Ford Capped Service - Worthless

[dimka100]

So today I went for my first 15K service, I was quoted $255 for my FG, I figured I will try the Artarmon Ford which is not too far away from my work.

When I arrived I asked the following questions:
1. Does this service include an air filter change – the answer was NO
2. Does this service include full synthetic oil – the answer was NO
3. Does this service include check up of the fuel filter – the answer was NO
4. Does this service include shock absorber test – the answer was NO

So I basically asked what does this service actually include? And the answer was an oil change and just a “general” check up … i.e. we make sure nothing looks totally broken or has fallen off …

In the past I used to service my car in one of the tuning shops around the Marrickville area, they were not the cheapest but for about $300 I used to get synthetic oil, sew air filter, a full check up of the car including under body bolts tightening, full shock absorber test with a printed report, the whole car was completely looked over and nothing was left untouched … I know it cause I was there to see them do it …

I made a big mistake thinking the convenience of the Ford service centre being close to my work was worth it, next time I will take a day off and get my car properly serviced

[cartaa100]

i use alto atarmon ford, and i just came out of a $850 service which was my 45k service

-new oil
-new coolant
-"45k check"

an i told them a few issues with the car.

the petrol tank bouy needs to be replaced as its bent and i can only fill up to 50L (ford forums research) They recalibritaded my odomoter $50 (petrol tank is still the same)

the drivers mirror seal needs replacing as there a wind sound above 60k (they charged the searching fee) but they couldnt find it.

i have a rear left clunky shock (they couldnt find it) but i got charged searching fee.

and i got a key CODED, i already had it cut, but they charged me for the supply and cut of key....


so i went back there said so what did i get for $850

had a whinge to them, eventually got the head of servcing to come for a ride with me, and the next day i had to drop the car BACK in and when i got back they finally told me that they have ordered a new shock for the left rear and the bouy arm.

To top it off the first time the car was in there someone took some cigarettes from out of my glove box and pieces of chewing gum.

dont think ill be going back there!

[Silver Ghia]

Originally Posted by dimka100

So today I went for my first 15K service, I was quoted $255 for my FG, I figured I will try the Artarmon Ford which is not too far away from my work.

When I arrived I asked the following questions:
1. Does this service include an air filter change – the answer was NO
2. Does this service include full synthetic oil – the answer was NO
3. Does this service include check up of the fuel filter – the answer was NO
4. Does this service include shock absorber test – the answer was NO

So I basically asked what does this service actually include? And the answer was an oil change and just a “general” check up … i.e. we make sure nothing looks totally broken or has fallen off …

If you looked at the 'A' service schedule in your service book you would have found that out without asking them. If you want special oil you need to supply it for them, like I did at my last service.
Fuel, air filters and shocker tests would not be necessary at the 15,000km service if the car was used under normal conditions.

[dimka100]

Mate did you read my post, why is it that other places can do that and Ford cannot??? so I paid $255 for a crappy oil change ...

let’s see oil about $40 but they buy in bulk so probably about $20 … Oil filter about $20 but they probably pay $15 max … the apprentice mechanic will get $20 - $25 per hour and … rest is profit …

P.S. If I bring them my own oil, then I expect the price to be lower than $255 !!! as that price already includes their oil.

Anyways never again ...

Originally Posted by Silver Ghia

If you looked at the 'A' service schedule in your service book you would have found that out without asking them. If you want special oil you need to supply it for them, like I did at my last service.
Fuel, air filters and shocker tests would not be necessary at the 15,000km service if the car was used under normal conditions.

[dimka100]

hahaha I just had a call from the Ford service recommending me to replace the wipers … they want $45 LOL for a 2 minute job.

They also recommended to rotate the tyres and do a wheel alignment for $145 ! LOL … most places rotate the tyres as part of the service for free when they take off your wheels to check the brakes! And a basic wheel alignment does not cost anywhere near $145 !!!

[AMGC63]

Originally Posted by dimka100

Mate did you read my post, why is it that other places can do that and Ford cannot??? so I paid $255 for a crappy oil change ...

let’s see oil about $40 but they buy in bulk so probably about $20 … Oil filter about $20 but they probably pay $15 max … the apprentice mechanic will get $20 - $25 per hour and … rest is profit …

P.S. If I bring them my own oil, then I expect the price to be lower than $255 !!! as that price already includes their oil.

Anyways never again ...

Rest is profit hey? Who pays the rent on the building, power bills, upkeep of tools and equipment, staff amenities, salary's of the rest of the staff etc etc.. Not sure they made as much money as you think..

Also in terms of using your local garage for service do they get the current service bulletins from Ford, latest software upgrades, latest tech bulletins on faults, can they do warranty work etc?

Do they work on the exact same model as yours dozens of times a day and get extremely familiar with the idiosyncrasys of that vehicle???

[cartaa100]

haha the first year mechanics get $11 an hour just to put it out,

not being rude but where can you get enough oil for a flush for $40 :s

and if you need a wheels allignment id be going to a tyre place they charged me $75.

another thing that annoys me is how they put in the little sachets of wiper cleaner which are like $8 each. dont get me wrong alto ford do a great job but they charge a very high price (maybe all ford dealers do as they have set prices for each job but who knows)

[flappist]

Originally Posted by dimka100

hahaha I just had a call from the Ford service recommending me to replace the wipers … they want $45 LOL for a 2 minute job.

They also recommended to rotate the tyres and do a wheel alignment for $145 ! LOL … most places rotate the tyres as part of the service for free when they take off your wheels to check the brakes! And a basic wheel alignment does not cost anywhere near $145 !!!

So why did you go there in the first place?

You seem very well educated in the maintenance of your vehicle so just do it all yourself......

[Polyal]

Dimka I dont think I have ever seen you post anything positive about Ford, you sure your at the right site?

[RAREV8]

If you had any idea how dealerships actually work, you'd understand that they have to charge a bit more than what you get your bits at your local Supercrap auto shop......naturally, you are not obligated to service your car there so have a hunt around for a "better price" and ensure that they are still doing a job which is up to your standards.

[Anchor]

Did you get your free 12 months roadside assist? I don't think your local garage will give you that either.

[dimka100]

I was merely making a comparison to my previous experience having my previous BF Falcon serviced a number of times at TuneHouse in Marrickville …

For similar money I used to get far more professional service, far more expertise, and nobody trying to sell me a BS $45 wiper service or an extra $120 for a synthetic oil change …

I don’t want to make it sound like a commercial for another workshop but If anyone has ever been to the workshop I just mentioned they will know that the place is spotless like a hospital and generally only service far higher performance cars than what most people do at Ford …

P.S. and for rent/electricity costs … everyone pays them, and yes when Ford buys stuff in bulk it’s cheaper to them than supercheap …

[cartaa100]

id say supercheap buys in bulk to.

[dimka100]

Yes mate, unlike many people here who just post, I actually purchased a new BF and now I own a new FG, I have always purchased new Australian cars in the past (Mitsubishis Magna, then the 380) and never had a single issue with them and the service was well priced and good, the quality of the build was also far higher than the Falcons …

Now there are only two Australian players left on the market and for some reason I chose the Ford over the Holden, with the BF I had less issues/complaints than the FG, and now I’m starting to think it will be going euro as there is absolutely nothing compelling left in buying Australian made fords …

Originally Posted by Polyal

Dimka I dont think I have ever seen you post anything positive about Ford, you sure your at the right site?

[AMGC63]

Originally Posted by dimka100

I was merely making a comparison to my previous experience having my previous BF Falcon serviced a number of times at TuneHouse in Marrickville …

For similar money I used to get far more professional service, far more expertise, and nobody trying to sell me a BS $45 wiper service or an extra $120 for a synthetic oil change …

I don’t want to make it sound like a commercial for another workshop but If anyone has ever been to the workshop I just mentioned they will know that the place is spotless like a hospital and generally only service far higher performance cars than what most people do at Ford …

P.S. and for rent/electricity costs … everyone pays them, and yes when Ford buys stuff in bulk it’s cheaper to them than supercheap …

I don't know too many independent garages that would have anywhere near the overheads, infrastructure costs, experience, staffing levels, direct access to Ford engineers, regular updated Ford tech bulletins, current Ford software, ability to correct warranty faults for free, ability to conduct warranty work full stop as the dealers.

My cars will always go back to the dealer for service for as long as they have factory warranty because no independent garage can possibly have the same level of product knowledge as the manufacturer, they cant possibly have the same continual repetitive exposure to that model and no independent garage will fix warranty stuff for you for free, or can look after warranty issues like the manufacturer.

[dimka100]

Mate no offence but it seems like you need to get out there and have a look at some of these independent workshops, many will have far more advance equipment than any Ford service centre will ever dream about, many will also use real engineers who are big fans of their work and cars in general and not just some random mechanics …

Many of the shops will work on real race cars that are featured in GT3 Carrera, MINI Cooper, or other production racing series, many will also work on tuning customers cars to the point where the factory car can be barely recognised, you are making a big mistake writing them off like that …

While you are right to say the ford service will be better at fixing your broken stereo or window swith, but when it comes to mechanically servicing your car a proper independent performance workshop will easily perform a better service than your local Ford dealer …

I only went to ford as it was close to my work … next time I will take a day off and drive my car to a proper place.

[AMGC63]

Originally Posted by dimka100

Mate no offence but it seems like you need to get out there and have a look at some of these independent workshops, many will have far more advance equipment than any Ford service centre will ever dream about, many will also use real engineers who are big fans of their work and cars in general and not just some random mechanics …

Many of the shops will work on real race cars that are featured in GT3 Carrera, MINI Cooper, or other production racing series, many will also work on tuning customers cars to the point where the factory car can be barely recognised, you are making a big mistake writing them off like that …

While you are right to say the ford service will be better at fixing your broken stereo or window swith, but when it comes to mechanically servicing your car a proper independent performance workshop will easily perform a better service than your local Ford dealer …

I only went to ford as it was close to my work … next time I will take a day off and drive my car to a proper place.

How is working on a race car the same as servicing a road car?

What happens if the independent finds a warranty issue? I bet they will charge you to fix it, or you'll have to take it back to Ford anyway to get it fixed, then you've just wasted more money and time....

You've complained about the cost of the service but you're happy to burn a days wages on top of the service cost to save $50??? You're not making any sense.

[Franco Cozzo]

What I do is buy parts from Ford, source my own oil then get a trrusted independent mechanic to do the work/stamp the book.

[AMGC63]

Originally Posted by Big Damo

What I do is buy parts from Ford, source my own oil then get a trrusted independent mechanic to do the work/stamp the book.

And warranty work???

[dimka100]

What warranty work do you need done??? if something is actually broken any mechanic will notify you first!

If it’s just a service then all they need to do is replace filters and fluids and check up the car in the engine bay as well as underneath, warranty is maintained as long as it’s done by a certified mechanic.

P.S. not complaining about $50, but on the fact that what I wanted done is not going to be done, while another workshop would do it as part of the service for about $50 more.

[Rodge]

Makes sense to have your Ford fixed by Ford dealers while its under warranty IMO. If you live within easy range of two or three dealers maybe its a good idea to e.mail them for a quote for servicing.
I wouldn't say the Ford Capped service is worthless, at least you know what it will cost you, most people prefer the "known" to the "unknown".

[AMGC63]

Originally Posted by dimka100

What warranty work do you need done??? if something is actually broken any mechanic will notify you first!

If it’s just a service then all they need to do is replace filters and fluids and check up the car in the engine bay as well as underneath, warranty is maintained as long as it’s done by a certified mechanic.

P.S. not complaining about $50, but on the fact that what I wanted done is not going to be done, while another workshop would do it as part of the service for about $50 more.

On my last service the dealer picked up 4 warrantable issues i was unaware of and fixed them without fuss and told me when i picked the car up, obviously due to warranty...

If i had taken it to an independent garage chances are they probably wouldn't have even found the issues and if they did would have either ignored them, charged me to fix them or told me to take it back to Ford to get them fixed.

[Rodge]

4 Issues ?????? What are you driving ?

[ltd]

Originally Posted by dimka100

Mate no offence but it seems like you need to get out there and have a look at some of these independent workshops, many will have far more advance equipment than any Ford service centre will ever dream about, many will also use real engineers who are big fans of their work and cars in general and not just some random mechanics …

Many of the shops will work on real race cars that are featured in GT3 Carrera, MINI Cooper, or other production racing series, many will also work on tuning customers cars to the point where the factory car can be barely recognised, you are making a big mistake writing them off like that …

While you are right to say the ford service will be better at fixing your broken stereo or window swith, but when it comes to mechanically servicing your car a proper independent performance workshop will easily perform a better service than your local Ford dealer …

I only went to ford as it was close to my work … next time I will take a day off and drive my car to a proper place.

More advanced equipment than a ford workshop?
Sorry mate, your argument is fatally flawed there. Does the independent workshop have that scan tool that plugs into your car and tests all its functions, whilst looking for any fault codes? The reason I ask is because the tool in question and used specifically for fords costs over $20,000.00. This tool by the way, is plugged in to your car every service to help diagnose any faults/problems the vehicle has/had.

If you want to ***** and gripe about it, then sell your car, go to a Euro and learn the hard way that $255.00 for a minor service is relatively cheap compared to anything out of Europe.

BTW, you mentioned synthetic oil in your car. Is it a turbo? If not, then it's pretty naive of you to think Ford would put the much more expensive fully synthetic oil in a car that by manufacturers specifications doesn't really need it. You can opt it yes, but you need to ask them to do that first, or supply the oil yourself.
Did they wash/vacuum the car whilst it was there? All these things add up, and you need to be a little appreciative of a large company with massive overheads that is trying to do a factory service.
Finally, if you want to service it yourself or go to an independent service centre then fine, but don't expect any favours when something breaks that's not technically covered by warranty. The warranty clerk upon establishing you're not servicing your car there will simply follow Fords instructions to the letter, rather than trying that little bit extra to have it covered.
If you don't like your dealer, then ring around or search the forums and find out who is better.

[DJM83]

Originally Posted by Polyal

Dimka I dont think I have ever seen you post anything positive about Ford, you sure your at the right site?

Whilst I'd usually agree atleast he has bought a new car as opposed to the usual case of the owner with their 3 year + old falcon complaining that it's falling apart and wanting warranty.
He buys a new car tries to support the dealer and gets that kind of service.

[mininote]

got my 45k service done at the ford capped price, included everything like filters, oils etc. they did call me twice during the process to upsell me on a fuel injector conditioning treatment, wheel alignment and an air-con bacteria flush!!!... gotta give em points for trying!!!

[dimka100]

LOL dude actually they do ... they have all the equipment required to fully plug into your Ford/Holden ECU and read whatever faults you might have off it of it. Remember these people tune your Ford/Holden ECUs in the first place … they also got Dyno machines … extensive emissions testing equipment and noise testing as well … some will have laser guides alignment setup and workbenches for building small custom parts that may be required for certain work. Now I’m not saying that all this is required for servicing ones car, but please don’t go about saying that Ford service centre have better equipment … they don’t, full stop!

As for synthetic oil, it has nothing to do with your car being turbo or not LOL … synthetic oil is very very highly recommended for engines with variable valve timing setups (e.g. I6) … it makes sure that all the added complicated engine valve terrain can operate efficiently. Actually all new Japanese cars and just about every EU car specifies for synthetic oil, Ford should as well but they are simply trying to keep the profits in the service higher … (cost of synthetic VS non is about $40 in a retail shop !!! for ford it would be a lot less due to bulk buying)

Originally Posted by ltd

More advanced equipment than a ford workshop?
Sorry mate, your argument is fatally flawed there. Does the independent workshop have that scan tool that plugs into your car and tests all its functions, whilst looking for any fault codes? The reason I ask is because the tool in question and used specifically for fords costs over $20,000.00. This tool by the way, is plugged in to your car every service to help diagnose any faults/problems the vehicle has/had.

If you want to ***** and gripe about it, then sell your car, go to a Euro and learn the hard way that $255.00 for a minor service is relatively cheap compared to anything out of Europe.

BTW, you mentioned synthetic oil in your car. Is it a turbo? If not, then it's pretty naive of you to think Ford would put the much more expensive fully synthetic oil in a car that by manufacturers specifications doesn't really need it. You can opt it yes, but you need to ask them to do that first, or supply the oil yourself.
Did they wash/vacuum the car whilst it was there? All these things add up, and you need to be a little appreciative of a large company with massive overheads that is trying to do a factory service.
Finally, if you want to service it yourself or go to an independent service centre then fine, but don't expect any favours when something breaks that's not technically covered by warranty. The warranty clerk upon establishing you're not servicing your car there will simply follow Fords instructions to the letter, rather than trying that little bit extra to have it covered.
If you don't like your dealer, then ring around or search the forums and find out who is better.

[mik]

on a basic service they will only do what is on the service schedule, which usually entails at least a general inspection and report + the oil and filter,check of light,wipers etc, which costs time, disposal of motor of old oil, supply of rags for mechanics, dry cleaning service for overalls and seat covers , paper floor mats as well as previously mentioned items, most people serviceing their car at home don`t do these things, even if you don`t see it......... it`s usually done with a paid for service $255 seems cheap to me.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by AMGC63

And warranty work???

Haven't had any warranty issues with both my new small Fords. Warranty is kept as long as I use genuine parts and get it done by a mechanic.

Having used to have worked at a dealership, NEVER would I take my car there. They just try to get as many cars in the door as possible than half *** rushjob everything.

[Silver Ghia]

Originally Posted by dimka100

Yes mate, unlike many people here who just post, I actually purchased a new BF and now I own a new FG, I have always purchased new Australian cars in the past (Mitsubishis Magna, then the 380) and never had a single issue with them and the service was well priced and good, the quality of the build was also far higher than the Falcons …

Now there are only two Australian players left on the market and for some reason I chose the Ford over the Holden, with the BF I had less issues/complaints than the FG, and now I’m starting to think it will be going euro as there is absolutely nothing compelling left in buying Australian made fords …

If you bought new cars previously I would have thought you would have known what was involved in the first 15,000km service, and what is really necessary. Also the approximate prices for the service which would have been $200-$250 previously, so $255 should have been acceptable to you. Did they quote you the price when you booked? When I supplied my own oil at the 15000km service a couple of months ago, I did get a reduced bill which reasonably compensated for the oil.

When booking for a service you need to be clear in what will be included, and the price it will be. And advise them of oil you want used etc. Any extras they subsequently advise, you have to be wary of like wheel alignments that I'd rather get done at Pedders, wipers that I do myself, injector cleaning thats a waste of money if it was running well, etc etc.

If you want to go Euro, I'd love to see you get the bill for your first service, even a small VW. And dont just assume those cars are always better faultwise than the Falcon, from personal experience they are not.

As for the $45 for the wipers, why dont you spend $60 or $70 and get decent wipers that work much better, like the Trico Techs, or Tridon Flexblades?