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Brake fluid flush at 42K WTF?
- Thread starter Hot Runr Guy
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I am not a lawyer in any state but am pretty sure that would be illegal in about all states to perform unauthorized work and expect payment.
As to the OP's situation, I learned to stop getting incensed over dealership service up-sells. They are like the finance guy when you bought the vehicle and tries to sell you some overpriced third party extended warranty. Just learn to smile and say "no thanks".
Imagine getting this triggered over a simple comment just to paste a whole technical manual from Google. I guess your a fluids "Expert" right.. Take a deep breath, man, it's just brake fluid I'll change mine when I want to and you do the same.Let us know if you want a medal or a monumentThis a public forum comments and info within are meant for everyone reading.
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The whole "decarbonize and decoke throttle body" part. The vehicle had less than 20k on it at the time and cleaning the throttle body was not at all needed.
It was the pushy part that set me off. The guy was openly disrespectful. I've owned dozens of motorized vehicles, built engines, custom suspensions, all that sort of stuff - plus at that time I was more than a decade into my own customer service oriented career. At that particular dealership I never had any other service advisor be a jerk before that (was not my first Subaru) and he was clearly just reading stuff off a sell sheet, couldn't even explain why it might be needed.
I felt (and feel) just fine about myself blasting that guy.
Knowing how to protect oneself from scammy people trying to forcibly upsell unnecessary things they make commissions on is a basic life skill. I like to think the idiot learned a lesson about customer service
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I agree but the craw in my throat would be that they still did work one did not request.
Worked with a guy that took his vehicle in for a lengthy stay for a transmission swap at the dealership. They did a "courtesy " oil change that was not part of the statement of work or requested and dumped out his freshly filled AMSOIL he had in the crankcase for dealer bulk oil. He was pretty livid and did get them to cut him a check for the wasted AMSOIL.
This.
In my first (and only, so far) trip to the dealer for warranty work and a recall, the service writer begged me to "give him 5 stars when I get the survey." I told him, "I'll give you a perfect score every time you don't offer me a transmission flush, an intake cleaning, or an HVAC duct freshening." I think we have an understanding.
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More power to yaThe whole "decarbonize and decoke throttle body" part. The vehicle had less than 20k on it at the time and cleaning the throttle body was not at all needed.
It was the pushy part that set me off. The guy was openly disrespectful. I've owned dozens of motorized vehicles, built engines, custom suspensions, all that sort of stuff - plus at that time I was more than a decade into my own customer service oriented career. At that particular dealership I never had any other service advisor be a jerk before that (was not my first Subaru) and he was clearly just reading stuff off a sell sheet, couldn't even explain why it might be needed.
I felt (and feel) just fine about myself blasting that guy.
Knowing how to protect oneself from scammy people trying to forcibly upsell unnecessary things they make commissions on is a basic life skill. I like to think the idiot learned a lesson about customer service
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Good for you!One of my favorites was a Subaru dealership service advisor trying to sell me a "decarbonize and decoke throttle body" service when I went in for an oil change. I told the service advisor that it was complete and utter bull manure.
He got pushy.
My impolite and vociferous response was heard by *every customer in the busy service area and many on the sales floor* as well as every mechanic working in the bays. I do tend to get loud when I'm indignant. When the service manager on duty came rushing over, he quickly shuffled the idiot that tried to BS me away and I got a free oil change and tire rotation that day.
Interestingly no one at that dealership ever tried to push any "extra" stuff on me again after that.
At times I wish I had that superpower. Maybe I can hire an actor to play the heavy for me!
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Sad they didn't even read the available info in Ford Pass maintenance to know what to attempt to sell you.
Truly the lazy way.
Truly the lazy way.
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Oh - I thought those were.
I was thinking the Carfax maintenance section that declares the dealer won't know about it. I figured not there.
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If the dealer was reasonable about it and was only gonna charge like $30 for the brake fluid flush, I'd say to just do it. But over $200?!?! Sounds like you'd be paying for all the techs' lunches that day...
Not even a independent shop would do it for $30 + fluid cost. Dealerships have overhead and I can count about 5 people minimum involved in a service visit to include the service writer, porter, parts person, cashier and the actual tech doing the work needing paid before capital costs and profit is taken for the dealership because they are not a charity.
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