Dealer for service

[bill_b]

How many of you use the dealer for service? I know this is a big controversially topic because some absolutely hate the dealer and refuse to let them touch their vehicles unless they have to lol.

For me I'm more or less asking because I'm concerned with getting Ford to honor the warranty.

 

[cmiles97]

I've done my own service and gone to the dealer or shops like firestone or pep boys. Right now I'm using Ford for their "works" service which costs around $46 with taxes and fees. They check over the vehicle, rotate the tires and replace the oil (partial synthetic) and filter. For that price it's worth it for me not to rotate my own tires and I'm going with 5,000 mile oil changes. Plus I have the 8 year 125K Ford protect extended warranty. It's an easy decision for me so if a warranty issue pops up, there is no fight since they've got a long history of service on it.

Also i have purchased many a used vehicle. The ones that regular service at manufacturer's dealer on the carfax are always on the list for purchase and I will pay a little more for. If private and no carfax regular maintenance shown the owner better have good records of what's been done.

 

[Deadman]

They don't touch mine.....unless its a warranty type repair.

 

[bill_b]

I've done my own service and gone to the dealer or shops like firestone or pep boys. Right now I'm using Ford for their "works" service which costs around $46 with taxes and fees. They check over the vehicle, rotate the tires and replace the oil (partial synthetic) and filter. For that price it's worth it for me not to rotate my own tires and I'm going with 5,000 mile oil changes. Plus I have the 8 year 125K Ford protect extended warranty. It's an easy decision for me so if a warranty issue pops up, there is no fight since they've got a long history of service on it.

Also i have purchased many a used vehicle. The ones that regular service at manufacturer's dealer on the carfax are always on the list for purchase and I will pay a little more for. If private and no carfax regular maintenance shown the owner better have good records of what's been done.

Ya the warranty is my biggest concern. I to plan on buying the extended warranty at some point... too many components on these things lol.

They don't touch mine.....unless its a warranty type repair.

have they ever given you any grief over warranty work as you service your own? I presume you keep a neat record of all your services you perform?

 

[mattastic13]

We are using the Ford dealership on the wife's Expy only because we have the extended Ford Warranty, so everything will be done there for records. I won't let the dealership touch my F250 since every time I take it there, something new is broken once I drive away. Like the time I drove away and my windshield washer nozzles were broken....

 

[Going_Going_Gone]

By the time you drive to your preferred auto parts store and buy the oil and filter, you're right at what the Works Special will cost w/o having to do the work. I used to do the routine maintenance on my vehicles until age and common sense convinced me to take advantage of the Quick Lane specials. I plan on hanging on to this vehicle...unless some idiot crashes into it; so I want a history of regular service work that won't interfere with any extended warranty issues down the road. I have learned to avoid the dealerships who employ trade school students (not sponsored interns) as they aren't always as attentive to detail as I would be...like the one time the lug nuts on one wheel were not torqued. Fortunately I figured that out real fast and no damage was incurred other than a second, and final trip to that dealer.

 

[Artie]

How many of you use the dealer for service? I know this is a big controversially topic because some absolutely hate the dealer and refuse to let them touch their vehicles unless they have to lol.

For me I'm more or less asking because I'm concerned with getting Ford to honor the warranty.

This is gonna be a wild thread lol

I use my dealership but I think it’s a completely different experience at Lincoln vs Ford from what I’ve read on this forum. I think there are a couple factors at play:

1. It’s like any mechanic shop, some are fair and honest and others are not, you can find a great shop or dealership and be completely happy or you can get screwed once and be forever tarnished.

2. My experience at Lincoln has been amazing, some of my first point may play into this but I also think that the fact that I’m going to a higher end dealership makes a difference and this brings me to my second point. At Ford you’re taking your $70k+ vehicle to get serviced at the same place where someone is taking their $14k vehicle to... your not going to get a $70k treatment there. This has been pointed out by a few other people on this forum.

I should add that Lincoln comes to me with a loaner when I need /get service. That’s a major factor in using them and if I didn’t have that option I would probably do the minor stuff like oil and air filter myself.

 

[bill_b]

This is gonna be a wild thread lol

I use my dealership but I think it’s a completely different experience at Lincoln vs Ford from what I’ve read on this forum. I think there are a couple factors at play:

1. It’s like any mechanic shop, some are fair and honest and others are not, you can find a great shop or dealership and be completely happy or you can get screwed once and be forever tarnished.

2. My experience at Lincoln has been amazing, some of my first point may play into this but I also think that the fact that I’m going to a higher end dealership makes a difference and this brings me to my second point. At Ford you’re taking your $70k+ vehicle to get serviced at the same place where someone is taking their $14k vehicle to... your not going to get a $70k treatment there. This has been pointed out by a few other people on this forum.

I should add that Lincoln comes to me with a loaner when I need /get service. That’s a major factor in using them and if I didn’t have that option I would probably do the minor stuff like oil and air filter myself.

LOL Oh I know, I had my flame suit ready when I started this thread LOL.

That's a good point about the luxury dealer probably being a better experience. I wonder if they'd take my Expy in on service

 

[bill_b]

By the time you drive to your preferred auto parts store and buy the oil and filter, you're right at what the Works Special will cost w/o having to do the work. I used to do the routine maintenance on my vehicles until age and common sense convinced me to take advantage of the Quick Lane specials. I plan on hanging on to this vehicle...unless some idiot crashes into it; so I want a history of regular service work that won't interfere with any extended warranty issues down the road. I have learned to avoid the dealerships who employ trade school students (not sponsored interns) as they aren't always as attentive to detail as I would be...like the one time the lug nuts on one wheel were not torqued. Fortunately I figured that out real fast and no damage was incurred other than a second, and final trip to that dealer.

I used the local Toyota dealership for both my highlander/4runner prior to trading them in on the Exp. It was always a great experience imo. This being a new dealership has me on pins and needles.

 

[Flexpedition]

Toyota dealers service Fords every single day. If you've got a good business relationship going already, use them. Receipts go in the glove box regardless of the letterhead.

 

[bill_b]

Toyota dealers service Fords every single day. If you've got a good business relationship going already, use them. Receipts go in the glove box regardless of the letterhead.

This is actually a great point. I may have to consider continuing to use the mechanic I specify at the yota dealer.

 

[Vicious]

Only have experience with BMW dealer service... anyone must be better than them!

 

[Deadman]

My dealers aren't close, so by the time I drive to them, take off work, and wait an drive home I'm into it much farther than if I dump the oil on a Sunday in my garage and teach my boys how to be self-sufficient!

 

[duneslider]

My dad takes his Ford's to the Honda dealer that used to service his Honda's. He no longer has any Honda's and still goes to them. Occasionally it takes a day longer to get work done because they don't have a Ford parts room attached to the dealership. He seems happy with them and I guess that is good. Its all about finding a good service center to work with. I have heard good things about he Ford place closest to me.

 

[TobyU]

By the time you drive to your preferred auto parts store and buy the oil and filter, you're right at what the Works Special will cost w/o having to do the work. I used to do the routine maintenance on my vehicles until age and common sense convinced me to take advantage of the Quick Lane specials. I plan on hanging on to this vehicle...unless some idiot crashes into it; so I want a history of regular service work that won't interfere with any extended warranty issues down the road. I have learned to avoid the dealerships who employ trade school students (not sponsored interns) as they aren't always as attentive to detail as I would be...like the one time the lug nuts on one wheel were not torqued. Fortunately I figured that out real fast and no damage was incurred other than a second, and final trip to that dealer.

I go to walmart once or twice a week so I am not making a special trip wasting my time to get oil and filter.
By the time I drive to dealer and drop it off and get ride back and do the same to pick up or drive there and wait for them to do the oil change....I could already be done with oil change at home. Esp on a truck or Expedition. I don't even need a jack to change oil on ours. I slid under on left shoulder and slide drain pan under then get filter from under front bumper on driver side.

I can do it in 12 minutes start to finish if I am in hurry.
The only + to a dealer is the free water and often small soft drink containers in the waiting area.
If they don't have free little pops....NO WAY I'm using them..
Put some free snacks in there and I will come more often and bring friends. We have actually done this. Friend use to use a local Cadillac dealership as his dad was a lifelong GM worker and owned one after another. They typically had 3 GMs in the family at any given time.
They had little pop in a mini fridge and he would let me know when he was going in for service and I would meet him there and hang out and chat.
Kind of like "having coffee" for non coffee likers.

 

[cmiles97]

12 minutes including tire rotation? I'll bring the pops, I'm coming to your place for service.

 

[TobyU]

12 minutes including tire rotation? I'll bring the pops, I'm coming to your place for service.

I don't rotate tires. At least I don't do it on a mileage basis. That is just a scam they came up with to make us wear out all of our tires at once. Notice there are different methods for rotating tires also. If you have a full size spare there are methods for rotating a spare in or not rotating the spare.
They call it wearing evenly I call it wearing out at the same time. I have absolutely no problem with putting 2 tires on one axle and or rotating the other tires to the other axle when I replace those tires.
Many people would rather keep dealers and text away from their tires and lug nuts. Many people don't trust them to tighten the lug nuts evenly or to not over torque them.
Also, nobody takes better care of the threads on your oil pan drain plug than you do.

There was a time that I was using Walmart service center for my mobile one oil changes though. This was around 99 or 2000. This was also before the five quart jugs came in and became a better deal at Walmart. I believe the total price including filter was 29. 99. I would always upgrade to a better filter as they're special came with super tech. It was like a dollar fifty more to get the Motorcraft. I had a 6 passenger limousine at the time and not only was it only like $5 more than me purchasing the oil and filter by myself, they also aired up the tires, topped off the windshield washer fluid and the even vacuumed out the entire back of the limousine area. That was too good of a deal to pass up.

 

[Deadman]

I don't want some idiot mechanic busting the clean coat off my 22" wheels with his 850 ft lbs impact gun!

 

[16plati]

This is gonna be a wild thread lol

I use my dealership but I think it’s a completely different experience at Lincoln vs Ford from what I’ve read on this forum. I think there are a couple factors at play:

1. It’s like any mechanic shop, some are fair and honest and others are not, you can find a great shop or dealership and be completely happy or you can get screwed once and be forever tarnished.

2. My experience at Lincoln has been amazing, some of my first point may play into this but I also think that the fact that I’m going to a higher end dealership makes a difference and this brings me to my second point. At Ford you’re taking your $70k+ vehicle to get serviced at the same place where someone is taking their $14k vehicle to... your not going to get a $70k treatment there. This has been pointed out by a few other people on this forum.

I should add that Lincoln comes to me with a loaner when I need /get service. That’s a major factor in using them and if I didn’t have that option I would probably do the minor stuff like oil and air filter myself.

Lincoln ain’t higher end. They have cheap shit too

 

[bill_b]

Okay so to the guys who don't trust the dealer and do their own work... I get all of your concerns. My question is what does this look like with trying to get warranty work in the future?