jmanpatsfan

For my first service, I took the car into a dealership. They kind of upset me when they put my car through an automatic wash without my permission and scratched it. Then I had my wheels installed at a local shop, which took nearly 3 hours (due to TPMS transfer) yet they only charged my for one hour of work. The head of the shop told me to just come back for oil changes and such. I was considering going back there anyways because they took great care of me with the wheels and I can communicate with them better. Are there any major issues if I don't take it in to a Ford dealership for services? (I'm sorry if this has been debated before, I couldn't find anything in a search.)

frdtch05gt

I'd say go where you feel most comfortable letting them work on your car, especially since you have some mods on it. I personally work on my car myself since I'm a mechanic for a living anyway.

Pwny

I would go with the dealership.

My Dad and I tend to become friends with important people at them so we can get deals.

Ericw2000

I'm fortunate in that my local dealership has a fantastic service department, so I have all my service performed there. I also get a free loaner for anything more than an oil change. Most of the local independent mechanics around me are NAPA dealers, and while NAPA used to be good, they have gone downhill drastically, and I've had bad luck with most of the local independent mechanics and their NAPA parts.

Like the other guy said, go where you feel the most comfortable. I'm in a metro area with 4 Ford dealers nearby, and 3 of them suck. They either can't perform the service right without repeat visits or they try to rope you into something you don't need. If I had to rely on them, I'd find a good independent mechanic.

WaltM

Go with the dealership whenever possible. They have the proper equipment to diagnose any issue; a local mechanic may not.

If you're worried about cost, consider this. The local Midas is $90.00/hr, while the dealer is $100.00/hr. Personally, I'll spend the extra money for that piece of mind.

As for the unauthorized wash? They were trying to be courteous. Next time tell them don't wash it because you're concerned about the paint; they'll understand.

boss429man

I have been to a dealer 2 times and when it took them 4 hr to change a tail light lens with a team of 4 I never went back the 100.00 is before the service person get a case of creative writting just read some of your bills or have a friend whose a tech help you see what they are charging your for??? Find a good independent with a good rep, and he will save you more money and time in the long run. Theirs a time for a dealer and most honest shop will tell to go their if they think it.s needed.

CrazyGreek89

Typically I take my cars to my mechanic buddy when I need something serious with any of my cars. With the Stang, I usually take it to the dealer if it is serious or warranty w/e. I do all the small stuff myself anyway ie) oil change, rotate tires, brakes & rotors etc. Since I mod my car, my warranty is voided, so I don't care about that stuff. These S197's are built tough. I can't see anything happening to them until they hit maybe 60K+ miles.

This reminds me, I have to change the oil soon. I haven't changed it since December when it was at 5K miles, it's almost August, 8 months later, and I only put on 4K miles.

2k5GTC

I do my own oil changes. If you decide to have your independent shop do oil changes and inspections, make sure they sign off in the warranty booklet, and keep all your receipts. Did the dealer that messed up your car offer to buff out the scratches? If not, why not ask them to make it right?

karman

I know the owner,GM and a service writer at my local dealership.
I still don't trust them BECAUSE I know them.

karman

You wild man.
I have only put on 1K since winter because of the almost constant rain.

CrazyGreek89

I would hate that. What part of the country do you live in?

jmanpatsfan

After the service, they left a little letter in the dash saying "thank you for your business blah blah, if for any reason you are dissatisfied with your experience here please call this number....."
I must have called that number 50 times, each time I got message that the manager wasnt there. So i just said screw and looked for a different place to service. Then I got something in the mail saying the same thing with the same number. Their slogan is "You will be satisfied." They did have some nice coffee in the lounge area, very satisfying.

05GT-O.C.D.

Best advice in this thread.

Asking people from across the Country which mechanic is better is like asking on the internet which grocery store has better produce. Some dealerships have solid techs, other dealership service departments seem like a training school. Conversely, some independent shops have no business being in business, but I've had better luck there because that is their only business. Dealership service departments will survive w/ bad mechanics if the sales floor is good enough. Independent shops will fail if they can't do their jobs properly. So bottom line, check a few places out or ask people in your area about the shops reputations in your local market.

ultamax

So true. It will vary widely in fact. For a simple rear brake replacement (under warranty) it took visiting 3 shops before I found one that would touch my car. Though it's a Saleen, the rear setup is replaceable by Ford. I wish the 'good' shop could service the Saleen items in the future.

Conversely, I only took my Hondas to an independent that specializes in Honda/Subaru. He even told me on more than one occasion if the work I wanted was overkill. You may also want to find a couple choices in case one specializes in certain repairs. Definitely keep records, regardless of your final decision. Be cautious when hearing the 'Ford specialist' argument because, in my experience and reasonable understanding, dealerships often afford newer mechanics to do routine work, i.e. less experience.

Good luck - I learned some of this after a $700 'emissions check' on my prior '05 Mustang (by the time they hit me with hourly rates for the intake gasket problem, or so it was written on the sheet.) Fool me once...

Stndbck

I always make sure they write , NO WASH across my paperwork when I bring it in for service.

Pwny

I'd hate to be your friend

karman

Cute... you reminded me of this quote:
"I don't want to belong to any club that will accept me as a member." Groucho Marx.
.
I also know the local BMW, VW, and Mazda dealership owners.
I do trust them because I know them.
.

karman

I live a little way north of jmanpatsfan.
NO RAIN TODAY !!!
Rain and Tornadoes was the past week's weather:
http://www.wmur.com/news/16988154/detail.html#-
No more rain until day after tomorrow.

m05fastbackGT

My rule of thumb has always been, if your car is still under warranty. Take it back to the dealership, otherwise find a good technician whom you feel comfortable enough with, when working on your car.


Just my $.02

wjones14

You make some good points Walt, but as far as the wash and advice to tell them not to wash it next time, well that's just not good enough, IMO. They scratched his new car! Possibly that shows their good intentions, but it also shows carelessness - so if they're going to do him any free "favors," they should at least be conscientious enough to deliver him a car that is not in worse condition than when he brought it in. I'd be furious, to say the least!

In my experience, I only go to the dealer if there is a warranty issue. That's just me. If I had a dealer that I'd been going to for a long time, and knew them on a first-name basis, AND they had taken care of me in the past without issue, then I'd have no problem going to them. But the dealers in my area are so big that I don't feel I really get any extra special treatment at all, not that I deserve any extra special treatment.

It's just that I DO get extra special treatment from the local trusted independent garage that I've been going to for over 20 years now. I'll give you an example of the special treatment I get: I recently brought my car to him for the 30,000 mile maintenance (fuel filter replacement, and general inspection of the brakes, suspension, and steering). My car is very close to showroom condition after 3 years, does not have a single scratch or ding anywhere, nor does it even have swirl marks in the clearcoat - and I had brought it in to his shop after detailing it, so it looked like it was ready for a car show inside and out. Around noon, the mechanic called me at work to tell me it had started raining outside while my car was inside being worked on, so he would keep it inside until the rain stopped, and it wouldn't get dirty! How great is that?

Years ago, before I had started going to this garage, I had brought my cars to various dealers, and had gotten them back with grease on the steering wheel, greasy fingerprints on the fenders and door handles, etc. So yes, this could happen at an independent garage as easily as at a dealer, but basically, it's best to go to someone you know and has given you good service in the past, and someone who will take care of things if you're not satisfied. Just my $.02.