Ford Dealer Comparative Service Pricing

I have a 2014 Expedition XLT in fairly good shape. I've tried to stick to the recommended service intervals and have the work done at actual Ford dealers. Since I do a lot of road trips, I try to use dealers I've worked with before, near my home in NJ, and near family in Houston and Atlanta.

I'm ready for more scheduled work, but I had to change the dealer I use in NJ because the previous one went badly off the rails under new ownership. I had quotes for these particular items from the dealer in Texas, but didn't have the work done there because it was too early.

The price quotes from the new NJ dealer seem outrageous! For example, air filter element replacement, a job I could do myself in 15 minutes with factory original parts for $25. The Texas guys quoted $35; the NJ guys, $180! Other comparisons are bad, too; Transfer case and front/rear differential service in TX was $446; in NJ, $699. Spark plug replacement $417 in TX, $698 in NJ!

I'm about to get back to the NJ service advisor to point out these differences, but I thought I'd check in here to see if anyone has perspective on this matter. I don't imagine Ford corporate sets the local service prices, but do they have guidelines or rules? I also wonder whether having the work done at a reputable non-Ford service shop would have any impact on my coverage under the Ford CSP. I'm up at 134,000 miles now and would like to keep the plan until I'm no longer eligible at 160,000 miles. They've been good for any serious work, such as a complete transmission replacement last year.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

That savings will come close to paying the gas for a trip to see the family! I think I would politely ask him why the prices were so much higher at his dealership than the other quote. Perhaps he has some additional things he is doing that they did not include in TX? The air filter difference baffles me - please let us know what he says is the reason for that price. The others might just be the price of doing business near New York.

JohnSC said:

That savings will come close to paying the gas for a trip to see the family! I think I would politely ask him why the prices were so much higher at his dealership than the other quote. Perhaps he has some additional things he is doing that they did not include in TX? The air filter difference baffles me - please let us know what he says is the reason for that price. The others might just be the price of doing business near New York.

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Good points. I did send him a polite email this morning, discussing the price differences, asking if it was related to scope of work, and also suggested that perhaps the shop people he asked were messing with him. Never hurts to give him an out...

Regarding regional differences, after reading your comment I checked my records for price comparison on similar scheduled maintenance items I've had done in NJ, TX, and GA. Very little difference in price, certainly nothing like I've seen in this case.

And just now I took a look in the manual and it says transfer case and differential fluid need to be changed at 150,000 miles~ I'm only at 134,000 now. So I'm even wondering why TX suggested it (and I declined in August).
We'll see how/what the guy responds. But at this point, I may just do the air filter myself, get the oil/filter changed locally, and wait until it's the right time for the rest of the work.

Anyhow, I know I need new tires now, so I'd rather spend on that.

Dealer service advisors are salesmen / saleswomen. Their primary goal is to make as much money for the dealership and also for themselves in the form of commission.

They will cry how they lose so much money performing warranty work on vehicles they sell.

There are court rulings that verify service advisors are salespeople.

That is why so many dealerships “Recommend” services that are not recommended by the manufacturer, or recommend maintenance services that are much sooner than recommended by the manufacturer.

99WhiteC5Coupe said:

They will cry how they lose so much money performing warranty work on vehicles they sell.

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And yet, I have never had a service writer suggest that he would rather have me go elsewhere for warranty work.

Not sure how to reconcile that, except they are sales critters and the job of a sales critter is to sell.

99WhiteC5Coupe said:

Dealer service advisors are salesmen / saleswomen. Their primary goal is to make as much money for the dealership and also for themselves in the form of commission.

They will cry how they lose so much money performing warranty work on vehicles they sell.

There are court rulings that verify service advisors are salespeople.

That is why so many dealerships “Recommend” services that are not recommended by the manufacturer, or recommend maintenance services that are much sooner than recommended by the manufacturer.

Click to expand...

Yes, indeed. I've noticed how dealers always put stickers in my window telling me at what mileage next service is due, and they always make it after 5,000 miles when the actual recommendation is 7,500 mi.