Car Dealer Service Schedule Not Always Best

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By By Herb Weisbaum

Summary

The service intervals recommended by car dealers are often vastly different from what's actually needed.

Story Published: Feb 1, 2005 at 4:29 AM PDT

Story Updated: Aug 31, 2006 at 1:51 AM PDT

Car Dealer Service Schedule Not Always Best
SEATTLE - Your car is a major investment and keeping it in good shape costs money. Auto mechanics have a saying, "it's either pay me now or pay me a whole lot more later."

They're right; doing the little routine things when needed can keep you from facing a big bill later. So when the dealer suggests you have a service performed, chances are you'll have it done.

But according to Edmunds.com, the service intervals recommended by the dealer are often vastly different from what's listed in the owner's manual.

Phil Reed, The Consumer Advice Editor for Edmunds, gave me the following example. He recently took his car in for serving. The dealer recommended service was $179. The service recommended by the owner's manual, which is what he had done, cost just $61. That's a big difference.

Reed explained to me that many of the things listed on the dealer's service schedule are not needed.

"The list looks impressive," he says, "but most of it is level checks and belt tension inspections. The things that are really needed are spelled out in the maintenance schedule in your owner's manual."

There's often a BIG discrepancy between what the dealer and the manufacturer recommend when it comes to changing the oil. The dealer may advise every 3,000 miles or so. Your owner's manual might say every 5,000 or 7,500 miles.

So, who should you believe; the company that made the car and knows it best or the shop that stands to profit by servicing you car?

"You should believe the person who made the car, not the person who stands to profit by servicing your car," Reed says.

All the automotive experts I spoke to said the same thing: Go with the manufacturer's recommendation unless you're having some sort of problem that needs special attention.

Your owner's manual will list recommend service for normal and sever driving condition. In general, severe means you do a lot of driving on dirt roads, you use your car for towing heavy loads or you live in a climate where it's really hot or really cold (Seattle weather doesn't qualify).

Stop-and-go driving is often listed as a severe driving condition, but the auto experts at Consumer Reports tell me it really isn't that big of a deal anymore because today's oil is designed to handle that.

Tom and Ray, better known as Click and Clack, the Car Talk Guys on public radio point out that knowing when to change your oil is not an exact science, so they recommend an oil change every 5,000 miles.

"It may be too soon for many people and too late for a few," they say, "but for the vast majority, 5,000-mile oil changes will help your engine last to a ripe, old age."

Remember: check your oil level every few hundred miles. If you add oil, make sure you don't over-fill. That can cause serious engine problems.

For More Information:

20 Ways You Waste Money on Your Car

Car Talk Advisor: Tom & Ray explain what's involved in common service intervals