GarrettG

a few weeks ago, my 2004 acura tl's display said i was due for service "B" ...

so i called Hinshaw's (Fife, WA) service dept and asked what service "B" was. the answer from Kelly: "an oil change and some other factory recommended services" ... ok... so how much? he said $114.07... ok

so, i called Acura of Seattle: same answer from Clyde as to what service "B" was. the price: $67.90

then, i call Acura of Bellevue: same vague answer from Jason. The price: $165!!!!!! WOW!!!

Well, i looked on the owner-link website, found out that service "B" is simply an oil change and tire rotation and a handful of simple, routine inspections. My local tire shop/garage did it all for only $24.95!!!

I have three complaints: 1) the acura service departments being so vague about what the service actually is. 2) the acura service departments not having consistent pricing for the same service. and 3) the OUTRAGOUS pricing!!!!!!!

I will NEVER be using an acura service department again. and probably not buying another acura again. My friends with other luxury car brands (Lexus, BMW, MB, Jag, Cadillac, Infiniti) have told me that they have MUCH better experiences.

Acura needs to SERIOUSLY step it up if it wants to become a successful luxury car brand.

-- Garrett

castre

Cheap car company… cheap car service… enough said

mickey3c

You have to look the various service intervals and what they recommend gets checked vs. what you want done. They have been doing this for many years. If you go in and say I want the 30K service, they will do the works... I recall on my 2g that they wanted to check the plugs. I said they are suppose to last till 100K so why should I have pay for that. They said if they are fine they do not replace them.

I had to laugh and say change the oil. Tranny and motor and leave the rest alone.

I have seen some dealers tell customers if they are not getting all or most of the listed maintenance checks on a particular service that they do not have to provide a loaner car.

And thel all do it.. There is not a single dealership out there that doesn't try to make money off the servicing.

Repecat

Garrett..........I'm not at all surprised at the responses that you received. My TL will not see the inside of a dealership unless warranty work is indicated. My oil/filter changes are done by Hawk's Praire Automotive for about $14 (I supply thr oil and filter) and tire rotations are free from Discount Tire. I do all of the other inspections myself which takes about 10 minutes.

Mike_TX

Face it - the "Recommended Services" are there for the dealer to make money on. And they are not required in any way, as long as you do basic maintenance on your car.

Some people still think they'll jeapordize their warranty if they don't take the car to the dealer and let them do these servicings. Hogwash. Your warranty can be jeapordized only if you neglect the maintenance of your sufficiently that it actually causes damage (and that's fairly difficult to do). I used to work with a guy who refused to ever change the oil, filters, etc. in his cars ... he said cars are to drive, and when they break, you get 'em fixed or get another one. He never had a problem with warranty work.

Change your oil and filter at a reasonable interval, change the air filter when needed, and consider changing the trans fluid by 50,000 miles, and you're good to go.

tzakiel

I have never had a car where the dealer didn't overprice maintainence, parts and service. If you think you will never buy an Acura because of this again.... good luck with any other company. Dealer service and parts cost a fortune, period, always.

05TLTony

I agree. Lexus service for an es is free on the first vist, $99 on the 2nd and $300+ thereafter. Yikes!

vupac1

i also took my TL to the dealer for my service B last wk, when i asked they said it was an oil change, rotate/balance tires, and check fluid levels ...i forgot how much they said it cost, i believe it was at 60 something, maybe more...i ended up just having them change the oil for 30, pricier than i could have gotten it changed for, but the complementary wash saved me 12 bux i would have spent so its all good

GarrettG

I do agree... and maybe my statement of not wanting an Acura again was a little harsh and said without thinking things through. I do understand that factory parts and service may be more... like the $30-$40 oil changes, etc. To me, that's acceptable... it's the vagueness (which seems dishonest), inconsistency, and apparent price gouging that bother me.

However, the point I was trying to make is that I've spoken with many of my friends and family members that have other brands of luxury vehicles and they have ALL stated that they have had nothing but great service from their dealerships... and I cannot give a good review to Acura's service departments.

Garrett

KJSmitty

When you look up "Car Dealership" in the Websters Dictionary it doesn't state: "Mischievous, deviant, thieving bastards" for nothing.............

TONYJO

Surprised you all are b*tching about spending $100 bucks or so to keep your car running fine. You don't own an Accord or even a GM 4-door product....so why not shut-up and spend the money? Besides, I had the B service at my dealer---oil change, tire rotation etc. for $85 with a coupon. I even got a loaner car for the day and always willl as long as I make an appt. in advance. Yes, there are dealers who are out to get you....however, I feel that my Acura dealership really does a great job in taking care of it's customers

acutee

How do you feel if the cashier said your total is $165? (for the same service B you did last time---oil change, tire rotation, etc.) I feel Garrett's aggravation. He is feeling ripped off if he didn't find out. I personally wanted to take my car in for acura dealer to do all the required services with their work ethic and honesty, I want peace of mind, but they didn't give me the lucky chance that you have. Well, I guess if everything is perfect then we don't have this forum. Garrett, you will have to get use to it as long as you still like the car.

mxtt

I wish we all have money to waste like you do.

03CoupeV6

A) The TL should require no more service than it's Accord cousin. The TL is by no means a high maintenance vehicle.

B) I have issues with giving dealerships huge amounts of money for very little work. The bottom line is that they are out to make money, and the most money they can (okay, who isn't?). But they're also frequently dishonest and will readily take advantage of anyone who will let them. I overheard at Nalley Acura (and anyone who reads my posts lately know how much I hate this dealer) a service advisor telling an old lady that her 65,000 mile 2001 Acura TL needed to have it's A/C Evaporator cleaned, and some other BS services for a total of over $900.

C) Your Acura dealer probably takes great care of you because you give them the money they ask without question because you feel your car is in better hands. However, my experience tells me that chimps are every bit as qualified to work on my car.

KilroyR1

I would not mind the prices if the service was, well professional. Look in the owners manual and you will find torque specs for things like drain plug and oil filter. Most dealers I have worked with use the axiom, "tighten until in snaps and then back off a quarter turn". When I change my own oil, there is still oil dripping out after 20 minutes: think the dealer gets all the old oil out?

KJSmitty

Ignorance is bliss, and can effect your wallet......

I worked in service at a Dealership for near 10 years.. It's a fact they charge well more than equivalent sources. Some folks feel most comfortable having the so called "trained and certified" dealer mechanics working on their car, and accept the higher prices... Thats fine, but you're not always getting the "knowledgeable" mechanic you think you are, many times much worse. Given the fact I know the what and when of my cars needs, the dealerships "overhead" does not benefit from my checkbook. Warranty work on the manufacturers dime, thats a different story.
As for GM products,,, I have 2 and 4wd/door types, both costing much more than my TL........ Neither of which go to the dealer for high cost "full service". I get my tires balanced and rotated every 5K miles for free at Discount tire, and my oil changes cost anywhere from $15-$25 depending if I do it myself or have a local more "personalized" shop perform the job,,, conveniently located on my way home from work non the less. All the other so called inspections etc the dealer offers that make that high price somewhat palatable,,, they fall in the same category of difficulty as checking the air in your tires...

Not arguing with your decision to use the dealership, but those of us that don't aren't just bitching, we're saving money - whether we need to or not....

Cheers