Fords $157 Service

**Polyal** · 13-11-2006, 12:03 PM

Has anyone had this yet?

Im assuming its just a general service, basic stuff that I should probably do myself?

I guess the only reason I haven't gone to a dealership before was because of their prices, but this is a down right bargin!

Are there any tricks? I read the small print and the only disclaimer seems to be if your on LPG it might cost a tad more.

It would be good if they did this deal more often, they would get alot of business.

Offer is only for EF-AU3.

Smoked · 13-11-2006, 12:43 PM

I reckon they will slog you on the "We found this problem that needs to be fixed, it will cost $XXX.XX to fix".

The Goodz · 13-11-2006, 12:46 PM

I work at a Ford dealer in service dept, I sell this service all the time. It's just a minor like any other service, all the usual stuff like oil and filter, top up fluid levels, etc etc. And as smoked said, yes we will find problems with the car, but its up to the customer whether or not he wants to get them fixed. We've had a couple of customers not want to do any other repairs, its their choice!

Then again though, whether its a $157 or a normal full priced service, we'll still report faults on the vehicle just the same.

Alex

**DJM83** · 13-11-2006, 03:37 PM

V8's?

**Polyal** · 13-11-2006, 05:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TE50 056

V8's?

They didn't say anything about it so I dont see why not.

Alex, yeah every place tries that one. Im confident I know my car is good, P/S pump might be a bit noisey so if they pick up on that then I wont complain.

Rule number 1 with me and getting my car serviced, dont tell them anything and see what they say.

smally289 · 13-11-2006, 06:17 PM

Its a marketing ploy. Once they get your car in the workshop they can quote on other repairs needed. Its not underhanded in ant way, just a method of getting more cars in the workshop.
What's included for the $157? It was $129 when I used to work at a dealership.

The Goodz · 13-11-2006, 06:48 PM

There is probably no difference whatsoever to when the $129 service was in place... But since then the cost of almost everything has gone up slightly, labour, parts, oil, the need for more profit...

Alex

smally289 · 13-11-2006, 07:25 PM

So you get Oil & Filter and 0.8hrs labour. Doesn't seem that cheap at $157 to me.

The Goodz · 13-11-2006, 07:29 PM

Yeah pretty much. Oil though is like $58.50... Which is ludicrous really...

Alex

Yellow_Festiva · 13-11-2006, 07:37 PM

I was just gonna say the same thing.........

Anyone who thinks a grease and oil change is worth $157 is not thinking straight... oh thats right, they do an inspection and top up fluids.... whoopty dooo.....

I get the same service done for $65, thats a fair price.......

When these services are advertised they try to stretch out the list of things they do to your car to make it look indepth and good value, its all inspections and visual stuff.

I wonder if the $157 service counts as a log book service???

poolkeeper · 13-11-2006, 07:41 PM

It just a dump the oil, fill it back up, visual inspections - service.
If you can do it yourself, It will always work out cheaper...

cArSiK · 13-11-2006, 08:10 PM

to get your moneys worth drop all fluids before you turn into their driveway and make sure they top them all up as per the add for the service.....easy! Certainly worth $157 then!!

Danny · 13-11-2006, 08:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yellow_Festiva

I wonder if the $157 service counts as a log book service???

It doesn't. Thats the catch for new car owners like me who want to have their car serviced by ford to keep the extended warranty, but cant afford it.

I rang Ford to ask them at my 15,000k service, and the lady said no.
So for a Fiesta to keep its extended warranty, I had to go the full sceduled service in the book which was around $220 odd.

RG · 13-11-2006, 08:57 PM

And it's also not availiable at all dealers, Eclipse Ford here in Ballarat aren't offering it. I aske dthem and they said the age old line "it's at selected dealers only".

The Goodz · 13-11-2006, 08:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yellow_Festiva

Anyone who thinks a grease and oil change is worth $157 is not thinking straight... oh thats right, they do an inspection and top up fluids.... whoopty dooo.....

I get the same service done for $65, thats a fair price.......

Only a small backyard mechanic can afford to charge $65 for a 5 min oil and filter change. A multi-million dollar dealership can't afford to lower their price that much. An easier way, is to just change the oil yourself, because nobody does anything for nothing these days... And while I'm not standing up for the dealers and other miscellaneous expensive mechanics out there, surely you all knew that you had to get servicing done at the dealers for warranty purposes when you bought the car!

Alex

smally289 · 13-11-2006, 09:00 PM

Just looked at the Ford site. It only includes up to 5litres of oil. Thats handy when the Falcon models they list (EF to AUIII) take 5.5!!
BUT, it does include a tyre rotation and air filter. TIP : if you have a K&N filter, make sure they dont bin it!!!!

http://www.ford.com.au/servlet/Conte...1024&c=DFYPage

Yellow_Festiva · 13-11-2006, 09:03 PM

things havn't changed it seems,

I remember when i booked my car at ford for its regular service when my car was still under warranty. the same day i opened the paper and the dealer i was using had a "holiday service special" that did 95% of the stuff that was gonna get done to my car but for about 80 bucks less. the 5% missing was trivial like an underbody / chasis inspection etc.

when i called the nice receptionist told me that i couldnt substitute the regular service for the holiday special even though she agreed that they were almost identical.

That was the last time i allowed ford to service my car......

maty · 13-11-2006, 09:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Danny

It doesn't. Thats the catch for new car owners like me who want to have their car serviced by ford to keep the extended warranty, but cant afford it.

I rang Ford to ask them at my 15,000k service, and the lady said no.
So for a Fiesta to keep its extended warranty, I had to go the full sceduled service in the book which was around $220 odd.

Seen around the forum about Sinclair ford(penrith) has a special or a basic service $159. Rang them 2 ask if it was a A service(15k)for my territory they stated it was, rang another dealer Cumberland(blacktown) asked if they would match it they had no problems. Originally quoted about $250 for the service.

**Polyal** · 13-11-2006, 09:07 PM

Also remember not everyone can be stuffed doing it themselves, or have the facilities.

Noted about the K&N too, haven't fallen for that one yet.

Also its worth taking it to a garage every now and then because even though I know my car well I wont pick everything and I dont have a hoist.

Psycho Chicken · 13-11-2006, 09:08 PM

I never figured out why they can't do it on EA-ED, considering they have the same oil filter and take the same ammount of oil. Hell find me a Falcon that doesn't take a Z9.

It isn't that hard to drop the oil, spin a filter on and off and top the oil up. Should cost $40 tops.

Walkinshaw · 13-11-2006, 09:12 PM

30min labour @ $65/ph = $32.50
5.5L oil + filter = $40
air filter = $20

dealer charge could be arround $95. But they wouldn't make money then would they? (simple business sence).

clontarf_x · 13-11-2006, 10:35 PM

*edit* Ahhh I'm an idiot

Yellow_Festiva · 13-11-2006, 10:37 PM

A new car treated right should have minimal to no mechanical problems. While my car was newish i needed to splash out on a "Log Book Service" as to not void my warranty. The average price worked out to be $250 per service.

Sure i could now service my car myself, but i dont have the equipment nor the inclination to get my hands dirty.

I have found an honest repair centre that keeps my car on the road for an honest price. they will keep getting my service and i have bought my whole family and many friends to this centre.

I tried a few Ford service centres and found their customer service to be poor, and they kept up the line to me that if i strayed from the Ford services that i would lose my warranty (even though this was not the case)

Now if Ford were not so greedy in their pricing for basic car maintenance than it would be them who were getting my whole families cars and my friends....

Can someone confirm this please...... A friend told me that the "free servicing" deal on his falcon was no given on his final free service as he took the car in with the oddometer reading just past the service interval eg (cant remember the exact service interval) the 45,000 km service was taken in at 45,124km or something trivial like that and he was told this was now past the threshold of the free service agreement. had he booked it in a week earlier when it was below the 45,000 than it would have been free.

Is this true??? anyone else had this experience???

Interceptor · 14-11-2006, 09:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Goodz

Only a small backyard mechanic can afford to charge $65 for a 5 min oil and filter change. A multi-million dollar dealership can't afford to lower their price that much.

why not? a small workshop invariably has to make just as much, if not more money to keep afloat as a dealers

Quote:

Originally Posted by Walkinshaw

30min labour @ $65/ph = $32.50
5.5L oil + filter = $40
air filter = $20

dealer charge could be arround $95. But they wouldn't make money then would they? (simple business sence).

if the dealers are paying that much for oil and a filter, something is wrong, especially when i can go down to my local dealers, pick up a genuine AFL1 for $5.15, plus 5L of Fuchs oil for $20.......

schmidty · 14-11-2006, 11:16 AM

I do my ute and the ef myself, as well as the missus astra, my motorbike and the 4by.

Save a packet.

Standard minor service for the ute was $250, astra was $300, ef $157, bike $100 and 4by $150.

I might spend $250 every couple of months and buy top qualty oils and filters for all of them.

But i still see how the dealerships can justify the costings.

For me to do the oil and filter in my ute i spend about $90. It takes 6.5L of oil, so need to buy 2 bottles. Ford specify Shell Helix eco 10, i use Fuchs 10w 30 semi synthetic instrad, same price.

Ford were doing this service for $220. By the time you add up suplies used, disposal of the old fluids and filter, the overheads of running their office, workshop, diagnostics equip, qualified staff and staff in training, and the fact that they work on them every day so know exactly what to be looking out for on their visual inspections because they see so many and know their inherant problems. Good piece of mind for someone who's not very mechanically minded.

The guy who's doing $65 services is putting oil and filters in you car from ALDI surely! Even if you said parts cost was $25 for the oil and filter, $6.50 for GST, there's no way i'd be caught dead changing someones oil and filter, disposing of the old stuff, topping up fluids, and visually inspecting for about $32.50 in my own garage let alone running a workshop to do it in.

The Goodz · 14-11-2006, 11:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Psycho Chicken

I never figured out why they can't do it on EA-ED, considering they have the same oil filter and take the same ammount of oil. Hell find me a Falcon that doesn't take a Z9.

It isn't that hard to drop the oil, spin a filter on and off and top the oil up. Should cost $40 tops.

The BF no longer uses AFL1/Z9. The new part # is AFL73 or AFL101. They have a larger thread on them. Apparently on the Orion they're going to go to a catridge filter, like the diesel transits have.

Alex

The Goodz · 14-11-2006, 11:35 AM

Oh and one more thing, retail labour rate at most Ford dealers now is $93.50 an hour.

nobbystang · 14-11-2006, 02:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yellow_Festiva

I tried a few Ford service centres and found their customer service to be poor,

Tell me about it. I tried the deal a few years ago in Perth. Was docket deal, listed everything they checked including A/C which wasn't working so got them to make sure they check that. When I picked the car up, was another $60 on top of quoted docket price; Reason - you asked us to check A/C. I reply, was listed on docket as included in price.

Basically they wouldn't back down, told me A/C wasn't working and if I wanted to book it in and spend another $100, they'd work out why. Have heard worse stories from same dealer, so am gald I don't live there no more

Fast Eddie · 14-11-2006, 02:46 PM

There's also a mention in the ads that Diesels are an extra cost! Why?? There's a possibility that FORD may introduce a Diesel Engine in the Focus range at some stage. If so, I would consider buying one but I hope that they charge the same as the petrol engine.

Falchoon · 15-11-2006, 10:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Interceptor

if the dealers are paying that much for oil and a filter, something is wrong, especially when i can go down to my local dealers, pick up a genuine AFL1 for $5.15, plus 5L of Fuchs oil for $20.......

Cheap price for a genuine AFL1 filter, bought one the other day cost me $5.50 and that was employee discount price. Retail is around $10.