MrClean 06:15 AM 09-20-2011
I do most everything on my 99 Dakota, but on my wifes 08 Mazda 6, we take it to the dealership. We get an oil change and tire rotation for $35-$40. Her car has a 'shield' on the bottom of it to protect the underside of the engine. I'm not messing with all that to change the oil. I can crawl under my truck without using a jack to change the oil.
There are services that the dealership charges a little more for than other places but they aren't as bad as they used to be price wise.
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justonemorestick 01:55 AM 09-21-2011
I had them pull the plug on a differential suck all the fluid out and come to tell me that the plug was missing and had blown all the gear oil out (very neatly as diff cover was clean) and that they would fix it for me. they were as pissed as I was when I pulled it foreward to the carwash bay right in front of the shop and filled it myself. Just what I get for being lazy and going to let someone else change my oil. I try to do as much as I can myself and that saves me a huge amount by the way.
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Silound 09:42 PM 09-21-2011
The jiffy lube scandal was several years ago, it sparked a nationwide debacle about car shops. I can very well remember watching about that and marking filters on various vehicles for people I knew. No shop ever neglected the work paid for, but I can't say the same for tire and alignment places.
Really it boils down more to a few bad apples tainting the barrel, but that's all it takes.
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Devanmc 09:50 PM 09-21-2011
I do nearly all my work myself. Expect for tires and alignment, cuz i dont have money for the machines. Just did a top end rebuild on my brother's escalade over the summer, 200bucks in parts, saved him about 1500bucks. I hate going to a shop for anything.
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