Bought the warden a 2015 GMC Acadia a few years ago. The last of the full sized ones, 3rd row seating etc. Bought it from a dealer coming off a two year lease, 24,000 miles. Clean car, no issues. Fast forward a few years, 47,000 miles,always serviced properly, records in a 3 ring binder. Warden decides she wants to take our son to Niagara Falls NY for a couple of days, about a 500 mile trip. Hmmmmm...we're not really due for an oil change but... maybe time to get a coolant flush, and check the hoses. Thought I'd give an independant a chance, I usually go to the dealer. Go on FB, check reviews etc. Find a local shop. Drop it off the night before the service, ask for an oil change and coolant flush, check hoses etc. I call the following day about 2:30. They say they're replacing the hoses and are having trouble with a clamp??? Close at 5:00PM, I need the car that night to transport items to a baseball party. Get there about 4:30, they say they're almost done, just filling with coolant. Pay the bill ($500.00+) and get the car in the lot. Check the oil, overflow tank if full. Get about .5 mile from home and the idiot lights start flashing like the 4TH of July, temp gauge pegged. Car is running fine, not rough or anything. Get home, no leaks or anything strange. Naturally the shop is closed, leave message. I'm there when the shop opens the next day driving my car. The owner is very apoligetic saying they'll take care of it. I ask when they're towing the car in. He says that's my responsibility!! m getting really steamed. I ask what if the engine was damaged? He says that's my fault for driving the car after the lights came on. Now we're getting a bit verbal. So, I use one of my free AAA tows and get it there. Pick up the car that afternoon. Turns out there was an air bubble somewhere that gave the computer a false reading . (They never test drove the vehicle). I explained that I understood mistakes happen, but what upset me was how they handled it!! Drove the car for a couple of days, then took our trip, no issues.

Hoses should not need to be replaced at 47,000 miles. Since 1997 I've had 4 cars that went over 100,000 miles. Hoses only got replaced on two cars when the radiators went bad (cracked plastic side tanks) well over 100,000 miles.

quote:

Originally posted by Lefty Sig:
Hoses should not need to be replaced at 47,000 miles. Since 1997 I've had 4 cars that went over 100,000 miles. Hoses only got replaced on two cars when the radiators went bad (cracked plastic side tanks) well over 100,000 miles.

Yep, I'm sure you're right. They weren't very expensive so I just had them replace them during the service.

Ready for the kicker??? A couple of days ago I received a card in the mail from the secretary thanking me for the business!!!! WTH???? I was expecting an apology or maybe a gift card for a free oil change!!!!

Hard to find competent and honest auto mechanics these days.

Because of that, I tried getting my oil changed at the local AAA garage once...just once.

Took it in, got the oil changed, went home. Looked under the vehicle the next morning and there was oil on my driveway. Popped the hook and looked and the filter was leaking. Tried to tighten it more, but it was tight so they probably forgot to oil the rubber washer or maybe there wasn't one.

Took it back, they drained the oil and fixed it for free, went home. Looked under the vehicle the next morning and more oil on the driveway. Popped the hood and the filter wasn't leaking. Got on the ground and saw it was leaking from the drain plug.

Went back to AAA again, they said they'd fix it for free again, and they did. Went home, looked under it the next morning and...it wasn't leaking.

Fast forward to 6 months plus 2 days later (just out of warranty) and oil on the ground again from the drain plug.

Went into a Ford dealer and they showed me that there was no washer on the plug, so they'd used a piece of chamois cloth for a washer and it finally let go. Also, it was an aftermarket drain plug.

Hard to find good, honest mechanics.

I won't return to a nearby Jeep dealer again. Twice in my Wrangler they put the wrong oil in it, first time I caught it the next day when I looked at the window sticker and the repair order, they used 5w-20 instead of 5w-30. When I returned the service advisor tried to tell me "That was the correct oil" and when I pointed out the oil cap states 5w-30 he responded with "5w-20 is fine" I said "Show me the TSB that says 5w-20 is approved for a 2012 and I'll go away".

He then took my keys and had it changed to the correct oil spec. Don't like people trying to B.S. me, just tell me the truth, admit a mistake was made and just move on, simple enough.

Next time I went there that service writer was gone, replaced by one that I had worked with at a GM dealership. When he brought my Jeep up and before I went to the cashier, same thing had been done. They drained and replaced the oil again this time before I left.

My wife's Liberty developed a oil drip a few days after they changed it also. I found it late in the day before Christmas Eve, took it in that morning. They blamed it on a spill, I told him that I had a hard time believing that a week and a half after the service. I asked if they were sure that the filter was not leaking, they said no. And the acted like I was bothering them with a trivial matter. About three days later, guess what? Drips again on the driveway.

Took it to the Ford dealer for the next oil change, specifically asked them to look for any signs of leakage. Only thing they found was some seeping in the area of the filter gasket, it was tight and only one gasket so my theory of a bad filter was right on.

Haven't been back there since.

I count myself among the lucky ones that has an honest and competent dealer that I go to even though the warranty is over. I could probably save a couple of bucks by going somewhere else but trust is worth a little more money to me.

Jim

I had a Ford dealer coupon for an oil change, something like 29 bucks. I call to find out if it’s ready and ask what I owe. He tells me something like 45 bucks. I understand they add some shop charges and whatnot but that seems excessive so I ask. He then says, and I quote, “your car took more oil than normal”.

Oh the rest of that call and subsequent visit to the manager were fun. For me.

This kind of stuff makes me glad I do my own stunts.

Yeah, I love seeing those "shop fees." I would love to know what those are. Two paper towels and some Windex to wipe off their fingerprints??? Maybe some Lava soap in the men's room??
I think what irks most of us is not that a mistake can be made, but how they try to turn it around on the victim, err I mean the customer. Just admit what was screwed up, and throw in some freebie for our inconvenience. I would think that would be cheaper than losing a customer.

A couple days before we moved the check engine light came on in my ex-wife’s Explorer. Most of my tools were already packed so I reluctantly took it to the dealer where we bought it. Turns out it was just a sensor and they sent her an email with the charges and asking her to approve them so they could do the work. That part was fine.

What wasn’t fine was the list of “recommended” service items that they also wanted her to approve. Like that the brake fluid was low, the transmission fluid needed flushed and replaced, and a few other items. The thing is I knew none of that was true. The transmission had just been rebuilt and the fluid completely replaced, and I am meticulous about checking all fluid levels. I also knew that she had a leak in the coolant reservoir and that it was dry as a bone, and that wasn’t listed. So I knew that the “mechanic” didn’t look at anything other than a computer screen.

I confronted the guy at the service counter and he fought with me, so I demanded to see the service manager. He was defensive but we walked out to the car and I showed him the receipt for the transmission rebuild, that the brake fluid level was perfect and that the coolant reservoir, which wasn’t mentioned, was empty. He promised to look into it, then sent me an apology email a few days later that promised changes. I was already in Florida by then so I will never know, but I have my doubts.

Those dealerships probably make millions yearly off of service that isn’t needed at all.

This is why I fix all of my own stuff. That way, when it goes sideways later, I can only be mad at myself !

Until I picked up my Fiesta ST I did all the work on my cars myself. Wasn't difficult as what I was driving daily was two 1986 Olds Cutlass Supreme's and my fun car was a 1985 Monte Carlo SS. As complex as today's cars have become I've relied on the Ford Dealer where I bought the Fiesta for the routine maintenance and the larger intercooler, 100% aluminum radiator and catback exhaust were installed at a friends jeep offroading shop.

Anyhow Ford has provided for free oil changes for the past two years it's been a pretty good experience. However on one occasion they overfilled the engine with oil which I caught in the parking lot before taking the car home.

It seems that Ford only lists the total volume of oil for the engine instead of the actual volume needed after the oil has been changed. One common aspects of modern engines is they all seem to have trapped volumes for the fluids. Found that out when I replaced the radiator, it required the purchase of a vacuum filler and a 20 minute procedure of cycling the engine at specific engine speeds to get the air out of the system.

Pale Horse,

A lot of those "recommended" services are from non OEM chemical flush vendors and not the vehicle manufacturer.

Last car dealership I worked for was big in selling those. As the service advisors were 100% commissioned and heavily spiffed it made financial sense to sell the hell out of those. Techs got a spiff for each one they installed and upsold.

A couple of times the new service advisors (we had a lot of turnover in that department) would try push that stuff on me. Didn't even get to first base with me. I had a driveability problem with my truck, took it in to be wrote up. First thing the writer tried the "We need to clean your injectors first" to which I replied "Great, GMPP's gonna pay for that?" to which he replied "That is owner maintenance" and I came back with "Well let's get the owner's manual out and you show me where that is stated then especially when a check engine light is on". That ended that. Turned out it was a bad camshaft and distributor gear, 4.3L V6. That would have been about a hundred dollars or so for nothing on top of my deductible.

I gave my daughter the truck a few years later. She took it in for a oil change and another writer before he took her name or ran the VIN said "You need an injection service and a transmission flush", she called me (big dealership) in a panic. I told her to tell the writer her last name and ask him if he still wanted to sell those services especially since the transmission was replaced about 25k before. My daughter said he got kind of pissy after that, what a surprise.

If I go into a dealership for service or parts and see any of those third party flushes advertised their credibility drops dramatically with me.

Underhood rubber should be replaced on a calendar cycle, not by miles. The rubber ages. Generally hoses need replaced every five years (or less; many manufacturers recommend a four year interval), regardless of whether you've driven one mile or a hundred thousand.

I'd be at a loss to explain how a "bubble" would cause a pegged temperature gauge and idiot lights to flash.

Appears to be bullshit.

Hoses- I meticulously maintain my cars. All maintenance done on schedule, all work done by me. The last hose I replaced was probably in the early 90’s. And this is averaging 40k miles a year on my wife’s and my cars. Hoses are MUCH better and more durable than they were 25 years ago. No way, no how, am I replacing a hose on a 5 or 6 year car. Run it till it blows.

Now, I do squeeze the hoses and check for soft spots , but so far so good. My oldest car is 15 years old (factory rubber hoses) and I’d drive that baby to Alaska tomorrow .

My 2 oldest cars are 58 and 54 years old.

I do calendar and mileage replacement of all items and also unscheduled repairs as inspection deems necessary. (I do all my own maintenance on everything I own for nearly 50 years)

I do not "drive it until it blows", cus that sucks.

And many rubber parts, including hoses, are made from cheaper rubber compounds (China manufacturing) and are less durable, and some are using better materials and more durable, so it is still a prudent thing to follow a proper maintenance schedule and know what is being utilized on the vehicle.

I do what I can, mostly the simple stuff. Yeah, I know there are coupons around for the oil change, I’m done before you drive to the quick lube.

While poking around you look at other things coming up. I’ll even rotate tires manually, great time to show the boys how to change a flat.

I got a better code reader & resetter not long ago, kinda points one in the right direction with the check engine light. It’s also handy before the CEL comes on.

I appreciate all the insight. I realize I'm probably too intense about the warden's car, but having your wife stranded with a 10 year old on the way to a doctor's appt in Cleveland or Akron wouldn't be a good thing. This is also the vehicle we use for family trips, sometimes putting 1,500 miles on in just a few days. Additionally, when I sell a car (usually to a private buyer) I can show what's been done to the car, I'm certain I recover a good portion of that money back, plus it makes it easier to sell the car. I still do my own maint on my riding mower and pushmowers, that's easy. My Harley takes fully synthetic fluids. With as little as I ride it now, it goes to the dealer every couple of years. My Audi???I know better than to get within 100 yards of that with a wrench in my hand.

Two problem areas in the Acadia/Enclave/Traverse of that era are suspension related. From what I saw in the dealerships (and a lot of this could be related to the lousy roads here) are at about the 85k mileage front struts are usually starting to go bad. And in the rear suspension the rear axle upper control arms bushings are wearing out. GM did not offer the bushings separately, you had to replace the arms at about 250 each (four or so years ago) but someone may offer bushings or cheaper arms in the aftermarket today.

That era 3.6 engine was pretty reliable, the much earlier ones had timing chain and cam gear problems but that was pretty much solved before yours was built.