Service department rip-off?

[theholycow]

It's not just dealers, and it's not all dealers. Certainly dealers, and chain/franchise independent shops (like quicklube-style places and well-branded full service shops), feel that they can get away with it...but there's plenty of independent shops with bad employees, or one-man shops run by someone who has no morals. Bad people are everywhere.

Whether dealer, chain/franchise, or independent, you need to do whatever homework you can and you need to always be on your guard. If something sounds fishy, say "thanks, I'll look at that when I get home" and take it somewhere trusted for a second opinion.

By far the best thing you can do is be educated and practiced; do as much of your own work as possible, learn about the things that you don't do (I learn by participating in forum discussions and reading service manuals), and so on.