Nissan's NEW service maintenance??? - Altima Forums.net - The Nissan Altima Enthusiast Talk and Discussion Forums

Vital · 05-03-2011

So i'm at 75K miles, did my 30K service at the dealer but not 60 so i'm calling my local dealer to see what's the difference between 60 and 90 so i could figure out which one i need done.
Apparantly the only differance is that at 60 they change your spark plugs and at 90 they do not, everything else is identical. Great, so now i know what i need done - 60K service (at 75K miles lol)

Here's where it gets interesting.

I ask him how deep he's gonna stick it in my ass, he's laughing and goes
"It's not what it used to be, Nissan re-did their 30/60/90 plans end of February so now it's hella cheaper"

Basically here's the breakdown:

60K service is now $329. It includes everything it did before except for:

1. serpine belts do not get changed till they rip/damaged/about to be ripped. They will inspect it during service and let me know what's up with it but will not just automatically change it like they used to. Same goes for whatever other belts were supposed to be changed untill this new maintenanceplan.

2. They will also check tranny fluid, not automatically flush it. If they come up with a verdict that you do need a new tranny fluid and tranny job/maintanence they will let you know and upon your approval will do it for additional $149

Apparantly my local dealer also made lots of changes within how THEY operate - no appointment needed for any maintanence work, open on sunday, additional lifts and mechanics that do nothing but maintenance.....a bunch of small things every customer wanted from day one.

And here's where it gets REALLY interesting.

curiosity out of i called another local dealer (Kings Nissan in Brooklyn) They told me same thing Hyland Nissan did - spark plugs is the only thing that's different betweek 60 and 90K
Price?
60K - $795
90K - $495

WTF??? Ok, Kings are known for extremely weird and random prices, let's call random dealers google will direct me to:

Texas Nissan:
According to them 75K service is the biggest one which includes flushing of all fluids and changing the belt.
60 and 90K - $474
75K - $699

Corona, CA Nissan:
60 and 90 are identical, spark splugs are to be changed at 105K service
60 and 90K include basically everything my first LOCAL dealer told me
Price? $269

If anyone can make any ------- sense out of it please do let me know, i can't.
Yes, i can look in my service manual which will tell me info from 2008 which in it's turn might not be valid as of February 2011 LOL
Yes, i can call dealers and hear all the different info i could ever imagine.
Yes, i can call corporate and talk to someone that will give me the "right" info. I'm sure if i call again and talk to a different person he/she will tell me different.

It's not even close to Friday and i already wanna know which seat can i take!

**mikejamesbyma** · 05-03-2011

That's amazing. I've never been one to take my car to the dealer so I can't really say much about it. I've followed my service manual and can say I have never paid anywhere near some of the crazy prices you've come up with.

It sounds like your dealer is doing things right. If certain fluids don't need to be changed then why bother. Same with the belts. That's the exact thing my mechanic told me at my last service.

CodeRed05SER · 05-03-2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikejamesbyma

That's amazing. I've never been one to take my car to the dealer so I can't really say much about it. I've followed my service manual and can say I have never paid anywhere near some of the crazy prices you've come up with.

It sounds like your dealer is doing things right. If certain fluids don't need to be changed then why bother. Same with the belts. That's the exact thing my mechanic told me at my last service.

Some of those prices are really expensive dang.. But your dealer looks to be going in the right direction

I enjoy being my own mechanic

don't gotta pay anybody anything

Vital · 05-04-2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikejamesbyma

If certain fluids don't need to be changed then why bother. Same with the belts. That's the exact thing my mechanic told me at my last service.

Logically yes but then there's also "preventive maintenance" which i do believe in. It's usually cheaper in the long run to prevent something from happening rather then fixing the damage.

With that said here's a few questions i have:

1. Was Nissan simply jerking us off all this time prior to "new plan" or are they out for the bait with nice cheap(er) maintanence and then heavy repair bills down the line?

2. Did this "new plan" even true to begin with or is it my (and some other) dealers just trying to get you in there for at least basic maintanence while marketing it as "60/90K" ? Short google search about Nissan correcting/updating/changing their plan didn't come up with much...

3. Why the hell are there so many different versions of what these 60/90 plans should include and such a drastic price difference??

**mikejamesbyma** · 05-04-2011

Preventative, I guess in a way. If the fluid checks out (various ways of testing) then IMO there is no point in changing it. It still has it's ability to protect and lubricate. I do think there is value in following the service manual but I also think a large part of it is customer retention. Those that are oblivious will accept what the dealer feeds them and pay whatever it takes.

My guess is you're seeing dealer specific service plans. Maybe your dealer has taken it upon themselves to properly alter the service to accurately reflect what the vehicle really requires. Or, maybe they are reacting to feedback about the dollar value associated with "by the book" service. I'm really not sure.

DJ · 05-04-2011

Here is an easy fix for the expensive problem:

Change spark plugs (easy to remove and install)
Buy serp. belts and install them (they are really easy to install)
Buy all fluids and drain/flush + fill
Relubricate everything that calls for lubrication with recommended lube
Check everything else that needs to be checked that the "Techs" do for the service plan

= ~$100

Vital · 05-06-2011

So i stopped by my dealer yesterday to see what's up.
Apparantly $329 plan i mentioned in my op is their own plan, not Nissan's.

Here's exactly what it is. Basically all the bs stuff most of which i can do myself lol or don't need to begin with.
Spurk plugs as you can see are not on the list so i don't know wft guy was talking about.
Another thing that's not on the dealer's list but is on Nissan's "service 1 and service 2" list is "replace engine coolant". I wonder why it's not on the list, seems like it's one of those things that should be changed.

Here's 30K service. Same exact thing as 60K BUT no "FULL DIAGNOSTIC AND COMPUTER RESET" which apparantly adds $40

wft is there to reset and diagnose for $40????

**mikejamesbyma** · 05-06-2011

LOL, add wynn's additive...wtf????????

Full diagnosis? Plug in the OBDII scanner and check for codes - $40.

This is why I don't take my car to the dealer.

Vital · 05-06-2011

yeah, idk wtf "WYNN'S" is but there ya go from that same brochure:

Looks like i raised my hopes up too hight lol, dealers are still stealers. Half of the stuff on the list i can myself anyways, a quater i don't need and other quoter i'll go to my local mechanic and have it done for fraction of the cost.

gameguru1360 · 05-07-2011

yeah I'm thinking when it's time for my 60k mile service, I will only go to the dealer to have them check to see if my cvt needs to be flushed and refilled or not...the other stuff I can have serviced at this local tuning shop that can do it for much less and I trust them more than the stealership.

Wonder if that Wynn's additive is anything similar to Lucas Oil or Marvel's Mystery Oil. I've been using MMO in my previous vehicles and have noticed fuel economy gains and a smoother engine. People have also used MMO as a nice lubricating oil for their guns!

PawksblueAlt · 06-18-2011

At my dealership, at 30k and 90k we do: Oil change, tire rotation, new tranny fluid (CVT is changed at 90k for first time), new coolant, new fuel filter if applicable, new air filter, new in cabin micro filter, new rear diff (if applicable)

PawksblueAlt · 06-18-2011

rear diff fluid I mean. and new wipers and radiator cap. and a full inspection. Price ranges from 595 to 675 (60k with 6 spark plugs)

MrHiggles · 06-19-2011

I havn't went to Nissan yet for anything besides the spoiler and a oil change which they screwed up and charged me half of what they were supposed to. How do u even check the fluid for the cvt??? I dont want nissan to ram a cool 500 buck transmission check up my ass.

joesharp · 09-25-2011

thanks for the information on maintenance! i know preventative maintenance is a big factor in extending the life of the car and it's nice to be reminded. i might have to call my nissan dealership now and see if their prices are different!

LuvACar · 01-03-2012

That's really interesting. I never thought of checking another dealer to see if I get another price. It was my understanding that all Nissan's should charge the same thing. I'd call a main customer service line and see what they say. Very curious.