ayuandmi

Hello, I just got my B1 Service done for my 2009 TL today at my Acura dealer. My car is at 15k miles, and I was surprised that B1 service cost me $155.95 for oil change, tire rotation, tire pressure, and brake inspection. Did I get ripped off? What prices are you guys getting? I got the A1 service at the dealership for $75 few months ago.

Acura Sales told me that the major service won't be needed till ~30k miles, so should I continue to get my service done at Acura dealers for peace of mind, or can I just get it done at local bodyshops for cheaper and then just go back to the dealership for major service? What do you guys do? Please advise.

vinnier6

iTrader: (1)

first off, no, i wouldnt have paid 155 bucks for an oil change and some other bullshit...i would just get your oil changed and check your own brakes and tire pressure...you could take your car to discount tire and they will rotate your tires for free...

as for taking your car to a bodyshop, well, i dont know any bodyshops that do maintnence...

neilman

Sounds like you got ripped off...I paid my dealer approx $125 for pure synthetic oil change, rotation, balancing, and multi-point inspection. Without synthetic is about $40 to $50 less.

JM2010 SH-AWD

Agree. That's pretty high for what you had done.

vinnier6

iTrader: (1)

sounds like you got ripped off too...125 bucks for an oil change and tire rotation...

i do my own oil change, 30 bucks for a filter and synthetic oil, and i rotate my tires myself...takes me an hour...

schill38

I have free oil changes for life and let my dealer rotate my tires, they charge $15 but it's worth it for them just to do it with the oil change, but for everything else I tell them kindly that I can do those things on my own...

On my 08 Type-S they wanted $179 to change the air and cabin filter! I bought them both online for $40 which included shipping and changed them both out myself in 15 minutes.

KeithL

I only use the dealer, but I only do oil chanegs and rear differential changes nothing else and never keep a car long enough to worry about post warranty services. Ironically part of every oil service at my dealer was they visually inspect the brakes and measure tire tread depth. I get buy road hazard and lifetime rotation and balance from Discount Tires for around $100

Takehold66

^ +1

neilman

I do all my own exterior work i.e. wash, wax, etc. weekly so I save by doing all that myself which I really enjoy as a hobby (two black vehicles). I'm not really interested in getting into the engine work etc. But for those of you who like doing it...good for you!

idmd

That does seem high when you think about everything done individually. You can get an oil change and tire rotation for half of that and those are the two labor-intensive items. The $75 charged last time seems like it's still appropriate for the B1 service as well.

Asynchro

Yes, I know I'm paying more to have all my repair and maintenance work done by the dealer. About $19K over 10 years and 165K miles on my 2000 TL; and a similar amount over 12 years and 201K miles on my 1987 Legend. I had a few bad experiences prior at independent repair places and a tire store. The idiot at the tire store who put my car on the lift with one of the 4 lift points on the floor pan, denting it; overtorqued wheel lug nuts; exhaust pipes that rusted badly after installation (of course, only the muffler had the ballyhooed lifetime warranty). I avoided the quicky oil change places after hearing too many horror stories.

My Acura dealer's service is pricey and excellent but not perfect, and at least they quickly acknowledged the few mistakes they made in 22 years. (Free replacement of oil pan after stripping drain bolt caused slow drip; free repair of seized caliper after they had said "no problem found" when I pointed out a rear wheel that seemed overly hot.) And for major service, I get to drive a free loaner car that is a late model TSX or TL.

There was one time I did go to an independent Honda/Acura repair shop, and although they had an excellent reputation and did good work, they charged the same as the dealer. Also, they were 1 hour away while the dealer was 15 minutes away.

Peace of mind, if you can find it, is also worth money.

Asynchro

I forgot to mention: When it came time to negotiate the price on a 2010 TL tech, I pulled out my two inch-thick folders of repair orders worth $38K proving that I'm a loyal customer, and said, "Now, don't you want the future service dollars I represent if I buy this TL from you today?"

BLEXV6

That's right, rathing than Acura doing a service interval such as this, which is questionable, just specify what you want done. I will be cheaper.

KES

I too use the dealer for all my services and agree with the benefits you noted. Plus I take the easy path - bring it to the dealer and whip out the credit card but definetley don't have the fluff work done.

But seriously $19K over 10 years and 165K is way over the top this is an Acura not a BMW.

nj2pa2nc

I also go to an acura for all service on my 06 tsx-I have not desire to do it myself- The last service which included the power steering recall and replacing the wiper blades per the tsb-oil/filter change, tire rotation/balance, cabin and pollen filters changed, new spark plugs, engine coolant replaced, hand washed and vacuumed. total cost inc. tax $203.29. They also did an inspection-car had 111,481 miles at the time.

777mycoolangelo

I buy Mobil 1 Synthetic Oil at Costco for $30 per case and comes with 6 quarts. Then I bring it to a body shop...hehe..jk..Bring it to my trusted Honda/Acura Mechanic. He charges $20 for an oil change. Our car takes 5 quarts so I just hang on to the extra quart until I collect 5 quarts so the next oil change will be $20. Its hard to find a trusted mechanic these days. My mechanic actually worked at a Honda Dealer. He quit because the last straw was when a lady had a transmission problem on her car. He worked on it and found out there was a bolt that needed to be replaced...probably cost $5...But his service manager said that he will tell the lady that the transmission needed to be rebuilt....that's when he said no more...and opened up his own shop.

Remember Dealerships make majority of their revenue from Used Cars and Service dept. They don't make as much from New Cars these days due to the internet...and consumers being knowledgeable on what they will pay for a new car.

black label

My guess is that the Acura dealership charges about 100/hr of labor (most are right around this range). Take the labor charge and add in the materials and 125 sound right to me. Most dealerships also mount and BALANCE the tires do he is getting services that you most likely cannot do at home.

SHAWD10

I had a complimentary coupon for a B1 so it didn't cost me anything but I saw the invoice and my local dealership is gonna charge Acura $120 for the work.

Asynchro

I'm not saying all dealer service departments are trustworthy. It's probably just as hard to find good dealer service as good independent shops. Many years ago a service manager at Toyota of Boston (the crooks) told me with a straight face that it's normal for the steering wheel to point to 2 o'clock after a wheel alignment! I stopped going there after that.

Anyway, I'm willing to pay a little more for consistently good service rather than pay less but get hit-or-miss quality. Aren't the luxury brands supposed to deliver consistent high quality in return for their higher prices for initial purchase and service? Or are you just as likely to encounter scummy dealer service as you might with the lower-priced brands? At least Acura at the dealer level (and occasionally above) seems to care because they always call me about my satisfaction a few days after every service.