Dealer oil change from hell

[FaaWrenchBndr]

Good thing you went straight from 12 years old to 65.

You’re not very good at math are you?

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[Paul Neubauer]

That’s nuts !

Dealerships love overcharging people that drive a diesel truck.

 

[dochawk]

Do you trust your dealer to change your oil?

A dealer??? I barely trust my own father to do it! (and it's a couple of decades from that being something he could do!)

It was a dealer that rounded the plug on my wife's 2002 E-150; lesson learned.

 

[Risky Bizness]

Been doing business with my dealer since 1995. I trust them with everything. Honestly, I'm fortunate. I worked for the dealership for 6 years as a service writer. AND, I still deliver, and pick up cars for them.

 

[turbopilot]

I just discovered the Ford Mobile Tech service. I had 3 recalls requiring FDRS updates. The mobile tech did that then changed the oil, changed the filters, did the other inspections and rotated the tires. He said they can do most of the regular service from their truck. No more visits to the dealer for me. He did it all in my garage and I could "supervise" the whole job.

 

[pappcam]

I've never had a problem with work done at the dealer on any vehicle in my life. What the hell is going on at some of you folk's dealerships?

 

[FaaWrenchBndr]

I've never had a problem with work done at the dealer on any vehicle in my life. What the hell is going on at some of you folk's dealerships?

it’s called young worthless people

 

[DcnPat]

it’s called young worthless people

No, it's poor management and greed.

 

[flatag]

I had the dealer do one of those free oil changes on my last truck. 3 days later I found the engine’s oil cap sitting on the battery. Never again.

Not a dealer but I know a woman that bought new tires from a national tire store and received a free oil change as part or her purchase. On her way home her engine blew on the interstate. There was no oil drain plug installed.

 

[TexasTruck]

Sorry for your woes OP! Many of us learned the hard way too. I don’t even let the Discount Tire “kids” rotate my tires because of past experiences. It’s just not worth the headaches, doubt, or fallout IMO.

Sure I’m old and getting down on my knees, then my back, wiggling to get under the truck isn’t easy anymore, but there’s still something therapeutic about it.

 

[Probity]

Simple answer for me is nope! I do not trust anyone to change my oil but me. Too many horror stories ...one personally and several second hand from others. As previously mentioned, the youngest most inexperienced techs get the oil changes typically. I can do it cheaper, cleaner, and I actually enjoy it.

Getting away a bit from the original OP question on skid plates, I'm gonna take a bit of the other side of the argument on who should do your oil/filter changes (dealer vs. self):

It depends on your physical condition. I'm old, decrepit, and large (6'4", 230 lb). I still (reluctantly) change my own oil/filter in my garage or driveway. But each year it gets more difficult physically, I'd gladly pay someone else to do it. Only reason I still do vs. a dealership is they (dealers) don't seem to allow adequate drain time and I always seem to end up with some degree of new oil overfill (anywhere from 0.5 to 1.5 qt) the last 3-4 times I actually did have a dealer do changes on my vehicles. But I'm now at the point where I think I'll just learn to deal with a less-than-perfect oil/filter change "experience". No argument that doing your own changes are the preferred method but sometimes life interferes with that.

This work is not exactly a big profit center for your dealer. Plus their overall goal for most service work is, get it in and out as quickly as practical. That's at odds with letting the old oil drain an extra 15-30 minutes. And I'm pretty sure they're using bulk (55 gal/210 liter drum) new oil that's pumped/metered as called for a particular engine. Both these things I'm sure contribute to my regular overfill issues.

I'd favor a dealership oil change over a quickie-change place anytime. More leverage with a dealer if things do go south.

 

[TarnishedCopper]

Do you trust your dealer to change your oil? I just had the oil change from hell at my local dealer. Scheduled an appointment on the Ford app. I received 3 text reminders of my appointment. I show up and the service manager has no record of an appointment. Rescheduled directly with him. Go back a week later and leave the truck. A couple of hours later it’s done. Pick it up and want to use my points to pay for it. Guy working the desk can’t do that only one person can and they are at lunch. Park the truck in my garage and the next day my wife takes the truck on a trip. After she leaves I see on the garage floor a good sized puddle of oil. I call her and she cancels her trip and brings the truck back. I look underneath and skid plate is dripping oil and oil has run clear back to bumper. First thing next morning I am at the dealer. They pull the truck in and determine the lub rack guy change the oil without removing the skid plate and just let the oil spill into the plate, never bothering to clean it up. When I talked to him he said he never removes the skid plate. 3 trips to the dealer and a trip canceled for a simple oil change. Makes you wonder how in the world they could fix something complicated. This is my 5th oil change, first and last with this dealer, and the only one that I have had this problem. Question is, should the front skid plate be removed for a proper oil change.

All companies are having problems attracting employees with skills and ability to use common sense regardless of what the company does.

Even Goober in The Andy Griffith Show" was able to do oil changes....I would ask the dealership to send someone over to remove the oil stain from my garage floor and find another dealer.

 

[PB2021]

It’s unfortunate that such a simple maintenance item goes so wrong so often but it does. I do my own and I taught my daughter how to do her own. I can let it drain, pre-fill my filter (to a decent degree at least given front mount on 3.5), and have a good look around under the truck while doing so then make sure the proper amount of oil is put back in. My daughter is 18 and tells me she has a sense of pride when she talks to young guys her age that don’t know how to change a tire let alone their oil. And yes she can change her tires too.

 

[TremorDave]

Do you trust your dealer to change your oil? I just had the oil change from hell at my local dealer. Scheduled an appointment on the Ford app. I received 3 text reminders of my appointment. I show up and the service manager has no record of an appointment. Rescheduled directly with him. Go back a week later and leave the truck. A couple of hours later it’s done. Pick it up and want to use my points to pay for it. Guy working the desk can’t do that only one person can and they are at lunch. Park the truck in my garage and the next day my wife takes the truck on a trip. After she leaves I see on the garage floor a good sized puddle of oil. I call her and she cancels her trip and brings the truck back. I look underneath and skid plate is dripping oil and oil has run clear back to bumper. First thing next morning I am at the dealer. They pull the truck in and determine the lub rack guy change the oil without removing the skid plate and just let the oil spill into the plate, never bothering to clean it up. When I talked to him he said he never removes the skid plate. 3 trips to the dealer and a trip canceled for a simple oil change. Makes you wonder how in the world they could fix something complicated. This is my 5th oil change, first and last with this dealer, and the only one that I have had this problem. Question is, should the front skid plate be removed for a proper oil change.

They probably can’t do much successfully. I worry about stuff like that at most dealers. I’m not seeing anybody else should do it, but I use the red can of brakeclean and compressed air to clean oil from underneath vehicles during an oil change.

 

[tmark]

Do you trust your dealer to change your oil? I just had the oil change from hell at my local dealer. Scheduled an appointment on the Ford app. I received 3 text reminders of my appointment. I show up and the service manager has no record of an appointment. Rescheduled directly with him. Go back a week later and leave the truck. A couple of hours later it’s done. Pick it up and want to use my points to pay for it. Guy working the desk can’t do that only one person can and they are at lunch. Park the truck in my garage and the next day my wife takes the truck on a trip. After she leaves I see on the garage floor a good sized puddle of oil. I call her and she cancels her trip and brings the truck back. I look underneath and skid plate is dripping oil and oil has run clear back to bumper. First thing next morning I am at the dealer. They pull the truck in and determine the lub rack guy change the oil without removing the skid plate and just let the oil spill into the plate, never bothering to clean it up. When I talked to him he said he never removes the skid plate. 3 trips to the dealer and a trip canceled for a simple oil change. Makes you wonder how in the world they could fix something complicated. This is my 5th oil change, first and last with this dealer, and the only one that I have had this problem. Question is, should the front skid plate be removed for a proper oil change.

“Do I trust my dealer to change oil”? I don’t trust my dealer to do a darned thing considering how they try to upsell me on service I do not need. Warranty work only.

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