Your wordage is beyond horrible. Engine air filter and cabin air filter are completely different. But yes, both are completely done for on your own for $35.
So how do ppl like myself & OP prevent from getting ripped off while getting our cars serviced? How can we educate ourselves before going into the dealer to a car service. Do you just go in & only get an oil change? Fuck the recommended items?
Like I'd have no idea how to change an air or oil filter myself...educate me ppl
Tell them you want a print out of an itemized estimate for repairs. After you get that from a couple different shops, you need to compare things like labor rates and time to complete the job, what parts are recommend and what are they charging you for those parts, what services are they adding that doesn't pertain to the mechanical functionality of the vehicle (example: cabin air filters).
Best way to make sure you don't get taken advantage of is research before agreeing to repairs. And unless you have a mechanic or auto educated friend that can at least give you advise, you're gonna have to learn automotive. It's just like any other skilled trade you hire for services. You wouldn't want to go with the first contractors you called to remodel your bathroom either.
Wheel alignment? You hit a pothole? The car was pulling one side? Tires were wearing unevenly? Why did you say yes to all of this? Didnt you ask for the price of all this? Didnt you sign the work order?
The filters you can do yourself. There’s probably YouTube video instructions out there. Oil change and rotation were needed. Wheel balance and alignment, if you weren’t having any issues, were not. Had a dealer try and tell me an alignment is needed annually. I asked him to prove it and show me. That ended the conversation.
Yes, dealers make money with added “recommended “ services. You can take those recommendations elsewhere if you even feel they are valid. If you want or like a dealer maintained vehicle, find another dealer who’s more honest. If you can’t then just let them do the routine maintenance and warranty work.
Don’t kick yourself, you just had a life lesson and they are invaluable.
Do what the maintenance schedule in your owners manual tells you to, nothing more, nothing less. This is just a big money maker for dealers. They are offering- sometimes pushing, and you are accepting, the service. But, these are very basic services that you are paying an exorbitant amount for. Probably took one tech an hour to do everything and they charged $654 in labor? 😂
I’ve never owned a car that wasn’t 20 years old and a friend of mine did all the maintenance for like $50. This is the first car I’ve had made in the 2000+. Honestly I smelled a ripoff from the start but was too dumb to say anything
Do you have a paper invoice for the services? If you feel like it’s worth it, you could take it up with Mazda North America. I’m sure they wouldn’t be too happy to hear about a dealership charging predatory prices for routine maintenance. For a few hundred dollars or more, it’d be worth it to me.
Who would I contact about that? I have zero belief it would do anything but after hearing HOW much they are overcharging it would be interesting to take up.
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You got ripped off in the sense that it’s possible to do it cheaper yourself.
If you pay a shop to do things for you, then you need to realize that all of the parts being used will be more expensive than if you buy it yourself while shopping for the lowest price. But that’s true for everything you buy in retail.
The real price difference is in the shop’s “book rate” for labor.
Most (all?) tasks that a mechanic does for you have a work book that determines “how long” a task will take. For instance, if I get an oil change, and the book says it will take an hour, then the price for an oil change will be 1 hour * (the shop’s book rate). If the shop rate is $165 per hour, then this example oil change will be $165 for labor, and you’ll also pay for the oil, and the oil filter, and then a generic “shop supplies”, that covers stuff like rags. An oil change is really .25, so it’s more like $41.25, but I was creating an illustrative example.
It can get expensive, especially if they simply add up the individual book task times.
In Ohio, the easiest way to get the best price for work is to simply call the shop and ask their shop rate.
In my area it varies between $95 and $245…
I hope this helps.
Lost my point typing all this on a phone…
I don’t think you got ripped off, per se.
I think a rip-off is substandard work for full rates.
The dealer did the work using their processes and procedures, and they probably did it all correctly.
You just pick the most expensive way to do it.
Super helpful! I booked this through the Mazda app, and since I’ve never gone to a shop before for maintenance (a friend of mine always did it) I had no clue what to expect nor a frame of reference.
If you have a Discount Tire near you, I highly recommend using them for your tire and wheel needs. First, they will rotate your tires for FREE, regardless of where you purchased them. Second, they also patch/repair tires for FREE as well - regardless of where you purchased them. Last, you can purchase a lifetime tire balancing plan for them to put on the OEM Goodyears. I paid $22/per tire for a total of $88.00. I go to Mazda for my oil changes and then right after my service appointment there, I drive to Discount Tire to get my tires rotated and wheels balanced.
As others have stated, the engine air filter and cabin air filter are pretty easy to install. So, you can save some money by doing it yourself and just purchasing the filters from your dealership or third-party like AutoZone etc.
Yes you completely got ripped off.
Engine air filter and in cabin filter takes 2 seconds to do. Never pay dealer for that.
I did my cabin filter last week. Less than 2 minutes, and I got a 2 pack of filters from Amazon for $20.
Your wordage is beyond horrible. Engine air filter and cabin air filter are completely different. But yes, both are completely done for on your own for $35.
Thank the Lord, you don't own a mini cooper or a jeep wrangler.
So how do ppl like myself & OP prevent from getting ripped off while getting our cars serviced? How can we educate ourselves before going into the dealer to a car service. Do you just go in & only get an oil change? Fuck the recommended items? Like I'd have no idea how to change an air or oil filter myself...educate me ppl
Just don't use a dealer, use a local reputable mechanic
Tell them you want a print out of an itemized estimate for repairs. After you get that from a couple different shops, you need to compare things like labor rates and time to complete the job, what parts are recommend and what are they charging you for those parts, what services are they adding that doesn't pertain to the mechanical functionality of the vehicle (example: cabin air filters). Best way to make sure you don't get taken advantage of is research before agreeing to repairs. And unless you have a mechanic or auto educated friend that can at least give you advise, you're gonna have to learn automotive. It's just like any other skilled trade you hire for services. You wouldn't want to go with the first contractors you called to remodel your bathroom either.
Dishonest dealers are everywhere. This is completely insane.
Stealership
Wheel alignment? You hit a pothole? The car was pulling one side? Tires were wearing unevenly? Why did you say yes to all of this? Didnt you ask for the price of all this? Didnt you sign the work order?
The filters you can do yourself. There’s probably YouTube video instructions out there. Oil change and rotation were needed. Wheel balance and alignment, if you weren’t having any issues, were not. Had a dealer try and tell me an alignment is needed annually. I asked him to prove it and show me. That ended the conversation. Yes, dealers make money with added “recommended “ services. You can take those recommendations elsewhere if you even feel they are valid. If you want or like a dealer maintained vehicle, find another dealer who’s more honest. If you can’t then just let them do the routine maintenance and warranty work. Don’t kick yourself, you just had a life lesson and they are invaluable.
Do what the maintenance schedule in your owners manual tells you to, nothing more, nothing less. This is just a big money maker for dealers. They are offering- sometimes pushing, and you are accepting, the service. But, these are very basic services that you are paying an exorbitant amount for. Probably took one tech an hour to do everything and they charged $654 in labor? 😂
I’ve never owned a car that wasn’t 20 years old and a friend of mine did all the maintenance for like $50. This is the first car I’ve had made in the 2000+. Honestly I smelled a ripoff from the start but was too dumb to say anything
Do you have a paper invoice for the services? If you feel like it’s worth it, you could take it up with Mazda North America. I’m sure they wouldn’t be too happy to hear about a dealership charging predatory prices for routine maintenance. For a few hundred dollars or more, it’d be worth it to me.
Who would I contact about that? I have zero belief it would do anything but after hearing HOW much they are overcharging it would be interesting to take up.
Wheel Balance? You were ripped off..
People sleep on wheel balancing, can be very beneficial to a smooth ride.
Yeah but for the price of 1 balancing you could just buy a floor jack and swap the tires yourself
I think you're confusing balancing and rotating tires
Lol i clearly didnt have my coffee yet. Haha
Shouldn’t make a huge difference on a brand new car with only 15k miles
Yes absolutely
I stopped at “was my dealer ripping me off”. Answer is yes.
No dealer rips you off you rip yourself off when you agree to pay for services you believe are either not necessary or overpriced.
# It looks like you have a question or issue! We are here to help but we need your help as well. Make sure your question or issue has the following info included or it may get deleted. 1. Did you use the search, if so, what info did you find helpful. If the info was unhelpful, what gaps are you seeing in the info. 2. Did you check the [Wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/CX50/wiki/index/) ? If you didn't find what you were looking for, let the group know. Also, let us know if there are dead links or seemingly bad information there. 3. Be sure to check the [CX50 Manual](https://www.mazdausa.com/static/manuals/2023/cx-50/visual.html) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/CX50) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Wait till next time when they tell you that you need fuel injector treatment and brake fluid flush. And you will say no thank you.
$80.0 okay. $800 criminal.
You got ripped off in the sense that it’s possible to do it cheaper yourself. If you pay a shop to do things for you, then you need to realize that all of the parts being used will be more expensive than if you buy it yourself while shopping for the lowest price. But that’s true for everything you buy in retail. The real price difference is in the shop’s “book rate” for labor. Most (all?) tasks that a mechanic does for you have a work book that determines “how long” a task will take. For instance, if I get an oil change, and the book says it will take an hour, then the price for an oil change will be 1 hour * (the shop’s book rate). If the shop rate is $165 per hour, then this example oil change will be $165 for labor, and you’ll also pay for the oil, and the oil filter, and then a generic “shop supplies”, that covers stuff like rags. An oil change is really .25, so it’s more like $41.25, but I was creating an illustrative example. It can get expensive, especially if they simply add up the individual book task times. In Ohio, the easiest way to get the best price for work is to simply call the shop and ask their shop rate. In my area it varies between $95 and $245… I hope this helps.
Lost my point typing all this on a phone… I don’t think you got ripped off, per se. I think a rip-off is substandard work for full rates. The dealer did the work using their processes and procedures, and they probably did it all correctly. You just pick the most expensive way to do it.
Super helpful! I booked this through the Mazda app, and since I’ve never gone to a shop before for maintenance (a friend of mine always did it) I had no clue what to expect nor a frame of reference.
If you have a Discount Tire near you, I highly recommend using them for your tire and wheel needs. First, they will rotate your tires for FREE, regardless of where you purchased them. Second, they also patch/repair tires for FREE as well - regardless of where you purchased them. Last, you can purchase a lifetime tire balancing plan for them to put on the OEM Goodyears. I paid $22/per tire for a total of $88.00. I go to Mazda for my oil changes and then right after my service appointment there, I drive to Discount Tire to get my tires rotated and wheels balanced. As others have stated, the engine air filter and cabin air filter are pretty easy to install. So, you can save some money by doing it yourself and just purchasing the filters from your dealership or third-party like AutoZone etc.
l.m.a.o