Do you get your vehicle serviced on schedule or do you...

[Lynn CC]

let it go a few miles extra? Do you go to the dealer or other?
Just curious

We always have ours go in on schedule for oil changes and whatever else the manual says it needs. I take our Volvo to our local Volvo Dealer, the Ford trucks to the Ford Dealer and the Chevy to the Chevy Dealer.
I usually get the brakes done by Midas because they warranty them as long as you own the vehicle...with exception of the Volvo, always serviced by Volvo dealer. I go to Sears to get tires for all,because they have the insurance you can buy for just a few dollars and they will fix/replace tire if needed, plus they do free rotations when you need them. I've used this service several times over the years.

 

[RadioFanatic]

I'm very anal about being on time and doing it at the dealer. I learned a very hard lesson in my early 20's with my first car. i didn't take it in for oil changes and guess what? yep it died on me - and at a time I couldn't afford it. so now it's 3,000 "whether it needs it or not" and I take the cars where I bought them so if they try to say something wasn't done or it was my fault, I just have to pull out the receipts.

 

[CheshireVal]

I get oil changes on time, but the other stuff (tire rotation, transmission flush, etc.) I can be kind of neglectful of.

The owner's manual on my car says to get my oil changed every 5,000 miles. But when I take it into the Toyota dealer for the oil change, they give me a 3,000 mile "next oil change due date" sticker.

So far, I've been choosing to go with the owner's manual and I'm letting it go 5,000.....

 

[Christine]

Well, I sort of use the dealer. Right now I am taking my new car into the Toyota dealer because all oil changes are free for the first year. When I had my first Honda and Toyota, I religiously used the dealer. But it was getting so expensive. When I started looking at what they did for the "maintenance" it was predominantly that they were checking things versus replacing things.

So my DH started doing all of the oil changes and any minor maintenance that he can do. Of course, we document it. Now, if the car needed any type of major repair, we take it to the dealer. So far, we haven't had any luck with local mechanics.

 

[ncgolfer]

I refuse to take my car to dealer service dept. unless it is absolutely necessary. Most people can do routine maintenance (oil change, tire rotation) themselves. No one will take care of you car like you will so I try to do as much myself as possible.

 

[graygables]

Just got done at the 3rd mechanic (1st was the dealership...never again). I try to do the oil changes on time, but I'd never had the "30,000 mile service" (and I have 100k on the thing). The dealership said they did it, but Midas said they didn't. The dealership also missed some rather important problems (rotors, tie rod end) and grossly overcharged me for the spark plugs/wires, so I will NEVER return to that dealership for service OR purchase.

 

[jennyl772003]

We get the oil changed pretty close to 5,000 miles. We do go to an oil change place for this cuz then we also get a free car wash. Tire rotation we are kind of hit or miss with, but it is really more to prolong your tires anyway, not anything that is going to kill my car. The rest of the stuff, I haven't really haven't had to worry so much about since our cars are pretty new. We would probably go to the dealer, just because we don't have a mechanic that we trust.

 

[vacanut]

We service our own vehicles. We change the oil every 3,000 miles and rotate the tires as the book says, mine is due for the trans fluid which we will do.

 

[mudnuri]

LOF's while under warranty are done at the dealership regardless of which vehicle. The Dmax LOF was done at 7K miles due to full synthetic oil, the gassers at 4K.

Tire rotations are done at the tire guy's- usually ever other oil change...

Only engine ever to have the 30K, 50K, 100K recomended service was the dmax, because the warranty on that was to 100K miles

Brandy

 

[Frantasmic]

I do it by the book. For the minor in-between events, I get them done at the oil change place or car wash down the street. For the main events, I go to the dealer. You never know when an unannounced recall is out there. Plus, the dealer throws in a car wash for anything they do.

 

[Living with the Land]

My car tells me when to change the oil and fluids. When it beeps I do whatever it says. I guess I am at the mercy of my car. LOL

Holly