Honda dealer's service - not good anymore

[Euro76]

Just done 20,000km service few days ago @ Robert Lane Honda in Melb. Need to say that while the car drives better after service, however acceleration seems heavier and slower. Is it normal because they just changed oil and oil filter?

Pros: Very good customer service, they sent me courtesy SMS 1 day before scheduled service appointment and another one sent when the car service was done.

Cons: Loan car supposed to be free, they charged me $16.50 for Honda Jazz GLi rental with $1,000 excess if in event of accident regardless of whose fault. $295 for 20,000km service was a rip off I think. No courtesy car wash because of water restriction but they cleaned and vacuum the interior. They have not fixed the squeaky noise from the brakes! As I said above, heavier and slower acceleration.

That's all I need to share about recent dealer service. I guess next service will not be done in that dealer anymore but to take into a friend of mine who is very professional and it costs cheaper. How about your good/bad experience? Thanks :)

[m0nty ITR]

Just done 20,000km service few days ago @ Robert Lane Honda in Melb. Need to say that while the car drives better after service, however acceleration seems heavier and slower. Is it normal because they just changed oil and oil filter?

Pros: Very good customer service, they sent me courtesy SMS 1 day before scheduled service appointment and another one sent when the car service was done.

Cons: Loan car supposed to be free, they charged me $16.50 for Honda Jazz GLi rental with $1,000 excess if in event of accident regardless of whose fault. $295 for 20,000km service was a rip off I think. No courtesy car wash because of water restriction but they cleaned and vacuum the interior. They have not fixed the squeaky noise from the brakes! As I said above, heavier and slower acceleration.

That's all I need to share about recent dealer service. I guess next service will not be done in that dealer anymore but to take into a friend of mine who is very professional and it costs cheaper. How about your good/bad experience? Thanks :)

$295 seems reasonable for the service. The loan car is a matter of policy. We charge $30 for loan cars to people who did not purchase from us, but it's free to people who have. Insurance is insurance. The hard facts are that dealership insurance is expensive because they have so many cars on the road. We've had 7 cars damaged and needing claims due to accidents when loaned out to customers. If they were driving your car you'd expect them to pay your excess. This is no different. You should pay theirs if you have an at fault accident. It's exactly the same when you test drive a new car. Water restrictions is a viable reason for not washing your car.

Not sure about Honda, but at Volkswagen the manufacturer uses a thinner oil from factory and then at 15,000kms we run a 5W-40 through the car. Perhaps Honda do the same thing with the Accord.

[joey99]

I never take my car to the dealers ... if you have a friend who's a mechanic like I do, of course take it there to get it done. it's usually half the price and they do exactly the same thing. For that I get the best oils as well. Dealers are such a big rip off.

[m0nty ITR]

I never take my car to the dealers ... if you have a friend who's a mechanic like I do, of course take it there to get it done. it's usually half the price and they do exactly the same thing. For that I get the best oils as well. Dealers are such a big rip off.

Think overheads. Does your mate have the same size workshop as Honda? Does he have 10 technicians employed?

The other advantage to staying with the manufacturer is constant access to software reflashes and upgrades. Sometimes these upgrades aren't projected to the public. They simply do them at a service interval. If Honda had created a more efficent tune for their engine wouldn't you want that?

[Drew]

Regarding your overheads... His friend mechanic probably doesn't get as many cars as say a Honda dealer would; thus they need such a big workshop and so many staff...

[disappointed]

Dealer servicing must be one of the biggest scams going. The 20K service would include oil and filter which you can buy from honda for about $40, a quick check over the car to make sure nothing is falling off, and presto you have a $295 bill, of which the mechanic would get a whopping $17.50 an hour. The rest to the fat cats at the dealership.

[jay_vtec]

i second that...when i was working at holden....the guy who worked behind the service counter was always money hungry and his like people are stupid and people will pay anything...put it like this....if one of the mechanics broke something they would replace it and charge it to the bill and just say it was already broken so it makes them look good they found it and people go well thats good to see BLAH BLAH BLAH...they are rip offs...if you have a problem with ur car they charge $120 an hour to look at it and fix it...just another reason not to get a holden :)

i think you got over charged not sure of hondas pricing but for oil and filter change thats alot cant compare to holden but you know

[m0nty ITR]

Mwahahahaha! Come and work in a dealership. Yes, we all wear money hats and line our silk pockets with gold dust.

At lunch time we have coke parties with supermodels whilst pointing and laughing at poor people servicing their cars.

Any of you heard of rent, power, insurance? Your average Honda dealership would have somewhere in the vicinity of $100,000-$120,000 rent per month. Check the price of commercial land. It's not cheap fellas.

[disappointed]

Mwahahahaha! Come and work in a dealership. Yes, we all wear money hats and line our silk pockets with gold dust.

At lunch time we have coke parties with supermodels whilst pointing and laughing at poor people servicing their cars.

Any of you heard of rent, power, insurance? Your average Honda dealership would have somewhere in the vicinity of $100,000-$120,000 rent per month. Check the price of commercial land. It's not cheap fellas.

Been there, done that. My boss would always charge the recommended time for a service, even if it was finnished well before the time allocated. Thats theft. The poor bastard technician does all the work, has all the responsibility and gets $17.50 per hour of a total of $120 plus per hour. For best value take your car to an independant workshop where the mechanics are in there 40s to 50s. They will do a better service at half the cost. Thats my opinion....

[tony1234]

Like anything else there are good Honda service depts.and some not so good.

[vipaccord]

i reccomend going to a mechanic that knows honda's but the dealers are too expensive i went there once and never again.

[power_of_dreams]

But on the flipside, I suppose you want the stamps if you intend to sell your car.

[glengowan]

my 2 bobs worth, if you pay $40,000 for a car and can't afford the service costs then buy a Kia. Would you take your kids to a cheap backyard doctor?

[Exar Kun]

my 2 bobs worth, if you pay $40,000 for a car and can't afford the service costs then buy a Kia. Would you take your kids to a cheap backyard doctor?

I agree with that.

However, I work for an architect and we do a lot of new car dealerships (currently doing a Honda dealership as it happens) and our clients like large workshops because car servicing is where they make all their profit now. The selling of new cars is just too competitive to make it worth it on its own.

[splashalot2000]

Just done 20,000km service .....acceleration seems heavier and slower.

Did your car have full synthetic oil before the service? Sounds like the dealer used mineral oil or perhaps a heavier weight of the same oil.

I switched from Mobil 1 to a semi-synthetic in my previous Liberty once and the engine felt like it was full of honey - just felt heavy and didn't want to rev. Switched back to Mobil 1 and it was fine again.

SS

[Sidor]

Think overheads. Does your mate have the same size workshop as Honda? Does he have 10 technicians employed?

are you trying to say that to service my car at Honda dealer ALL these 10 technician will working on my car ? ... BS ...



The other advantage to staying with the manufacturer is constant access to software reflashes and upgrades. Sometimes these upgrades aren't projected to the public. They simply do them at a service interval. If Honda had created a more efficent tune for their engine wouldn't you want that?

I do not think that they will anything EXTRA on your except whatever included in this service and compulsory recalls, manufacturer's defect etc.
Forget about turning your engine for FREE ...

[disappointed]

my 2 bobs worth, if you pay $40,000 for a car and can't afford the service costs then buy a Kia. Would you take your kids to a cheap backyard doctor?

When you are talking about paying $295 for basically an oil and filter change, well. And the book can be stamped by any registered workshop. Go to a dealership workshop, doesn't have to be a honda one and look at the techs, I bet 95% would be under 25 years of age. Not much experience there in my opinion...

[dmx]

I only go 2 dealer service only for maintain my extended warranty (from dealer).
my other honda (which warranty expired) go to other garage BUT they specialize in Honda (prices 30% cheaper than dealer). not because i don't trust other garage but feel more convinience when ur car handle by techician who well knows Honda engine (etc).
ie. my odc, everytime brakes, always sound "click" at the gear area. other garage want to dismantle the gear area to find out. said no way, went to garage who specialize in Honda, said, it's normal for bigger brakes system and newly brake pads. Now already 2 years, nothing bad happen :)

But i fully understand if dealer charge u more, coz they're "dealer" who cover ur car(engine) warranty + may be they have to pay some "royalty" fee to Honda Aus, and bla..bla..bla.. and end up with high running cost.

[m0nty ITR]

are you trying to say that to service my car at Honda dealer ALL these 10 technician will working on my car ? ... BS ...



I do not think that they will anything EXTRA on your except whatever included in this service and compulsory recalls, manufacturer's defect etc.
Forget about turning your engine for FREE ...

Well considering there have been 3 non essential ECU upgrades for the Golf GTI since it launched I'd wanna be a part of that. If you're driving a 94 Accord of course you're not gonna get these, but plenty of late model cars have upgrades throughout the first 3 years of life.

At the end of the day it comes down to choice. Service with who you want to, but like someone has said if you buy a $40,000 car expect the maintainence to come with it. I'm sick of people who bitch about the cost of running cars. I've constantly read threads where people have modded their cars with ricer mods and then haven't registered their car or missed major service items and complained about being booked or their car failing.

[splashalot2000]

I do not think that they will anything EXTRA on your except whatever included in this service and compulsory recalls, manufacturer's defect etc.
Forget about turning your engine for FREE ...


I cannot comment on Honda dealers but I know for a fact that VW dealers update the GTI's ECU at service time if required.

SS

[glengowan]

A good Honda dealer is more concerned about their reputation than ripping you off for a few dollars on sevicing.It's like anything in life, you get what you pay for. I prefer my car to be serviced in a spotless workshop than some place with 3 inches of grease on the walls and the mechanic wearing the same overalls untill they fall off with age. Oh and don't forget the non genuine parts you get at cheap charlie's

[Suntzu]

Last Friday: I had blocked wiper washers due algae and trees in my fluid bottle ( honda washer fluid is not good as it seems...) . I Removed them and one fell in the engine bay. OOOPPS im a dick!

So i ring my dealer Rolfe Honda Canberra ( just bought a new CRV lux a few months ago off them and my euro always gets serviced there)

So i tell the service manager what i did and he says " can you bring it in now?" I say "yes"

Whiz it in there, immediately it goes in, two new washer heads fitted, no charge under warranty even though partially my fault.

Took 10 minutes from when my problem started to them fixing it! For free under warranty.

Cant beat that for service.

[joey99]

actually my mechanic friend races and sponsers 3 honda civics and major distributor for spoon sports .. so this guy knows his hondas.

[Lukey13]

I cannot comment on Honda dealers but I know for a fact that VW dealers update the GTI's ECU at service time if required.

SS

If Honda indeed performed a reflash upgrade of your ECU, how would that work if you've got a Hondata reflash? Would you suddenly have that over-written and hence lost all those performance gains? :eek:

[panda[cRx]]

imho the feeling of it being heavier and accelerating is in your head. it's like how people sometimes feel their car has 50hp+ after an oil change.

[splashalot2000]

If Honda indeed performed a reflash upgrade of your ECU, how would that work if you've got a Hondata reflash? Would you suddenly have that over-written and hence lost all those performance gains? :eek:


Yes, that is exactly the issue with flashed GTI's - dealers performing the latest ECU programing upgrade without prior advice to the owner and unwittingly overwriting after-market flashes.

SS

[Lukey13]

Yes, that is exactly the issue with flashed GTI's - dealers performing the latest ECU programing upgrade without prior advice to the owner and unwittingly overwriting after-market flashes.

SS

That's a big problem for those with reflashed ECUs. Perhaps that would be an argument for taking reflashed Hondas to non-genuine servicing providers rather than Honda dealerships....

[Exar Kun]

Last Friday: I had blocked wiper washers due algae and trees in my fluid bottle ( honda washer fluid is not good as it seems...) . I Removed them and one fell in the engine bay. OOOPPS im a dick!

So i ring my dealer Rolfe Honda Canberra ( just bought a new CRV lux a few months ago off them and my euro always gets serviced there)

So i tell the service manager what i did and he says " can you bring it in now?" I say "yes"

Whiz it in there, immediately it goes in, two new washer heads fitted, no charge under warranty even though partially my fault.

Took 10 minutes from when my problem started to them fixing it! For free under warranty.

Cant beat that for service.

Nice to know - it's where I got mine from! They'll start demolition on the showroom this week too so the new dealership should start to take shape not long after that.

[ticklenow1]

Firstly, as a motor mechanic by trade, I must agree with some on here that say that taking your Honda to a Honda dealer is the best thing to do (or any car to their original dealer). The reason for this is that one would assume that the manufacturing dealer would be up to date at fixing their own model cars and be backed by factory know how. Unfortunately the problem with dealers is that traditionally they are the worst payers, so experienced mechanics move on to bigger and better paychecks (who can blame them. I now earn 2 and a half times what most mechanics earn). But in fairness, they are also normally the biggest employers of apprentices.
Here lies one of the problems with dealers. A lot of the time, unsupervised apprentices are working on customer cars. I realise that they need experience but are they as knowledgable as a seasoned mechanic? - of course not. A lot (not all) dealerships use apprentices as cash cows. They do mostly basic services and never get the experience needed to advance their careers. I know this as I was once one of these cash cows.
I think that a lot of the time, no matter which manufacturer it is, it comes down to the local dealer and it's owners and/or Service Manager. My local dealer will never see my Euro again. The sad thing is, is that I now have to drive to Brisbane (from the Gold Coast) to get my car serviced. My experiences are as follows.
1. The squeaking clutch took 3 trips to the dealer to get fixed. I then find out through one of the mechanics that all that had to be done was replace the clutch cylinder. This was finally done on the third visit, but only after much complaining.
2. I complained about a noise in the clutch for 2 services. Nothing was found until the car was out of warranty. A dry thrust washer was the cause of the noise. I stated that I complained about this whilst the car was in warranty and was basically told bad luck! The mechanic also told me that if a problem is noted while still in warranty it is covered after the warranty finishes for a common sense amount of time. Not sure on this though.
3. The dealer replaced my tyres without even asking me! I noticed the the tyre recycling truck pulling out of the driveway as I pulled into pick up the car. I told them to put the old tyres back on (plenty of tread left), but they were gone.....
4. After becoming fed up with the dealer at my end of the coast I tried the one at the other end....well, they were even worse. Same owners unfortunately. I asked for the brake pad rubber on the pedal to be replaced when doing the service. Not done. They charged me extra on top of the service cost for rotating and balancing the wheels (which I have never been charged before). This I would have swallowed if they had of actually balanced the wheels. On my way back down the coast the steering wheel near shook out of my hands and the car had a terrible vibration at 100 km/hr. So a couple of days later I took it back, sat there for one and a half hours only to be told that their balancer had broken down. Wonder when that happened! (still got charged for it though).
These sort of things are what really piss people off and give mechanics a bad name. Not all dealers are bad though. I can't speak highly enough of my local Toyota dealer. Their service is second to none and they could really teach the local Honda dealers a thing or two.
We also have an Astra now and if my experiences with the Honda dealer were bad then Holden took it to a new level of dissatisfaction. We have never had problems with the local Holden dealer until, guess who, took it over. The same people that own the Honda dealers on the coast.
So to M0nty ITR, there are some good dealers around and you may well be one of them. But I can assure you that there are plenty of them around that give a so called prestige car name like Honda a bad name. I love my Euro and it is coming up to 4 years old and it is time for a new one. Nothing would make me happier than to buy another one, but this is never going to happen while I have to drive for over an hour, past 2 Honda dealers to get satisfactory service. Yes I will complain to Honda, as I complained to Holden, but it really annoys me to have to do so. Fat lot of good it will do anyway.
Writing this post really is starting to make my blood boil. I was not going to name the dealer but the more I write the more angry I get.

*EuroAccord13 Edit*
No Naming....

Can anyone recommend a good dealer in Brisbane. The search begins.....

[Darkii_]

Hey tickle,

I'm sorry to hear about the poor service you got at the Gold Coast, I'm from Brisbane and i've had my euro for about 4 months now. It has been pretty good to me so far, just a bit of rattling and squealing brakes in the morning occurring now but.

I got my 1000km service at Austral Honda in Brisbane, I found that they did a pretty good job. It was just the first service so i can't really say much about what i got. But there was a stone chip in on my door from pick up and they took my car in to put some touch up paint on it, i needed a car for the day for work and they ran out of jazz's at the service centre, so they called the dealer centre up and got my a CRV for the day =) That seems like great service to me.

Will get my 10,000km service soon, most likely from them and i'll let you know how it goes =)

Goodluck finding a good dealer, let me know if you get good service from another dealer in Brisbane!

[cutchorama]

I have been to 2 different Honda dealers in Brisbane, Nundah and Woolongabba.

I really didn't like taking my car to Nundah, possibly because I'm just too picky but their customer service was crap. Southside Honda were very informative and helped me alot. Coming up to my next service soon and I really hope they can provide the same experience again.

In regards to dealer service or not, you do get what you pay for. I think Honda is pretty loyal to loyal customers. It is basically who do you trust your car with?

[BiLL|z0r]

Hey tickle,

I'm a little surprised about the dealer in question (I know who they are, there's only 1 on the GC and funnily enough they own a Holden shop too :)) however after my last service I certainly don't doubt it.
The common air con whoop noise that has started to plague a few Euro's here has occured in mine for 2years now but never often enough to bother about it. At my last service (50K) I pointed it out and they were fully aware of the issue. They said it's the design of the air con chamber behind the dash and "it just does that sometimes". Since I wasn't really in the mood for an arguement I left it be. It's getting worse and worse and I think they are hoping my 3yr wty will run out by then (runs out in Aug08). I am tempted to get them to fix it next time (60K service due soon) but don't really know how to go about it without sounds like a typical agro customer. I can't really see the point of going to Brisbane for this minor issue though especially since I use my car day in day out.
With other cars I've had mixed dealer experiences. I've also had dodgy dealings with private machanics too so dealers aren't the only bad eggs out there.

[EUR003act]

Mwahahahaha! Come and work in a dealership. Yes, we all wear money hats and line our silk pockets with gold dust.

At lunch time we have coke parties with supermodels whilst pointing and laughing at poor people servicing their cars.

Any of you heard of rent, power, insurance? Your average Honda dealership would have somewhere in the vicinity of $100,000-$120,000 rent per month. Check the price of commercial land. It's not cheap fellas.

perfect example of customer getting ripped off:

when i first got my euro, i took my car in for a 70,000km service. while booking it in at the counter, i asked if they could check whether its possible for me to adjust the HIDs beam height myself, as the left one was pointing at the ground. he went off and checked with the mechanics. came back and told me "no, the luxury euro does not alow user to adjust headlight aiming, it has to be done by them"

i say "fair enough, when you do the service, can you have the left headlight adjusted inline with the right as its at the correct height"

"no problems" was the reply

hour or two later i get back. the bill was high, but thats usual for dealers. however, they charged me $19.50 to "raise LH lowbeam to RH lowbeam height" as quoted on the invoice... a bit expensive, but oh well.

in addition to this, the guy told me "sorry we couldnt rotate your tyres because the lock nut didnt work" i told him that its the same lock nut that myself and jaxx quickfit use on my wheels, and never had any problems there... he then also points out that "they couldnt check my spare as there was stuff in the boot" (thats what boots are for right? it was two boxes of cleaning stuff for heavens sake) i say "thats cool, ill do it myself". and i leave happily

upon returning home, i find that in the service manual, theyve still ticked "rotate tyres" and "check spare"... makes me wonder, what else havent they done and just ticked anyway?

the next night i drive to sydney, and guess what, they lowered the right light down to the left one! yay, 300km trip with headlights pointing at the road. when i get back to canberra, i went into the dealer, and spoke to them about it. i showed them the invoice stating to raise the LH light, and if it could be done properly this time.

i come back an hour later to collect my car, and suprise suprise, they charge me another $19.50 for the adjustment...

i took this all on the chin, till i realised that the lux euro is nothing special, it still has manual headlight adjustment... so i spent nearly $40 on something that i couldve done myself, properly the first time...

now thats just one example of bad customer service...

and yes, now im finished whining :p

[shadou]

hehehe, you got charged for that, I did it without having it on the job card if it was horribly out of alignment, spare was a must even if the boot was full of crap. What can I say, some are good and some are bad, luck of the draw really, too bad the customer has to cop it at the end of the day.

[hotout]

Firstly, as a motor mechanic by trade

Can anyone recommend a good dealer in Brisbane. The search begins.....

send a email to Honda Australia CEO Mr. Yasuhide Mizuno. He'd be most interested to hear how service levels have really crapped out in the last few years. If I had the money I'd love to open up a service centre next to a Honda dealer and show them what cust service is about, it ain't about nice lounges and coffee.

[cutchorama]

I can't really see the point of going to Brisbane for this minor issue though especially since I use my car day in day out.
With other cars I've had mixed dealer experiences. I've also had dodgy dealings with private machanics too so dealers aren't the only bad eggs out there.

If you're still in new car warranty it is worth the hour drive to Brisbane. I had the exact same problem and my local dealer said it was the TX valve (I have nfi what that is). If it is only getting louder and worse, get it fixed while it's only an annoying sound and not a bigger problem.

[ozgordon]

Boy reading these experiences with Honda servicing has me worried. I took our Euro lux in for it's 10k service the other day at Capital Honda in Canberra.

On collecting the car, I noticed that the drivers side A pillar on the interior is smudged with greasy fingermarks!!!! Not Happy. Furthermore, after leaving the car in the garage overnight, I find an oil spill under the car...WTF. On closer inspection, my car is now leaking oil!!! NOT HAPPY.

Phone call to nonchalant dealer, and I take the car back ,where another mechanic checks it over. Turns out that the Apprentice who serviced my car didn't screw the oil plug in properly!!!

The senior mechanic apologises perfusely and says that the apprentice will be spoken to. NOT GOOD ENOUGH. At the prices that Im charged for servicing, I expect a qualified mechanic to check everything at the end. I don't have a problem with apprentices learning on the cars, but where are the checks!!!

This is our first experience with Hondas, my other car is a Mazda 6. I must say that I expected better from Honda.

BTW...I too was charged to have the tyres rotated and balanced

[SPQR]

My local Honda dealer provides exceptional service: Going beyond the level of duty required by Honda Australia.

[Euro08Jaz]

I've had pretty mixed experiences as far as dealer services are concerned, Volkswagen in Canberra were absolutely shit, had to fight tooth and nail over every defect, one day one of my windows fell down and i took it to the dealer and they were like normally the driver side goes first. WTF?. and i had to wait a months to fix it so i got in the car and drove to Rolfe Honda and brought home a Euro. Dad bought a 07 V6 Accord and has had a few problems like scratches after service, coolant hose has gone twice and spoiler has cracked twice as well. They gave us a bit of shit and we talked to the manger and she sorted everything out easy as that. But on average it takes them 2 attempts to get it right. Apparently they a renovating the dealer ship so people can sit and watch their cars get serviced behind a glass panel. Awesome idea i say. Isn't all servicing carried out by a service manual rather than experience at dealerships?

[ticklenow1]

It really annoys me to get charged for the rotation when it is part of the service. The time is allocated for in the labour charge. To get charged extra is very average. But when you have had the experiences that I have had, one comes to expect it.
By the way, another thing to be aware of is the replacement of the pollen filter. Mine was done at my last service yet wasn't part of the service. After finding out more, they are only meant to be done every 40K.
Just another way of getting ripped off by the Gold Coast's only Honda dealership.

[glengowan]

Has anybody had any bad experiences with the Honda dealer at Tweed Heads? Same dealer as the Gold Coast

[thepope1986]

i work in a dealership and recently worked at a regular non-dealership mechanic i reckon taking a car to a dealership is alot better out the back we do alot more than a regular mechanic does, we have access to special tools and also dedicated scan tools which makes fault finding alot quicker and easier not to mention we are used to getting certain types of cars which means we work quicker and know common faults with vehicles. though if you own an old crap heap take it to a regular mechanic

[EUR003act]

i work in a dealership and recently worked at a regular non-dealership mechanic i reckon taking a car to a dealership is alot better out the back we do alot more than a regular mechanic does, we have access to special tools and also dedicated scan tools which makes fault finding alot quicker and easier not to mention we are used to getting certain types of cars which means we work quicker and know common faults with vehicles. though if you own an old crap heap take it to a regular mechanic

we're not talking about a back yard mechanic... im not even a mechanic and i own an OBDII scan tool... most mechanics should... im not saying taking it to honda is a bad idea, im saying, im sick of paying for shit thats not getting done or for a first year apprentice to practice and f*ck up on my $40K car... theres a big difference between making money and ripping customers off, ive worked in retail/customer service for over 5years now, and theres no way id get the repeat business i do if i treated some of my customers the way some dealers treat theirs...

[ticklenow1]

Has anybody had any bad experiences with the Honda dealer at Tweed Heads? Same dealer as the Gold Coast

Yes, I live in Tweed and now will take my Euro to Brisbane. They offer crap service. The only thing is, is that the Southport dealer are owned by the same people and are even worse (didn't think it was possible).

You may have good experiences there but I definitely haven't!!

[aaronng]

we're not talking about a back yard mechanic... im not even a mechanic and i own an OBDII scan tool... most mechanics should...
Dealers also have HDS, which we don't have. Regular mechanics won't spend the huge outlay on a diagnostic tool that works on only 1 car brand.

[Euro76]

Hey tickle I understand what you're saying and thanks for your sharing to us. To me, it was not a matter of money. Look if I can buy this $34k car, then I should be able to afford for the dealer service. As far as I knew that Honda dealer mostly employing apprentices and only one head mechanic that had experience. I concerned that if these apprentices work unsupervised then they might not do the service properly. Then on top of that these apprentices get paid low and then dealer overcharge customers on labour costs. I took a chance talking to a friend of mine who is a professional mechanic and he has his own car service centre. He said if I took my car to his place then he would do the service professionally and will do anything to make the car drive like new from the factory. Yet it costs only half of what I paid on Honda dealer. On my next service I would go there, not Honda dealer anymore. Is it a matter not getting a Honda stamp on the service book and that would make car depreciate more on the time of sale? Anyway over time the car would depreciate so I don't really care about it.

[akina]

didnt i read sumwhere that those stamps increase ur resale value of around $500?

well... u'll probably save more than that by servicing ur car else where and/or even better.

[EUR003act]

didnt i read sumwhere that those stamps increase ur resale value of around $500?

well... u'll probably save more than that by servicing ur car else where and/or even better.

its not so much the increase a re-sale value... its just people are usually happier to by a honda that has been serviced by honda because they are under the impression that the dealer would provide the best servicing for the vehicle... thats what i thought when i brought mine (only ever serviced by the dealer) but now im happier to service it myself...

[ms700]

BTW...I too was charged to have the tyres rotated and balanced
The tyres are rotated as part of the service, no extra charge there, balancing of the back wheels which then become the fronts would cost approx $20. Id say thats what you paid for. :thumbsup:

[Euro08Jaz]

Im pretty sure the stamps due increase value after they finished valuing my VW they put on an extra grand when i told them my books were up to date and dealer serviced.

[EUR003act]

Im pretty sure the stamps due increase value after they finished valuing my VW they put on an extra grand when i told them my books were up to date and dealer serviced.

people are more willing to buy a car thats been serviced by the manufacturer... so theyll pay more to get it, which is why places increase the value...

[SPQR]

i work in a dealership and recently worked at a regular non-dealership mechanic i reckon taking a car to a dealership is alot better out the back we do alot more than a regular mechanic does, we have access to special tools and also dedicated scan tools which makes fault finding alot quicker and easier not to mention we are used to getting certain types of cars which means we work quicker and know common faults with vehicles. though if you own an old crap heap take it to a regular mechanic

I generally agree but I think your last sentence makes it sound as if you guys don't wish to take-on cars with challenging mechanical problems.

[ozgordon]

The tyres are rotated as part of the service, no extra charge there, balancing of the back wheels which then become the fronts would cost approx $20. Id say thats what you paid for. :thumbsup:

Try $40.00, thats what they added to the bill

[brett2372]

I've had my Honda CRV purchased in 2005 since new from Pickerings in Townsville Qld. Regardless of their overheads, rent, amount of staff etc ! You are the one paying for a service. You expect it to be a pleasant experience and not an uphill battle to simply get a scheduled book service completed. You do not expect the dealer to skimp out of warranty claims, the normal excuse is that it was "fair wear and tear" on a low kilometre vehicle.
Also you do not expect to be addressed as if you are a pain the arse when something occurs with your vehicle !
This dealer has displayed these attributes at all times since we have had the vehicle, it also doesn't help that they are the Honda monopoly in town.
Needless to say once it is time to get rid of the vehicle I will not be lining up for Honda again. P.S. Hyundai customers at the same dealership get better treatment and facilities than a Honda customer or VW customer.

[TheSaint]

i made freinds with the service guy at my local dealership - got all my consumables and parts for just above trade price
they also did some light maintenance stuff for me for free and servicing wasnt bad at all

i think it all depends on where and who you take the car to

that guy is no longer with that dealership - so i dont get good prices or good customer service anymore as they replaced him with a 16yr old girl that doesnt know the difference between a pencil and a camshaft
i asked for a part for my civic and she asked me if it was a honda or a kia ... facepalm

[CU2 Euro 09]

I've had my Honda CRV purchased in 2005 since new from Pickerings in Townsville Qld. Regardless of their overheads, rent, amount of staff etc ! You are the one paying for a service. You expect it to be a pleasant experience and not an uphill battle to simply get a scheduled book service completed. You do not expect the dealer to skimp out of warranty claims, the normal excuse is that it was "fair wear and tear" on a low kilometre vehicle.
Also you do not expect to be addressed as if you are a pain the arse when something occurs with your vehicle !
This dealer has displayed these attributes at all times since we have had the vehicle, it also doesn't help that they are the Honda monopoly in town.
Needless to say once it is time to get rid of the vehicle I will not be lining up for Honda again. P.S. Hyundai customers at the same dealership get better treatment and facilities than a Honda customer or VW customer.

The Townsville Honda dealership is pretty bad. I've heard a few horror stories out of there. Here's a real easy way to check how bad they allegedly are - just check the oil after they've supposedly changed it. I've heard from a few sources that their thing is to not change the oil and still charge the customer for it. Allegedly they aren't changing the consumables at all if they think for a second that you're just a moron driver with no idea about what is under the bonnet. That allegedly goes for the other makes at this dealership too as its not limited to Honda.

[antony]

I have been exceptionally happy with the service at Astoria Honda in East Bentleigh,Melbourne.

[Daveho1]

all i know is i work parts at a dealership and all day all i get is your cheaper mechanics calling to ask how to do shit.
all service prices are available upon request to ANYONE.
anything you dont want them to do to your car is fine, but since they offer the warrenty and all service info/prices is available, if you skip/forget or get your old mate to do the service with the repco filter and "good" oil for cheap and gennerally dont follow the warrenty conditions why is it hondas problem when your car screws up??
also dealerships make jobs for alot of people but in training sometimes things are miss-quoted or a service isnt done correctly or what ever and this can be a biiiig problem such as your car has a blown engine cause the apprentice left the sump plug out,if the dealership is at fault the dealership fixes it, how many storys have we heard here of local mechanics palming the same problem off?
your services at a dealership cost more cause gennerally they do more.

[Daveho1]

The Townsville Honda dealership is pretty bad. I've heard a few horror stories out of there. Here's a real easy way to check how bad they allegedly are - just check the oil after they've supposedly changed it. I've heard from a few sources that their thing is to not change the oil and still charge the customer for it. Allegedly they aren't changing the consumables at all if they think for a second that you're just a moron driver with no idea about what is under the bonnet. That allegedly goes for the other makes at this dealership too as its not limited to Honda.

i love this sort of thing aswell cause more then once i have seen customers do this, where they mark plugs and oil filters etc
there are 2 examples i can think of right now both spark plug related;
1. a customer plulled the plugs out to mark them prior to his service to mark them to make sure they where being changed. he reinstalled 3 out of the 4 incorrectly and striped the threads-guess what-no warranty
2. a customer changed the plugs on his car and marked them prior the the fist recomended change of 45,000 problem was the wroung plugs where installed and where too long and hit the piston crowns-guess what-no warranty

guys car makers will stand by there cars as long as there rules are met just follow them, its not that hard and guess what the dealerships always change the oil, know why? because if they dont and the car F*** up cause they stamp the service book and maintain it it will be covered under warranty and the car brands under book time for warranty jobs so they make very little money on those repairs.

dont get me wrong there are dicks out there but thats not car dealerships thats the world in genneral, so year theres the guy that gives you the small bit of cake every time you order at starbucks and theres the guy that rounds up on eftpos but cardealerships really arnt the worst evil in the world and if you dont want or cant afford to follow there rules dont buy a car there cause they dont want your drama, go and buy a second hand car and take it to ya local mechanic cause he sure dosent have anything to gain by over charging or under servicing right?

[CU2 Euro 09]

i love this sort of thing aswell cause more then once i have seen customers do this, where they mark plugs and oil filters etc
there are 2 examples i can think of right now both spark plug related;
1. a customer plulled the plugs out to mark them prior to his service to mark them to make sure they where being changed. he reinstalled 3 out of the 4 incorrectly and striped the threads-guess what-no warranty
2. a customer changed the plugs on his car and marked them prior the the fist recomended change of 45,000 problem was the wroung plugs where installed and where too long and hit the piston crowns-guess what-no warranty

guys car makers will stand by there cars as long as there rules are met just follow them, its not that hard and guess what the dealerships always change the oil, know why? because if they dont and the car F*** up cause they stamp the service book and maintain it it will be covered under warranty and the car brands under book time for warranty jobs so they make very little money on those repairs.

dont get me wrong there are dicks out there but thats not car dealerships thats the world in genneral, so year theres the guy that gives you the small bit of cake every time you order at starbucks and theres the guy that rounds up on eftpos but cardealerships really arnt the worst evil in the world and if you dont want or cant afford to follow there rules dont buy a car there cause they dont want your drama, go and buy a second hand car and take it to ya local mechanic cause he sure dosent have anything to gain by over charging or under servicing right?


Still doesn't change the fact that some dealers rip off the customer and treat them like shit. So you can get off your soap box. This is why people aren't happy with 'some' dealers, because of attitudes like yours that the customer has done something wrong.

They own the car after all and they deserve to be treated with respect and the point was that they don't always change the oil but still charge for it the lying theives.

[Daveho1]

im sure there are shit heads out there but i assure you that realisticly dealerships run on money and they know that stealing $50 dollers worth of oil isnt worth the 15k engine it could cost them down the track. besides if a dealership whats to rip you off they can do it in ways that you cant check quickly.. like some gearbox oils retail at $150perL when some autos hold 5-7L. in addition i dont assume the customers done something wrong, but its my experiance that those that have shout the loudest about warranty.
i ask again why not just book your cars in and have the required services, dont get me wrong its a bonus if everyone is happy and give you the cup of coffee you feel you deserve but guess what they are there to service and maintain your car, nothing more and nothing less

[chuboy]

cardealerships really arnt the worst evil in the world and if you dont want or cant afford to follow there rules dont buy a car there cause they dont want your drama, go and buy a second hand car and take it to ya local mechanic cause he sure dosent have anything to gain by over charging or under servicing right?

Sorry but I can't agree with you there, of all the people we as citizens of a developed country have to deal with in our lives car dealers must be up there with the worst evils. And I say that only partially in jest...

I haven't been to a dealer since I thought I wouldn't take a chance on non-OEM parts and bought wiper refills at $30 apiece from Honda. Within a few weeks they were just as crap as the ones I replaced. I have since thrown them in the bin and put aftermarkets in and they lasted over 10 times as long.

Let me tell you your local mechanic has nothing to gain and everything to lose by ripping off a customer. Unlike dealerships, which can blackmail you into giving repeat business by tricking you into thinking will lose your warranty if you don't shell out obscene amounts of money for a basic look-over by a green apprentice, local mechanics must obtain your repeat business by providing good value...

My car has never been touched by a Honda dealer except for the PS hose recall.

You are certainly brave to defend dealerships as in general it's well known they will scam you with every trick in the book to make a quick buck (and that includes not doing 'free' warranty repairs properly after they **** up in the first place).



i ask again why not just book your cars in and have the required services, dont get me wrong its a bonus if everyone is happy and give you the cup of coffee you feel you deserve but guess what they are there to service and maintain your car, nothing more and nothing less
In a nutshell, because a good independent will do the same thing or better at half the price...

[sensei_]

i love this sort of thing aswell cause more then once i have seen customers do this, where they mark plugs and oil filters etc
there are 2 examples i can think of right now both spark plug related;
1. a customer plulled the plugs out to mark them prior to his service to mark them to make sure they where being changed. he reinstalled 3 out of the 4 incorrectly and striped the threads-guess what-no warranty
2. a customer changed the plugs on his car and marked them prior the the fist recomended change of 45,000 problem was the wroung plugs where installed and where too long and hit the piston crowns-guess what-no warranty


well, if i was the customer, i would be marking everything i can too. ive been charged for a timing belt service, and this one from a particular perth honda dealer takes the cake.

i paid $1k+ for a car wash. by their admission, they did not service the car at all. thats right, not even an oil change. what brought this on? i questioned why the gearbox oil was not changed and yet i was charged for it, a formal complaint to honda australia, and the dealer calls me back with the news a few days later.

so based on my experience, yes dealerships are scum.

[tony1234]

Unfortunately dealer service depts. are like any other businesses.There some good ones,some average ones and some shit ones.You need to seek out the good ones,usually by word of mouth.

[Fredoops]

2 main things dealers ticked me off over the years,

1. My mother got charged by a particular honda dealer in Homebush for an a/c regas when the cars 1.5 years old, because I wast there to stop them the dealer decided to charge $180 for it (this was early 2000s)

2. "There is NO Auto transmission filter". Made me lol so hard cause I'm looking at it while on the phone.

[OMGRX7]

Had a bad experience with the Honda dealership I took my car in to get a 1000km check up and stamp.

Basically the car sat there from 9am to 330pm but seems that nothing was actually done on the car besides a crap car wash.

Suspension components all need to be tightened and the car returned to me with a damaged rear bar/quarter panel.

Also had a warranty claim on the same day for the aluminium door garnish. They were replaced but the job they did was so dodgy. I had to realign them myself as they were all out of place.

Disappointingly, when I was in the waiting room, I overheard the guy behind the desk charging ridiculous amounts to a clueless lady. I forget the things the guy requested to be done on her brand new car but I remember laughing in my head and thinking what a joke.

My friend had a brand new Mitsubishi Lancer VRX and he had his car go in for XXkm service where he supplied his own oil. Took the car home and checked the dipstick to find the oil still dark and dirty. Returned to the dealership and complained why the oil wasn't changed and the simple reply was "we forgot".

Dafuq?

[chuboy]

How the f*ck can you forget to change the oil in a car when it has been given to you specifically to be serviced as per the book?! Honestly I don't know how most of these car dealers can sleep at night knowing they go to work every day and scam honest people out of a decent chunk of their income.

Dealership servicing is a rort, that is the first lesson anybody should learn when they buy a car.

[Daveho1]

obviously you guys have had some rediculusly crazy experiances, but lemme just say this is the minority and to say that "honda dealers service is no good" is unfair i know some really hard working techs who always go the extra mile for there customers.
and no dealer services arnt a rort the fact is genuine parts cost more but the profit percentages are about the same. so the 7.50 you pay for a ryco z79a supercheap pay 3 for. the equivilent honda part may cost 40 but they pay 20 even if its the same filter, they are required to use genuine parts.

[Fredoops]

and no dealer services arnt a rort the fact is genuine parts cost more
Techsnically yes, but in reality there's a lot more going on behind the scenes.


but the profit percentages are about the same. so the 7.50 you pay for a ryco z79a supercheap pay 3 for.
Not exactly.

To the average wrench monkey or guy at the parts counter that may be the case.

To the dealershop accountant it isn't. The dealers gets a performance bonus based on... Well dealership performance, it's a form of pricig control.

So to the naked eye it may seem that dealer have expansive parts with average profit but in reality the dealers are making more, just like selling cars, is the dealer margin really 12-15% on a new car? No, but real profit per vehicle isn't technically on the books againest the vehicle since they are one off, irregular payments


the equivilent honda part may cost 40 but they pay 20 even if its the same filter, they are required to use genuine parts.

I'd be interested to know by "required to use geuine parts" does that mean ALL parts?

I'm particularly interested in say... Engine oil?

[chuboy]

even if its the same filter, they are required to use genuine parts.

So it is a rort then. Same part, but you have to pay double/triple/even more because it's a 'genuine part' and Honda MANDATES genuine parts. Sounds like enforcing a monopoly to me.

Honestly why are you defending dealers? Are you a dealer? I appreciate you may have mates who work in dealerships and are good guys but seriously, if they have always been honest with their customers then they are they minority, not the other way around.

[OMGRX7]

obviously you guys have had some rediculusly crazy experiances, but lemme just say this is the minority and to say that "honda dealers service is no good" is unfair i know some really hard working techs who always go the extra mile for there customers.
and no dealer services arnt a rort the fact is genuine parts cost more but the profit percentages are about the same. so the 7.50 you pay for a ryco z79a supercheap pay 3 for. the equivilent honda part may cost 40 but they pay 20 even if its the same filter, they are required to use genuine parts.

I have owned a couple of new cars from different makes and all the dealership servicing has been overly priced.

When I had my WRX, I got it serviced at F&E Automotive in Smithfield, he charged me $170 which includes genuine Subaru oil filter and Royal Purple Oil.

The oil alone is 90 and the filter 25; that leaves labour to be only $55. All the bolts and suspension components will be tightened whilst the car is up on the hoist. All wheels taken off and everything checked thoroughly then wheels torqued back on.

This is not your average Joe mechanic. He helps owners prep time attack cars and has owned two pretty built GTRs.

[Daveho1]

Techsnically yes, but in reality there's a lot more going on behind the scenes.


Not exactly.

To the average wrench monkey or guy at the parts counter that may be the case.

To the dealershop accountant it isn't. The dealers gets a performance bonus based on... Well dealership performance, it's a form of pricig control.

So to the naked eye it may seem that dealer have expansive parts with average profit but in reality the dealers are making more, just like selling cars, is the dealer margin really 12-15% on a new car? No, but real profit per vehicle isn't technically on the books againest the vehicle since they are one off, irregular payments



I'd be interested to know by "required to use geuine parts" does that mean ALL parts?

I'm particularly interested in say... Engine oil?
the dealers do indeed get bonus based on performance but thats not limited to salesmen its the save for the service advisors, parts interpreters and the delivery boy but thats just how the pay system works, i would say really the only people with any real control over there bonus would be the techs where they are paid based on time booked that being said however "time booked" is the warranty time which is usually insufficiant to complete anything other then an oil change- for example in a recent recall its expected that techs will test, smash, clean and replace a sunroof in 50min.
as for the use of genuine parts yes in all warranty jobs everything from light globs through to engine oil need to be genuine, however some companys work with an after markert to offer a "genuine aproved aftermarket" to help reduce day to day service costs, for the day to day oil chane car manufacturers will enter into contracts with oil manufacturers to have there oil be the one used on that particular series of car or range of cars. so although it wouldent be the genuine branded oil it would be approved for use. hence castrol make edge proffesional for example.

and no chuboy im not a dealer but i work parts for one and i did have the same opinion as most of you untill i worked at one, no one forces you to buy a new car and no one is keeping the service prices a secret its all there upon request car manufaturers mandate the use of genuine or approved parts so they can be sure the car is been maintained properly and in return they stand by there cars in the event somthin fuks out-pritty reasonable-

as for the subaru that job would take 15-20 min max and at 55 dollers labour that rate 220-175 per hour is a higher labour rate than a dealer-plus they still profit from the filter, in addition if someone preps cars for time attack or moon landings is irrelevent and has no bearing on there ability to maintain a car to factory specs
in canberra we have a workshop that is simmilar just cause the owner rallys every one with an s14 thinks that hes the only one that understands to to change the oil on there car- no disrespect to the owner of that business, it confuses me when people are willing to pay a higher price cause the job is done at a shop owned by a racing car man versus manufacturer trained techs.

[Fredoops]

the dealers do indeed get bonus based on performance but thats not limited to salesmen its the save for the service advisors, parts interpreters and the delivery boy but thats just how the pay system works, i would say really the only people with any real control over there bonus would be the techs where they are paid based on time booked that being said however "time booked" is the warranty time which is usually insufficiant to complete anything other then an oil change- for example in a recent recall its expected that techs will test, smash, clean and replace a sunroof in 50min.
as for the use of genuine parts yes in all warranty jobs everything from light globs through to engine oil need to be genuine, however some companys work with an after markert to offer a "genuine aproved aftermarket" to help reduce day to day service costs, for the day to day oil chane car manufacturers will enter into contracts with oil manufacturers to have there oil be the one used on that particular series of car or range of cars. so although it wouldent be the genuine branded oil it would be approved for use. hence castrol make edge proffesional for example.

You know how incrediblely dodgy it appears to the customer when in the waitin room and the parts counter the dealer advertises the crap out of FEO oil, meanwhile down at the shop they are pouring the much cheaper per gallon Castrol Magnetic (professional is just a bulk pack) down the hatch.




as for the subaru that job would take 15-20 min max and at 55 dollers labour that rate 220-175 per hour is a higher labour rate than a dealer-plus they still profit from the filter, in addition if someone preps cars for time attack or moon landings is irrelevent and has no bearing on there ability to maintain a car to factory specs
in canberra we have a workshop that is simmilar just cause the owner rallys every one with an s14 thinks that hes the only one that understands to to change the oil on there car- no disrespect to the owner of that business, it confuses me when people are willing to pay a higher price cause the job is done at a shop owned by a racing car man versus manufacturer trained techs.

The same service at a Subaru dealership would be $200 plus. So the customer isn't exactly paying "more" here

[ChaosMaster]

the dealers do indeed get bonus based on performance but thats not limited to salesmen its the save for the service advisors, parts interpreters and the delivery boy but thats just how the pay system works, i would say really the only people with any real control over there bonus would be the techs where they are paid based on time booked that being said however "time booked" is the warranty time which is usually insufficiant to complete anything other then an oil change- for example in a recent recall its expected that techs will test, smash, clean and replace a sunroof in 50min.
as for the use of genuine parts yes in all warranty jobs everything from light globs through to engine oil need to be genuine, however some companys work with an after markert to offer a "genuine aproved aftermarket" to help reduce day to day service costs, for the day to day oil chane car manufacturers will enter into contracts with oil manufacturers to have there oil be the one used on that particular series of car or range of cars. so although it wouldent be the genuine branded oil it would be approved for use. hence castrol make edge proffesional for example.

and no chuboy im not a dealer but i work parts for one and i did have the same opinion as most of you untill i worked at one, no one forces you to buy a new car and no one is keeping the service prices a secret its all there upon request car manufaturers mandate the use of genuine or approved parts so they can be sure the car is been maintained properly and in return they stand by there cars in the event somthin fuks out-pritty reasonable-

as for the subaru that job would take 15-20 min max and at 55 dollers labour that rate 220-175 per hour is a higher labour rate than a dealer-plus they still profit from the filter, in addition if someone preps cars for time attack or moon landings is irrelevent and has no bearing on there ability to maintain a car to factory specs
in canberra we have a workshop that is simmilar just cause the owner rallys every one with an s14 thinks that hes the only one that understands to to change the oil on there car- no disrespect to the owner of that business, it confuses me when people are willing to pay a higher price cause the job is done at a shop owned by a racing car man versus manufacturer trained techs.

All this about genuine parts this and genuine parts that, but the fact is, a bottle of Honda FEO + Honda filter from Honda themselves would set you back $75. Explain why you need to pay $300 + for an oil change? Just because they're Honda Genuine parts also doesn't mean they're the best out there. What's Honda FEO? Grade 3 synthetic? For $300, you could get Grade 5 full synthetic + K&N Billet filter + "Genuine Honda" air filter + Sparks + labour from your local mech. Why wouldn't you do that.

As for your stuff up examples earlier. That's just dumb owners making a fool of themselves. When I marked my oil filter, I used a white-out pen on the oil filter, drew a nice big cross on it. With the sparks, I took out the old sparks, and used a black permanent marker, and drew my initials on it. If you're going to have the sparks changed, why would you put new sparks in? If you have the ability to take the sparks out in the first place, why wouldn't you just change them yourself? Funny enough, with the oil filter, they didn't even touch it, even though there was an obvious marking on it. Simply because they didn't even bother looking at it. You have your honest dealer out there, of course, but you also have your dodgy ones. And considering the premium you pay at the dealers, you would hope they would be much more honest than your local mechanics. Unfortunately, that's just not the case.

[Daveho1]

You know how incrediblely dodgy it appears to the customer when in the waitin room and the parts counter the dealer advertises the crap out of FEO oil, meanwhile down at the shop they are pouring the much cheaper per gallon Castrol Magnetic (professional is just a bulk pack) down the hatch.


lol i love the assumptions you make magnatec profesional isnt just a bulk pack it is acctuly a very diffrent oil and weather or not your local dealer is using feo or otherwise is irrelevent because what they use has been approved for use so warranty isnt an issue, dealers offer genuine oils to the public because gennerally the oil used in house is the same or very close formulation but the on tap oil may not be available for purchace to the public such as edge or magnatec professional


[/QUOTE]The same service at a Subaru dealership would be $200 plus. So the customer isn't exactly paying "more" here[/QUOTE]
where did u pull that from? did u ask a dealer? no your just making things up.

i i dont know about your guys local dealers but i can say 100 percent my local dealer is legit. if yours arnt then you need to be talking to the dealer principals or honda australia. in addition the price isnt some crazy thing that people in golden top hats came up with dealers are sold parts at X price and are told to sell them at A price to retail B price to trade customers C price to trade bulk customers etc etc. if you dont like thease prices its really not hard, dont buy a new car where you enter into an obligation to have them serviced by a dealer or approved independant, really not hard of cause there are cheaper or better options but there but if you want a hassle free warranty then do what the manufacturer recomends and prove its been done to there standards.

[Fredoops]

lol i love the assumptions you make magnatec profesional isnt just a bulk pack it is acctuly a very diffrent oil and weather or not your local dealer is using feo or otherwise is irrelevent because what they use has been approved for use so warranty isnt an issue, dealers offer genuine oils to the public because gennerally the oil used in house is the same or very close formulation but the on tap oil may not be available for purchace to the public such as edge or magnatec professional

Different oil from what? Apart from a few special viscosity how is the rest different?

Also, Honda never discloses their formulation on products, no matter who you are, dealer or otherwise, I find it really surprising that you can claim the oil formula is "very close" You clearly know something the oil engineers don't.

Please do enlighten me.


I would also point you to page 4 of the "Honda New Vehicle Warranty Disclosure Statement for Petrol Vehicles"

it states:

Genuine Honda Products
Honda vehicles are produced to the highest standards and latest technologies, Honda strongly recommends:
- That only Genuine Honda parts and lubricants whenever you have maintenance work performed on your vehicle.
- That only Genuine Honda additives and cleaner are used on your vehicle
- That you do not apply aftermarket paint treatments to your vehicle

No where in that statement does it say "Honda Approved alternative/non-genuine Lubricants", if there is indeed an official dealer communication saying XXX engine oil is approved for dealer use, i'd LOOOOVE to see it.



The same service at a Subaru dealership would be $200 plus. So the customer isn't exactly paying "more" here

More like lurking around www.wrx.com.au? it's not exactly hard to figure how how much a minor service is for a rexxy in a dealer.


i dont know about your guys local dealers but i can say 100 percent my local dealer is legit. if yours arnt then you need to be talking to the dealer principals or honda australia. in addition the price isnt some crazy thing that people in golden top hats came up with dealers are sold parts at X price and are told to sell them at A price to retail B price to trade customers C price to trade bulk customers etc etc. if you dont like thease prices its really not hard, dont buy a new car where you enter into an obligation to have them serviced by a dealer or approved independant, really not hard of cause there are cheaper or better options but there but if you want a hassle free warranty then do what the manufacturer recomends and prove its been done to there standards.

Point me to the part of the Honda Warranty Contract where it says the owners have an "Obligation" to take to a dealer or "approved" independent. and I'd LOVE to point them to the Trade Practices Act.

Also as it's already been pointed out, dealer may be told to sell X item at a price of Y, but because of the whole performance bonus that the dealer get, they dont have a thin margin, all they have is price control and effectively running a monopolistic business ie: profiteering.

[Daveho1]

Different oil from what? Apart from a few special viscosity how is the rest different?
Also, Honda never discloses their formulation on products, no matter who you are, dealer or otherwise, I find it really surprising that you can claim the oil formula is "very close" You clearly know something the oil engineers don't.
Please do enlighten me"
api ratings,sae ratings DPF usage approval and viscosity are all listed on the bottle, i suppose i am generalising a bit i was drawing to the fact that an SM & SN grade of same viscosity oil are of more simmilar formulation then say an SJ and SN of same viscosity oil the fact is they are simmilar but not the same. so oil additives, base and viscosity are coverd. problem?



No where in that statement does it say "Honda Approved alternative/non-genuine Lubricants", if there is indeed an official dealer communication saying XXX engine oil is approved for dealer use, i'd LOOOOVE to see it.

i know most car manufacturers dont make there own oil (cant say all, i donno) but instead the use oil manufactures to make there oil, special formular bulk packs are more economical for dealers to use obviously over the 4-5L bottles available for retail sale so although the massive ass drum says edge professional or what have you dosnt meen its not the same as whats in the FEO bottle. (thats just an example dont go pointing out that x oil isnt the same as y oil- i know- but you get the idea). in addition that is customer infomation to prevent old mate putting the oil his mate has lying around in.

[Daveho1]

"Point me to the part of the Honda Warranty Contract where it says the owners have an "Obligation" to take to a dealer or "approved" independent. and I'd LOVE to point them to the Trade Practices Act"

as part of your warranty conditions you are required to prove that the car is maintained using an oil of X quality and a filter of Y standard etc etc how are you going to PROVE that with out appropriate documentation as most mechanics arnt autherised to stamp service books?

"Also as it's already been pointed out, dealer may be told to sell X item at a price of Y, but because of the whole performance bonus that the dealer get, they dont have a thin margin, all they have is price control and effectively running a monopolistic business ie: profiteering"

you are incorrectly describing "the dealer" as a single entity when really the service, parts, new car, used car departments really opperate as independants and each group get bonuses based there own criteria as a single business. in addition the profit percentage is very simmilar to that of supercheap/repco/autopro the diffrence is the dealers buy price is higher in addition retail price is set by the dealers brand not the dealer itself.the final thkng to add is trade price is what it is to regulate the retail price so although the third party gets the filter cheaper the customer still pays retail, as recomended by the dealers brand.

[Super-DA9]

Guys lets tone it down in here a little bit. We're all from different areas, with different shops/dealerships. I'm sure there are dodgy places, there always are. In fact, I have been ripped off many times before. The main point Daveho1 is trying to make is yes, there are ripoff places, but you can't really make a generalization that ALL dealerships and their employees are dodgy scammers.

If you've been to a shop, and they DEFINITELY didn't change your oil but charged you for it, take whatever action you need to get your money back or get it done properly at no cost and just don't go there anymore.

[Fredoops]

as part of your warranty conditions you are required to prove that the car is maintained using an oil of X quality and a filter of Y standard etc etc how are you going to PROVE that with out appropriate documentation as most mechanics arnt autherised to stamp service books?

You wanna try to explain to ACCC that bit?

Point me to the part of the Honda Warranty Disclosure Statement where it supports your claims.

I refer to Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) Consumer Express publication, April 2005, Issue 1445-9671.


New and used vehicle servicing

In relation to general servicing, motor vehicle dealers are entitled to insist that any servicing performed on cars they sell is carried out by qualified staff, according to the manufacturer’s specifications, and using genuine or appropriate quality parts where required. Provided these conditions are met, regardless of where you choose to get your car serviced, your warranty will remain intact. So shop around.

What you just claimed is blatantly misleading/illegal, maybe it's time Fair Trading/ACCC pay a visit to your dealer ship.



Guys lets tone it down in here a little bit. We're all from different areas, with different shops/dealerships. I'm sure there are dodgy places, there always are. In fact, I have been ripped off many times before. The main point Daveho1 is trying to make is yes, there are ripoff places, but you can't really make a generalization that ALL dealerships and their employees are dodgy scammers.

Theres dodgey independent mechanics too, but thats not the point.

All I'm trying to say is there are certain consumer right protected by Law.

And any statements to the contrary is considered illegal and have legal consequences.

To make any direct or implied statements which to suggest in order to keep the statutory warranty you have to service at a dealership is one such breach of legislation.

[Super-DA9]

Theres dodgey independent mechanics too, but thats not the point.

All I'm trying to say is there are certain consumer right protected by Law.

And any statements to the contrary is considered illegal and have legal consequences.

To make any direct or implied statements which to suggest in order to keep the statutory warranty you have to service at a dealership is one such breach of legislation.

I'm not doubting what you're saying, and discussing it is fine, but I just think we should tone it down a bit y'know. It's a forum, not a courtroom.

I know I'm a bit out of line as I'm not a Mod on here, but it just looks like this thread is getting a bit too heated.

My understanding is that you don't have to get EVERY service done at the dealership, but there are certain services at certain intervals that must be performed by the dealer to retain your warranty. Which to me, makes sense. However, if you were to perform an oil change yourself, and damage the engine by accidentally putting in the wrong oil, or overfilling etc. then your warranty would certainly be void, as it was the owner who made the mistake and caused damage.

[ChaosMaster]

Heated discussion is fine. IMHO. It's only when mudslinging and personal attacks come in that it's out of hand.

And no, you don't have to go to the dealer to have your car serviced. You could go to UltraTune or even Kmart Auto, and they would stamp your book, and Honda will still cover any warranty claims that occur. It's only when people have service their cars themselves, or claim to have, that Honda don't accept.

Yes, there are some good mechanics out there, and there are some dodgy ones as well. Dealers are the same. No industry is 100% clean, it applies to everything. The only fault I have with Honda servicing, and I've mentioned it before, is that it's way over-priced. I guess the same applies to most other brands as well. A bottle of Genuine Honda FEO + Genuine Honda Oil Filter + Genuine Honda Air Filter will set you back less than $100, yet they charge over $300 for the service. $200 for an hours work is a bit too steep.

[Daveho1]

the accc quote you have provided proves my point that you are required to provide evidence that the standards have been met, honestly i dont even care. let me just issue this warning to all of you who intend to get your cars serviced elce were, make sure all invoices are kept and include dates, mileage as well as the brand and part numbers of any parts used are listed in addition make sure the oil brand grade and viscosity are listed i have seen thousands and thousands of dollers charged to customers because an independant shop dosnt list what oil was used and then 3 months later a turbo has seized, thats not the dealer ripping the customer off, thats the car manufacturer not autherising repairs under warranty, causee the conditions whernt met.

[Daveho1]

interestingly enough i overheard a conversation while delivering some parts to a local dealer, lets just say i understand what you guys are saying.