Last service cost $159 as discussed before, was told of a few things to expect in future, signs they were happening, and all good. That was Midas, but depends on the franchisee.

that sounds very steep for a car I imagine had nothing wrong with it!

i am in Joondalup so probably won't help you. I always have them call me if going to charge me extra and then I make the call to go ahead or not.

 I do my oils and filters myself after years of being abused by a wide variety of mechanics..... My advice is if you find a good 1 hold onto him.  $137 ph is the going rate for those sorts of dealers

Dealerships......Look at your lube sticker, messy writing? Bet an apprentice got the job too. We charge 100 per hour, so 137 is no surprise. Logbook servicing...well they get you there, dont want to void the warranty, gota do the servicing by the logbook. Idealy you want to take your vehicle to a small business you can trust, but they are very few and far between, trust me Iv had a hard time finding one to work for and I am satisfied I have finally found one. Get some quotes before the next service. Any place should give you a quote first and require your confirmation on any further work. We had a customer bring a Toyota quote in the other day and one part of the outrageous quote was 1200 bucks to clean, repack and adjust all four wheel bearings on a 100 series! We did the work, and naturally it cost the customer less than half the price. Im just glad I work in the industry, I see so many people waste money on cars that they should never own, ripped off at other places, inferior work due to MASSIVE amount of incompetent tradesman......Where do you live Gates???

 You think thats bad! On the ozaudi forums a guy got stung for $970.00 for his first/15000km service which consisted of an oil change + "checks"! 

Last service I had done on the prado was a major and included a timing belt change. Was around $1750 or so.

Last service I had done on the prado was a major and included a timing belt change. Was around $1750 or so.

Tim, I'm in Whitehills.

I know a local mechanic who does some pretty good work and he's got a good name amongst his local customers so I think I'll be having a chat with him.

The other thing Nissan told me was that they are the only ones who use 'genuine Nissan parts' and they're also the only ones with the onboard computer 'Nissan Consult' software for checking your system. 

The dealer where I purchased the car, recently offered me their $150 fixed price service, which I imagine is the standard oil and filter change....obviously not the logbook service, though.

regards
rusty...

U got stung! No doubt about it_ major service all oils inc diffs and transfer, filters, brake flush, rotate tyres, coolants, etc_ major service on 2008 pajero was about $450 from memory_  normal service is about $200.they're doing the 110k service this week. and yes it doesn't void ur warranty _ mobil mindarie workshop 93050975 when u find a good mechanic kiss the ground;) dodgy - U could buy a stella with the change

Yep seems very steep !!! My family mechanic is never over $150.

i thaught it would be a good idea to get my triton ddone at the dealer... bad idea! $2100 later! same deal they said major service. i said major bullshit but i did get some stuff done under new car waraanty. they charged $150 PH. THE only upside is it was like a brand new car. down side was the price and they had it for 2 days. i think ill do it myself next time

Im nearly due for a 40000km service on my d40 navara. Can anyone now if I take to a private mechanic rather then Nissan will that affect my warranty? I don't wanna fork out $950

Took out a set deal with Toyota on my new Hilux where all services are only $170.00 providing you get Toyota to do the service within the Warranty period and you stick to their warranty boundries, ie 3months/6months etc and not the km's. As it turns out most Toyota dealerships are so busy they are only too happy to put you off another couple of months and fitting you in for a service later.

Deal includes all replacement of Engine Oil & Oil Filter, checks on all other filters,suspension, greasing, rotation of tyres, Bla Bla Bla! the list goes on.

I'm no mechanic but I do have enough knowledge to know after a service to check oil clarity and grease nipples etc to make sure some sort of job has been done.

Good value I think, and I think Toyota have started this to try and peg back the lost service business that has hit most major vehicle brands because of their escalating prices.

And NO! I don't work for Toyota!

Buy a second hand car, screw the warranty & learn to do all the work yourself, it's pretty basic stuff for the most part. My cars are serviced at least as often as recommended & I rarely suffer from any mechanical issues. On the rare occasions I have had a breakdown I diagnose it, I buy the parts, I do the work & I buy a bunch of new fishing gear with the money I have saved, which is a hell of a lot. As a bonus I know the job has been done & done right, not bodged up or handed down to some 2nd year apprentice that doesn't know coolant & oil don't mix.

Thats another point too, if the vehicle is a few years old, any major issue would have shown its ugly head by now. i dont agree with logbook servicing sometimes, especially when the kms arent reached, you are replacing items that are still fine. Best off having a regular oil and filter and inspection every 10k and replace things as reqd. The other things dealerships tend to do is upsell bullshit oil and fuel treatments, throttlebody cleans etc, all a load of wank, and I know for a fact some dealers use fortron products to do this! Iv always bought secondhand cars that are a few years old and have past the initial couple of year major depreciation, aswell as been out long enough for us mechanics to know what theyre like. The last of a model is generally a good option too as most issues are ironed out and has all the facelifts, better for resell. I wouldnt fell confident buying ALOT of new cars these days if planning to keep long term.

 Agree with you fossil you save so much money doing shit urself, atleast you know you change a filter, not just drain the oil and leave the old one. My misses took her car to an automasters just to be charged 1500 for a service, fixing a seatbelt and fitting new fan belts on a poxy mazda 323. Automasters = autoshit!! Belts squeel like fuck on startup aswell!!

I rung the dealership to book in for a service and by chance asked how much $490 they wanted when I queried this the reply was that the standard price (To change oil and filters) WTF. Rang and got lube mobile out $370 To do the same job and he even adjusted the breaks a few extra little things the dealer won't do unless you ask for and pay for. The dealers have to charge the prices they do to pay for the fancy offices you wait for your car in.

I had fixed price servicing included in the purchase of my Prado. $200 for the first 100 000km inclusive. Is a good thing!

Tim-o is spot on dealerships are a money making machine.  The dealer makes more from servicing than they do from selling cars - it's a rort.

The also generally have 4 apprentices to every qualified mechanic so the person working on yor car usually has little experience and they charge you an arm and leg for the privilige.

Plenty of other mechanical shops have the same diagnostic equip, can fit genuine parts, have a better ratio of qual mechanics are much cheaper and don't void your warranty (despite what the dealers tell you).  If your nissan dealer say's only they can fit geniuine parts go into their parts shop next to the service shop and you'll find you can by the genuine part yourself over the counter.

Other thing is due to lack of experience dealerships tend to make mistakes that can damage your car and they don't tend to be great in taking responsibility for errors and will try to tell you its anything but their fault

Cases in point

1 - Dealer machined my front brakes - I picked up the car and first time I braked the steering wheel shook so hard I could hardly hold it - it was dangerous.  Went back andf asked if they test drove it A- yes, took service manager for a drive, when I applied the brakes the wheel shook and I ask him again if it was test driven (which they charged me for) - he didn't answer and looked very sheepish. after some arguing they fitted new discs as they had stuffed the machining so badly.

2- New car with factory gas system (fitted at purchase by dealer) - was having trouble starting it in the morning when cold would switch from petrol to gas by itself and flood.  Took to dealer they asked if I could leave it overnight so they could see what it does.  Next day I went back they said "i see what you mean but we don't know what the problem is - that'll be $80 thankyou".   Me -what's the $80 for you haven't found the problem?? A -time spent trying to start it.  Me - not paying sorry!!  A - You can't have your car them.  Argument ensued with general manager and service manager - service manager told me they couldn't find the problem because it was an after market gas system.  I told them they fitted the gas system when I bought it off them and if it was after market I would sue them because I paid for factory system!  A- silence.  Took car without paying and told them to shove their bill and take me to court.

Took car to gas shop (as the dealer recommended) again left it overnight and same result - no diagnosis. picked up car from gas shop asking did I own him anything - A - why I didn't do anything - no charge. Went and bought and fitted new battery myself and the problem was fixed (battery was on its way out and not giving enough cranking amps). should've been one of the first things they checked.

3. One Dealer checked my transmission and topped up the trans fluid saying it was low.  few weeks later had another dealer service trans before a long trip.  They said the trans was way over full and the fluid was brown and frothy - Not the colour it should be and this was not picked up by other dealer who had overfilled trans. 

Took to trans specialist who ended up pulling apart trans and rebuilding it as coolant had been sucked into trans in a front end collision 6 months prior and all the insides had been corroding away and it was about to crap itself (in the end my insurer covered the $2500 bill as it should have been done when repaired).

I never go to dealers anymore - my local mechanic is great and doesn't charge half as much.  he points out any problems and tells me if they are urgent or can be left. He does warranty services and has all the equipment.  My sevices are never more than $250. and other work is charged at a reasonable rate (i think their labour charge is around $75 an hour from memory)

Cheers

Paul

 mum has a fixed price service through john hughes and got charged $89 for 4 litres this sound rightish?

Good oil for your average car should cost no more than $40 for 5lt. Oil filters for most standard passenger vehicles are around the $10 mark. Anything above that is the dealer making profits. Even the highest quality oils for high performance vehicles (usually synthetics, not actually oil) should cost no more than $70 for 5lt. Most dealers don't bother running a flush through the engine before changing the oil either so they most likely can't claim that as an extra cost & & even if they did do that it would only be an extra $15 worth of product. So no, $89 for 4lt of oil is not right, it's another dealer rip off & seeing as they most likely didn't flush the engine they won't even have done the job properly.

I once got told to mark the rocker cover bolts before getting my valve clearances adjusted on my Patrol, went back the next day after handing it over to them and before i paid the $900 i checked the bolts which hadn't been touched. They ended up doing it the next day but the inconvenience and the fact they lied to me and were going to charge me all the $$ i wont go back.

Years ago , driving thru the burbs on a sat morning ,it was a line up of

dudes servicing and repairing there own cars, in the driveway

What happened? when did we become so lazy.

The usual excuse i hear is cars are too complicated , too much electronics etc

Too complicated to change your own oil?

I have done my own servicing since I was 17 and my first torana.

Since then I have owned cruisers, patrols , rocky, mitsub l200 etc etc

but also a 2002 grand cherro and a 1999 bmw 3 series, all full to the brim of electronics

brakes , clutchs, radiators and general servicing can be all done at home and much cheaper

than you would believe possible.

I was quoted 1200 bucks from jeep ( called for a laugh) to replace a power window motor,

New ones from the U.S cost 100 bucks on ebay, and 15 minutes to wack in , about 6 bolts.

saving 1100 sharmollys

As for voiding warrantys , I must admit I never have had a new car, so dont know much about it.

I was charged an arm and leg to have my 115 yamaha serviced at the local dealers in mandurah wheni queried him about cost he said they had serviced trailer as well put half a gallon of mixed concoctions in the fuel tank (it's a 4 stroke) I then said to him so if you have serviced the trailer what exactly did you do   A. we check the electrics bearings brakes wiring etc. I then flashed up the car and tried r/h trailer blinker which wasn't working when i took the trailer in still not working after non asked for service. Asked why blinker ris still not working after you tell me you serviced the trailer A blank look the i'll have a talk with the apprentice about that..what a lot of rubbish after an animated loud debate i left not paying for trailer service. i brought a book on how to service the motor and  now do all serviceing myself,having done an appreticeship (F&T) don't believe it's always the apprentices fault a lot of times cheap casual labour is used to do some jobs and the poor aprentice gets the blame for all stuff ups

Sotty if i've hijacked the thread just there is a lot in common with car and outboard servicing jobs.

 good luck for the average joe_ did water pump pn the 115 and then couldn't get the leg back on as it had clicked into gear_ hours of fun. hear what you're saying about doing it yourself too but I cannot buy air, fuel, oil filters and 10L of oil for  the cost of the service at mobil mindarie_ and their advice is free

tim-o, where abouts you work? could use a good mechanic!!!!

Have got a jeep commander which is due for its 110k service (out of warranty)

This will be ony the 2nd service out of warranty and everytime I've had it done by DVG in Melville (Authorised Jeep service centre). Every service has been over 1k last one was about 1,500 from memory.

Dealer tricks to fleece the peasants

1. oil change, simply take an oil filter from another vehicle which is still in good condtn at place it on yrs, this happens often, save a whole $6

2. pre service checks when buying a new car, ussually not done or lots not done. i know of one wangara dealership which has had 6 cars with kucfed motors low on oil straight out of dealership to to client

3.charge the client qual mechanics rates when an apprentice does the work, which is ok, we all gota start somewhere but work aint properly checked

4.charging for work which really doesnt need to be done at the time,,,dealers charge like wounded bulls cause they have huge overheads which the local mechanic doesnt

not all dealerships are like this though...i had  one dealer verbally qoute me $3k for an electronic module in an old commy i had.....i smelt a rat, asked for a written qoute which he refused....took it to holden in ossie park at it was a $50 cable,,,some dealerships are good

always ask for written qoutes if  they statr getting out of hand

my advice ask around thru friends and  find a local who is honest and does the right thing.....there are lots of tradies which do and its all word of mouth

if any1 would like the number of the mecahnics i use they are located in wangara.....minor service to full ground up builds and restos

all their clients are long timers as i am....good luck

 I have fixed price servicing for my XR6 at the Ford dealer at 250 or there a bouts and my local Subaru mechanic is ok too and does a great job. Busselton Subaru Service if you need a good suby mechanic down this way.

cheers

Dale

I have had major service done on 200 cruiser and I have never paid even close to that??? Ripped Mate, Tell em to Jam it n go elsewhere..