Dealer Servicing

Drewbo · May 8, 2016

So what are everyone's plans when it comes to scheduled servicing?

After the complimentary initial "service" has been completed are you going to return to the stealership or find a trusted third party mechanic?

The only real disadvantage I can see in not returning to the dealer is that your roadside assistance won't be renewed. Ford also promise a free loan car provided you book ahead, however I have read of many instances of them not being available.

A quick look at the 15000km/1 year service for a GT manual indicates that it will cost $425 at a Ford dealer (not including some fluids if required - coolant/brake/transmission). I imagine that an apprentice would be doing the bulk of the work.

Can we do better elsewhere? Recommendations?

Yeah Nah · May 8, 2016

Drewbo, if I have no issues with my vehicle they will not see me for the complimentary service at all. If I have to wait 15000 Kms for the first service I will have to slash my wrists.

As long as your book is stamped by an authorised mechanic and you replace all parts (as per specifications) with FoMoCo parts then we do not void any warranty. My first oil change will be at 500kms. Then every 2000kms after that. Mine will not be a daily driver.

I have road side assist covered also. I have RACV Total Care which will cover me for both of my cars for $185.95. I am a 31 year RACV member so my insurance and road side assist are well discounted.

As for a loan vehicle, book in well in advance. You can take your vehicle to be serviced to any Ford Authorised Dealer.

FPV GT · May 8, 2016

$425......FPV GT lets out a slow long winded whistle..........:lol:

I guess they have to recoup the cost of a loan car somehow.

Billca · May 8, 2016

Drewbo said:
So what are everyone's plans when it comes to scheduled servicing?

I ask myself the same question whenever I buy a new car. I usually end up going to the dealer. The upside of going private is usually a cheaper price but I wonder if they made a mistake, like forgetting to fill the engine with oil or something else, would a small shop have the resources or insurance to repair/replace an engine?
I know something like this is unlikely to happen, a private shop mechanic is as skilled as a Ford workshop and anyone can make a mistake, but I can't see Ford intervening on my behalf unless it's with a Ford dealer. I know I could go to the small claims court and I also know how drawn out that process is. In the meantime, no Mustang.
I consider the extra cost at the dealership to be insurance, not because they'll do a better job but because I haven't introduced a third party into the equation. I bought the car from Ford, they serviced the car, it broke, they fix it. Hopefully. I'm sure there are others who use a trusted mechanic and that would work too.

Yeah Nah · May 8, 2016

Billca you bring up some very good points and anyone (dealer or private tech.) can make an error. I am lucky enough to have a great technician and fortunate enough for them to have the diagnostic code reader (pardon me if this is the incorrect term for it). Any serious mechanic would have one. I am sceptical of the mechanics at the Dealerships.

My last experience at a Ford Dealership was not long ago. Took my 4X4 for its complimentary service and happened to be the first in, so I asked the service manager to give me tour of the workshop. All viewing was conducted in a safe area. I was excited because I could see my vehicle being worked on.

A whole 75 minutes of - tech drove car into bay - popped bonnet - checked fluids - filled water bottle - car was left unattended for 20 minutes - tech came back - checked air in tyres - closed bonnet - reversed it to the bay opposite it was in - idled for 10 minutes - and that was it. No oil change or put on the hoist to check the undercarriage. They never saw me again nor did I give a fuck to complain. And that was my Ford Service experience, they can stick their bullshit, over inflated prices up their butt holes.

Billca · May 8, 2016

Yeah Nah said:
they can stick their bullshit, over inflated prices up their butt holes.

It doesn't build confidence when you see something like that does it? I had a copy of the Mustang service costs somewhere but I can't find it anywhere. I recall the ecoboost was a little more expensive than the GT though.

Drewbo · May 8, 2016

Billca said:
I had a copy of the Mustang service costs somewhere

http://www.ford.com.au/service/calculator

PO55NY · May 8, 2016

Drewbo said:
http://www.ford.com.au/service/calculator

Looking at the Ford service calculator, it's $555.00 to change the transmission oil in an auto. That's a bit rich.

Billca · May 8, 2016

They don't tell you what's included in the $330 service fee either.

Stubai · May 8, 2016

ha ha brilliant. Maybe I can add something here.

So my wife bought a Ford Focus about 6 years ago from a dealership in Sydney, she was always happy with their serviceing and the cost wasn't bad. She never had any nasty surprises and they tended to do those little things that niggle without asking or charging. They offered an additional 2 years warranty for free, if she serviced with them. All was great.

She then moved to Canberra and decided to use the local dealer to save the drive back to Sydney for servicing. So on our second or third service with this Canberra mob they rang towards the end of the day and said the car wasn't ready we could keep the loaner car overnight. Waiting the next day my wife had to call them, nope still not ready. Now this was for a standard service, so highly unusual. Its just a focus. The weekend passed and we got the call on the Monday, yep cars ready come and get it. They spoke to my wife and said that they had to clean out the heads???

Wifey made the trip home and said the car didn't feel right. I dismissed it of course because I am a man. So she made me drive it the next day. 100m down the road, yes she was quite right. The focus was not. She rings the dealer they dismiss her so I take it in. Nothing wrong you say, "how about you drive it?" It was lumpy and rough at idle and takeoff. So then we get the real story. The mechanic which I think was code for the work experience kid, had tried to remove the spark plugs with a rattle gun and neglected the little rhyme - Lefty loosey Righty tighty - and bang, spark plug is drilled into the engine the ceramics inside shattering into the heads. Days pass and they finally decide they cant fix it and that they will replace the engine with a crate engine.

Sweet new engine. Except that it seemed that their insurance assessor must have been based in Helsinki as it took a full two weeks before they even started the job. Crate engine in we pick it up but the dealer refuses to supply any paper work to prove that there is a new engine. Multiple phone calls, constantly being put off and told they will call us and no phone call I had to go to Ford Australia for resolution. We got our paperwork within two weeks after that. This was on top of the dealer telling us that the METAL face plate on the steering wheel surrounds, which had torn and slashed open my finger, was normal wear and tear and wouldn't be covered under warranty.

So my mustang, despite living 35 kms from the close Canberra dealer, has been purchased from Sydney and the original dealership my wife went to with there bonus free extra warranty. I will be driving it there to be serviced. But the moment I suspect it is not being done properly is the moment I go independent.

The moral to this story I guess, is your dealer servicing really depends on the individuals servicing it. Like independents, some will be good and some wont its about finding someone you trust.

Agent 86 · May 8, 2016

Jesus, who removes spark plugs with a rattle gun! PM me the particular dealership details so I know to avoid.

Jack79 · May 8, 2016

Agent 86 said:
Jesus, who removes spark plugs with a rattle gun! PM me the particular dealership details so I know to avoid.

Wow, i've herd a few bad stories, but using a rattle gun to remove takes the cake:doh:

Jack79 · May 8, 2016

PO55NY said:
Looking at the Ford service calculator, it's $555.00 to change the transmission oil in an auto. That's a bit rich.

Is it what... even the coolant is $210..

I think they should stop using rare baby whales to make Ford Transmission and Coolant Fluid.

you can't tell me that $550 is not excessive for a transmission oil change.. i know its not the cheapest fluid... but still..

Can some tell me the trans oil spec and the volume for a a change... i would like to see if we are being rightly screwed

EDIT: the Transmission fluid is good for 240000 km from the Mustang Service Manual, and the Coolant is good for 160000km...

But u only need 5 quarts for the Auto Transmission and 5 litre of tranny fluid works out to be between $60-75.... so huge rip off...

Hunter · May 8, 2016

Stubai said:
ha ha brilliant. Maybe I can add something here.

So my wife bought a Ford Focus about 6 years ago from a dealership in Sydney, she was always happy with their serviceing and the cost wasn't bad. She never had any nasty surprises and they tended to do those little things that niggle without asking or charging. They offered an additional 2 years warranty for free, if she serviced with them. All was great.

She then moved to Canberra and decided to use the local dealer to save the drive back to Sydney for servicing. So on our second or third service with this Canberra mob they rang towards the end of the day and said the car wasn't ready we could keep the loaner car overnight. Waiting the next day my wife had to call them, nope still not ready. Now this was for a standard service, so highly unusual. Its just a focus. The weekend passed and we got the call on the Monday, yep cars ready come and get it. They spoke to my wife and said that they had to clean out the heads???

Wifey made the trip home and said the car didn't feel right. I dismissed it of course because I am a man. So she made me drive it the next day. 100m down the road, yes she was quite right. The focus was not. She rings the dealer they dismiss her so I take it in. Nothing wrong you say, "how about you drive it?" It was lumpy and rough at idle and takeoff. So then we get the real story. The mechanic which I think was code for the work experience kid, had tried to remove the spark plugs with a rattle gun and neglected the little rhyme - Lefty loosey Righty tighty - and bang, spark plug is drilled into the engine the ceramics inside shattering into the heads. Days pass and they finally decide they cant fix it and that they will replace the engine with a crate engine.

Sweet new engine. Except that it seemed that their insurance assessor must have been based in Helsinki as it took a full two weeks before they even started the job. Crate engine in we pick it up but the dealer refuses to supply any paper work to prove that there is a new engine. Multiple phone calls, constantly being put off and told they will call us and no phone call I had to go to Ford Australia for resolution. We got our paperwork within two weeks after that. This was on top of the dealer telling us that the METAL face plate on the steering wheel surrounds, which had torn and slashed open my finger, was normal wear and tear and wouldn't be covered under warranty.

So my mustang, despite living 35 kms from the close Canberra dealer, has been purchased from Sydney and the original dealership my wife went to with there bonus free extra warranty. I will be driving it there to be serviced. But the moment I suspect it is not being done properly is the moment I go independent.

The moral to this story I guess, is your dealer servicing really depends on the individuals servicing it. Like independents, some will be good and some wont its about finding someone you trust.

Tell me the dealer please!!!!!

RubyVert · May 8, 2016

I've been having the same issues with Holden's "Fixed price servicing" at my local dealer - 2013 VF SS wagon went in for it's 60K service just on xmas, as we were going

away the next day and we had been having torrential rain - I asked for the wiper blades to be replaced.

BIG MISTAKE - Got charged $100 for the blades and $20 for fittment, after virtually shaming the service manager (he was redfaced) he dropped the fitting charge - Whoopee! NOT!

Today it's gone to a local mechanic for it's 75K service and won't be going back to GEOFF King Motors in Coffs Harbour in it's lifetime.

Local Ford dealer has been ok with previous cars - so we'll see how the boss's mustang goes.

Cheers

J

Dealer Servicing

Drewbo

WTF?

Yeah Nah

Well-Known Member

FPV GT

Well-Known Member

Billca

Well-Known Member

Yeah Nah

Well-Known Member

Billca

Well-Known Member

Drewbo

WTF?

PO55NY

Well-Known Member

Billca

Well-Known Member

Stubai

Well-Known Member

Agent 86

Active Member

Jack79

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Jack79

Well-Known Member

Hunter

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RubyVert

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