Dealership Service Surprise

[icegradner]

I had an interesting surprise after getting and oil and transmission fluid change done yesterday with just over 30k miles now on my 22 Hybrid. The dealership I go to appears to be using Liqui Moly Motor oil, at least for full synthetic oil changes, rather than Motorcraft, like they have always done in the past. I wonder if this is related to synthetic oil shortages a few members here talked about a month or so ago? Maybe Ford is holding Motorcraft Oil for the US market?

Any other Canadian owners seen something like this with a recent service? They charged $100 Canadian for the oil, which is the retail price for a 5L bottle of Liqui Moly 0W-20 in Canada. Kind of crazy, when a 4.79L bottle of Moble 1 hybrid 0W-20 can be had for under $65 Cdn. This kind of stuff is why I started doing my own changes, but I do like to get a Ford inspection once a year, just for the extended warranty.

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[BK007]

I had an interesting surprise after getting and oil and transmission fluid change done yesterday with just over 30k miles now on my 22 Hybrid. The dealership I go to appears to be using Liqui Moly Motor oil, at least for full synthetic oil changes, rather than Motorcraft, like they have always done in the past. I wonder if this is related to synthetic oil shortages a few members here talked about a month or so ago? Maybe Ford is holding Motorcraft Oil for the US market?

Any other Canadian owners seen something like this with a recent service? They charged $100 Canadian for the oil, which is the retail price for a 5L bottle of Liqui Moly 0W-20 in Canada. Kind of crazy, when a 4.79L bottle of Moble 1 hybrid 0W-20 can be had for under $65 Cdn. This kind of stuff is why I started doing my own changes, but I do like to get a Ford inspection once a year, just for the extended warranty.

Wow, yes that is why I do my own service except for warranty work. I know there is a shortage of ULV transmission fluid.

Google-There is a significant supply-chain issue affecting synthetic motor oil in 2026, primarily driven by a shortage of Group III base oil. This is not expected to result in a complete disappearance of motor oil from retail shelves, but it is causing several notable impacts. And that is the same base oil for ULV transmission fluid.

 

[icegradner]

Wow, yes that is why I do my own service except for warranty work. I know there is a shortage of ULV transmission fluid.

Google-There is a significant supply-chain issue affecting synthetic motor oil in 2026, primarily driven by a shortage of Group III base oil. This is not expected to result in a complete disappearance of motor oil from retail shelves, but it is causing several notable impacts. And that is the same base oil for ULV transmission fluid.

They charged $50 Cdn for the ULV trans fluid, about what I would have expected.

 

[BK007]

They charged $50 Cdn for the ULV trans fluid, about what I would have expected.

That is not to bad. I got Valvoline Full Syn ULV from Rock Auto for $6.30 a Qt for my 30k upcoming service I'm doing.

 

[Joe Strummer]

Wow, CDN 447.74 looks pretty steep to me

 

[Hot Runr Guy]

That is not to bad. I got Valvoline Full Syn ULV from Rock Auto for $6.30 a Qt for my 30k upcoming service I'm doing.

My Independent guy really doesn't want to mix fluids, so I bought a 3-pack of Motorcraft ULV 5-quart jugs from Rock Auto to bring the price down a bit. I've got other vehicles that can use it.

HRG

 

[BK007]

My Independent guy really doesn't want to mix fluids, so I bought a 3-pack of Motorcraft ULV 5-quart jugs from Rock Auto to bring the price down a bit. I've got other vehicles that can use it.

HRG

That's cool. I have no need for that much or I would have got it. Great deal on the 3 pack. The ULV shortage is real. I talked to Valvoline and I have no worries mixing it at all.

 

[Cancunbadlands]

Not bad at all
Won't break the bank

 

[icegradner]

Wow, CDN 447.74 looks pretty steep to me

Yeah, it is. I was shocked by the $100 for the motor oil. Usually they charge $80 for the Motorcraft full synthetic. Labour charges here in the lower mainland have skyrocketed in the last four years. When I bought the Maverick they were charging $80 for an oil and filter service, now it’s over $120 for the 5W-20 Synthetic blend!

 

[pigsareus]

Yeah, it is. I was shocked by the $100 for the motor oil. Usually they charge $80 for the Motorcraft full synthetic. Labour charges here in the lower mainland have skyrocketed in the last four years. When I bought the Maverick they were charging $80 for an oil and filter service, now it’s over $120 for the 5W-20 Synthetic blend!

Yeah, it is. I was shocked by the $100 for the motor oil. Usually they charge $80 for the Motorcraft full synthetic. Labour charges here in the lower mainland have skyrocketed in the last four years. When I bought the Maverick they were charging $80 for an oil and filter service, now it’s over $120 for the 5W-20 Synthetic blend!

yep - same here in the states - did you happen to get the extended warranty on your '22? I only did because I figured that soon labor rates will be 200 and hour and yes I am expecting 12 hours of covered 'fix its' over next 6 years....which would cover the extended warranty cost....

 

[zen_]

Use of Liqui Moly by a Ford dealer seems a little sus as a bogus upcharge to me. It's good oil, some of the best for Euro specs, and they make a more generic spec for American and Asian vehicles that meets Ford's specs specifically. There is also a base synthetic oil shortage now because a huge producer in the middle east has been cutoff from the Iran conflict, but it's mostly affecting oil that was already in short supply like 0w8. Just doesn't add up when there is no shortage of the bulk oils dealers get in boxes or drums.

FWIW in the US, all I have noticed is that the good old $18 jugs of 5 quart SuperTech synthetic have dried up, and price have been creeping up.

 

[Hootbro]

Liqui-Moly is decent oil. I would not lose sleep if they subbed that on me for a dealership visit oil change.

 

[icegradner]

Liqui-Moly is decent oil. I would not lose sleep if they subbed that on me for a dealership visit oil change.

I don't really care about what brand it is, just not something I expected. If it was just a sub that would be fine, it just happens to be $20 more than they charged for Motorcraft on my last visit. It doesn't suprise me really, the dealership is part of a huge nation wide chain so the dealership is not as good as it was under previous ownership 4 1/2 years ago. Just reinforces my choice to do more services myself. I saved $100, or maybe more, doing the last oil service myself.

 

[icegradner]

Use of Liqui Moly by a Ford dealer seems a little sus as a bogus upcharge to me. It's good oil, some of the best for Euro specs, and they make a more generic spec for American and Asian vehicles that meets Ford's specs specifically.

This is my suspicion as well, they were already charging $40 more for a full synthetic Motocraft oil over the standard Synth blend motocraft as it was. We all know that's a joke, since a bottle of fully synth oil is $5-10 more than conventional, and likely even less so in bulk.

 

[Hootbro]

I don't really care about what brand it is, just not something I expected. If it was just a sub that would be fine, it just happens to be $20 more than they charged for Motorcraft on my last visit. It doesn't suprise me really, the dealership is part of a huge nation wide chain so the dealership is not as good as it was under previous ownership 4 1/2 years ago. Just reinforces my choice to do more services myself. I saved $100, or maybe more, doing the last oil service myself.

Read your first post again and really did not seem clear to me they were overcharging for it but can understand the being pissed part if they did.

Do not know how Canadian consumer laws work, but most place in the States, they usually have one sign a service ticket up front before services are done disclosing what is to be done and estimate of charges.

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