wjones14

You have the recommended 30,000 service exactly right - that's all it is. You could also do the cabin air filter, but that will not affect performance or longevity at all.

You do not need to flush the coolant until about 100,000 miles for one thing.

For my 30,000 mile service (just this week) I did the oil/filter change, air filter change (the absolute easiest maintenance task you can perform on the engine), and cabin air filter change myself, and brought a new Motorcraft fuel filter to my trusted local indendent mechanic to have him change that and do the remainder of the checks, and he charged me $112 for the labor. So add in the price of the Motorcraft air filter ($32), fuel filter ($23), and cabin air filter ($21), and you have $188 (not counting the oil/filter change) for the service - that's a long way from $590.

Mustangfreak

I can't believe you people let the dealer's touch your car after you took delivery. The Ford dealer is the LAST group of people I trust with my GT.

Not only they **** up your car, but they rape you in the *** while doing it.

Five Oh Brian

What an irresponsible thing to say. There are many good dealers out there that take great care of vehicles and customers. Sure, there are some bad dealers, but don't perpetuate a stereotype that all dealers are bad.

I've had all maintenance & performance mods for my 07 GT done at our local Ford dealership with great results. They installed my supercharger, stall converter, 4.10 gears, etc. and got everything done promptly and correctly on the first try, and for a reasonable price. Heck, they even ordered my BFG drag radials for a better price than Discount Tire or The Tire Rack and installed them on my wheels without scuffing them (like some independent tire shops have done).

So, there are some awesome dealers out there if you take the time to look.

Boltzman

Even for a 30k checkup ,I wouldn't pay that much.

Boltzman

Thats just it. Usually there are a couple within reasonable driving distance and odds are ,their service departments suck. I've had great service at the dealer ,only to have the total experience ruined by the service dept. and I've been to 4 around me

the procrastinator

Okay Brian. But you gotta admit, Arrow is getting hosed by his dealer.

Five Oh Brian

On the flip side, I've taken many of my cars to the independent shops (non-dealers) over the years, and had horrible treatment at some and good treatment at others. So, it is definitely worth anyone's time to research any shop (dealer or otherwise) before taking your prized possession in for repairs or maintenance.

Five Oh Brian

I would say that Arrow is being upsold by his dealer. They are probably trying to do a lot of things that aren't required by the owner's manual for their version of the "30K" service.

My suggestion for Arrow is to clarify what his dealer plans to do as part of that 30K to see if he finds value in those suggestions. If he doesn't find value in the services they are "recommending" then he should ask for a quote on just the items outlined in the owner's manual and re-evalute the value of their services.

the procrastinator

Caveat emptor, eh Brian?

Five Oh Brian

Yes, buyer beware.

the procrastinator

Fair enough. But "upselling" does nothing to build a loyal customer base. A guy or gal brings their car to a dealer for scheduled maintenance only to find out later that they were screwed because they didn't do their homework and confirm that the dealer was using the factory schedule. One of the reasons a vehicle owner uses a dealer's service department is peace of mind. You take your car to a factory trained service department because you trust they will perform the necessary preventative maintenance for your car. If you can't count on that, why use a dealer at all?

97svtgoin05gt

I hate to say this, but you're in the minority. You should feel blessed with the service you get at that dealer. I don't go near dealers unless theres absolutely no choice.

Five Oh Brian

I'm not suggesting that the dealer in question was doing the right thing - I was simply explaining what appears to have happened.

Plenty of independent shops will try to upsell, as well. This is not specific to Ford dealers. In fact, it is not specific to auto repairs.

Five Oh Brian

I don't believe I'm in the minority at all. Thing is, you only hear about a few bad experiences, as people who get screwed are very vocal and eager to tell the world.

You never hear about the multitudes of good experiences that happen every day at most dealerships' service departments because that wouldn't be an exciting news story or thread here in the forums. How about something like this...

"Good news friends, dealer treated me right yet again"Rediculous, right? Of course! Nobody is going to post in the forums about all the times things are done right at the dealership. They will only post when they have a beef with the dealer.

Torched05stang

+1............We install performance parts at the dealership that I work at.

Half of the ads that are in the Mustang mags. for performance parts are Ford dealerships.

We get lots of great reviews on regular service too.. We do get a few bad but we try to figure out what went wrong and correct it. Nobody is perfect. You have to remember we are dealing with Ford that most people don't deal with every day. I work in the parts dept. and I say 80% of the info that Ford gives to the companies that make our catalogs are wrong. Plus Ford changes suppliers every other month so the part number changes along with the price(up). Sorry, I could go all day on Ford. Been a Ford guy all my life.Dad worked at a Ford dealership for 43 yrs. Myself 19 yrs.

Also alot of us know how to do most of this stuff ourselves. but for the other they have to shop around. Heck we had a performance shop intown asking us questions on tuning a 03 mustang s/c.

Mustangfreak

I still wouldnt let their dirty greasy hands on my car and then charge me way to **** much. Especially washing it, I prefer NOT to have swirl marks on my car.

I bought my GT from one of the best dealers in TX, but I was still nervous as hell when I dropped her off to get the drivers seat cover replaced.

Mustangfreak

And you could have saved a TON of money if you did it yourself.

The only thing I won't work on myself is the insides of a tranny, and the diff. And when those need work, I know of a good high perf shop in DFW. Other then that, I do the work. Why pay a dealer thousands of dollars to do a day or two's work in 5 days?

the procrastinator

No personal attack intended, Brian. I took your post for what it was: information. I don't disagree with you about negative comments, posts, reviews and the like outnumbering attaboys. I do think, though, that one of the functions of this forum is to allow members to caution other members about things they may want to avoid. Getting "hosed" or "upsold" would be one of those things. That said, if I have a problem with a dealer, service department or whatever and they resolve that problem, I'm not shy about posting it.

theedge67

I'm still wondering what they actually included in that crazy price.

Martimus

Amen to that!

Thankfully we're no longer living in the 1970's and 1980's where the list of recommended maintenance was longer than my, er, arm.