My 2012 Cruze LS is up for its 20,000kms recommended maintenance. It will be $150 for the recommended maintenance (wheel alignment, tire rotation, multi-point inspection) plus $50 for an oil change.I assumed I was required to get this service done if I wanted to keep the warranty coverage. After all, if I ignored the manufacturer's advice and something broke, why would they fix it under warranty?However, I've been told by a few people now that you don't "really" need to keep up with the maintenance schedule - that you can just put it off until something breaks, and they'll still fix it at the same price and keep the warranty.Does not following the recommended maintenance schedule have any implications?
Importance of following recommended maintenance schedule
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As I read your link it becomes apparent your dealer has created a 'Service Menu' primarily to benefit themselves.
Not uncommon BTW.
Consider your owners manual your vehicular bible and disregard any services a dealer tries to sell you over and above the services mentioned in the manual.
For example, do you see alignment verification listed anywhere in the manual? BTW....you won't.
As far as warranty......the only services that can affect warranty are engine oil changes, by time or mileage, transmission services, again by time or mileage, or coolant maintainence........these are spelled out, in the owners manual.
Beyond oil changes, the items I mention don't need service till you are way out of warranty anyways so they really don't apply.
Boils down to oil changes, on time by miles or time.
The dealers homemade service intervals are always trunped by the factory service schedule found in your owners manual.
Rob
Not uncommon BTW.
Consider your owners manual your vehicular bible and disregard any services a dealer tries to sell you over and above the services mentioned in the manual.
For example, do you see alignment verification listed anywhere in the manual? BTW....you won't.
As far as warranty......the only services that can affect warranty are engine oil changes, by time or mileage, transmission services, again by time or mileage, or coolant maintainence........these are spelled out, in the owners manual.
Beyond oil changes, the items I mention don't need service till you are way out of warranty anyways so they really don't apply.
Boils down to oil changes, on time by miles or time.
The dealers homemade service intervals are always trunped by the factory service schedule found in your owners manual.
Rob
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24,131 Posts
First - pull out your owners manual and check the service area for what you need at 20,000 Km. Next, look at your tires. If they are wearing evenly you do NOT need an alignment. Rotation and balance, yes; alignment no. When your dealership says you have to have this stuff to maintain the warranty pull out the owners manual and tell them that you will NOT pay for anything not listed in the owner's manual. Better yet, find a different dealership.
I just followed your link and it appears GM Canada has set up their site to benefit the dealerships. Use the information from your owners manual.
I just followed your link and it appears GM Canada has set up their site to benefit the dealerships. Use the information from your owners manual.
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Wait, they gave us a recommended maintenance schedule?
Probably in that bag of books I never opened.
Probably in that bag of books I never opened.
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I'm assuming you've opened your owners manual, but this is exactly why dealerships can get away with doing too much routine maintenance.
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My local dealership has a schedule with you coming in every 5000 miles. They also push-sell an "engine flush" that's not really required but could be useful at twice the mileage of their recommendation. Dude tried to tell me it was the ethanol in the fuel that causes throttle bodies to stick - it's upstream of the injectors, so no. If anything it's EGR and PCV that might cause that, but probably just accumulated junk that makes it past your air filter.
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Nope. I did look at the PDF version before I bought the car and again once for something else shortly after, but that's it.
Agreed about dealers. I got two emails from my dealer yesterday saying they want me to come in for an oil change and checkup. Email said:
Almost sounds too good to be true but I'm perfectly content with doing my own change and wash. Besides, still have ~4k left on this one.Feldman said:
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I can honestly say that I have not had more than 3-4 alignments total since I bought my 1st car in 1970 and then it was only after doing front suspension work.
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I usually get an alignment when I replace my tires.
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My dealer will give me up to 2 sets of free tires if I give them all the recommended maintenance business including oil changes and rotations. Don't know if it is worth the cost. I am fuzzy on the prices and the necessity of their recommended maintenance.
The recommended maintenance schedule in my owner's manual is the same schedule as I posted above (on GM's website).
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14,726 Posts
Just a fair warning: that service schedule might even be too late. We have noticed the auto transmission fluid starts going bad as early as 25k miles in our cars. "Severe service" is 45k miles according to the owner's manual.
Always check back on the forum when in doubt. We make a science out of maintenance.
Sent from mobile.
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The manual transmission is bad from the factory in my opinion. It doesn't take more than 5k miles for it to start getting notchy, which is why we highly recommend everyone replace it with Amsoil Synchromesh as soon as possible.
However, we have found that the service interval for the manual transmission fluid is also too long. I recommend 40,000 miles on one change of Amsoil Synchromesh. You can go up to 50,000 miles, but it will start getting a bit more notchy again. This compact transmission isn't easy on the fluid it seems.
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