Dealer suggested rip-off service

[commander]

I always ask if it's a 4-wheel alignment, when they tell me "Oh Yes" I ask how do you align the rear fixed axle. I ask (politely) how do you align the rear, since it's a fixed axle and not independent. I usually get the BS answer of "we have to do a 4-wheel"
My wife took here journey into the dealer and had the front wheel bearings replaced (under warranty) the SA told her they had to do an alignment that was not covered. She called me, I asked the SA why, since they were not taking the knuckle out, he made up some answer like well "it's recommended" like Edgs stated, her tires were not worn, and no pulling. Didn't do the alignment, and when we traded it in, still no tire wear or pulling.

JT

 

[Dean2]

I posted a very similar thread about a year ago. Unfortunately, even good dealers do this. Over servicing is pervasive. The reason it exists is because about 70% are too lazy to read the owners manual so the upsell work most of the time. Hell, so few check their oil level some cars now don't even have a dipstick.


Theae are all high profit jobs so the service department can really juice their earnings doing this. Teach your kids to read a service schedule and what it means.

Beware of Dealer Recommended Service

While this is far from a new or unique topic, thought it was a good reminder. You have to be careful, even at good dealerships. Took my wife's Jeep GC in for a AC leak, which is covered by warranty. While they were checking it in, service writer hands me a sheet that says they recommend...

www.ramforum.com

 

[Dusty]

Since I have some level of automotive intelligence I'm not intimated by these approaches. I know how to simply say "no." But I don't get these crazy and unreasonable upsell attempts at my current dealership nor anyone I know get them. Even if I did that would be better than the straight up dishonesty of the tire and muffler shops I've and others have dealt with over the years.

If making some profit offends anyone I suggest contemplating how a service department could survive and supply a level of service on just warranty work alone.

Regards,
Dusty
2019 Ram 1500 Billet Silver Laramie Quad Cab 2WD, 5.7 Hemi, 8HP75, 3.21 axle, 33-gallon fuel tank, 18” wheels. Build Date: 3 June 2018. Now at 149277 miles.

 

[Dean2]

Since I have some level of automotive intelligence I'm not intimated by these approaches. I know how to simply say "no." But I don't get these crazy and unreasonable upsell attempts at my current dealership nor anyone I know get them. Even if I did that would be better than the straight up dishonesty of the tire and muffler shops I've and others have dealt with over the years.

If making some profit offends anyone I suggest contemplating how a service department could survive and supply a level of service on just warranty work alone.

Regards,
Dusty
2019 Ram 1500 Billet Silver Laramie Quad Cab 2WD, 5.7 Hemi, 8HP75, 3.21 axle, 33-gallon fuel tank, 18” wheels. Build Date: 3 June 2018. Now at 149277 miles.

Point one, just because you haven't seen this doesn't mean it isn't happening, aand that it is becoming ever more common. I hadn't seen it till just recently either. Two - most of the people on here have a pretty high level of sophistication and can just say no, the issue is the 70% of the driving public that relys on the dealer for accuate information.

Final point, I do not begrudge anyone making a profit. It is the system I prefer. I do begrudge theft, intentional lying to customers, fraud and actually holding peoples' vehicles hostage claiming they are unsafe, when there is nothing wrong with them. The fact muffler shops are even more crooked does not ameliorate the actions of these service departments.

 

[Dusty]

Point one, just because you haven't seen this doesn't mean it isn't happening, aand that it is becoming ever more common. I hadn't seen it till just recently either. Two - most of the people on here have a pretty high level of sophistication and can just say no, the issue is the 70% of the driving public that relys on the dealer for accuate information.

Final point, I do not begrudge anyone making a profit. It is the system I prefer. I do begrudge theft, intentional lying to customers, fraud and actually holding peoples' vehicles hostage claiming they are unsafe, when there is nothing wrong with them. The fact muffler shops are even more crooked does not ameliorate the actions of these service departments.

I agree with everything you said except that I haven't seen it done. I have, just not with my current dealer. Unscrupulous business practices abound everywhere, and most notably in the auto repair industry to be sure.

But not all recommendations for a maintenance service are dishonest attempts to to milk money, either. A lot of people drive a vehicle and unless it's making some sort of unusual noise or the vehicle can't move it never sees a shop. This discussion so far has lacked any differentiation between the advance notice of upcoming or overdue expected maintenance or frivolous, unnecessary and fear-driven ways to get people to depart with their money. Those are clearly dishonest.

Had my ex not been informed of a serious fluid leak some years ago she could've had a transmission failure or at least a towing expense. Some, who are unknowledgeable or automotive aware, occasionally benefit from reminders. The fact that there is a profit to be realized by providing a service does not mean it's always unscrupulous.

Regards,
Dusty
2019 Ram 1500 Billet Silver Laramie Quad Cab 2WD, 5.7 Hemi, 8HP75, 3.21 axle, 33-gallon fuel tank, 18” wheels. Build Date: 3 June 2018. Now at 149301 miles.

 

[jc56berg]

This is why I have an independent shop I go to for things that I'm not sure to handle. The man has lived and breath Dodge, Rams and Hemi's and never tried to up sale me. Good honest stand behind his work. G & S Automotive Houston, TX.

 

[jc56berg]

That is when the seat on the minibike gets the armour all treatment! Lol......

Now thats a line to remember.

 

[HEMIMANN]

I can't find a quality dealership anymore. Many have merged into some mega-dealership corporate holding company owned by some super rich dude who is only about maximum money extraction sans anything else.

The good news is that indie shops have popped up with competent techs that were tired of dealing with such people too. There are 3 of them within a 20 mile radius of my house. They are very good, are nice people, and have reasonable pricing. I'm not looking back in time anymore. It is what it is.

 

[EdGs]

I always ask if it's a 4-wheel alignment, when they tell me "Oh Yes" I ask how do you align the rear fixed axle. I ask (politely) how do you align the rear, since it's a fixed axle and not independent. I usually get the BS answer of "we have to do a 4-wheel"
My wife took here journey into the dealer and had the front wheel bearings replaced (under warranty) the SA told her they had to do an alignment that was not covered. She called me, I asked the SA why, since they were not taking the knuckle out, he made up some answer like well "it's recommended" like Edgs stated, her tires were not worn, and no pulling. Didn't do the alignment, and when we traded it in, still no tire wear or pulling.

JT

My brother said the same exact thing to me, it's a solid rear axle, and if it were off front-to-back, you'd know it.

 

[Hagar1]

Since I have some level of automotive intelligence I'm not intimated by these approaches. I know how to simply say "no." But I don't get these crazy and unreasonable upsell attempts at my current dealership nor anyone I know get them. Even if I did that would be better than the straight up dishonesty of the tire and muffler shops I've and others have dealt with over the years.

If making some profit offends anyone I suggest contemplating how a service department could survive and supply a level of service on just warranty work alone.

Regards,
Dusty
2019 Ram 1500 Billet Silver Laramie Quad Cab 2WD, 5.7 Hemi, 8HP75, 3.21 axle, 33-gallon fuel tank, 18” wheels. Build Date: 3 June 2018. Now at 149277 miles.

I don't know if anyone said that profit was a bad word but gouging and plain old lying to customers is never a good and proper thing to do. I've been around this trade long enough to see some real lines of BS! And YES, the muffler and Tire shops are indeed amongst the worst!

 

[06 Dodge]

I can't find a quality dealership anymore. Many have merged into some mega-dealership corporate holding company owned by some super rich dude who is only about maximum money extraction sans anything else.

The good news is that indie shops have popped up with competent techs that were tired of dealing with such people too. There are 3 of them within a 20 mile radius of my house. They are very good, are nice people, and have reasonable pricing. I'm not looking back in time anymore. It is what it is.

Are you saying Burnsville Dodge has gone to he ll, sad if true as I have bought 4 cars for the wife from them and we had no problems the few times I used their service dept for warranty work because the idiot dealer in Mason City IA could not fix...

 

[Hagar1]

My brother said the same exact thing to me, it's a solid rear axle, and if it were off front-to-back, you'd know it.

Some alignment machines can detect "thrust angle" if it is off by too much, the vehicle will "dog track" which may not be noticeable from the cab. That is where the 4 wheel alignment come in on a fixed rear axle.

 

[HEMIMANN]

Are you saying Burnsville Dodge has gone to he ll, sad if true as I have bought 4 cars for the wife from them and we had no problems the few times I used their service dept for warranty work because the idiot dealer in Mason City IA could not fix...

No I'm on far north side - several dealers merged into Carousel Group mega dealer owned by some rich snot. Burnsville is about as far away as you can get from here - all the way across downtown Mpls. Doesn't really matter anymore as there's nothing new I'd buy now.

 

[Wellcraft]

Dealerships are always trying to up sell you on additional maintenance items which is why I take my vehicles to an independent mechanic unless it's for warranty work. You go in for a simple oil change and the service manager walks out with a list of 2000 dollars worth of work you allegedly need on your vehicle and since your car is in the bay they can conveniently do it while you wait. Mt mechanic does what you ask him to do, if you really need additional work done he'll tell you but never tries to up sell you.

 

[rzr6-4]

Some alignment machines can detect "thrust angle" if it is off by too much, the vehicle will "dog track" which may not be noticeable from the cab. That is where the 4 wheel alignment come in on a fixed rear axle.

Yes, but there is no way to adjust a rear axle and strong enough that there's no reason it should be off. Up front an adjuster nut could have rotated, could have hit a pot hole and bent something, put on a lift and your angles changed, etc. Unless you hit something hard (as in potential structural damage and insurance claim time) or took out a leaf spring and swapped it end for end for some reason, there's no need to look at the rear. Rear end out of alignment doesn't just "happen" is the point. Even if it was, there's very little they could do about it.

 

[Sherman Bird]

I love how I took my 2021 Ram EcoDiesel into the dealer today to have the recall work done on the two recalls, including replacing the fuel pump. First, I got a call from their sales department last night telling me how they want to inspect my truck and make me a deal i can't refuse on a new Ram truck. No thank you. You no longer have the V6 EcoDiesel.

Now, I get a message from the service department recommending the following:

Requires IMMEDIATE attention:
$157.50 - A/C Evaporator Treatment - What is this? It's a sealed system? Do you mean wash it like I can with a good sprayer at the car wash?
$260.00 - Brake flush - Funny how this isn't in the owner's manual as recommended maintenance. I realize not everyone can do this themselves, but I'll do this myself and save at least $200.
$285.00 - Coolant flush (Gas) - Do they not even know my truck is a DIESEL? And the owner's manual doesn't recommend this until 10 years or 150k miles. I'm 5 years and 80k miles away from that mark.
$377.50 - Throttle bod/fuel system/injector flush - Do I really need this? I regularly add diesel injector cleaner when I fill up. Someone share their thoughts, please.

May need future attention:
$82.00 - replace engine air filter - I can do that myself quite easily for less than $30
$469 - Perform front/rear differential fluid service - Owner's manual recommends this at 60k miles only if running taxi service, police vehicle, fleet, or off-road use, or regular trailer towing. None of this applies, so tell my why it needs to be changed? What's wrong with it after you inspected it? Otherwise, I'll do it myself and save probably around $400
$77.00 - replace cabin air filter - I can pick one up at Wal-Mart or auto parts store for less than $20, and it's easy to install. Besides, I did this less than $10k miles ago
$252.50 - Perform transfer case fluid service - same as with the differential service

Now, I realize not everyone watches everything that needs to be done, but these prices are insane, especially for the IMMEDIATE action items that don't even match the actual maintenance schedule. Why publish a maintenance schedule, only for the dealers to try to upsell you WAY before it actually needs to be done?

Call a real estate broker and ask now much that prime, highway front property with said dealer sitting upon it, costs.
Yes, stealerships do have big problems. But anyone with education knows that whether you cook your own food, mow your own grass, or fix your own car, knows they save a ton of money.

My 91 year old mother gets the hard sell from her Lincoln dealer EVERY time she takes it in for an oil change or a state inspection. She politely refuses them, thanks them for their attention to the needs, and then calls me. No trauma/drama.

They are doing their job, just like you or I do ours. Let it go. Pax Vobiscum!

 

[jason1]

It's likely they're trying to influence you into trading for a new truck. Honestly, I'd probably shop around for another dealership or even an independent shop if I wanted to keep the truck for the long term and was wanting to work with a shop I could trust. Here are my thoughts on your question though...

I'm curious about the A/C evaporator treatment and what it even is. The evaporator is located inside the HVAC box behind the dash. There's no getting to it without removing the dash, and there's no way they're doing that for less than $160. Unless they meant condenser, you aren't going to be able to spray it down at the car wash.

...

I'm guessing they are doing this https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07XC93LK9?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

Most places charge anywhere from $150-$250 to do this "service." Don't use recirculate and keeping the temp controls on Auto if available helps reduce the need for this. Or run the blower no AC for a couple minutes after or toward the end of a drive.

My wife's Toyota is horrible with building up a musty smell. I do this every time I change out the cabin filter which is about every 10k miles.

 

[Sherman Bird]

I'm guessing they are doing this https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07XC93LK9?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

Most places charge anywhere from $150-$250 to do this "service." Don't use recirculate and keeping the temp controls on Auto if available helps reduce the need for this. Or run the blower no AC for a couple minutes after or toward the end of a drive.

My wife's Toyota is horrible with building up a musty smell. I do this every time I change out the cabin filter which is about every 10k miles.

Frigitech makes a neat-o kit for cleaning an evaporator core with a foamy cleaner canister and a hose kit. I've used that kit (Available at O'Reilly's or many other parts stores) many times with great results.
A stinky/ musty A/C is commonplace here in Zone 9 Sub-tropic Houston, Texas!

Another quickie thing is to spritz some ozone based cleaner into the airstream while the cabin air filter is out and the glove box is out of the way.. I do that too.

 

[06 Dodge]

Dealerships are always trying to up sell you on additional maintenance items which is why I take my vehicles to an independent mechanic unless it's for warranty work. You go in for a simple oil change and the service manager walks out with a list of 2000 dollars worth of work you allegedly need on your vehicle and since your car is in the bay they can conveniently do it while you wait. Mt mechanic does what you ask him to do, if you really need additional work done he'll tell you but never tries to up sell you.

I've always been able to get my dealer to install my oil and filter for 1/2 the price the local indy shops want , the dealer even came up with a lower price to pull the axle covers and drain my gear oil then local shops so why would I want to spend more for the same work?

 

[Wellcraft]

I've always been able to get my dealer to install my oil and filter for 1/2 the price the local indy shops want , the dealer even came up with a lower price to pull the axle covers and drain my gear oil then local shops so why would I want to spend more for the same work?

Everyone's experience is different and my independent mechanic does great work at half the price of the dealership and he doesn't try to up sell you or overcharge on services that don't need to be done. If you're paying reasonable rates at your dealership that's awesome and definitely stick with them but generally independent mechanics are less expensive than taking your vehicle to the dealership.