15K Service Question?

4300 Views 34 Replies 9 Participants Last post by Eddy Cruze, Jan 15, 2017

Eddy Cruze

Discussion Starter · Jan 11, 2017

Just got back from the Dealership. Had a $129 coupon for the 15K Service. It was to include an alignment. Instead it was a rotate & balance all 4 wheels which makes more sense to me. What is your feeling on this, was the alignment or the balancing even necessary?

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Tomko

· #2 · Jan 11, 2017 (Edited)

Personally I take the view that the car and its tires are best left in their factory state as long as possible - and until a problem with either balance or alignment is detected.

My Cadillac is nine years old and has never had it's alignmnent touched.

My Cruze has 55,000 miles on some pretty choppy roads and it's alignment and tire balance has never been touched.

However, I have many times seen problems arise when perfectly good factory alignment and tire balance was adjusted by dealer technicians using unclaibrated equipment - to fix a problem that never existed in the first place.

Tomko

· #3 · Jan 11, 2017

I've also never had my dealership recommend a 15K or any other mileage based service package on any of my fleet.

Eddy Cruze

Discussion Starter · #4 · Jan 11, 2017

I guess my question then would be, was I cheated if I had the wheels balanced without an alignment? Personally I would only do an an alignment if I needed one or purchased new tires.

Eddy Cruze

Discussion Starter · #5 · Jan 11, 2017

Tomko said:
I've also never had my dealership recommend a 15K or any other mileage based service package on any of my fleet.

That's funny you say that as every other Manufacturer hounds you on periodic services which can be quite costly while G.M. doesn't seem too. Of course to maintain the Warranty and the GMPP protection or any other VSC it is expected to follow some sort of schedule, especially in the deathly dusty desert

Tomko

· #6 · Jan 11, 2017

Eddy Cruze said:
I guess my question then would be, was I cheated if I had the wheels balanced without an alignment? Personally I would only do an an alignment if I needed one or purchased new tires.

In my books the same thing goes for tire balance.

I have an acquaintance of the female pursuasion whose slimeball foreign job dealership told her that she had to have her wheels rebalanced every year because the lead weights could rust. LOL!

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Tomko

· #7 · Jan 11, 2017

Eddy Cruze said:
That's funny you say that as every other Manufacturer hounds you on periodic services which can be quite costly while G.M. doesn't seem too. Of course to maintain the Warranty and the GMPP protection or any other VSC it is expected to follow some sort of schedule, especially in the deathly dusty desert

Services indeed need to be performed in accordance with the service schedule. Mostly changing fluids and filters. But what on earth did the 27 point inspection you received constitute and how does it compare with the service schedule?

My guess is that it's a method for the dealership to drum up some business. Maybe find something wrong that they could charge you or GMPP for.

Certainly I get mailings from the dealership telling me that I need a spring or fall service - but this is just another form of advertising. It doesn't actually come from my service advisor. It comes from a third party direct marketing provider that the dealership owner subscribes to. For me it goes unopened and straight in the trash with the rest of the unsolicited mail that finds its way into my mailbox. I get the same crap about how they have a buyer just for my year and model of Cadillac, etc. I call bull$hit on that too because there's a halfdozen of them in the autotrader right now.

So, in summary, no I have never had my service advisor propose such a service package to my face.

As well, I understand that you're in a different environment than me - but I'm guessing that mine's equally harsh if not moreso.

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Eddy Cruze

Discussion Starter · #8 · Jan 11, 2017

Interesting! I have only owned new Cars that must be serviced every 90 days or 3000 miles. The 27 point inspection is free and is done with all LOF services. There is added value in this paperwork/inspection but again remember, its FREE!

As a rule Dealers will not poke around your Car looking for warranty work to do. Unless you complain about a certain component they are not allowed to look for additional work. The only exception would be a safety concern and even then...

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dhpnet

· #9 · Jan 11, 2017

I follow the maintenance schedule for any services listed, and the owners manual for additional inspections. Tire rotation and balance are not regular service items and are not listed on the maintenance schedule. If I feel a vibration then I will have the wheel balance checked, otherwise I leave it alone. If I notice any signs of wheels out of alignment then I have the alignment checked, otherwise I leave it alone. No reason to pay for services you don't need.

Your bill doesn't look too bad. $140 for a full synthetic oil change, both air filters changed and a 5 minute inspection is a little high, but not bad. I would ask them to list all the items inspected on the receipt with a report of the condition of each inspection point. Without documentation of the exact inspections and the results then nothing was inspected, in my opinion. The quick oil change place by my house includes that report.

How many miles do you have? The passenger air filter is supposed to be changed every 22.5K miles and the engine air filter is supposed to be changed every 45K miles using the severe conditions maintenance schedule in the owners manual.

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dhpnet

· #10 · Jan 11, 2017

Eddy Cruze said:
As a rule Dealers will not poke around your Car looking for warranty work to do. Unless you complain about a certain component they are not allowed to look for additional work. The only exception would be a safety concern and even then...

You can pay for additional inspections. I usually do this before my warranty expires. But, I require them to list the items inspected and the condition on the receipt.

Eddy Cruze

Discussion Starter · #11 · Jan 11, 2017 (Edited)

So you don't get mailers with service coupons in Canada? I have read that the Service Bay at your Dealership is more profitable than from the sales of new Cars. We get these targeted offers all the time. It is funny, I asked my Service Writer about this service, he did not try to push it on me by any means, and I've got these type of offers for the past 40 years. One thing I didn't like, they were waiting for the Air Filter to be brought over from the store. We go to the Dealer for OEM parts & they charge for OEM parts

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Eddy Cruze

Discussion Starter · #12 · Jan 11, 2017

dhpnet said:
I follow the maintenance schedule for any services listed, and the owners manual for additional inspections. Tire rotation and balance are not regular service items and are not listed on the maintenance schedule. If I feel a vibration then I will have the wheel balance checked, otherwise I leave it alone. If I notice any signs of wheels out of alignment then I have the alignment checked, otherwise I leave it alone. No reason to pay for services you don't need.

Your bill doesn't look too bad. $140 for a full synthetic oil change, both air filters changed and a 5 minute inspection is a little high, but not bad. I would ask them to list all the items inspected on the receipt with a report of the condition of each inspection point. Without documentation of the exact inspections and the results then nothing was inspected, in my opinion. The quick oil change place by my house includes that report.

How many miles do you have? The passenger air filter is supposed to be changed every 22.5K miles and the engine air filter is supposed to be changed every 45K miles using the severe conditions maintenance schedule in the owners manual.

I didn't even notice it was full synthetic. I did notice that the $39.95 Dexos Blend Oil change available all last year is now $49.95 and it might be the full synthetic. I agree with everything you and Tomko have said. The price of this offer was most certainly reasonable and with 14,000 miles on the CRUZE I didn't need an Alignment, and I am sure with no tire wear or vibration I didn't need my wheels rebalanced either. We see incredible dust out here so considering all they did, along with that multi point inspection sheet found everywhere (some with more multi points!), I feel that the price was fair, albeit possibly unnecessary.

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jblackburn

· #13 · Jan 11, 2017

I didn't have an alignment done until I had new tires put on at 30-35K or so. Usually don't before a new set of tires unless I see odd signs of tire wear or the car seems to pull in one direction. Often they'll check for you for free to tell you whether or not it's within spec. My Cruze held its alignment very well despite our pothole-ridden roads and my adventures down gravel roads.

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Eddy Cruze

Discussion Starter · #14 · Jan 11, 2017

I did want to mention it wasn't the 14K I was necessarily following but 3 years of the CRUZE in service in 125 degree summer dusty weather. Do you have a minute to see a Desert dust storm in action, incredible

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Merc6

· #15 · Jan 11, 2017 (Edited)

Eddy Cruze said:
Just got back from the Dealership. Had a $129 coupon for the 15K Service. It was to include an alignment. Instead it was a rotate & balance all 4 wheels which makes more sense to me. What is your feeling on this, was the alignment or the balancing even necessary?
View attachment 215906

Oil Filter | Genuine GM | 55594651 : GM Parts Direct: Your direct source for Genuine GM Parts
$5.69 Vs. Dealer $6.00 Vs Wally World Fram $14 and my ex Dealer $17.00
Oil | Genuine GM | 88865639 : GM Parts Direct: Your direct source for Genuine GM Parts
$10.88 X 5 Vs. Dealer $3.75 X 5
Cabin Air Filter | Genuine GM | 13271190 : GM Parts Direct: Your direct source for Genuine GM Parts
$14.26 Vs. Dealer $32.99 and and Wally World $12.99
Filter for 2013 Chevrolet Cruze|13272719 : GM Parts Direct: Your direct source for Genuine GM Parts
$13.03 Vs Dealer $34.99 and Wally World $12.99

How many miles on the car and what year again? In theory the service may have been BS for the miles but it was fairly cheap for what they did if they actually replaced all those items beyond the oil and oil filter. Here that easily could have been a $300 job ticket. I'm away from my receipts but I can find them 8 AM EST when I get off work and see. Depending on the year, they probably should have suggested brake fluid. Now that I think about it, my dealer checks alignment before they even get the car into service bay and print it out for you while you wait for the service writer to finish his/her paperwork for you to sign.

My ex Dealer 4 tire rotation and oil change is $49.95 if I used their oil and filter. I usually just handed them my Amsoil SS since tire rotation was like $35 and oil change with my oil was $19 and change if you tried to break it down.

Subaru cabin air filter is a $90 process alone

Cabin and engine air filter is kinda over the top but expected in a dealer parts bin.

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Eddy Cruze

Discussion Starter · #16 · Jan 11, 2017

Merc6 said:
Oil Filter | Genuine GM | 55594651 : GM Parts Direct: Your direct source for Genuine GM Parts
$5.69 Vs. Dealer $6.00 Vs Wally World Fram $14 and my ex Dealer $17.00
Oil | Genuine GM | 88865639 : GM Parts Direct: Your direct source for Genuine GM Parts
$10.88 X 5 Vs. Dealer $3.75 X 5
Cabin Air Filter | Genuine GM | 13271190 : GM Parts Direct: Your direct source for Genuine GM Parts
$14.26 Vs. Dealer $32.99 and and Wally World $12.99
Filter for 2013 Chevrolet Cruze|13272719 : GM Parts Direct: Your direct source for Genuine GM Parts
$13.03 Vs Dealer $34.99 and Wally World $12.99

How many miles on the car and what year again? In theory the service may have been BS for the miles but it was fairly cheap for what they did if they actually replaced all those items beyond the oil and oil filter. Here that easily could have been a $300 job ticket. I'm away from my receipts but I can find them 8 AM EST when I get off work and see. Depending on the year, they probably should have suggested brake fluid. Now that I think about it, my dealer checks alignment before they even get the car into service bay and print it out for you while you wait for the service writer to finish his/her paperwork for you to sign.

My ex Dealer 4 tire rotation and oil change is $49.95 if I used their oil and filter. I usually just handed them my Amsoil SS since tire rotation was like $35 and oil change with my oil was $19 and change if you tried to break it down.

Subaru cabin air filter is a $90 process alone

Cabin and engine air filter is kinda over the top but expected in a dealer parts bin.

This is a great Chevy Dealership, let me make that clear. The Cruze has about 14K on it over 3 treacherous years. I was a little miffed about the aftermarket filter used today but its common practice. I drew the line at a Hyundai Dealership when they sold me some parts at the Counter as OEM parts right from their bulk bin. The Parts Manager did apologize as he told me those were used for service only, not for retail. Still you expect OEM filters and other common parts used in your Dealer servicing and many times they're not. I was thinking of complaining but as I mentioned I like this Dealer, I need this Dealer (the only one in 60 miles) and they did do the work. My tires were fine, perhaps now they're even better. I would be interested in why my service would be so costly in Cleveland and why you were paying so much for a LOF even after providing them the Oil? I too feel like my Dealer did a ton of work today, although it was not the same exact work I thought I bought. Instead of a LOF with blended oil I got full synthetic oil (a first for me). Instead of a Cabin air filter change I got a Cabin filter change and an Engine air filter change! Instead of a rotation (included in the LOF) and a full alignment I received a rotation and the wheels balanced. I even got them to over fill the tires to 38 PSI, something Dealers generally don't do for you. They didn't wash it this time but usually do a crappy job anyway so I'll get it cleaned another day, after it rains (California is Flooding!)

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Merc6

· #17 · Jan 11, 2017 (Edited)

Eddy Cruze said:
This is a great Chevy Dealership, let me make that clear. The Cruze has about 14K on it over 3 treacherous years. I was a little miffed about the aftermarket filter used today but its common practice. I drew the line at a Hyundai Dealership when they sold me some parts at the Counter as OEM parts right from their bulk bin. The Parts Manager did apologize as he told me those were used for service only, not for retail. Still you expect OEM filters and other common parts used in your Dealer servicing and many times they're not. I was thinking of complaining but as I mentioned I like this Dealer, I need this Dealer (the only one in 60 miles) and they did do the work. My tires were fine, perhaps now they're even better. I would be interested in why my service would be so costly in Cleveland and why you were paying so much for a LOF even after providing them the Oil? I too feel like my Dealer did a ton of work today, although it was not the same exact work I thought I bought. Instead of a LOF with blended oil I got full synthetic oil (a first for me). Instead of a Cabin air filter change I got a Cabin filter change and an Engine air filter change! Instead of a rotation (included in the LOF) and a full alignment I received a rotation and the wheels balanced. I even got them to over fill the tires to 38 PSI, something Dealers generally don't do for you. They didn't wash it this time but usually do a crappy job anyway so I'll get it cleaned another day, after it rains (California is Flooding!)

My ex Dealer 4 tire rotation and oil change is $49.95

Tire rotation was like $35 on it's own

Oil change with my oil was $19 and change

$35 plus like $20 is $55 before tax if you separated it out.

Eddy Cruze

Discussion Starter · #18 · Jan 11, 2017 (Edited)

I'm dying to find out why you feel my 3 year/15K service would have cost so much in your town? I can't be too upset about the alignment because my alignment seemed great. I can't get too worked up about aftermarket parts represented as OEM parts because that is the way the world works!

I would have thought your Chevy dealer would have charged you no more than last years national $39.95 (or less) for an Oil Change, Filter, Rotation & Multi point inspection, even if you didn't take their crappy blended oil

Merc6

· #19 · Jan 11, 2017

Eddy Cruze said:
I'm dying to find out why you feel my 3 year/15K service would have cost so much in your town? I can't be too upset about the alignment because my alignment seemed great. I can't get too worked up about aftermarket parts represented as OEM parts because that is the way the world works!

I would have thought your Chevy dealer would have charged you no more than last years national $39.95 (or less) for an Oil Change, Filter, Rotation & Multi point inspection, even if you didn't take their crappy blended oil

This year it looks like they changed the prices and it's up to 6 qts vs the 5 of last years. I had brand new tires put on a week before the last oil change so I didn't pay the $49.95 or even notice the change untill I went to their website.

Your coupon attachment on top of this page looks identical but a few pennies less for the same oil and rotation services.

diesel

· #20 · Jan 11, 2017

Seems like a reasonable deal for a 3 year service, for a car that covered hot and dusty miles. I'd say it was worth it, and now you're good for another 3 years. As for alignment and balance, I only get these done if I need to, i.e. shimmies on the highway, or uneven wear on the tires.

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