Price for 15K mile service?

[bluegrass]

I use dealer shops ... They work on their own vehicles all day everyday. I'd prefer not to be somebody's learning experience. I can't recall the last time any of the Honda, Toyota or Mazda dealers I've used have tried to foist anything on me. And they never have screwed anything up. Actually, I can think of a couple of cases where dealers did not want to sell me something.

Either you've been incredibly lucky or you haven't paid much attention.

This forum, along with virtually every forum for mainstream vehicles, are littered with hundreds of posts of horrible dealership experiences.
This very thread pointed out how a dealer wants to charge $550 for a 15K mile service!

And you must be completely out of the loop regarding skilled trades in this country. If you visit the dealership with any regularity, you ARE somebody's learning experience. The turnover is high, starting pay is low, and the people performing many services are inexperienced noobs.

 

[theblooms]

I do my own. 5 quarts of Pennzoil Ultra Platinum 0W-20 is $28, and a Mazda OEM filter is $6. I already have the car in the air for the rotation. So, oil change and rotation costs $34.

 

[181962]

Either you've been incredibly lucky or you haven't paid much attention.

This forum, along with virtually every forum for mainstream vehicles, are littered with hundreds of posts of horrible dealership experiences.
This very thread pointed out how a dealer wants to charge $550 for a 15K mile service!

And you must be completely out of the loop regarding skilled trades in this country. If you visit the dealership with any regularity, you ARE somebody's learning experience. The turnover is high, austarting pay is low, and the people performing many services are inexperienced noobs.

I pay a lot of attention and I regard myself to be a pretty lucky guy in general. Happy days!

I would point out the anecdotal fallacy, especially when dealing with auto forums, but that doesn't seem to do much good.

 

[bluegrass]

I pay a lot of attention and I regard myself to be a pretty lucky guy in general. Happy days!

Just don't fool yourself into thinking you're not "somebody's learning experience" because you use the dealership for service, or that Honda/Toyota/Mazda dealers don't regularly "try to foist" unnecessary/overpriced service.

 

[181962]

Here's another service schedule anomaly. The US/PR non-severe service schedule calls for replacing the cabin filter every 24 months/15k miles. US/PR severe and Canada service calls for every 24 months/30k miles.

 

[Sig cx-5]

Here's another service schedule anomaly. The US/PR non-severe service schedules calls for replacing the cabin filter every 24 months/15k miles. US/PR severe and Canada service calls for every 24 months/30k miles.

This is why I inspect it at least once a year. I took my old Lexus in once just after replacing it and they told me it was due.

 

[181962]

Just don't fool yourself into thinking you're not "somebody's learning experience" because you use the dealership for service....

I'll grant you this much: I would not want the guy who put together the service schedules working on vehicle.

Of course it's a question of odds, isn't it? The chance of a dealer tech having actually worked under the hood of a like vehicle before is way better than at a mom and pop shop.

Decades ago when I lived in Chicago a friend recommended a small shop that worked exclusively on Toyotas. He warned me the guy was a Toyota fanatic who will scold me about how to service and drive the car. I figured I'd try him out with an oil change. From all appearances it was a one man show and he lived up to his reputation. When I picked up the car he insisted on showing me how to drive it, brisk with the stick shall we say, as he did the demo around a few blocks of city streets. Later, Putty on Seinfeld who stole Jerry's car because he was not maintaining it to Putty's standards reminded me of him. I think today we might call that Toyota guy OCD or on the spectrum.

Now, if you can point me to a guy like that in Buffalo/Niagara I'll have him change those pesky Sienna plugs.

 

[181962]

This is why I inspect it at least once a year. I took my old Lexus in once just after replacing it and they told me it was due.

I generally find cabin filters are pretty dirty at 15k since I smoke in the cars. For a brief time I had to park a vehicle outdoors and found a mouse nest behind the cabin filter. Better than chewing wires.

But that wasn't really my point regarding the several schedule anomalies.

 

[dunhillmc]

My mistake, you're right - it doesn't list anything for brake fluid on the non-severe US schedule. Seems like an oversight as it should at least be inspected regularly.

The new Mazda3 and CX30 have brake fluid included in the maintenance schedule (change every other oil change, or 2 years). That seems a little excessive to me. Even BMW has brake fluid on a 3 year interval

 

[ColtX-5]

I am particularly disturbed when shops take advantage of women. Oddly. the work changes as soon as I drive up and ask what's up?

Do the maintenance called out in the owner's manual and nothing else. In my manual that is an oil change, exhaust inspection and tire rotation.

My local tire store charges me $20 to rotate and balance my tires, sometimes. Speedy's Oil change charges $20 to change my oil and filter if I supply my favorite synthetic and filter, another $30-ish. Much more than $100 and you are being cheated.

There is no reason to use the dealer unless you need warranty work, or some very specialized repair, say ECU replacement. Even then, independents might be able to do that, too.

 

[Buzzman12]

But what if they put in fresh nitrogen in your tires & use genuine Mazda OEM blinker fluid ?

Oh well, that's at least a $200 service item. Well worth it once a year, don't you think?

 

[Buzzman12]

Good/bad dealership service, good/bad indie shops, good/bad friends that think they know what they are doing, makes for lively discussions. We've had lots of these on this forum in the years I've been here.
It comes down to the fact that no two shops are the same. It all comes down to the people.
Good people are a Company's most important asset. It's finding the good shops/dealers that is always the challenge. When you do, stick with them.
I've told this before: I had a great Nissan dealer that I did business with for years. The business was sold to a new owner, and within six months it was run into the ground. Almost 100% turnover. Never went back.
To the original poster: don't let your dealer take advantage of you. Decline their offer and stick to the oil change.
Good luck.

 

[ceric]

Good/bad dealership service, good/bad indie shops, good/bad friends that think they know what they are doing, makes for lively discussions. We've had lots of these on this forum in the years I've been here.
It comes down to the fact that no two shops are the same. It all comes down to the people.
Good people are a Company's most important asset. It's finding the good shops/dealers that is always the challenge. When you do, stick with them.
I've told this before: I had a great Nissan dealer that I did business with for years. The business was sold to a new owner, and within six months it was run into the ground. Almost 100% turnover. Never went back.
To the original poster: don't let your dealer take advantage of you. Decline their offer and stick to the oil change.
Good luck.

Agree with Buzzman12.

Bottomline: never pay for the XYk-mile service.
Itemize what services you want/need performed on your vehicle.
Visit dealers with coupons for those in your hands.
Dealers do not give you discount on the package service.
They overcharge you, instead.

Or, you can always DIY if you enjoy doing that.

 

[181962]

I had a great Nissan dealer that I did business with for years.

So, saying they're all "stealerships" lacked nuance, I guess.

 

[gingerpunch]

Do yourself a favor and never step foot into any dealership service department ever again, unless you have a warranty issue.

All you need to do is take 2 minutes to actually read your owner's manual to know exactly what type of service you need at ~15K miles.

Use an independent shop recommended by family/friends and tell them exactly what services you want done (oil change and tire rotation). Pay them $50-$75 and get on with your life.

I have heard this before. To use a dealership for warranty work (or while the car is under warranty) but other than that, use an independent shop. I have never used an independent shop, but I'll do some research and see if I can find a good one.

 

[gingerpunch]

I use dealer shops for anything other than the basics (some oil changes, tires, batteries, filters) with positive experiences. They work on their own vehicles all day everyday. I'd prefer not to be somebody's learning experience. I can't recall the last time any of the Honda, Toyota or Mazda dealers I've used have tried to foist anything on me.

In this case, it might just be this particular service shop. The dealership has some other brands too (including Subaru). I used to have a Subaru Forester and when I checked the service prices for a Forester, they were much more reasonable than the Mazda service shop.

 

[gingerpunch]

I am particularly disturbed when shops take advantage of women. Oddly. the work changes as soon as I drive up and ask what's up?

I am a woman, but I wasn't quoted the high prices on the phone or in person. I went on the dealer website. You can schedule service appointments online and it gives you the price(s) for each service. The price listed for the 10K service is consistent with what I paid. I guess they rip off everyone (men and women) if you tell them you want the 15K mile service.

I'm going to give them a list of what I want to be done (not what they recommend) and go from there. Hopefully they don't try to give me hard time.

 

[ceric]

BTW, it is easy to find coupons on dealers' webSite or MazdaUSA (needs to register as an owner first). Never buy parts or accessories from dealers. They usually charge you 30% or more than prices on internet (also genuine Mazda dealers).

I recall that, my friend took his Lexus LS400 in for 60k service. This was 15 yrs ago. He was charged $2k for maintenance. He did not think it was expensive... oh, well. His money.

 

[theplayer11]

I've owned many new vehicles and a dealer hasn't touched any of them except minor warranty issues. Any xxx mile service they charge is a rip off.

 

[181962]

Any xxx mile service they charge is a rip off.

I've never in my life, over 4+ decades of owning cars, looked at a dealer's recommended service package at x or xxx,xxx miles. I track it myself and tell them what I want and they do it.

Now, for the first time, I'm going to look at what a dealer offers, the one where I had my first and only oil change on my CX-5 so far, not the dealer I bought it from 200 miles away:

Mazda Service Specials, Coupons, Northtown Mazda Amherst NY

Mazda Service Specials, Print Coupons for oil changes, batteries, belts, tires, rotate & balance, brakes, more savings at Northtown Mazda in Amherst NY.

www.northtownmazda.com

Note the "Summer Car Care Special" for $176.95. It's an oil change, rotation, maybe a cabin air filter replacement (that's not entirely clear) and inspections you'd get anyway with just an oil change. It's a rip off for stuff you'd get for around $100, give or take, for the oil change, rotation, and filter depending on what they charge for it. I wouldn't know.

When I called up and scheduled an oil change and rotation only, along with a TSB application request, nobody at this dealer pushed back saying, "we have such and such a package". In fact, over several decades of having service done at dealers I simply can't recall ever having one of these overpriced packages offered or pushed.

These packages are for people who don't know any better. I wouldn't look askance at a dealer offering them unless I got to the check-in desk and got a hard sell, which I'd decline, and then go somewhere else next time.

Now, check out the package of 3 synthetic oil changes (5 qts.) + 2 rotations @ 173.85 good for two years. That's a sweet deal. I'd buy one at my next oil change except for the fact I only anticipate 6,000 - 7,000 miles per year, once per year oil changes.

And unlike other reports, after these guys applied the TSB and road tested it 6 miles under warranty, they squared away the shifting/lugging issues with the vehicle. 5 stars.