Regular Maintenance - Dealer/Garage/Box Store?

[aidan80]

Not sure if this question fits in here but I can't see a better place to ask the question.

Were would the best place to go, to have servicing done to your Versa.

I just had my second oil change done at the dealership and it's about the same price as most other places $25. They don't appear to topup or check the other fluids from what I can tell? Just the oil and filter, in and out in about an hour. They recommend tire balance/rotation as this is my 6 month servicing which I declined as it cost $19.99 for a rotation and a further $39.99 to balance. They offered to do both for $49 which I still declined it just seemed high. I mean come on to balance the tires are off anyway! lol

I used to have my old car serviced at a small garage, they charged all in $30 for the oil and also would rotate and balance for another $20. Anyway they shut down some time ago so now am trying to figure out were to go. I hate the thought of being ripped off but don't mind paying if the work is quality. There seems to be so many big box (copy and paste) type stores that offer all kinds of deals.

[Rand0m0sityxX]

I haven't had any personal experience with anyone, I do all my changes at home, as well as tire rotations and everything, My husband doesn't trust others, but that's from experiencing some bad things that happened to friends and co workers..

The drivers I work with, they seem to use a Pennzoil garage thats right up the road from us. Maybe if you have any where you are you can try them. I think they spend about $40ish, but they've watched and they change the oil, check ALL fluid levels, rotate & balance if needed, check belts, etc.

[iluvmyVersa08]

Your lucky your dealer only charges $25 for an oil change. Our CDN dealerships here in Ontario charge $49. I received a coupon this week for $7 off, Whoopie!

I had the first 5 done there for free (because I extended my warranty to 7 years). Two weeks ago was the first oil change that was not going to be free, so I bought the OEM filter from the dealer, and oil at Canadian Tire, and my dad changed it at home for me. Cost me $20

Whatever needs to be changed or fixed at certain intervals; I do that at home (or my dad does:))

We only rotate my tires when we swap the winters to summers and vice versa. I don't do enough driving during the summer season or winter season to have to rotate them. When we switch them, we just rotate them then. Beats paying the dealership a ridiculous amount of money to do something we can do at home for free.

[Shad0wXCalibur]

To be blunt, that price for the rotation and balancing is a f***ing rip off. If you are not experiencing vibrations, you do not need rebalancing and you can do rotations yourself if you have a way to lift the car or find a local shop to do it. I never needed rebalancing on the stock Continentals up until the day I replaced them.

[Bubs daddy]

I do all the maintenance and service myself.

[aidan80]

I'd love to do the work myself only I've no way to safely lift up the car and I'm in apartment. The landlord would have kittens if he found oil on his precious white driveway lol. I agree it's a rip off what is charged to swap around the tires seriously though? $50 to swap and balance the tires? I would pull the tires myself and swap em if I had the equipment to do it properly and safely.

$25 for the oil change isn't bad but it seems, everything and I mean everything else is extra. I'd not be shocked if they charged to top up the fluids lol! Maybe I was spoiled with the small garage I used to go to were they'd pull the wheels and swap em every other oil change most of the time not even charge unless they needed balanced/realigned.

[eeshazor]

A lot of people do regular maintenance themselves (i.e. oil changes, tire rotations, filter replacements), and that's great. Saves you some money. For the record, tire rotations should be done every other oil change, and oil changes should be done every 3,500 miles. HOWEVER, on whenever you hit a milestone (i.e. 15k miles, 30k miles, 45k miles, etc.), you should absolutely be taking the car to the dealership. It's worth the higher cost to make sure things are done right. My boyfriend works for Nissan, and he's also a UTI graduate, and I asked him if it was his car, would he be taking his car in for his 15k's, etc and he said definitely. For one, they top off ALL fluids , they do a mandatory 27-point inspection which is something that might not get done other places, they do oil change & tire rotation, battery terminal service, and inspect anything you might have questioning about. They also fill out your service charge log. And also, the techs & mechanics at Nissan go through strict training on all cars Nissan, so of course they're gonna be at least a little more efficient with your car Hope this helps.

[Promise Land]

if you want to rotate your tires, you can use the jack the car comes with use the spare to replace one of the tires while you take the other off and replace it with the original you took off.

[aidan80]

A lot of people do regular maintenance themselves (i.e. oil changes, tire rotations, filter replacements), and that's great. Saves you some money. For the record, tire rotations should be done every other oil change, and oil changes should be done every 3,500 miles. HOWEVER, on whenever you hit a milestone (i.e. 15k miles, 30k miles, 45k miles, etc.), you should absolutely be taking the car to the dealership. It's worth the higher cost to make sure things are done right. My boyfriend works for Nissan, and he's also a UTI graduate, and I asked him if it was his car, would he be taking his car in for his 15k's, etc and he said definitely. For one, they top off ALL fluids , they do a mandatory 27-point inspection which is something that might not get done other places, they do oil change & tire rotation, battery terminal service, and inspect anything you might have questioning about. They also fill out your service charge log. And also, the techs & mechanics at Nissan go through strict training on all cars Nissan, so of course they're gonna be at least a little more efficient with your car Hope this helps.

Now that's what I expect but that's not what i believe is going on. My log has not been filled out, fluids are exactly the same as when I brought the car in as far as the inspection goes I've no clue they could be doing it or they could have an oil change person that's not a mechanic change oils? The only thing listed on the receipt is 10w40 x5, filter and that's it no other services are listed. I've kept the receipts with the log book so it's there if ever needed. I'll have the tires rotate myself and I may take it in for one more oil change and see if things are any different this time around. Maybe they are giving me the bare bones service since this is my second free oil change.

[aidan80]

if you want to rotate your tires, you can use the jack the car comes with use the spare to replace one of the tires while you take the other off and replace it with the original you took off.

I had thought about that lol I might just do it too just to get in some practice swapping out a spare on this car should I ever need to pull it on the side of the road at some point although am sure it can't been any different that doing it on a ford.

[iluvmyVersa08]

Maybe they are giving me the bare bones service since this is my second free oil change.

I had five free oil changes given to me by my dealership, and they always topped off any fluids and checked my tire pressure for me. I still can't justify spending $50 for an oil change for them to check my tire pressure or top off any fluids. I just do all that at home now when we change her oil.

[eeshazor]

Well, on just a regular oil change service they're not gonna do a 27-point inspection, which is why I noted you should really only NEED to go to the dealer on your big services. When you do check in on a big service, verbally request a 27-point inspection to be done and they'll fill out the paper and give it to you at the end. Everytime I've been to the dealerships around here (and I've been to 3), they always fill out my service charge log, but again, if they're not doing it, verbally request it and they definitely will. And maybe your fluids aren't needing to be topped off & that's why they're not doing it? How many miles do you have on your car?

[srellim234]

As long as dealers around here keep offering coupons that keep them competitive with the local auto parts stores I'll just have them do it while the car is under warranty. That way Nissan has all the maintenance in their computer.

Over the years with non-warranty stuff I've used Pep Boys, a private mechanic and Sears/KMart. Over timeplaces get etter and/or worse depending on personnel changes and pressue by management to create additional profit. The important thing is to find someone you can trust and I like a place that has a wating area where I can see what they are doing to the car. Cases are famous here in California where places like Jiffy Lube charged for the work and did nothing to the cars. Ask around. If youhave any friends that have had cars for a while and take them somewhere for maintenance they's tell you who's trustworthy and reasonably priced in your area.

Whatever you decide to do, keep your receipts!