Hey all I'm at 32k right now on my 03 Max SE that I bought brand new last June.
I just got my oil changed at the dealer and they said I need to have my 30k checkup on my next visit and I'll need it to be inspected too. Anyway....they said its gonna cost $490 for the just the checkup. What are they really doing other than changing oil, flushing coolant and the tranny and replacing the cabin filter???
I don't feel like I should pay $490. Can I request just to get those 4 things done??
Thanks.

 

490 bucks for a 30k mile check up?!?!? When I had mine done it was 110 bucks either you drive really hard or they are screwing you. I think it is the latter half, but maybe I am wrong

 

a 89 voyager turbo project? rock on!

 

damn...i paid 300 for mine yesterday and i thought i was getting ripped. and they actually did some things i didn't want them too (change oil, fill gas tank) btw don't let them wash your car...they do a crappy job. I have huge spots where they missed it with the sponge.

 

If you get it done there, make sure to take some lube with you. They will surely run up in you if they get that kind of paper from you. You could buy a CD ROM Nissan service manual for less than half the cost and do the work yourself.

 

its not worth it, believe me. All you really need is the oil, tranny fluid, and possibly the in cabin microfilter done. The rest is, inspect this and inspect that. You can probably do most of it yourself.

 

So true, So true <------ $380 oil change victim here.

 

if they are chargin you 490 for a 30k service they are basically sayin.. Bend over and we'll do u with out Vaseline. lol

a 30k serice does not go that much... most maybe 200 and that is still much..

either take it to another nissan delaer or to another mechanic shop.. but its gonna run at least 100 bucks

 

trust me, a 30k service is much more then JUST an oil change and flushing the tranny. There is all kind of filters that are needed to be replace(air, fuel..etc) lots of stuff needed to be lubricated(windows for example), they replace your wipers....they def do lots of stuff. and you can feel good about that because if anythign ever happens to your car, you can just go back to them and tell them its their fault because you are basicly protected under their "umbrella"

 

I agree with 2001SE on that. That's why I feel better having them doing the service. Since it won't void my warranty, let say if they didn't change my tranny fluid and it start to slip. I can hold them accountable since I would have the paper work that they did the service.

 

air filter is like 10$, takes 1 minute to put on. they don't lubricate anything, who replaces wipers? fuel filter is a lifelong part, as noted in the manual. no dealer in their right mind would even touch that. they don't do anything. the 60k one yes, makes sense. 15k 30k.. money machine.

bottom line comes to, if you want your warranty intact if something is to break later on, go do it. but check with another dealer first. 500$ is a lot of money.

 

Damn, what's with the "blame dealers when my car goes south" thinking? Do you not love your car? Personally, I'd rather make sure that there is nothing wrong with my car rather than blame the dealers when they ****ed up my car.

And yes, $490 is way too much for the 30k mile tune-up.


~limsandy

 

You can save money by doing it yourself. For warranty purposes you only have to prove what you have done, like receipts for parts, log, etc. Did mine for less the $60 in two hours. Now I can go to the "Mons" and enjoy the $400 I saved. Just my two cents.

Pedro

 

fuel filter is not a lifelong part. i know what it says in the manual and service manuals but do you really think the car is going to be running at decent potential with 100k on the original fuel filter? a handful of people have replaced theirs between 40-60k with very favorable results. you have to remember, these are the same people that say the plugs are good for 100k. most around here are not willing to let the car run that long without replacing such important parts. however, i agree that no nissan dealer would replace it as part of a 30k interval service due to its location in the tank.

 

I seriously doubt the dealer's gonna throw in a fuel filter replacement for that service... especially the liability if they **** it up (and have your car waiting for days when they get new parts)

 

I had that 30k thing done at my dealership and it cost me $300 canadaian and it was well worth it. With mine they adjusted the brakes and all I say is that it made a huge difference. Well worth the money, I might have had to put new brakes on if they had not doen that.

 

The parking brake is the only brake that can be adjusted on a four wheel disc brake system. Disc brakes are self adjusting.

 

tranny fluid and oil change you can do it at home. Should cost you less than $50. There are many write-ups on how to do them.

 

they probably pumped the brake with the car turned off to increase the pedal feel. as mentioned before, the parking brake is the only to be adjusted in your braking systems.

 

The dealers have done an excellent job of throwing the fear of God into their customers. Follow the required maintenance schedule listed in the manual, not the dealer recommended service as it is just a way for them to line their pockets. Do not trust dealers and make sure you do some research before they try sell you something you don't need. I actually had a service writer tell me that my warranty would be voided unless I got a tire rotation. Some people believe them.

 

At that price they are probably unlikely to even lube you up before bending you over your hood! Go to a reputable (non-stealer) mechanic with the list and you'll save big. Just ask for a detailed list of work done, and your covered as far as your warrantee goes.

 

$490 does sound like a bit much, but all these people who say htey did it themselves for $60 - I doubt that is really true.

First off - it is kind of like detailing a car - everyone thinks they do just as much as a professional detailer, but when all is said and done they just basically washed it and maybe vacuumed it. Where they detailer clayed the car, used a paint prep, sealant etc.

I had it done for $330 - they did much more than is listed in the owner's manual. Just ask the serivce manager to give you a list of what they are actually doing. In my case they adjusted tensioner on the timing chain, rotated tires, replaced air and oil filters, flushed A/T and replaced fluid, replaced spark plugs and whole bunch of other stuff - some of which is I agree was just check this or chekc that.

The dealer I went to had a 30K maintenace plan that they felt was better than the service manual based on their experience - the spark plugs for example are not a 30K replacement item.

Don't forget - the service tech does have to put some time on this job and while he might not be getting paid $80/hour - that is what the dealer charges because they have to maintain the shop.

Bottom line - probably not worth exactly what they are charging, but if you know what it is they are doing you can get a better idea of how close it is to being worth what you're paying.

Also - don't discount trying to build a relationship with a serivce department. Some times they will be screwing you, but also there will be times when they might be willing to cover something that is out of warranty because you have some history with them.

 

Wow, I'm surprised they changed the platinum spark plugs at 30K... those things should realistically last at least 50-60K...
Copper spark plugs should be changed every 25-30K, not platinums.

 

I'm not sure how they came up with their list, all I can say is that the serivce manager told me that some of the things Nissan says don't need to be changed, do not necessarily last that long - in that service departments experience.

If I recall - a lot of people ended up changing their plugs before the 60K serivce time anyway.

I was not totally convinced it was worth the $330 I paid, but when I drove up and complained about my A/T slipping he did not even blink - he said he would have a tech drive it and they would do the TSB. I had been to 3 other dealers prior to that and everyone of them gave me the run around.

He also replaced that damn A/C van that makes so much noise without me even asking. It was my third one, the previous two I had changed at another dealer and they refused to do the swap on a third. I had pretty much blown off the fan and when I showed up he told me they did the A/T TSB and while they were test driving the car the tech felt the fan was a little to loud and changed that too.

I know it is hard to believe, but I thought the guys at that Nissan dealer really wanted to do things right.

 

"trust me, a 30k service is much more then JUST an oil change and flushing the tranny. There is all kind of filters that are needed to be replace(air, fuel..etc) lots of stuff needed to be lubricated(windows for example), they replace your wipers....they def do lots of stuff. and you can feel good about that because if anythign ever happens to your car, you can just go back to them and tell them its their fault because you are basicly protected under their "umbrella""

Even a heroin-baby can change his own air filter and wipers!

That reads to me that you had no problem paying for the **** reconstructive surgery after your 30k I wouldn't pay anybody to do it. I don't even think they change the fuel filter, since it's not a maintenance item (at least on the 00-01s). If a person truly can't sleep at night without having major "maintenance" done on their car, just get a list of what they do (brochures at the dealership list what they do), bring it to your local mechanic, and watch him charge you no more than half.

Most of these check ups are crap. I'd do what you need for the warranty, and what the manual says you need for regular maintenance, and use a haynes recommended schedule for anything else (like checking CV boots). Stealerships play on fears for these big maintenance checkups. Waste of money!

In regards to plugs - real world they may not last 100k, but replacing at 30k is just money in the toilet.

"Also - don't discount trying to build a relationship with a serivce department. Some times they will be screwing you, but also there will be times when they might be willing to cover something that is out of warranty because you have some history with them." Don't know about you, but if my car breaks enough that I start building a "relationship" with the dealer, I'm gonna sell that POS

 

And that was not the dealer I bought the car at.

The dealer where I bought my car was not too interested in service. I had them do the TSB on the trunk scratch and they lost my car. The service manager said they could not find it - it took them two days and finally I called and said where they hell is my car. Little did they know they body shop had called me and asked when I was coming to get my car. The damn Nissan dealer had not even tried to check with the body shop and they own the body shop.

So this other guy seemed like the best service department ever - maybe that is why I was willing to give him $330 for the 30K maintenance.

 

Haha lost your car - that is naughty!

I'd feel more compelled to pay a dealership the $300 if they were nice to me, no doubt about it.

 

Ok, the service manual says for 30K service to simply inspect everything. The only required work in ventilation air filter, ait cleaner filter, engine oil, and oil filter. Everything else is "Inspect. Correct or replace if necessary." So, I'd say inspecting all these things is worth less than $100 in time. Now if they have to correct anything, then the cost goes up. So $400+ sounds like they intend to do the work regardless of whether or not it needs it (or at least tell you they did it).

If you really want to know if they are ripping you off, ask them for a list of exactly what they are going to do. Then judge for yourself.

 

$490 bux is a lot for what your getting. Parts total is like $60. You pay for the labor for about an hour and the rest is almost like a storage fee on there lot. Believe me do it yourself on a Sunday, Football season is over so theres plenty of time!