Any value servicing vehicle at Honda vs. Brick&Mortar vs. Self maintenance

[Jimmou]

Wondering what your guys' opinions are? For example, I'm nearing 22,000 miles on my '19 SI and want to get my first alignment since owning it (bought at 13k miles). Was wondering if I should get it aligned at a Honda dealership or just go to a brick and mortar like Les Schwab or Sears and get it aligned there? Any long term value added between the two? I wonder about other maintenance tasks that most people can do at home as well. I'm already planning to do all the fluid maintenance myself i.e. oil change, coolant change, brake flush, transmission fluid change, but wonder if getting these done at the dealer adds any value to the car say 15/20 years down the line. I imagine a lot of the home mechanics are probably gonna say, just do everything yourself, but I just saw a post on reddit about a 1997 Integra GSR that has always been serviced at Acura and when you think of an actual 20 year old car now that's been serviced exclusively at the dealer, I feel it definitely adds good value to the car.

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[Drake]

The money you save doing it yourself > the increased resale value from having detailed service receipts.
A used car with maintenance records will definitely be more attractive to a potential buyer, but labor costs so much there is no doubt you will end up miles ahead doing your own maintenance. Just try not to forget anything that your car needs done at each service interval and use quality products

 

[Dyim]

I don’t wrench myself.

I tend to stick with dealer (even though they cost more) especially during warranty period.

I do a lot of research online so I usually have a pretty good idea what is required, especially warranty related issue.

I have been using my current dealer for 16 years and have a pretty good relationship with the service manager and he treats me well.

If you build a good long term relationship, they tend to listen to your concerns more and work with you more IMO.

 

[Rickmeister 48]

I gotta say after seeing so much crap on here about dealers, then witnessing first hand that they couldn't do an oil change correctly, not to mention all the lies they came up with during my arbitration,which they lost, that I will only go to a dealer if absolutely necessary for warranty stuff.
I've done a lot of work on my own cars, but I'm getting to where I physically can't do it any longer. Luckily I've got a shop I've been dealing with for over 20 years that I trust.

 

[ty77064]

If you haven't done anything to your suspension or hit anything with your car, the alignment should be good. But if you want to do it anyways, Firestone offers a lifetime alignment for about $189. On maintenance, I like knowing what goes in and out of my engine. I record everything in Notes on my iPhone, every oil change or maintenance items with mileage. And, yes, it saves a lot of money

 

[latole]

Any long term value added between the two?
-Jimmou

Not in my opinion. Dealers are too expensive.
I had 5 to 6 cars in my life and nobody ask about maintenance ( bills or other ) when I sell them

 

[Phy]

Other than being able to print out a 5 page carfax report, there's no benefit to using a dealer.

 

[16LXMT]

When you pay someone else to work on your car you are paying somebody who is trying to get the job done quick so they can take more jobs on and more money in.

They have incentive to go fast, less inventive to do a good job.

When you pay the dealership they operate inder the same way. The kicker with the dealers is they're underquoting the mechanics for time on jobs. If the computer says 4 hours but it takes the mechanic 6 hours they only get paid 4. Mechanics can also make more money by completing jobs faster than the given time. If they complete the job in 2 hours they make 4 hours pay.

Everyone has incentice to rush or even fake the work on your car, tell you expert techa did fine work and you pay them $120/h for it.

I strongly recommend everyone learns how to change fluids, brakes and suspension parts just as part of car ownership.

 

[latole]

When you pay someone else to work on your car you are paying somebody who is trying to get the job done quick so they can take more jobs on and more money in.

They have incentive to go fast, less inventive to do a good job.

IMO many small town mechanic don't work like that because they know their customer.
And they don't work like in assembly line like the dealers
You can talk to the owner and his mechanic about the job . You can't do that at a dealer.

 

[16LXMT]

IMO many small town mechanic don't work like that because they know their customer.
And they don't work like in assembly line like the dealers
You can talk to the owner and his mechanic about the job . You can't do that at a dealer.

Yes you can do this at mickie mouse shops in the sticks. Not exactly a reality for most owners. It's a lot cheaper and easier to turn some 10mm, 12mm and the odd 14 or 15mm bolts. It's surprisingly simple and easy.

 

[latole]

I don't know what "michey mouse shop" means. I am aware that many car owners feel they have to deal with a dealership or don't know a good mechanic or worse are impressed by a nice showroom. It's a choice

 

[Guitar_stitch]

Had a dealership completely botch an oil change on my 2006 Element. That was the last time I let a dealer touch my vehicle. (I know...I still need to get that airbag replaced...)

They forgot a crush washer, then tried to over-tighten the drain plug. When that didn't stop the leak, they gooped it up with silicone.

 

[NotSerious]

Dealers WILL treat you better when it comes to warranty work if you get the maintenance done at their shop. There are CivicX members who have stated that they got their aircon fixed free out of warranty because they had all of their maintenance at the Dealer. If you don't get the maintenance done at the Dealer, most Dealers would look for any excuse to charge you for the work even if it should be covered under warranty.

If you have a good Dealer and they don't overcharge or try to sell you something you don't need, and you don't want to do it yourself, stick with the Dealer at least as long as your powertrain warranty lasts and maybe as long as ten years (extended warranty on the condensor). It also makes it easier to sell your car as the maintenance all shows up on the carfax.

 

[latole]

Had a dealership completely botch an oil change on my 2006 Element. That was the last time I let a dealer touch my vehicle. (I know...I still need to get that airbag replaced...)

They forgot a crush washer, then tried to over-tighten the drain plug. When that didn't stop the leak, they gooped it up with silicone.

Oh my God !

 

[latole]

Dealers WILL treat you better when it comes to warranty work if you get the maintenance done at their shop. There are CivicX members who have stated that they got their aircon fixed free out of warranty because they had all of their maintenance at the Dealer. If you don't get the maintenance done at the Dealer, most Dealers would look for any excuse to charge you for the work even if it should be covered under warranty.

If you have a good Dealer and they don't overcharge or try to sell you something you don't need, and you don't want to do it yourself, stick with the Dealer at least as long as your powertrain warranty lasts and maybe as long as ten years (extended warranty on the condensor). It also makes it easier to sell your car as the maintenance all shows up on the carfax.

You are not wrong.
Since I have a car I ( 50 years ) never go to the dealer. Dealer charge twice ( and more if you listen and do all maintenance he said but car don't need ) than town my mechanic.

I save so much money I can pay for any warranty cost ...if it ever happened.
I never need to go to a dealer for warranty service in all my life.
I understand that most customers want to be reassured and going to the dealer can be a good idea

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