I keep a detailed log book and I have a drawer stuffed with reciepts, if I ever have to dig thru it for some I am sure I will find enough to satisfy them, since I buy so much clearance oil. Still I really do, do the maintence and probably overkill, I ussually use synthetic and it seldoms goes more than 3000 miles in 5 months, so it gets changed alot, I would be shocked if I ever have engine trouble and the oil changes get questioned. I have the Lifetime warranty with first car rental and 0 deducable, as long as they dont go out of bussiness. That said, My wifes car had a 40,000 mile service agreement with Lincoln when we bought it, I had the transmission serviced at 30,000 as scheduled by the dealer. It was still dark when I got it back, I called them and asked them about it, they assured me they changed it and it was documented and if a warranty issue arrised it would not be a problem, I had the service completed as specified. Well, when I changed the Transmission again at 60,000, the little yellow assembly plug fell out in the pan, proof they never did the service, just documented it. That dealership went under about a year ago, I am sure they are not the only ones.
Remember to keep the receipts!
- Thread starter sbergman27
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No receipts either, but I do keep a file of oil changes, the oil, the filter, the date and the mileage.....in case they want to go to court.....WHICH WON'T HAPPEN.
I purchase all my oil with my AMEX....which I have eRecords for, back 8 years.
I purchase all my oil with my AMEX....which I have eRecords for, back 8 years.
The regional warranty manager wanted to see a diff fluid change at 30K or there about. Under Nissan's premium maintenance schedule the diff fluid is replaced every 30K. With maintenance schedule 1 and 2 the diff fluid is inspected every 30K with exceptions to have it replaced if you tow, haul a camper top, or drive on rough or muddy roads. I didn't fall into the replacement catagory even at 60K. I made it easy on myself and brought in my reciepts and maintenance log showing the 20K diff fluid changes I did myself. Half hour later I received a call from the service manager saying my diff was going to be replaced under warranty.
I don't keep my original receipts. I scan them to PDF and then toss them. It's a lot easier to keep track of (and backup) files than a bunch of different-sized fading paper receipts. My maintenance log is just a Word document where I record service events.
Originally Posted By: rudolphna
I think it's funny how they will "invalidate" your warranty for lack of oil change documentation or whatever, for something completely unrelated, like a ignition coil, or something.
I am sorry but I have a hard time with that. Even the most crooked and stupid dealership on the planet would not try that.
I think it's funny how they will "invalidate" your warranty for lack of oil change documentation or whatever, for something completely unrelated, like a ignition coil, or something.
I am sorry but I have a hard time with that. Even the most crooked and stupid dealership on the planet would not try that.
Originally Posted By: sbergman27
OK. So I hear a lot about how you have to keep your documentation in order to prove that you've done proper maintenance (i.e. oil changes) in case you make a warranty claim. But... has anyone in history who has done proper maintenance been called upon to cough up years worth of oil receipts? Can the manufacturer legally require that they do so? If the *manufacturer's* engine fails the buyer of a car with that engine... who is saddled with the burden of proof? Does the manufacturer have to prove that the owner didn't take care of it... or does the owner have to prove that he did take good care of it.
I strongly suspect the former.
Sure... if the manufacturer drops the pan on the failed engine and finds that the oil has the consistency of roofing tar, some questioning is in order.
But it seem to me that if you are doing anything close to a reasonable job of maintenance, you out to be able to file all those receipts in the round file and be done with it.
Comments?
-Steve
I worked at a dealership( Ford - but they are all about the same )in parts & service for a couple years and asked customers for proof of proper maintenance all the time when the work was not done at a dealer( computerized records we could access )and we suspected neglect. Many customers ended up with large bills because they could not provide proof they did requiremed maintenace( Taurus tranny was the biggest issue and if proper service was not done warranty was denied almost every time ).
A dealer/car mfg absolutely can ask you to provide proof you did required maintenace. Not a 100% sure thing they will but they can. That proof is more than just a maintenance log saying you did it. You need receipts to back it up and even the dates must match up( or say # of OC's done for a bulk filter or oil purchase ). If you do your own work or have it done at a non dealer shop kep all of your receipts until the warranty is expired.
I buy my own parts but have the dealer as a rule do the work. I have a dealer document showing the date and mileage of what work was done and then my receipts for the actual parts. I am covered. My Sister had the engine in her new Impala fail and GM actually asked the delear about proper oil change maintenance. She had everything done there( I got her the parts )and on time so GM honored her warranty and replaced the engine. I can just imagine the fiasco if she couldn't back up she did her OC's on time and with the proper stuff. No cause could be found for the failure( knock that could not be solved )so you know as well as I do if she gave them an out they would take it.
Save your receipts. It's easy and they may just save you some money down the road like they did for my Sister and the guy in this thread with the Nissan Titan.
Oh, the Magnuson-Moss act was brought up about a dealer having to prove what caused the failure. Well, part of that proof is them showing, or you showing, proper maintenance was done. It does matter.
OK. So I hear a lot about how you have to keep your documentation in order to prove that you've done proper maintenance (i.e. oil changes) in case you make a warranty claim. But... has anyone in history who has done proper maintenance been called upon to cough up years worth of oil receipts? Can the manufacturer legally require that they do so? If the *manufacturer's* engine fails the buyer of a car with that engine... who is saddled with the burden of proof? Does the manufacturer have to prove that the owner didn't take care of it... or does the owner have to prove that he did take good care of it.
I strongly suspect the former.
Sure... if the manufacturer drops the pan on the failed engine and finds that the oil has the consistency of roofing tar, some questioning is in order.
But it seem to me that if you are doing anything close to a reasonable job of maintenance, you out to be able to file all those receipts in the round file and be done with it.
Comments?
-Steve
I worked at a dealership( Ford - but they are all about the same )in parts & service for a couple years and asked customers for proof of proper maintenance all the time when the work was not done at a dealer( computerized records we could access )and we suspected neglect. Many customers ended up with large bills because they could not provide proof they did requiremed maintenace( Taurus tranny was the biggest issue and if proper service was not done warranty was denied almost every time ).
A dealer/car mfg absolutely can ask you to provide proof you did required maintenace. Not a 100% sure thing they will but they can. That proof is more than just a maintenance log saying you did it. You need receipts to back it up and even the dates must match up( or say # of OC's done for a bulk filter or oil purchase ). If you do your own work or have it done at a non dealer shop kep all of your receipts until the warranty is expired.
I buy my own parts but have the dealer as a rule do the work. I have a dealer document showing the date and mileage of what work was done and then my receipts for the actual parts. I am covered. My Sister had the engine in her new Impala fail and GM actually asked the delear about proper oil change maintenance. She had everything done there( I got her the parts )and on time so GM honored her warranty and replaced the engine. I can just imagine the fiasco if she couldn't back up she did her OC's on time and with the proper stuff. No cause could be found for the failure( knock that could not be solved )so you know as well as I do if she gave them an out they would take it.
Save your receipts. It's easy and they may just save you some money down the road like they did for my Sister and the guy in this thread with the Nissan Titan.
Oh, the Magnuson-Moss act was brought up about a dealer having to prove what caused the failure. Well, part of that proof is them showing, or you showing, proper maintenance was done. It does matter.
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Originally Posted By: Bluestream
I had trouble with the tranmission in my Grand Am. Dealer fixed the problem, and then billed me for the work, said the transmission oil should have been changed at x miles. I paid the bill, then checked my owners manual when I got home, and there was no reference to having to change the fluid ever. I took the manual back to the dealer and showed the service manager and they refunded my money. Be carefull with them; they will rip you off any chance they get. No loyalty to customers any more, just short term money making...
You are right. All dealerships I have been to have gotten so bad at rip offs.
Last one I was to wanted to do a fuel injector cleaning service for 85.00 - now get this because gas has gotten so expensive they have stopped adding additives to it.
OMG - what next
I had trouble with the tranmission in my Grand Am. Dealer fixed the problem, and then billed me for the work, said the transmission oil should have been changed at x miles. I paid the bill, then checked my owners manual when I got home, and there was no reference to having to change the fluid ever. I took the manual back to the dealer and showed the service manager and they refunded my money. Be carefull with them; they will rip you off any chance they get. No loyalty to customers any more, just short term money making...
You are right. All dealerships I have been to have gotten so bad at rip offs.
Last one I was to wanted to do a fuel injector cleaning service for 85.00 - now get this because gas has gotten so expensive they have stopped adding additives to it.
OMG - what next
When i sold my last car to a friends cousin, i also gave him my 3 ring binder, full of carefully documented repairs, oil changes, and other purchases made for the car going back 12 years and 225,000 miles. I also wrote down several things he needed to know about the car, etc... I don't know if any of that helped him or was looked at again, but i do think it raised the selling price a little bit. I know *I* would feel better about buying a used car, especially one with over 225K miles on it, if it had excellent records.
When i bought my current car, i started another binder. I have kept all receipts for all repairs, purchases, oil changes.
I do change the oil myself. I have created my own oil change receipts where i state all that was done, mileage, date, parts used, etc...and i staple the oil purchase receipts behind that.
I also keep a log of each gas purchase. I document miles driven, date, gallons used, and octane used. I do this so i can track any trends with gas mileage as compared with oil used, octane used, other repairs done, etc...
Maybe i have too much free time on my hands, but i enjoy my obsessions.
When i bought my current car, i started another binder. I have kept all receipts for all repairs, purchases, oil changes.
I do change the oil myself. I have created my own oil change receipts where i state all that was done, mileage, date, parts used, etc...and i staple the oil purchase receipts behind that.
I also keep a log of each gas purchase. I document miles driven, date, gallons used, and octane used. I do this so i can track any trends with gas mileage as compared with oil used, octane used, other repairs done, etc...
Maybe i have too much free time on my hands, but i enjoy my obsessions.
Originally Posted By: badnews
You are right. All dealerships I have been to have gotten so bad at rip offs.
Last one I was to wanted to do a fuel injector cleaning service for 85.00 - now get this because gas has gotten so expensive they have stopped adding additives to it.
OMG - what next
So, by his logic, I should stop buying top tier Shell gas and go to an independent (which in this city sells for the exact same price that Shell and the big names do) instead, to save zero money and get the "same" gas? Some people, eh?
You are right. All dealerships I have been to have gotten so bad at rip offs.
Last one I was to wanted to do a fuel injector cleaning service for 85.00 - now get this because gas has gotten so expensive they have stopped adding additives to it.
OMG - what next
So, by his logic, I should stop buying top tier Shell gas and go to an independent (which in this city sells for the exact same price that Shell and the big names do) instead, to save zero money and get the "same" gas? Some people, eh?
Originally Posted By: hominid7
When i sold my last car to a friends cousin, i also gave him my 3 ring binder, full of carefully documented repairs, oil changes, and other purchases made for the car going back 12 years and 225,000 miles. I also wrote down several things he needed to know about the car, etc... I don't know if any of that helped him or was looked at again, but i do think it raised the selling price a little bit. I know *I* would feel better about buying a used car, especially one with over 225K miles on it, if it had excellent records.
When i bought my current car, i started another binder. I have kept all receipts for all repairs, purchases, oil changes.
I do change the oil myself. I have created my own oil change receipts where i state all that was done, mileage, date, parts used, etc...and i staple the oil purchase receipts behind that.
I also keep a log of each gas purchase. I document miles driven, date, gallons used, and octane used. I do this so i can track any trends with gas mileage as compared with oil used, octane used, other repairs done, etc...
Maybe i have too much free time on my hands, but i enjoy my obsessions.
This is exactly what I do as well. My binder for my Silverado is about 1.5" thick so far. I write down anything I think is good information, including what additives I've used, gas and oil logs, warranty work, etc.
When i sold my last car to a friends cousin, i also gave him my 3 ring binder, full of carefully documented repairs, oil changes, and other purchases made for the car going back 12 years and 225,000 miles. I also wrote down several things he needed to know about the car, etc... I don't know if any of that helped him or was looked at again, but i do think it raised the selling price a little bit. I know *I* would feel better about buying a used car, especially one with over 225K miles on it, if it had excellent records.
When i bought my current car, i started another binder. I have kept all receipts for all repairs, purchases, oil changes.
I do change the oil myself. I have created my own oil change receipts where i state all that was done, mileage, date, parts used, etc...and i staple the oil purchase receipts behind that.
I also keep a log of each gas purchase. I document miles driven, date, gallons used, and octane used. I do this so i can track any trends with gas mileage as compared with oil used, octane used, other repairs done, etc...
Maybe i have too much free time on my hands, but i enjoy my obsessions.
This is exactly what I do as well. My binder for my Silverado is about 1.5" thick so far. I write down anything I think is good information, including what additives I've used, gas and oil logs, warranty work, etc.
Me too for every vehicle I have ever owned. I keep all receipts for all work done. These days I keep it all on my computer vs a hand written log. Keep a gas log where I note FIC added as well. When I sell my vehicles I have a very detailed maintenance history, along with proof I did what I say, to pass on to the new owner.
A couple of weeks ago the kid at the AAP counter was amazed when Mr. Benny presented him with an 8 year old receipt for a lifetime warranted alternator.
Originally Posted By: labman
A couple of weeks ago the kid at the AAP counter was amazed when Mr. Benny presented him with an 8 year old receipt for a lifetime warranted alternator.
Just yesterday, my local AAP guy was surprised to see a 3 year old receipt accompanying a set of "lifetime" guaranteed brake pads that I needed to exchange. They were in the original box too. His comment was "Nobody ever has this stuff".
A couple of weeks ago the kid at the AAP counter was amazed when Mr. Benny presented him with an 8 year old receipt for a lifetime warranted alternator.
Just yesterday, my local AAP guy was surprised to see a 3 year old receipt accompanying a set of "lifetime" guaranteed brake pads that I needed to exchange. They were in the original box too. His comment was "Nobody ever has this stuff".
Originally Posted By: miraCRD
Originally Posted By: labman
A couple of weeks ago the kid at the AAP counter was amazed when Mr. Benny presented him with an 8 year old receipt for a lifetime warranted alternator.
Just yesterday, my local AAP guy was surprised to see a 3 year old receipt accompanying a set of "lifetime" guaranteed brake pads that I needed to exchange. They were in the original box too. His comment was "Nobody ever has this stuff".
Good deal, you were very lucky you got a new set. AAP warranty on pads is lifetime for defects only. If they were just worn you shouldn't have gotten a new set. I guess he was so amazed you had a 3 year receipt and screwed up...lol
Originally Posted By: labman
A couple of weeks ago the kid at the AAP counter was amazed when Mr. Benny presented him with an 8 year old receipt for a lifetime warranted alternator.
Just yesterday, my local AAP guy was surprised to see a 3 year old receipt accompanying a set of "lifetime" guaranteed brake pads that I needed to exchange. They were in the original box too. His comment was "Nobody ever has this stuff".
Good deal, you were very lucky you got a new set. AAP warranty on pads is lifetime for defects only. If they were just worn you shouldn't have gotten a new set. I guess he was so amazed you had a 3 year receipt and screwed up...lol
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