Zoom-zoom .... emptying our wallets

 

[stanisinjo]

Yes, sadly same rates also here in Montenegro.

 

[ADarkerBreed]

Is that fair price or not, I am not sure. But I know that I feel robbed and that for sure will make me think twice next time I go for new car.

Regardless of it being fair that's about what I pay per "service" apart from the big ones. They don't call them stealerships for nothing.
Once it's out of warranty they'll not get another red cent from me.

 

[zero_gravity]

Regardless of it being fair that's about what I pay per "service" apart from the big ones. They don't call them stealerships for nothing.
Once it's out of warranty they'll not get another red cent from me.

No reason to wait until then. Give Mazda's warranty terms/conditions a good read. It makes provisions for using a non dealer mechanic (protected by law anyway) and even doing work yourself. Mazda actually tells you to go ahead and what they expect for documentation.

I do all my own work. Worried about warranty? Video tape it with your phone.

 

[ADarkerBreed]

No reason to wait until then. Give Mazda's warranty terms/conditions a good read. It makes provisions for using a non dealer mechanic (protected by law anyway) and even doing work yourself. Mazda actually tells you to go ahead and what they expect for documentation.

I do all my own work. Worried about warranty? Video tape it with your phone.

I've thought about this but my current living situation (apartment complex with not much space and a few choice restrictions in the lease) and my fear of being unable to prove what I did/didn't do has kept me pulling out my pockets for the dealership. As well, it sometimes helps to have someone who can take blame if something goes wrong - if I cross thread a stud at home I've just given myself a new job to do and money to spend, if the dealership does I get new studs within the hour.
It's a trade off but one I'm willing to make for now.

 

[katho]

It was first service, after 12 months. They changed oil and oil filter, 0-20W, also they checked for any PCM error code and they checked suspension. And, yeah, they washed my car.
These days I have to go for second service, that includes oil change, brake oil change and cabin air filter. I was told that will cost about 280$.
And as I am informed, the price is similar with all dealers in Croatia.
Is that fair price or not, I am not sure. But I know that I feel robbed and that for sure will make me think twice next time I go for new car.
Mazda needs to check dealers because they are loosing possible customers of the new cars. More and more people are avoiding Mazda because of that, at least in Croatia.
Zoom-zoom .... emptying our wallets

That's cheap, have to pay approx $420 for second service next month here in Sweden, and they don't wash my car. :grin2:

 

[grendels_m3]

Here's a thought. Next time you go to a dealer for an oil change ask the service person if you can meet the mechanic that will be working on your car. Try to be friendly to him and build a relationship in those few minutes with the mechanic. If the mechanic thinks of you as a friendly person other than "the red Mazda 3" then it's less likely they will cut corners and they may tell you when they mess up.

 

[grendels_m3]

That's cheap, have to pay approx $420 for second service next month here in Sweden, and they don't wash my car. :grin2:

Glad I prepaid my maintenance. Don't let your dealer wash your car. They aren't doing you a favor. They are damaging it. Wash your own using the correct methods and cleaning tools.

 

[Road Trip]

Don't let your dealer wash your car. They aren't doing you a favor. They are damaging it. Wash your own using the correct methods and cleaning tools.

99.9% of the time, the person who is washing your car is the lowest paid person on the dealership's staff. I ditto what @grendels_m3 said, that unless the washer is using correct methods and has the right equipment, they can in just one wash, scratch the crap out of your paint.

When I got my new '15 Z06, I had it in writing that the car was not to be washed by anyone but me. So as I arrive with my two 5-gallon buckets, each with a grit guard, two new microfiber wash mitts (in case I drop one onto the ground), three new, extra-large waffle-weave MF drying clothes, etc, and as I go to start to hand wash in their covered bay (it is an outside bay and it is 33 degrees and windy), I notice that ahead of me inside the bay is a farm truck with inches of mud on it and on the bay floor, with a very young man taking a pole-mounted wash mitt, dipping it into a dirty bucket with soap suds, washing the truck. I wait. He pulls the truck out and comes over and, with dirty clothes on, wants to drive my car into the bay. Not happening, and before I pull it into the bay, I hose down/clean the entire bay's floor. The young wants to help, so I asked him to please take my two clean buckets into the service building and fill them both with totally hot water. When he returns, he again reaches for his dirty pole mitt. I get between him and my car and we have an "educational" conversation. As I just handed him a $5 bill, I explain exactly how this is going to work, i.e., he will mostly sit on the old stool in the corner, watch me properly wash my car with my equipment, and all he can do is ask questions. Since I gave him the largest tip in his probably 16 year old life, he truly did listen while I washed my car, explaining each and every step, and reason, why and how to properly wash a car. When he gets his first car, I hope he will wash it properly.

I do not ever take that car, nor my '17 WRX DD, to a top of the line car wash -- for what if that very muddy farm truck was the last vehicle through it. Nor will our Mazda 3 go to a car wash, nor similarly ever be dealer-washed.

BTW, this pic of my car inside the wash bay, before its rear spoiler, side skirts and more were attached to the car as part of the PDI.

 

[voltizar1]

Hey,

Your exact concern is the reason why i started to do my own oil changes which evolved into electrical , brake and whatever else i can do.

I have sent the oil from dealer for analysis, they changed it.

The whole point of taking the car to dealer for oil change is that they are supposed to give the car an quick look to make sure nothing is screaming replace me...

 

[Road Trip]

Whenever I go to a dealership for any kind of service, I insist the Service Advisor write in magic marker (bring one with me) in big bold letters on the service ticket, as well as typing it into computer generated forms, DO NOT WASH!

And I have in each car, two of these, 8 1/2" X 11" "signs," one goes on the dash next to the "A" pillar pointing outward, the other on the passenger seat facing the driver...



In posting this thread, I just printed new ones of these; they will go into our Mazda immediately after it unloads off the transporter's ramps when it arrives at the dealership at the end of this month. Next week I take the two signs to the Service Manager of the Dealership, meet his person who officially receives new vehicles, hand him a $10 bill with the two signs, and tell that person that if he gets me a picture of my car with those signs in the window he gets another $10 if that pic is time and date stamped within an hour of its dealer arrival. However, if that picture is taken with the transporter in the background -- again showing at least the DO NOT WASH sign on the dash, he gets a $20. Call me paranoid? No argument, but already had one brand new car's paint partially-ruined by an initial dealer wash. Need to do this, as there is good chance my car will be arriving at the dealership while I am on a road trip.