70 bucks for oil changes

[Mnspeed3]

Would you pay 70 bucks for an oil change each time at a dealership? A twin cities dealership thinks so. I wont mention a name. Buy a new car from them and pay *cough..cough* another 25 bucks for a special card from them that says you get all sorts of perks ( free oil changes and car washes). Just make sure to read the fine print and ask questions like I did.

The offer of *FREE* oil changes is not so free you see. If you own a Mazda I'm sure you have looked at the maintenance schedule in it. Mazda itself, not some dealership has determined at what mileage you need to have stuff replaced or serviced. Oil changes are every 5000 miles. The dealer offers free oil changes for 3 years with this card. Except if you read the fine print, every 15,000 miles (15k,30k,45k) you have to pay this dealer around 200 bucks during the scheduled maintenance for stuff that isn't even required by Mazda. Stuff like fuel injector cleaner added to the tank, and other things when I inquired.

So if you calculate this 200 bucks each 15k miles, which is every 3 oil changes, your now paying 70 bucks for each of those so called free oil changes. Ask for synthetic oil and they want 30 more on these free oil changes, bringing each oil change up to 100 bucks.

Rapid oil change or Jiffy lube now has my business at 15000 miles, and a different car dealership next time I buy a new car. The old saying "if it sounds to good to be true watch out" fits the bill here. Or is it "A suckers born every day"

 

[ohsixspeedsix]

I'm gonna guess this is Walser. Based on how bug of scam artists they are. Then again, all car dealers are. At any rate, I just do my oil changes myself for the price of oil, filter, and 30 minutes on a weekend.

 

[AJ]

That's the deal with Morrie's or anyone else as well, nothing is free.

 

[dmention7]

Those 15k service deals are a freakin scam, but I wouldn't necessarily pin it on the dealer. That's pretty much par for the course with new cars.

Also FWIW, I would suggest avoiding any of those "quick lube" places like the plague that they are. Those places are staffed with the most incompetent people ever to pick up a wrench.

 

[Mnspeed3]

Mazda says an oil change, tire rotation and lube the door hinges is all thats required at 15k. Discount tires does the rotation for free on mine since I bought rims from them. So I was a little shocked to be told by the dealer it would be 200 bucks for a *free* oil change, with the free coupon, and lubing my door hinges. Yeah, I might as well just start getting used to crawling under the mazda now. I guess I can throw the buy happy coupons and card in the garbage now, they made 25 bucks off me on that at least.

When I went in the first time for an oil change this dealer wrote "customer refused to have required maintenance done" on my service order because I explained that discount tires does the rotation and why would I need to pay to have it done, if its already been done every 5000 miles for free. I think the correct way would of been to note that the tire rotation was done elsewhere instead. No biggy, i have all the receipts if they want to play the we wont honor your warranty game at any point later.

 

[DrWebster]

Those required "scheduled maintenances" are how the dealer offsets the cost of the "free" oil changes. Every dealer I've ever heard of that's done the free-oil-change deal requires you to get the maintenances done. This is why I've never let the dealer change my oil. $25 in Mobil 1 from Fleet Farm and a $7 filter from Morries parts counter, plus half an hour of my time in the garage is worth the peace of mind knowing that my oil change was done correctly.

 

[mndsm]

My car hasnt seen the inside of a dealership for anything other than putting the engine back in- since I bought it. I aim to keep it that way.

 

[mazdamn02]

Yup, sounds like Walser and most any stealership.

 

[ZoomZoom Diva]

Calling it a $70 oil change is a definite misnomer, since there are 4 oil changes in the period, and there are also other services provided.
I also disagree that one should take the manufacturer maintenance schedule as gospel. While a dealer has a vested interest in selling you more services than you need, a car manufacturer has a vested interest in recommending the least service that will provide a decent life expectancy and reliability, but not necessarily what is best for the car's performance and longevity.

Personally, I do the 30K services, but not the 15K services, as the 30K service covers most of what I consider important to be changed every 30K (even when the manufacturer does not recommend it that frequently) but the 15K services do not deliver value. Assuming it's Walser, (though the "buy happy" slogan is Morrie's) I trust them with both my 6 and my RX-7 and have never had a reason to think otherwise.

When I want special oil used, like the 20W50 conventional in my RX-7, I bring it myself.

 

[escort1991]

That's upsale at its best. Most people put trust in dealerships and buy what the dealership tells them. Refusing service is a way for them to deny warranties. This has happened to me with tires. It's a crazy game.

 

[Mnspeed3]

Oil change at 5k 10k and 15k is 3 oil changes. Thats almost 70 bucks your paying for the 3 free oil changes then. The fine print on Morries so called "buy happy" program only states that you must have the "required" service done by them. Nothing on the fine print says " we reserve the right to add 200 bucks worth of bogus un needed things that arent in mazdas maintenance book" to that.

Sorry I have to rant, Morries service has been the worst service I have ever seen at a dealership. Heres a list of my 4 times there:

We were told we could have the auto lock option enabled on our speed 3 when we bought it, I went in and was told to come back the next day and talk to the service manager. He tells me first that you cant do it on a 2011 speed3. Gee mazda usa sent us a follow up letter just to tell me about this feature. Maybe he should be familiar with the cars he works on Even I know it takes 5 minutes with the laptop and IDS software. He then tells me I have to pay 75 bucks to have it done. Yet the other service person told me its free the day before, if you bought the car at their dealership. Infact when I called Polar mazda they said they would do it for only 20 bucks even though I bought the car at morries.

I go in for 1st oil change, I had spent the day waxing and detailing the car. I tell them two times "DO NOT WASH MY CAR". Guess what... It comes back with water streaks all over it. So much for the 3 hours spend on the waxing.

Second oil change, I check the oil a week after, Its 1 inch over the full mark on the stick. Morries had put almost 7 quarts in a car that is suppose to hold 5. And people complain about fast oil change places? Hows this better.

The day we bought the car and drove it home we noticed the steering wheel off about 5 degrees when driving straight. We called the salesman back the next morning after buying it and told him about it. We said we would bring it back in at a later date for an alignment to get the steering wheel centered when we had time, he says no problem. I Make an appointment at Morries service 5 weeks after, and when I get there I am told I have to pay for it since "I probably hit a pothole or bump to do it". Had to almost argue with them that they were told about it the day we bought it. In fact we had to get the salesman to verify it.

Out of the 4 times I have had to go to there service dept., each was a negative experience.
Guess where we wont be buying our next new car.

 

[Big Nate]

Also FWIW, I would suggest avoiding any of those "quick lube" places like the plague that they are. Those places are staffed with the most incompetent people ever to pick up a wrench.

Are you telling me the 15 minutes of training these skilled employees get is going to waste???

I have been praised and laughed at for changing my own oil. So there are people on both sides of the DIY fence.

When it comes down to it how and where you get your oil changed is up to you. I know people who would never change their own oil I also know people who would never pay a dime for someone else to touch their car/truck/SUV.

Personally I enjoy getting out and doing my own maintenance. I don't religiously follow any schedule for it other then my own internal need to change my oil or lube my door hinges or flush my coolant system (by the way I wont tell you how often I do those things cuz it doesn't matter).

 

[Jana]

That's what happened to me at Morrie's this past (late) summer. I refuse to go back to go back. Paying nearly $200 for scheduled maint. on a car is ridiculous, so since I refused that I had to pay for my oil change...which was $72.xx. I nearly flipped. Needless to say I'll be going elsewhere until my lease is up.

Also, would have to agree their service in that area at Morrie's is horrible. I've filed my complaint so I've said my peace.

 

[ZoomZoom Diva]

I had the same issue with Morrie's "autowashing" cars, even though I had it on my account to never wash it, and told them every time. After they swirled the paint with their slap and scratch o matic I have not been back since for service... and this is when their slogan was 'Service is Key'. A surly parts department didn't help either, though he wasn't as bad as the parts ***** (as I termed her) at American Ford. The rest of the service department and management was great... I miss that dealer...

On schedules... my 1985 Nova recommended 10,000 mile oil changes. It was pitch black and awful at the 2000 mile interval we used for that car. I also found the 100K spark plug changes on my SVT a joke, they were well eaten away at half that (I changed them every 40K or so).

 

[Mnspeed3]

I also found the 100K spark plug changes on my SVT a joke, they were well eaten away at half that (I changed them every 40K or so).

I did my 2004 F150 plugs at 120k miles myself. 6 out of 8 broke off leaving the plug ends in the head. Worst design ever for a spark plug with 3 inch extensions off the bottom off the plug. Thank god they make a tool to remove them when they break. dealer charges 1200 bucks to remove the heads to get the broke plug ends out, tool only costs 100 bucks and works great

 

[Picklz]

There's a lot of vehicles that if you leave the plugs in for 100,000+ you'll have issues when you go to take them out, I generally wouldn't recommend going longer than 60-70k without at minimum pulling them out, inspecting them and reinstalling with some anti-seize.

 

[escort1991]

I did my 2004 F150 plugs at 120k miles myself. 6 out of 8 broke off leaving the plug ends in the head. Worst design ever for a spark plug with 3 inch extensions off the bottom off the plug. Thank god they make a tool to remove them when they break. dealer charges 1200 bucks to remove the heads to get the broke plug ends out, tool only costs 100 bucks and works great

Yeah that's a common problem with those motors. Talking with a ford tech a few weeks back and he said they deal with broken plugs quite often. Good in theory. Not good in any other category.