New car dealership service departments.

[Hotler]

Do you let the (Chevy, ford , dodge etc.) service departments maintain your car/truck?
I bought my chevy truck new in 1999 and the dealer has done all it's service work minus tires, wipers, battery. It's worked out well they do a good job. The truck runs good.

[Auggie]

1. Aren't service departments the biggest money makers for dealerships?

Thought I heard this a while back. Our VW dealer has done great by us. Not cheap, but we're running strong at 145,000 miles (knocks on wood VERY loudly).

[Gidney N Cloyd]

2. I did with my two Saturns...

And I was happy with them for 15 years.
I'm mulling over what I want to do when I buy my next car. I have trouble imagining myself feeling as comfortable with the local Chevy or Ford guys as I did with Saturn.

[RedCloud]

3. Just don't let em state inspect.

[ChoralScholar]

4. No,

but I have started buying my parts from the Chrysler dealership. Apparently they're making an effort to keep Original Mopar parts comparably priced with aftermarket auto parts stores.

[quakerboy]

5. I avoid Pontiac now

I got a vibe, which was "co-designed" with Toyota. Which apparently means that Pontiac dealers have no clue how to service them. They wanted to put the wrong oil into it. That was the point at which I was done.

[Denninmi]

8. That shouldn't be hard to do.

Since GM got rid of the Pontiac brand entirely. I think all of the Pontiac dealerships closed up and went away. There mgiht be some that were combined with other GM brands that are still in operation.

[quakerboy]

9. GM as a whole, if you prefer

All of the "combined" dealerships that sold Pontiac/other GM still do Pontiac service. Or at least the ones that I have seen.

But essentially what I am saying is I will not have GM service a Toyota, even if that Toyota has a GM badge and warranty. My experience of GM dealer service thus far is that they do NOT read the actual service recommendations or pay attention to vehicle specs. Unless you watch them like a hawk and are very forceful about what you want, they service things as they see fit, based on what they are used to doing, without regard to the needs of the vehicle.

[safeinOhio]

6. Only warranty work

as they tend to charge double what a independent will charge. The trick is to ask around about a good local independent. Two local guys down the street from me are great. One use to teach at the local JC. I bought an older van and they made some repairs that cost me $400. and would have been thousands at the dealer.

[Rhiannon12866]

7. Yes, I do. The car came from the dealership and they know the car.

And my car is a 2001 Pontiac Grand Am. :)

[DiverDave]

10. After the warranty runs out

Find a good local shop.

Dealers will be 2-3 times more expensive.
And your helping out the small shop.

[struggle4progress]

11. I used to years ago. Then one time the clutch began to die. Bill to replace was double the estimate.

Didn't learn: kept taking it in. About a year later, I was there for routine maintenance. Service guy sez: "It's really about time for you to get a new clutch." So I never went back there

[bluedigger]

12. I let 'em do recall/warranty work.

Jeep doesn't get anywhere near the stealership otherwise.