finding a good place for maintenance service

[BuckyP5]

Sorry if you guys think I've posted in a wrong section. I've looked everywhere in the forum but it looks like there's not a specific one for service qts...

Ok... it's about time to do my 30k service. I do my oil change myself, but for a 30k tuneup, I didn't want to mess with it and I plan to take it in to a shop. I got this so-called 'discount coupon' from my local dealership in the east bay (Bay Area, CA) quoting a price of $550, and I think that price is plain ridiculous. Anybody else in the Bay Area, preferably the east bay, knows a reputable shop that I can bring my car to? Or, is there some sort of guideline that you guys think we should watch out for when we shop for auto repair/service shops? There seems to be a awful lot of shops out there and I really can't tell which one is good...

 

[mikem]

Mazda Dealers know your car best, but if your trying to pinch pennies, look around

 

[SpicyMSP]

where is Walnut Creek located?

 

[Bijou-MP5]

$550? no way, get your spark wires and plugs from sparkcoonline for $90 shipped(I think) and get tools and do i yourself, even I did it myself without professional knowledge, but it took me hour and half.. lol
and take it to local car maintainence center for reflush radiator and maybe reflush transmission oil.
You will save some money

 

[privateer]

should be someone you can talk to that knows a good mechanic the 30000 miles service is basically and oil change with air filter oil filter and spark plug replacement and the standard checks and refills washer ect... top offs, lets say a mechanic charges 70.00 an hour this should take no more than a couple of hours plus part quick part estimate plugs 5.00 max each=20.00 oil filter mazda 10.00 air filter mazda 25.00 oil 20.00 so that is a grand total of about 200.00 mazda parts always higher you buy and give to mechanic cheaper but not warranted not to often that any of these parts go bad unless you buy cheap parts air filters are all about the same but dont use cheap plugs or oil filters use japanese plugs as originally speced for 500.00 dollars if mazda dealers are to steep realize as long as a mechanic is ase certified your warranty is valid so shop around . good luck and keep us posted when you find a good mechanic or tech as some like to be called as i have stated before a good mechanic is golden.

 

[BuckyP5]

Walnut Creek is a little bit east of berkeley/oakland. If you know the highways in the bay area, it's right at where 680 and 24 cross.

A nice place to live.

Thanks for all the feedback. I'll keep looking, I still have around 2000 miles to go before I should bring my baby in for the tuneup, so... not too worried at this point.

 

[SnowSerpent]

I only trust the dealer with my car. Like mikem said they should know the car the best beside if they break anything they're responsible.

 

[7th_Shadow]

Anyone know of a good dealer to have service done in SoCal preferably orange county.