Bad Oil change price, McGrath Kia, Phillip Canberra

[Sime]

Id decided early on that I was going to be doing regular oil changes on the GT just for good longevity. I could do it myself, but I don’t have the gear to raise the car atm, and I’m lazy, so.....

Took it the the above mentioned dealer to do a non regular service, simple oil and filter change only.

$355…………………………

Never again. They could have warned me before I left the car there.

That’s criminal.

 

[OliverNuther]

Why should they warn you?

Did you ask the price first?

 

[basysmith]

It is criminal but they saw you coming not asking for a price first. I'd never go to a dealer unless it was warranty related.

 

[SteveCo]

My first oil change at 6 months was relatively inexpensive at $75 CAD, so I had the dealer do it - figuring it would be a good idea to have them give the car a once over after it had a few kilometers on it. I've done the subsequent oil changes myself.

I was given a sheet as part of the paperwork when I bought the car, detailing the cost of the four various 'factory recommended' services they could provide on a rotating basis at 6 month intervals ('severe service') - Service 1 at 75 dollars, through Service 4 at 640 dollars (CAD). Service 4 includes a coolant change.The rotation interval is 1,2,1,3,1,2,1,4 - with service 4 coming due at 4 years/48,000 KM. Service 2 was listed as $210, and Service 3 as $380.

The vast majority of the 'extra' items in services 2, 3 and 4 are inspections, minor adjustments and lubrication, etc. that I perform myself when I change the oil. To be honest, 75 dollars (service 1) isn't much more than it costs me to do the oil change with filter, but it does give me an opportunity to look the car over as well. I keep all the dated receipts for the oil and filters, in case they are needed as proof for warranty coverage.

From the sounds of it, your oil and filter change was likely one of the additional bundled 'recommended service' packs, not a simple oil change. Was that the case? If so, they should have made their 'recommended' service schedule details and costs clear both when you bought the car, and on the day when you took the car in - but then you should always confirm the estimated cost when you leave them the car as well.

What does your invoice show you received for the $355, in the parts and labour detail?

 

[Snatchell]

WOW! That's crazy pricing! What oil did they use? Total Quartz?

 

[Rob M]

And, it was all caught on video. Sime is on the left, service manager is on the right.

 

[Coho305]

Id decided early on that I was going to be doing regular oil changes on the GT just for good longevity. I could do it myself, but I don’t have the gear to raise the car atm, and I’m lazy, so.....

Took it the the above mentioned dealer to do a non regular service, simple oil and filter change only.

$355…………………………

Never again. They could have warned me before I left the car there.

That’s criminal.

The day I bought my GT1 I asked the service advisor how much an oil change was. He informed me that for a v6 it is $35, for the 4cyl it is $99. Don’t know how much it matters, I’m in Atlanta.

 

[Peeso33]

He informed me that for a v6 it is $35, for the 4cyl it is $99.

$35 for a V6, $99 for a 4 cyliner? If someone quoted my that price, I would never let them touch my car.

 

[Coho305]

$35 for a V6, $99 for a 4 cyliner? If someone quoted my that price, I would never let them touch my car.

That is what he hold me 3 weeks ago. North GA

 

[Sime]

Why should they warn you?

Did you ask the price first?

Ok, addition info. When I first bought the car, I asked the service center how much an oil and filter change would cost, and he said $220.
At my first 3k service, which was at 2k 3 months, I did it’s first oil/filter change then (not included in first service) they of course asked me why, and I said I’ll be doing it regularly for good upkeep. They charged me then at that first service $250. So in my mind, even though they quoted me $220 originally, that it was going to cost $250 for an oil/filter change, being as it was an added service to my free service.
Come 4.5k I had time to take it in, expecting to pay $250, which is still a tad over the top, but I can live with that, but this time got whopped with $355. I didn’t ask price, because it was my 2nd time around.
When I complained upstairs to the guy who sold me the car (this was after a slight standoff with the service manager) he went down stairs to ask why. Basically the first oil change had the labour discounted because they where already working in the car for free, so while they did the first service checks, it don’t cost them anything to drain the oil in the meantime. My argument was I added an additional service to the free service, and at that time I shoul have been charged for that additional service in its entirety, which I’m surprised they didn’t tbh. Being it was $250 then, I couldn’t imagine it could go higher, I was wrong. Should I have checked again, sure, but I thought I was already informed.

But here’s where it got interesting. The first 10k service is $355. My car while it was there was literally given a 10k service. I questioned my salesman this, and he saw my point (it’s why he went downstairs) I knew when I got home that stuff was done to my car eg. there was coolant spilt and the wiper fluid was topped up, my service book had a 10k serviced signed off, the oil sticker in the car told me my next oil change was now due in 12 months and at 20k and my free roadside assistance was extended for another year.

But..................

My invoice is only for an oil change, all other times I’ve been there with my cars, you get a detailed invoice of all that’s been done and checked on my car at any given scheduled service.
The only explanation for a full service being done we came up with (the salesman and myself) was that most people don’t get an oil/filter change done there, so the guy actually doing the job probably thought he was doing a 10k service.
But the service manager told my sales guy directly that the invoice was correct for just an Oil/filter change, and that’s what the invoice is billed for.

 

[OliverNuther]

Ok well that’s a different set of circumstances.

So is the case essentially that they’ve done the 10K service early, charged you the correct amount but the invoice doesn’t accurately reflect what work was done on the car?

 

[Sime]

Ok well that’s a different set of circumstances.

So is the case essentially that they’ve done the 10K service early, charged you the correct amount but the invoice doesn’t accurately reflect what work was done on the car?

No, when questioned, the service manager said that’s the price for the oil/filter change, as I said In the end of my last post.

 

[Sime]

When I asked the service manager directly with my service book in hand as to why the 10k service was written in, he said the technician must have misunderstood the service.
I should have included that before, I just now remembered that.

 

[Sime]

Let’s dont get mixed up here. Sure there’s some interesting set of circumstances going on, but as I said, the final say from the service manager was simply I was charged only for what I asked for and was invoiced for, regardless of what the technician did.

I can show you a copy of their regular service invoices if you’d like.

 

[Sime]

When I asked the service manager directly with my service book in hand as to why the 10k service was written in, he said the technician must have misunderstood the service.
I should have included that before, I just now remembered that.

When I asked this question, I didn’t know at that time that my car had been worked on apart from the oil change (my engine bay is clean, so I could tell that the radiator cap had been opened being as there was spilt coolant in that area and washer guild filled up, so I guess other checks and possible test drive done)

 

[OliverNuther]

View attachment 30759



But here’s where it got interesting. The first 10k service is $355. My car while it was there was literally given a 10k service. I questioned my salesman this, and he saw my point (it’s why he went downstairs) I knew when I got home that stuff was done to my car eg. there was coolant spilt and the wiper fluid was topped up, my service book had a 10k serviced signed off, the oil sticker in the car told me my next oil change was now due in 12 months and at 20k and my free roadside assistance was extended

Let’s dont get mixed up here. Sure there’s some interesting set of circumstances going on, but as I said, the final say from the service manager was simply I was charged only for what I asked for and was invoiced for, regardless of what the technician did.

I can show you a copy of their regular service invoices if you’d like.

No need. I’m not that invested in it. I simply thought they may have charged you for a 10K service because you said they had performed it.

 

[Manaz]

They should change their name to Ned Kelly Kia. That's highway robbery.

Even with a workshop rate of $120 an hour (extreme, especially when the apprentice they got to change the oil is probably paid < $20 An hour), there is less than an hour's work in an oil change, even if one hour is the minimum charge (it generally isn't).

7L of oil does not cost $130 either. You can get 5L of Castrol Edge 5W50 for just on $50 as a club member at SCA, so let's say $10 a litre - and I guarantee the dealership pays less when they buy oil in bulk.

Is there another dealership nearby that you can use for servicing from now on, or an independent operator you trust?

 

[Sime]

While arguing with the service manager about the price, he said their labor cost is $180 per hour.

 

[Manaz]

While arguing with the service manager about the price, he said their labor cost is $180 per hour.

So a liar and a thief.

If you do have someone else who can do your servicing, make sure you let the dealership (not the workshop manager, but his boss, and potentially the dealership owner) know why they're no longer getting any of your business, and that you will be making sure than none of your friends or family will be using them either.

 

[Rob M]

Since you are in Oz, and many readers are not, maybe we should put these costs into perspective. $180(AUD) is $123(USD), so probably consistent with many US metropolitan areas for dealership labor. $355(AUD) is $243(USD) which may be high but not out of the realm for a full service checkup which apparently was actually done. But if you asked for something specific (just oil/filter) they shouldn't have charged you for doing the other stuff (i.e., they had to remove the wheels to properly check the brakes). Oil and filter costs appear to be right around full retail prices.