No longer trusting shops

[M1Accord]

to change my oil or do basic maintenance. Basically, I only visit shops when I really need something. My Honda never see shops and my Corolla only saw shops 4 times in the last 5 years for things I don't have the tool and know-how to accomplish. As far as oil and fluid change goes, I trust no shop.

So here is the dilemma, I can't buy new car or vehicles under warranty because I know they would do everything they can to get out of warranty work because I will not take the vehicle in for service, doing it at home instead.

I just saw a new 2011 Raptor and love it. If there is ever a vehicle to buy new, this is it. But I'll have to wait for them to be on the used and out of warranty for purchase.

Anyone with this dilemma? You don't want to buy new because of warranty headache but can't trust monkey to change oil on your fine machinery.

Are Raptor owners tend to baby or trash their vehicles?

 

[HTSS_TR]

Not all Ford dealers are bad, actually only a small percentage of all dealers are not trustworthy, a majority of dealers are decent. If you like the Ford Raptor, go ahead and buy it (if you can afford the new car price).

 

[AuthorEditor]

I think there are independent auto mechanics who are trustworthy, but it takes some work and luck to find them. They will also work with you to make sure your maintenance is documented. Theoretically, you can document all this yourself and the warranty would still be valid, but I have a strong feeling it would be very difficult at the dealer if you haven't been using their service--I mean that's most of the point with them extending the warranty--they want you to feel obligated to come in for maintenance, and the manufacturers have the numbers figured out so that on the average they come out ahead by selling parts, etc. I trust the dealers even less than repair shops, so I have stayed away from new cars for close to 20 years--too many bad experiences. Besides, it makes no economic sense to buy new. There is the huge depreciation hit the minute you sign the papers, the big difference in sales tax, the extra hit on insurance, etc. Even if you love the car, wait a year or two and buy used and you will be much happier with your purchase.

 

[Clubber_Lang]

as long as you save your receipts and document your required maintenance (fluid and filter changes) and are really meticulous about it how can they not honor the warranty?

 

[The motor guy]

I don't think changing your own oil voids the warranty. Atleast I hope not because my warranty is gone if that's the case.

 

[tomcat27]

buy your new raptor and dont worry about warranty work. it's really hard to trust the previous owner of any vehicle. I have some friends who bought a 3 yo Focus with 40k miles on it. the engine puked on day 2. upon further inspection the original oil filter was on the car (from the factory) the oil was NEVER changed.

 

[tenderloin]

You put more trust with people who are selling a car used and most of the time as is with usually no knowledge of how it was driven or maintained.... compared to worrying about a potential hassle with Ford or another auto company and or dealer with you changing your own oil and not trusting the dealer to do it correctly?

As far as how most Raptors will be driven? The way they should be...HARD! Most IMO will be well maintained, but most will be driven hard.

 

[bdcardinal]

All the Raptor owners I have seen tend to enjoy jumping their trucks over and over and over.

 

[AuthorEditor]

Quote:
You put more trust with people who are selling a car used and most of the time as is.... to worrying about a potential hassle with Ford or another auto company and or dealer?


I do. Buy from an individual, not from a used car dealer. The last Ford I got new first the dealer lowered the value of the trade in on the paperwork without telling me, then when the car keys were handed to me there was no heater blower in the car at all. It just wasn't there. The last two times I was in another Ford dealer for service they couldn't find the right tools for the job, so I gave up after an hour of searching around the shop (I helped them look), and the second time the repair failed within a month.

 

[IndyIan]

Originally Posted By: Clubber_Lang
as long as you save your receipts and document your required maintenance (fluid and filter changes) and are really meticulous about it how can they not honor the warranty?

+1 I've heard this as well, keep your oil purchase receipts(I guess you can't stock pile) and fill out the maintenance chart in the owners manual and you shouldn't have a problem. Call Ford first and ask of course.

 

[spasm3]

you know, i do all the maintenance on my cars and they almost never see a shop. In 25 years i have never had a cv boot tear or need to be replaced, i drive my cars well over 150,000. I have to wonder if some service places give them a jab with a screw driver and then show the owner its torn. I also live on a gravel ( dirt) road.

 

[Burt]

Originally Posted By: AuthorEditor
I think there are independent auto mechanics who are trustworthy, but it takes some work and luck to find them. They will also work with you to make sure your maintenance is documented. Theoretically, you can document all this yourself and the warranty would still be valid, but I have a strong feeling it would be very difficult at the dealer if you haven't been using their service--I mean that's most of the point with them extending the warranty--they want you to feel obligated to come in for maintenance, and the manufacturers have the numbers figured out so that on the average they come out ahead by selling parts, etc. I trust the dealers even less than repair shops, so I have stayed away from new cars for close to 20 years--too many bad experiences. Besides, it makes no economic sense to buy new. There is the huge depreciation hit the minute you sign the papers, the big difference in sales tax, the extra hit on insurance, etc. Even if you love the car, wait a year or two and buy used and you will be much happier with your purchase.

+1

 

[AuthorEditor]

Quote:
I have to wonder if some service places give them a jab with a screw driver and then show the owner its torn


Let's put it this way, several times that I've had a torn CV boot it has been found at a quick lube or by me soon after...

 

[hate2work]

Originally Posted By: tomcat27
buy your new raptor and dont worry about warranty work. it's really hard to trust the previous owner of any vehicle. I have some friends who bought a 3 yo Focus with 40k miles on it. the engine puked on day 2. upon further inspection the original oil filter was on the car (from the factory) the oil was NEVER changed.


I'd say your friends are idiots, it would have been easy to check these things before the purchase. I have purchased several used cars over the years with good luck. I can't even imagine buying a used car without checking the oil and filter. That's

 

[M1Accord]

Originally Posted By: hate2work
Originally Posted By: tomcat27
buy your new raptor and dont worry about warranty work. it's really hard to trust the previous owner of any vehicle. I have some friends who bought a 3 yo Focus with 40k miles on it. the engine puked on day 2. upon further inspection the original oil filter was on the car (from the factory) the oil was NEVER changed.


I'd say your friends are idiots, it would have been easy to check these things before the purchase. I have purchased several used cars over the years with good luck. I can't even imagine buying a used car without checking the oil and filter. That's

Sad but true is the fact that most people don't. I certainly didn't check the filter but checked all fluids. The filter is at an odd angle but I could tell it wasn't Toyota factory filter and the car has 14 years and 60k miles on it when I got it. The fellow gave me the book where he kept the records. I did test drive it for 3 hrs, going 100 miles and let it idle whenever it was moving. That was my first and only used car purchase, which is the infamous Corolla. The engine and trans are great but it has been 5 years and things were falling aparts and mostly replaced. My next purchase, I am going to try to get it on a life or at least jack it up and look underneath and will check the filter.

 

[whip]

If you buy used it might have been serviced by the dealer, or some kid at Wal Mart. It might have been taken care of or it might have been abused. How is this better than letting the dealer do the work while it's under warranty? If something happens, who cares, it's under warranty.

 

[mechanicx]

I've never had to show the maintenance records to have a warranty repair. Most new cars basically only require oil changes during the duration of a warranty. So unless you have an oil related engine failure I don't think the warranty would not be honored because you changed the oil yourself.

 

[Spyder7]

Originally Posted By: M1Accord
to change my oil or do basic maintenance. Basically, I only visit shops when I really need something. My Honda never see shops and my Corolla only saw shops 4 times in the last 5 years for things I don't have the tool and know-how to accomplish. As far as oil and fluid change goes, I trust no shop.

So here is the dilemma, I can't buy new car or vehicles under warranty because I know they would do everything they can to get out of warranty work because I will not take the vehicle in for service, doing it at home instead.

I just saw a new 2011 Raptor and love it. If there is ever a vehicle to buy new, this is it. But I'll have to wait for them to be on the used and out of warranty for purchase.

Anyone with this dilemma? You don't want to buy new because of warranty headache but can't trust monkey to change oil on your fine machinery.

Are Raptor owners tend to baby or trash their vehicles?


I have a similar dilemma. My previous car was pretty much KIA as a consequence of botched work by two different shops (which I also paid through the nose for).

Since inspection and taking possession of this car in May I made the mistake of havings its first OC done at a lube shop - that specializes in fluids and whose bread and butter is oil changes. They managed to cross thread the drain plug, ruining the plug and damaging the pan. Its only other service was into the dealer to have the cause documented independently, and they installed a self-tapper.

Over the 11,000 km interval I have owned it, I have done everything else (minor stuff, mainly maintenance items) myself, which now includes all OCs. I'm hoping that my maintenance schedule will minimize the likelihood of something occurring beyond my ability and tools, as I dread having to put it into a shop for repair.

That will always be the last resort for me though. And in steadily increasing my knowledge base, adding to my supply of tools, and providing consistent maintenance, I hope to minimize and postpone that inevitable shop visit as long as I can; and keep them to an absolute minimum.

-Spyder

 

[KrisZ]

Seriously, you won't buy new because you're afraid of warranty hassles? Please, don't be foolish, if you do your own maintenance, chances are your new car won't have to visit the dealership at all. Of course keep all the receipts and records just in case something happens, but I would not worry at all.

Doing your own maintenance is pretty much the best guarantee that you won't have any problems and dealers are as likely to mess something up as a quickie lube. So if you already do your own maintenance just keep doing what you're doing and buy the car that you really want.