2008 Ford Focus SES Coupe: 25,000 Mile Service Conclusion

Mike, not related to this post but here is the whole Simpson's quote:

Hutz: Now Marge, you've come to the right place. By hiring me as your lawyer, you also get this smoking monkey.
[sniff] Better cut down there, Smokey! [laughs]
Marge: Mr. Hutz!
Hutz: [excited] Look - he's taking another puff!
Marge: Mr. Hutz! This was all a misunderstanding; I didn't mean to take anything. [Lionel disappointedly drops the smoking monkey in a drawer full of identical critters]
Hutz: Now don't you worry, Mrs. Simpson, I - uh-oh. We've drawn Judge Snyder.
Marge: Is that bad?
Hutz: Well, he's kind of had it in for me, since I accidently ran over his dog. Actually, replace `accidently' with `repeatedly', and replace `dog' with `son'.

Wow, they sound like real crooks. I'll only take my car in for service at a dealership if the work is covered under warranty. Usually, I just change the oil/filter myself (with the help of a friend) and I can think of about a half dozen tire shops nearby that will rotate the tires for free.

I really some times wonder why you go to the dealer for your work.

I can understand while it under warranty but since its not a BMW or Mercedes or a high end car like a Ford GT it seems pointless to take it to a dealer.

It takes me about 10 minutes to change my oil and about 30 to rotate tires. Cost about $20 and I don't need to drop off my car anywhere. While I'm at it, I do a "no charge to me" brake and strut inspection.

If I'm in a good mood and it's a nice outside I'll even throw in a wash and vacuum at no extra charge to myself.

How is it that almost every Ford Dealer is unattractive in appearance?

Like almost every car brand has like a set motif (Lexus, Nissan, Honda, Audi, Etc), yet Ford doesn't.

firstwagon, good for you. I have a lot of respect for the DIY's out there. You save yourself some cash while getting a little more familiar with what you're driving.

Not too long ago my friend was considering buying either a Toyota Corolla or Matrix, so I accompanied him to a nearby dealership that was offering one of those 'lifetime powertrain' warranties on new models. What we found out is that you're required to bring the car back to their service department for all maintenance or else you invalidate the warranty.

Well it sounded like a scam to me and I told the salesperson that I usually just handle oil/filter changes myself. He then accuses me of dumping my used oil into the nearest sewer drain (what a jerk!) I responded "well maybe that's what you guys do, but the rest of us know that you can take used motor oil to any auto parts store to be recycled/properly disposed of/etc.

Needless to say my friend ended up buying a Honda instead. Nothing worse than salespeople that don't have a clue.

"The cashier was on the slow and careless side and the valet took forever"

Why does this not surprise me? Welcome to L.A. the apathetic zombie capital of the world.

"Like almost every car brand has like a set motif (Lexus, Nissan, Honda, Audi, Etc), yet Ford doesn't."

Ford does has a corporate standard design just like the ones that you mention, but there are lots of old dealerships and small ones that have yet to change to it- just like there are Nissan, Honda, Audi brands that don't match their new designs too.

There's no shortage of dealer hatred here. At $56, the dealer is probably breaking even. I guess they should be losing money. Well, if Edmunds had taken the time to look for coupons, the dealer would have been losing money.

adavis is right. The sign isn't all that attractive. They're in a world of hurt right now and the last thing they should be spending money on is superficial thinks like pretty signs. Fancy dealerships are expensive. In the end, you're paying for it through a higher markup.

As to the service, I'll have to trust Mike on that one. It sounds like it could have been better.

Personally, I just go to the local oil change place. They cost more than I would like, but it's not terrible. They also shoot for being done in 10 minutes. I like 'em.

I get coupons every week in the mail for $20 oil changes at the local oil change places.

These are always done in 30 minutes or less.

Makes no sense to go to dealership.

I doubt they are breaking even at $56 dollars. They are probably marking up the price 50-100%.

Newer, better designed dealerships tend to make up the cost of the upgrade through increased sales & service opportunities. Nobody likes a crappy looking dealer.

I admire DIY-ers, although even if I had those skills, I wouldn't use them until after the warranty period ended (basic & powertrain). It's really hard for a dealer or manufacturer to deny warranty coverage/accuse you of not properly caring for the car if it's been maintained on time & at the dealership the entire time.

For those who think the dealer wasn't making money:

I understand that mentality...however, for these types of jobs a dealer will often assign someone making $15-20 per hour. The oil change and tire rotation, from pulling into the shop to back out, takes about 30 minutes. The oil and filter cost about $8 (about $1 per quart for oil, and a regular ford oil filter at their cost).

So you can expect that, even if it took an hour, the dealership paid $28 in direct-costs (does not include costs like facility ownership, mgmt, cashier/svc. mgnr, insurance,etc.)

Barring in-direct costs, this service had about a 100% mark-up over their cost. Including in-direct costs, maybe it was 30-5%.

I understand people think they aren't making money off these services: but they are.

Cheap labor and cheap bulk parts go a long way, and these companies have had a very long time to figure out how to make it worth their while.

Joe