Sorry but there is 0 risk if you DIY. I bought a cheap 1L measuring cup from the dollar store and put exactly the right amount of oil in the engine. I use a Mobil 1 filter and change the crush washer (35 cents). However, some guy who gets half way done and goes to lunch or passes on the job to another mechanic; that's when a mistake could happen. These people don't care about your car, they care about keeping their job.

I paid 40$ for an inspection at Lallier Honda in Montreal and wondered why it was so cheap. So after the inspection the lady at the counter says,

"sir, you've got to replace your coolant".
Me: "really? I just replaced it last spring"
Her: "oh it's good then. But you need to change your manual transmission fluid"
Me: "but I changed that last summer!"
her: "what about brake fluid?"
Me: "nope"
Her: "it must be changed then. We go by the mileage"

So I just paid 40$ to have someone look at my mileage and tell me to perform a bunch of maintenance items? I hope they at least took it for a test drive. That is why I don't trust them to do an oil change. Also, mechanics don't bother with torque wrenches so any bolt could be over tightened (usually the case) or under tightened. They don't have the time. A good experienced mechanic will get it right but there's some trial and error envolved.

 

Anything in life involves a certain amount of risk. No matter how small.

As for dealers, can only speak for those on the US mainland and our island. You must have some pretty bad dealers up there in Canada or are you basing your comments from one visit????

The OP got something for free and he should take advantage of it.

 

Come on..... Havent you ever heard of ROAD TRIP??!!??!
Hell I will even give you a tour of DC....

 

Can I take you up on that??? Ya gotta do the tour in the GK!!!

Hell, last time I was in your vicinity was early '80's when my sis lived in Silver Springs, MD.

 

Please name the dealership.

Both good and bad ones should be named so that others can avoid the bad and support the good ones.

That is true for almost any service not just auto service. I avoid the "Clean the Home Outside AC coil" service because investigations have shown that over 60% have found other problems that were not there at all. And my sprinkler head near the AC unit cleans the coils every time I water the lawn.

Since your belief is because your dad was taken advantage of by a dealership that all dealerships are not to be trusted. I note that you only mentioned the one dealership. Did you try any others?

There are trustworthy dealerships and I will name two that I have had service done over the last 5 years that are top notch in my area:

AutoNation Honda Lewisville TX
AutoNation Honda Lewisville | New Honda dealership in Lewisville, TX 75057

David McDavid Honda of Irving
David McDavid Honda - | 855-273-0271 New Honda Dealership Serving Irving, Dallas, Fort Worth TX

Again that is your choice but a choice not everyone agrees with or experiences.

My choice is to drive to the dealership 10 minutes away and then enjoy a nice free foamy hot chocolate while using my android tablet on the dealers free WiFi to read the newspaper/other news or check out my favorite sport team or play games in a nice clean bright open area with all the new shiny cars displayed. I can also window shop the new cars, buy spare fluids or examine the new Fits in the showroom. The oil change is done in about 30 minutes. All in all a nice pleasant experience.

 

If I had cited two you'd want a third. If I cited three examples you'd demand a fourth. I'm not playing that game.

My point is that everyone should be careful who they let work on their car. Check them out first. Just because it's a manufacturer's dealership doesn't mean that you'll get honest service. In fact, the opposite is sometimes true. It might have something to do with the proximity of car salesmen!.

Better mechanics, once they gain experience, tend to leave dealerships and become independents. That way they can keep more of the $80-100/hr we pay and not be subject to the tyranny of the manager's flat rate manual. When a service is beyond my abilities and outside of warranty I prefer to take my car to a well-recommended independent.

 

Come on down.... First round is on me. Btw I live in silver spring.....

 

A simple yes or no would have sufficed. As for games, I am not the one doing the avoiding.

Good advice for any service shop dealership or independent.

Which implies that you do get honest service at some manufacturer's dealerships.

I have previously linked two manufacturer's dealerships in my area that do honest service.

 

Go on a slow day. Bad techs get hired at bad dealerships, by BAD management.

One peek into the shop to see the overall cleanliness and quality of thier equipment is all it takes to know.

 

He probably planned to quit the next day.

 

While in warranty I always go to the dealer for service. At least every other oil change. Because that way warranty repairs can be caught.

 

I'm pretty particular with any vehicle. I like do the service myself. I go to the point of purchasing the factory service manual. I want to know these things and I follow the procedures for service.
I'm on the road alot. I drive alot of miles a year and work all over the place. I live in rural area. There no dealerships of any manufacture close to me. Closest Honda dealership is about 25 miles.
Nothing beats the convenience and satisfaction of doing the work myself and at my convenience.
Going through the hassle of taking any vehicle to a dealership of any kind usually costs me alot more than the price of the oil change.
To get the dealership on their time and during their work hours usually involves me leaving work early myself. Which means I just lost wages having to leave work early. Or I take the vehicle and drop it off. Which means not only do I drive to the dealership, the wifey, girlfriend, significant other does to, now two people in two seperate vehicles make two seperate trips because I need to go back for it. How much did cost? How much gas for two trips, two vehicles?
There doesn't seem to be a weekend go by that I'm not Walmart at some point where I can conviently pick up 5 quarts of oil at my discretion.
Taking a vehicle for any service usually costs more than just the bill for oil change.

 

$19.95 at our local dealership

 

Wow, you've got yourself a real bargain there. I suppose the dealer looks at it this way, they're getting you into their service center and maybe getting more profitable future business from you.

 

I too live in Silver Spring, MD, bought a 2015 Fit LX last week. Where do you take your Fit for service? for oil changes?

I've used Murrays Auto Clinic downtown Silver Spring for the 16 yrs I had my Civic. They are honest and a bit expensive.

thanks, Etana

 

$26.95 @ Findlay Honda of Henderson, NV

 

Unlike some, I have no complaints about my local dealer. Maybe it's because they're located in a small city, where they depend on repeat business to stay alive, and where the word gets out quick if service is bad.


That said, I still prefer to do my own oil changes. That way I get to choose what oil I use, and can make sure it's done right (filter changed at EVERY oil change, for example). Then too, there's not a lot else I can do on today's computers, I mean cars, and so, I enjoy doing the things I CAN still do, like changing the oil and rotating the tires.

 

Bought my wife a Toyota in 2014 that came with free dealer changes at 10k.. I do the ones at 5k intervals.

After taking in for first change, the dealer put on the canister and oil plug so tight I needed breakers for both to get free. Still don't know how the pan wasn't stripped.

Dealer said "Oh, we fired that guy"..

Me thinks the low man on the totem pole gets to do this work at the dealer and they ain't using their better techs.

Screw em. I buy filters at the dealer and do changes myself. That way all the torques are done with a torque wrench, and the screws in the cover get put back on to my liking.

 

The dealers around here use the lot attendants to do oil changes and detailing jobs which is also why they have so many issues.

 

Once had the jeep dealer put 5 gallons of oil in my engine. It was the first Oil change. They had to pull the motor and replace all the seals, gaskets etc. Thinking those guys suck I drove across town to the other jeep dealer when the cat converter failed at 8000 miles. They tried to set my jeep on fire.. Used a torch to remove the old cat, burnt the floor of my jeep and set the carpet on fire.

Just the first of a long line of substandard experience with Chrysler Jeep dealers..