My best friend's '07 Tahoe Z71 was due in for service, and he wants the dealership to take care of it. His logic is beyond me, but he says complaints can be handled easier as opposed to some of the other, smaller garages. Different strokes.
So we rung up the dealership yesterday morning and booked an appointment for this afternoon. Booking the appointment was another pain, because I was told they close at 15:30. So we booked what we were told was the 'last' appointment.
My buddy finishes work at 17:00. Since I finish before him, I took the Tahoe and gave him my Grand Marquis to pick me up at 17:30ish somewhere by the dealership. When I showed up, it turns out they close at 18:00 and not 15:30. We were misinformed. Phoned him up, and asked him to pick me up at the dealership instead.
Drive into the service bay, where the service adviser has a cabin you park next to. Guy comes out, and starts to sort out the Camaro behind me so I wait for 15 minutes. Then another guy comes up and fills in the paperwork, whilst I prepare the vehicle (fitting a plastic seat and steering wheel cover). Service adviser finishes with the Camaro, and supposedly starts to sort me out. Then another guy walks into the booth, and another 15 minutes is wasted.
Roughly 45 minutes later, we're finally processing my booking. I ask for Mobil 1 5W-30 used in the Corvette, a new oil filter and tire rotation. He also wanted an alignment done, since he had some wear on the other edges of the right front tire.
One adviser tries to sell me Forte Engine Flush, which I decline, but they write it down anyway. The guy told me it was about $27.60 for the flush service, but then I look at the estimation sheet and see the local equalivant of $82.80. So I ask what on earth that is, and the guy says I need 3 flushes. I lose my temper a bit, but politely tell him I have declined the flushing service. I just want Mobil 1 5W-30 to be used and not the API SL rated 20W-50 or LongLife-98 rated 5W-40 synthetic. He starts jotting it down.
Next, he recommends a transmission drain and refill. The service manual recommends a transmission service with Dexron VI at 80,000 kilometers. These guys lured my friend into a transmission cooler line flush at 70,000 kilometers and want to do a drain and refill with only 20,000 kilometers on the oil? Decline.
His next effort is a cooling system flush. Service manual recommends this at the 240,000 kilometer mark (with Dexcool), and my buddy's budget was only limited to the oil change, alignment and tire rotation. Decline.
Then he finishes the estimation sheet and this is exactly what it looks like:
- Oil change with Mobil 1 and new air filter as per customer request: $225
- Alignment as per customer request: $68.95
- Tire rotation as requested by customer: no charge
The $225 charge for such a simple service is mind blowing, and I personally wouldn't pay such a stupid sum. But I call my buddy, explain the charges and he says go ahead and sign. Personally I would never pay $300 for something like this, and it's not like I'm getting a Bugatti or some million dollar car serviced here. Don't think even the Ferrari dealership charges this much for an oil change!
Before leaving, I ask the adviser when they last replaced the power steering fluid, transfer case fluid and differential lubricants, since they are so overly obsessed with changing everything due to 'extreme' weather conditions. His response was never. My response was "So you try and sell me all these services long before they are due, but you never change other vital fluids?" He looked so confused, and I just left.
So we rung up the dealership yesterday morning and booked an appointment for this afternoon. Booking the appointment was another pain, because I was told they close at 15:30. So we booked what we were told was the 'last' appointment.
My buddy finishes work at 17:00. Since I finish before him, I took the Tahoe and gave him my Grand Marquis to pick me up at 17:30ish somewhere by the dealership. When I showed up, it turns out they close at 18:00 and not 15:30. We were misinformed. Phoned him up, and asked him to pick me up at the dealership instead.
Drive into the service bay, where the service adviser has a cabin you park next to. Guy comes out, and starts to sort out the Camaro behind me so I wait for 15 minutes. Then another guy comes up and fills in the paperwork, whilst I prepare the vehicle (fitting a plastic seat and steering wheel cover). Service adviser finishes with the Camaro, and supposedly starts to sort me out. Then another guy walks into the booth, and another 15 minutes is wasted.
Roughly 45 minutes later, we're finally processing my booking. I ask for Mobil 1 5W-30 used in the Corvette, a new oil filter and tire rotation. He also wanted an alignment done, since he had some wear on the other edges of the right front tire.
One adviser tries to sell me Forte Engine Flush, which I decline, but they write it down anyway. The guy told me it was about $27.60 for the flush service, but then I look at the estimation sheet and see the local equalivant of $82.80. So I ask what on earth that is, and the guy says I need 3 flushes. I lose my temper a bit, but politely tell him I have declined the flushing service. I just want Mobil 1 5W-30 to be used and not the API SL rated 20W-50 or LongLife-98 rated 5W-40 synthetic. He starts jotting it down.
Next, he recommends a transmission drain and refill. The service manual recommends a transmission service with Dexron VI at 80,000 kilometers. These guys lured my friend into a transmission cooler line flush at 70,000 kilometers and want to do a drain and refill with only 20,000 kilometers on the oil? Decline.
His next effort is a cooling system flush. Service manual recommends this at the 240,000 kilometer mark (with Dexcool), and my buddy's budget was only limited to the oil change, alignment and tire rotation. Decline.
Then he finishes the estimation sheet and this is exactly what it looks like:
- Oil change with Mobil 1 and new air filter as per customer request: $225
- Alignment as per customer request: $68.95
- Tire rotation as requested by customer: no charge
The $225 charge for such a simple service is mind blowing, and I personally wouldn't pay such a stupid sum. But I call my buddy, explain the charges and he says go ahead and sign. Personally I would never pay $300 for something like this, and it's not like I'm getting a Bugatti or some million dollar car serviced here. Don't think even the Ferrari dealership charges this much for an oil change!
Before leaving, I ask the adviser when they last replaced the power steering fluid, transfer case fluid and differential lubricants, since they are so overly obsessed with changing everything due to 'extreme' weather conditions. His response was never. My response was "So you try and sell me all these services long before they are due, but you never change other vital fluids?" He looked so confused, and I just left.
