Service prices in Canada

[Qashqai]

I receive an e-mail from my Nissan dealer. Here is the price breakdown for certain services:

CVT service, fluid change: approx $800.00 plus tax
Transfer case fluid change and Differential fluid change: $175.00 plus tax
Coolant replacement: $120.00 plus tax

I think to change the CVT fluid, I will cross the border and go to a US Nissan service!

How much do you guys in US pay for these service items?

[ImStricken06]

Nissan CVT fluid averages about $15-$20 per bottle. that stuff is ridiculously expensive. and your looking at 9 bottles. thats about $130-$190 just for the oil! but you might not need to change your fluid. take it to the dealer and ask them to scan the fluid. the computer will most likely state that you have plenty life left. i have heard of people with 56,000miles and the computer still states you have 75% life left. i wouldnt stress the fluid for now. id just get it tested; at most.

i did my own transfer case & differential fluid drain, as i wrote up in these two threads:
diy-rear-differential-fluid-change-t554006.html
diy-nissan-rogue-transfer-case-fluid-ch ... 54009.html
and the total cost was about $13 for the two bottles (same fluid in both) from my local auto parts store. So when i hear $175 + tax, it makes me have goosebumps. Thats averaging $87.50 for each drain/refill.

the coolant replacement i did on my maxima(because my radiator cracked at 140,000miles) was simple. i will be doing my rogues this spring when it gets warmer. if i remember correctly, it was like $30 in fluid, and thats its. i also paid $5 for a couple gallons of distilled water to really, "flush" the old coolant out. i am sure you can talk the dealer down to $90 for this service. its a piece of cake job!

dont forget to flush your brake fluid. so many people forget about that - and its equally important to do this.

[Qashqai]

Here's the breakdown

CVT service Fluid change $179.15
Transfer Case Fluid $50.42
Differental fluid $60.32

Can it be true? is it a typo or the CVT fluid change in a Nissan dealer is really $179.15?


I know it is too early to worry about the CVT fluid, but I am just shocked about the service prices that Canadian dealers are asking for!

[ImStricken06]

the fluid alone should be about 130-190. maybe he paid "labor" that he forgot to tell us?

[JMed]

This is what my Nissan dealer does and charges:

CVT TRansaxle Flush

Following computer scan of ECM (Electronic Control Module) to determine CVT fluid deteriation rate, this service would be recommended. We flush CVT transmission, CVT cooler and refill with genuine Nissan CVT fluid (Genuine Nissan CVT fluid is required). Test for leaks and road test.

US$330.00

[Qashqai]

US$330.00

I will cross the border and go to a dealer in US...

[TrevorK]

US$330.00

I will cross the border and go to a dealer in US...

Out of curiousity what's the US price on the CVT flush?

[JMed]

Out of curiousity what's the US price on the CVT flush?

The price that I posted before... At least that is the price on my dealer.

US$330.00 + Tax

[kerrton]

Hi there, my dealer charges right around $300 for a CVT fluid flush here in Alberta, that's just from memory but I did check into it a while back so I know I'm within 40 bucks anyway - bottom line is $800 is absolutely ridiculous, that's almost 3x more than what my delaer charges, I can't imagine how they justify that. The labor time is low on that, I think its around 1.25 or 1.5 book time - ask them to tell you what their book says for labor time on that work. They must be including some other work, perhaps "diagnostics" or something to justify the higher cost.

[Qashqai]

This is the copy of the response from Nissan Service. I just asked for a price quote for CVT, Transfer case and differential fluid changes.

Good Morning,

Thank you for the email.
With looking at your records your vehicle is due for a Maintenance # 2 which includes the oil change, but they will also inspect the following:

- air filter
- fluid levels (clutch, CVT and automatic transmission fluid levels, coolant fluid level, cooling fluid density, power steering (As if we have a hydrolic steering wheel?))
- rotate the tires - they will check your brake linings, drums, pads, disks, fluid levels, condition of brake lines, cables and hoses (they won't check ANY of them, I am sure)
- condition of exhaust system and mountings
- radiator hoses
- horn, wipes, and all exterior lights
- lubricate locks, latches and hinges (last time I went there, they just sprayed lithium grease all over the place, left white stains on the rubber weather strippings)
- steering components
- suspension components
- tire condition and pressure
- adjust drive belts and inspect condition
The cost for this is $161.95 plus tax - approx total $183.00.

CVT service Fluid change - approx $800.00 plus tax
Transfer case fluid change and Differental fluid change - $175.00 plus tax
Coolant replacement - $120.00 plus tax
Total cost - $ 1237.35 (this includes parts, labour and taxes)

Your vehicle is not due for any of the above. The CVT fluid exchange is not due until 300,000kms (those idiots think that the CVT fluid changes by the mileage. They have no idea about the CONSULT results), the transfer case fluid and Differental fluid change is not due until 60,000 - 80,000kms, and the Coolant replacement is not due until 100,000kms (The Owners Manual says: The recommended service interval of the factory-fill coolant is 105,000 miles/168,000 km or 7 years, whichever comes first).

If you have any other questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact me.

Have a great day.

I think I will change my service...

[ImStricken06]

mechanics / shops wont check nor "adjust" many of those.
if they even do "check" those, they would rather replace it and charge you - or wait till the part breaks to THEN replace and charge you lolololol it drives me up a wall when i read "courtesy adjustments/inspections"

[kerrton]

I'm going for a "Maintenance #2" oil change package next week. My service manager laughed when I asked him how much, he said "we don't actually charge you for the package, we don't believe in ripping our customers off like most dealerships. We'll check all those items for you, including an engine audible check for the regular oil change price. Ha ha ha".

The price for Maint. #2 is $189.00, but instead they will only charge $56.00 for the oil change, I want to upgrade to full synthetic Mobil 1 so the charge will be $95.00 and I'm good for 8000 km, or 6 months. ALSO, I mentioned that I think the engine is making a more pronounced "ticking" at idle, at normal operating temperature, than I thinkm it used to when new. I have only 2 months of powertrain warranty remaining, so I want them to give this a listen and get their opinion if there's any indicators of problems, he said they'll also include this with the basic oil change, no extra charge!! They've been doing this for me for the past 5 years, saved me a lot of cash, as a result its been a very cheap vehicle to maintain.

It really is true, dealerships are highly variable in terms of costs, and quality of service. I've got myself such a great service shop that I'll be more inclined to buy a Nissan next time, and for now I wouldn't think of going to an independant garage, many of which are more expensive than the dealer and would be less familiar with this specific car, including the CVT, and not able to access TSB and recall information.

300,000 km for the CVT fluid? Where the heck did they get from? I can't believe the huge variablity from one dealer to the next for CVT fluid replacement, very strange. Its doubtful the CVT will even last 300,000 km, and if it does, I don't think at that point I'd be messing around with changing the fluid, just keep driving it till it dies, but that's just me!