"Servicing at the dealership is stupid and unnecessary"

[Stephon.]

"most of the time they don't change your parts, but they charge you for it anyway"

I hear comments like these almost every time I go in for a service and how much money I would save if I go elsewhere.

How do you guys feel about the above comments? Do you think that there are any truths to it?

[sliderz1]

agreed.
DIY ftw

[Paullct]

I honestly don't think the firms would go so far as charge you for a part that they never put in. I've never had that experience. I've actually never had to complain with service from any of the firms I've dealt with (Toyota, Massy, Diamond). I agree that the prices can be somewhat extravagant but never more than that for me. It was always worth spending my money knowing that I'm driving out problem free. I always did preventative maintenance.

*edit* good ched btw OP. if it doesn't exist already. plenty potential.

[GeneralHonda]

The dealership cost works up to about the same as my mechanic with regards to servicing. This applies to balancing, rotating and aligning the vehicle as well if I were to take it somewhere else to be done. This is classic motors of course and I have a discount card so maybe this makes it more affordable.

I have not had to change parts as yet so I don't know how the cost will be in that area. I have seen a few persons arguing the captioned statement that the issues still persists where parts have been changed. What I can say is that based on the recalls I have experienced, the parts where changed and where they saw a battery was in need of changing, they did it and this was under the warranty period that meant no cost to me.

What I can say is that I have been to many other persons who are supposed to be excellent Honda mechanics and have had many issues with their service and repairs versus having my "roadside" mechanic do it for me an solve it in one shot. This was before I owned a new car.

Each persons will have their take on this.

[zoom rader]

"most of the time they don't change your parts, but they charge you for it anyway"

I hear comments like these almost every time I go in for a service and how much money I would save if I go elsewhere.

How do you guys feel about the above comments? Do you think that there are any truths to it?

Dude, One time I put a small X on my oil filter before I sent it in for servicing. They charged me for Oil and filter. When i got the car back, I saw I had the same filter. It was never changed so I then saw the manager and complained about it and showen him the old filter is still on the car. He gave me a B.S story and told me this does not happen and it must have slipped them.

Mark you parts before you send it in.

[bushwakka]

i've seen a whole lot of slipshod work being done at some of those firms. battery and fluid checks were supposed to be done as part of every service and i was too busy to do weekly checks myself. One week after a regular service, i popped the hood to find the battery leaking all over the place and the P/S level low

they also pulled my spark plugs after a bad gas incident and left the coil pack not properly screwed on and it dropped out like 2 weeks after

i recommend for ppl buying new cars to keep servicing at the dealership during the warranty period in case anything major goes wrong....but be vigilant and check what they say they are changing and take a look at any areas they may have interfered with to see that everything is put back into place

[Allergic2BunnyEars]

I think you should be diligent and not assume they are all above board basically. Let them give you back your old parts they changed as well but ask them in a non antagonistic way.

It would be good to learn about your car as well so you can ask some questions just to see if they are aware of certain things.

[RBphoto]

RORO FTW!!!

[ronsin1]

I have had my vehicle for almost a year and so have the dealership has offered me good service.
I even get follow up calls from them asking how was my experience for during the service.

But then again I told the sales man I was not taking the vehicle until I met the Service Manager or his Boss

So the day I collected was the Day I met the service manager and told him My expectations when my vehicle is being serviced.

Plus ah have meh lil contact hire up

[nervewrecker]

RORO FTW!!!

yuh unnerstan!

the amount of $$$ we spend servicing the van alone we coulda buy a roro car & the van transmission gone while my roro does just change brakes, tyre, oil, filter, cradle bushings, shocks etc every now & then when necessary ( & it still comes up far less than the van) lmao

[RBphoto]

I have had better service from my RORO car from my mechanic than my new car from the firm. Never buying from the firm unless I have a job incentive or something, OR buying a luxury vehicle.

[Allergic2BunnyEars]

RORO FTW!!!

yuh unnerstan!

the amount of $$$ we spend servicing the van alone we coulda buy a roro car & the van transmission gone while my roro does just change brakes, tyre, oil, filter, cradle bushings, shocks etc every now & then when necessary ( & it still comes up far less than the van) lmao

what stopping yuh from not taking d van back to d dealer?

[r3iXmann]

"most of the time they don't change your parts, but they charge you for it anyway"

a company i worked at had issues like this with a certain <> Trinidad & Tobago Limited dealer

when the company's maintenance manager noticed something was amiss, he started marking the parts that were scheduled to be changed as someone mentioned earlier and made a huge stink when he noticed they were NOT being changed as guaranteed

[SmokeyGTi]

^^ i have heard this story adn similar ones like it so may times.

service at the dealerships is like a hit and miss yes..sometimes you get lucky sometimes you end up being screwed.

i would always prefer having someone i know, someone's whose competence i have seen, work on my car than some lalpat at the dealership.

[wagonrunner]

I honestly don't think the firms would go so far as charge you for a part that they never put in.

ask Ignorant ignis, about the rotor tensioning pulley

[nervewrecker]

RORO FTW!!!

yuh unnerstan!

the amount of $$$ we spend servicing the van alone we coulda buy a roro car & the van transmission gone while my roro does just change brakes, tyre, oil, filter, cradle bushings, shocks etc every now & then when necessary ( & it still comes up far less than the van) lmao

what stopping yuh from not taking d van back to d dealer?

Warranty was up when the transmission went & they quoted approx $20k for a new one. What is their excuse for the transmission failure "thas ah common problem wid all dem van dem, yuh eh see by VMCOTT how much ah dem ranger & navara dem line up, is same transmission, is nuh allyuh alone, is all ah dem". We hardly even use the van so its not to say it was abused.
Servicing by the dealer is what cost pound and a crown. We now service by one of the employees private garage as the warranty up, it costs less & we get good service.

When you buy a new brand vehicle you would expect it to last a good few years before any major parts fail or need changing but seems those roro almeras & corollas holding up better

[Chimera]

but if you buy a new car from the firm then you have to have it dealer serviced to maintain warranty not so?

I find dealer service shitty & expensive tho.

[SmokeyGTi]

I honestly don't think the firms would go so far as charge you for a part that they never put in.

ask Ignorant ignis, about the rotor tensioning pulley

surprised they ain't install a muffler bearing one time

[Allergic2BunnyEars]

RORO FTW!!!

yuh unnerstan!

the amount of $$$ we spend servicing the van alone we coulda buy a roro car & the van transmission gone while my roro does just change brakes, tyre, oil, filter, cradle bushings, shocks etc every now & then when necessary ( & it still comes up far less than the van) lmao

what stopping yuh from not taking d van back to d dealer?

Warranty was up when the transmission went & they quoted approx $20k for a new one. What is their excuse for the transmission failure "thas ah common problem wid all dem van dem, yuh eh see by VMCOTT how much ah dem ranger & navara dem line up, is same transmission, is nuh allyuh alone, is all ah dem". We hardly even use the van so its not to say it was abused.
Servicing by the dealer is what cost pound and a crown. We now service by one of the employees private garage as the warranty up, it costs less & we get good service.

When you buy a new brand vehicle you would expect it to last a good few years before any major parts fail or need changing but seems those roro almeras & corollas holding up better

That sucks. Yuh eh fraid is d same employee who forget to change yuh tranny fluid is d same one servicing d van now?

[hydroep]

I have found that the factory serviced vehicles need replacement parts more often than those serviced by third party mechanics...

[RBphoto]

That sucks. Yuh eh fraid is d same employee who forget to change yuh tranny fluid is d same one servicing d van now?

And sabotaging customers to get more PJ's.

[nervewrecker]

RORO FTW!!!

yuh unnerstan!

the amount of $$$ we spend servicing the van alone we coulda buy a roro car & the van transmission gone while my roro does just change brakes, tyre, oil, filter, cradle bushings, shocks etc every now & then when necessary ( & it still comes up far less than the van) lmao

what stopping yuh from not taking d van back to d dealer?

Warranty was up when the transmission went & they quoted approx $20k for a new one. What is their excuse for the transmission failure "thas ah common problem wid all dem van dem, yuh eh see by VMCOTT how much ah dem ranger & navara dem line up, is same transmission, is nuh allyuh alone, is all ah dem". We hardly even use the van so its not to say it was abused.
Servicing by the dealer is what cost pound and a crown. We now service by one of the employees private garage as the warranty up, it costs less & we get good service.

When you buy a new brand vehicle you would expect it to last a good few years before any major parts fail or need changing but seems those roro almeras & corollas holding up better

That sucks. Yuh eh fraid is d same employee who forget to change yuh tranny fluid is d same one servicing d van now?

Arent those same doctors who neglect you in the public hospitals the same ones who give you bess treatment at their private places or in nursing homes where you $$$ running?
Same principle here
I feel they fcuk with your vehicle at the firm to get the pj on the outside.

[Allergic2BunnyEars]

Arent those same doctors who neglect you in the public hospitals the same ones who give you bess treatment at their private places or in nursing homes where you $$$ running?
Same principle here
I feel they fcuk with your vehicle at the firm to get the pj on the outside.

Daiz y yuh hadda keep your friends from secondary school and university who became doctors close.
By the time I get old and sick they should have the necessary experience to sort me out.

On the real though some docs doh even have practices outside but still neglect you in d hospital

[Hook]

Cool story time!

Some years ago, a relative of my then gf who'd sold her house, car etc. to migrate had cause to return for a few mths and decided it would be a good idea to buy a used vehicle to use for the time and just re-sell when she was leaving again, as opposed to renting one for 4 mths.
It so happened, an old family friend of hers (another mature lady who knows nothing about cars besides how to drive them and where the windshield washer fluid goes) was selling her local Lancer wagon, one owner, ~60,000km on the clock, no accidents and only the guys at *ahem* "dye man" *ahem* were allowed to do anything with the car...she had the full service history with receipts from the date of ownership to prove it too.

Although the ride was fairly smooth, I found it feeling sluggish and I'm picking up a missfire. I tell the new owner about it and she insists that the car had just been serviced. My then gf's sister's then bf, a very car-savvy guy, drove it when we got back and gave the same opinion, despite the most recent service, just a month earlier, showing that all fluids, filters and plugs were changed.

So she let us try to figure it out. Our first indicator of fraudulent practices was when the hood was difficult to raise, indicating that people don't go under there very often. Then, the fluids - brake fluid was black, transmission fluid was brown, plug wires were old and cracked, plugs were worn down almost to the nub (I honestly didn't know how this car started in the first place), oil was black and thick and the oil filter was stuck on so bad that when we got it off, the rubber seal was rotten and pieces were still stuck to the flange.

She immediately contacted the previous owner to informer her of what we found. I'm not sure if the matter was taken up with the people at "dye man", as I'd broken up with my then gf around that time, but me and the guy made sure everything under the hood was in proper working order in a day. The difference was amazing. Since then, I've kept my distance from dealership service bays. RORO vehicle yo!

[Greypatch]

fack the firm...costs me less than 50% of what they charge me to service on the outside.

(pj from a mech at said firm)


Fack the warranty most times them run you around and you have to get on like a gunta to get your due.

[Chimera]

i see plenty online forums advising car owners to make their parts with paint/markers before they send it to dealers to see if they really change or didn't change something

in some cases people claim that they would buy original parts online and send it to the dealer to be installed and the dealer(or more likely the workers at the dealership) would steal their part and put a lower quality one


one of the head mechanics at N & MNOPQRSTUV was fired a while back for actually installing low quality/no name parts in cars he was servicing and stealing the OEM/brand name ones from the firm (claiming he installed that part in customers cars) and then would resell the OEM parts to customers at his own garage.


He still has his garage in ptown, pretty good mechanic too. lol

[Paullct]

I honestly don't think the firms would go so far as charge you for a part that they never put in.

ask Ignorant ignis, about the rotor tensioning pulley

[black start]

"most of the time they don't change your parts, but they charge you for it anyway"

a company i worked at had issues like this with a certain <> Trinidad & Tobago Limited dealer

when the company's maintenance manager noticed something was amiss, he started marking the parts that were scheduled to be changed as someone mentioned earlier and made a huge stink when he noticed they were NOT being changed as guaranteed

lol...ah boi say maintenance manager oui....trinidadian companies even know what is that?

[Invisible]

IMO the guys in the firm don't really know anything at all.

I took my vehicle in to TOYOCAR as there was a strange noise emanating from the engine bay. They kept it for most of the day, charged a diagnostic fee and told me that my ALTERNATOR bearings needed to be changed. Cost of bearings - $1000. + VAT which they didn't have in stock. (thanks GOD)

Took the alternator to a 'side-de-road' electrician and it proved to be functioning properly. Problem was the water pump. So much for 'diagnosis'!

But basically if you buy a car from the FIRM and you don't service it there they can VOID and warranties on your vehicle.

[Aaron 2NR]

i never really have much negatives to say....had a few small hiccups at nm but once sorted services were fine....

have no issues at ansa...they are actually very professional and great customer service....

maska, no complains either....


reminds me of champagne taste but mauby pocket