Originally Posted by doitmyself
The OP stated that there is NO charge for the warranty. The OP stated that the maintenance schedule is that of the manufacturer, NOT the dealer. Don't compare this to DIY costs. The OP could opt out of dealer service whenever he feels that he is getting fleeced. Again, there is NO up front costs to this.
The Ford F150 factory maintenance schedule is on a 10,000 mile interval. It doesn't look overboard at all. I.E., the first spark plug and coolant change is at 100K miles:
https://www.deanarbour.org/ford-f-150-maintenance-schedule.htm
I think it really depends on how much that 10,000 mile service is - you have the oil change, the tire rotation, the inspection of the brakes, exhaust, steering and suspension systems. Then the 20,000 mile intervals throw in all of that plus the cabin air filter. The 30,000 mile service throws in all of that plus the engine air filter, inspection of the belts, hoses.
So if they are just charging you $100-$150 for these services, I'd say that's a pretty darn good deal, but if they're charging you $300-$450 for these services, then I think it's a different story. So $300-$500 bucks for what essentially is an oil change and tire rotation...I'd have to think long and hard about that. Because there are some dealers that charge $150 dollars to replace a simple cabin air filter that has two screws to remove. Or $100 to replace the engine filter. And if these services charge you for the tire rotations and various "inspections"?? And why can't we compare it to do it yourself costs? This is bob's the oil guy, most of us change our own oil (which essentially these services are). And most of us can easily do inspections, filter replacements and tire rotations, spark plugs, coolant. This is why a lot of us come here. This is relatively easy and basic maintenance.
Because of THIS SITE I have purchased over 100 quarts of brand name synthetic oil for under $2 dollars a quart, off clearance from autozone. A baragin and a half. Would have never known it existed if not for the section of THIS SITE that tells you about rebates and sales for motor oil. I have over 100 quarts of synthetic 0w20 Mobil1, Valvoline, Rotella Gas Truck, Quaker State Ultimate Durability...all for $2 a quart (or less after rebates). I can buy any air filter, oil filter, cabin filter, spark plug, known to man on Amazon for half what the dealer will charge. This is reality for a lot of people that come to this site.
But I DO agree, this does sound like a good deal for your average car/truck owner who isn't capable of working on their own cars (or doesn't want to), however the cost of those services will be the deal maker/breaker.