2010 Suzuki Kizashi GTS: Service at 15,000 Miles

Since it doesn't say in the manual to replace cabin air filter and throttle body service at 15K miles and he insisted that Suzuki recommends it, I would have made him give it to me in writing.
And if he did I would file a complain with corporate and a few other things to expose their lying practices.

TB service = remove air intake boot, spray carb cleaner into TB around edges of the throttle valve to remove any carbon build up. I do this to my own cars, but they've usually gone years and at least 70k before I even buy them, so it's actually needed. On this car, it is unlikely to be needed, and is so simple that paying for it would really piss me off. How much did it cost? There doesn't seem to be an aftermarket version of the cabin filter, yet, so that explains the gouging on that.

The problem now is that if you don't go to Van Nuys Suzuki, the next closest dealer is about 40 miles away. Not sure why it wasn't taken to Can Nuys, but if that is not an option, having to drive 40 miles to get service would certainly knock a vehicle off my shopping list. That is a problem for Suzuki.

$100 for a cabin air filter is ridiculous. I'll breathe a little pollen to keep $100 in my pocket every 15k miles.

$95 for a cabin air filter!?!?

I change my own CAF in my Volvo C30 for about $10. The stealership wants $70-$80 to do a 20 minute job. My next service would be over $650 for them to ...change oil and filter(I do myself every 6-7000 miles)rotate tires(Discount Tire does for free)Cabin Air Filter(I do)spark plugs(I'll do, but not at 50K miles like they're saying)Air filter(I have a K&N, not needed)check fluids(I do all the time)...I'm ok with them making a profit but not gouging.

I would forward this experience to Paul, and tell him why you will not be returning, or better yet, call this number:
http://www.suzukiauto.com/owners/contact_us.php?r=top

and tell them about your experience. It really is a shame that they finally start making great cars and get shafted by poor service.

Poor dealer network. Hence the reason that this really good car will never matter. It's a shame, really.

Unfortunately, this type of practice is not just isolated to Suzuki dealers. It's an old-school way to pad the dealer's bottom line. If more automotive publications would share such experiences, then maybe these tactics could cease to exist.

I too would be upset with the experience. I don't believe any of us are held hostage to go to a dealer for service. I understand the thought process for wanting to go to one especially if the vehicle is still under warranty (although I do believe non-dealer mechanics can work on vehicles on warranty issues..?), but any independent mechanic can do the work that needed to be done on the Zuk. No I'm not a mechanic, don't even pretend to be one in my driveway. I do appreciate the article though, gives a reminder to check the recommended maintenance before having my vehicle serviced next.

I love these types of articles

are parts just more expensive for this particular car? a NAPA gold filter (not the cabin air filter) is listed @ $45...

That's one expensive air filter on a Suzuki.

Just had the filter replaced on my Mercedes C300. Cost? $49.50.

zoomzoomn hit the nail on the head. Dealer service is the single biggest reason why some really good cars end up dying. Unfortunately.

I just went to Autozone for both air filters in my car (K&N). $45 and half hour of my time. Air filters are the biggest service scam ever.

Thank you for calling out the dealership. I wish you would have listed the service advisor's name, but then again, he may have been on the dealer's script to up-sell.

I sincerely think service advisers attend the same sales seminars the salesmen have to go to. Their tactics seem similarly underhanded focusing more on profit than customer service.

Cabin air filters have to be the single most profitable dealer service item EVER.

First of all, were we really so much worse off 5-10 years ago when cars didn't even have cabin air filters?

Anyways, onto my cabin air filter story. I was going through the service records on my girlfriend's 2007 Honda Civic Hybrid to see when her brake pads were last changed. As I went through the records, I noticed that every time she went there, they changed the cabin air filter. This was about a 6 month/7500 mile occurence. The cost for all these cabin air filters? $30 for the filter and $69 for labor. That seemed like total BS to me so I googled how to change a cabin air filter. I watched the 1 and a half minute youtube video describing how to do it, I walked outside to her car, and completed the job in about 45 seconds. The cost of a new filter from RockAuto? $4. So the dealership (KEYES HONDA OF WOODLAND HILLS, CA) is making $96 profit off of less than one minute of time.

I guess since I'm already on the topic of KEYES HONDA OF WOODLAND HILLS, CA, I'll tell you how on my girlfriend's last visit there when her tires were down to the wear bars, they opted to rebalance her tires ($60) and give her a four wheel alignment ($100).

this is a perfect example of why people distrust "stealerships" for service... +1 for what zoomzoom said as well...

Hopefully IL can follow up on this and tell us how the owner of the dealership and Suzuki USA react
to this disgraceful conduct.

so after one bad experience all suzuki dealers are now inept and sketchy?? that's quite a leap of illogic. it's unfortunate that this happened, but truthfully, having your car serviced is a lot like going to the doctor. it's a shared responsibility between you and the service provider, whomever that provider might be. next time, be prepared to defend yourself! i've had similar experiences at Nissan, Mazda and Subaru dealers, so this certainly isn't limited to Suzuki.

Sometimes all it takes is to go up one step in the chain of command. I recently went to the dealer for a problem with my Miata my mechanic just couldn't seem to work out, hoping they could work with Mazda to diagnose a fix (maybe there would be a TSB for it, etc...) Rather than diagnosing the problem, the dealer techs and service advisers just wanted to throw (very expensive) parts at it. We contacted the service manager and showed him chapter and verse of the workshop service manual that detailed how to diagnose our exact code. They diagnosed it as a wiring problem, which is what we suspected, and put many, many miles on it to test the fix (with our permission) to make sure they really fixed it right. When I got it back, the service manager comped the cost, since we had to go through so much trouble.

Of course there are some really fantastic dealers around. I've been very happy with my Mazda dealer in Shrewsbury MA (Sentry West) for the past 10 years and get all my service done there. Those of you who think dealer service is expensive don't realize that loyalty goes both ways. Since the dealer knows I'm loyal they don't gouge me and always give me good pricing and service. They are afterall trying to sustain a business. That's why it makes me laugh when I hear people who bounce from dealer to dealer or never go to the dealer believe that they somehow owe them something. And it's usually when that big repair comes and their out of warranty or they scream foul when the dealer doesn't honor the warranty when they did all their service at jiffy lube or modded the hell out of their car. I don't know any individual who appreciates being taken advantage of. Why would it be any different for a business? It goes both ways people.

This is exactly the reason why I never go to a dealer for service and do simple service items myself. You end up saving SO MUCH MONEY!

Agree 100% with ocramidajzj above. Our locally-owned Ford dealer in Cumming GA (Billy Howell) has never tried upselling us in over 6 years. No fuel-injection services, no cabin air filters, etc. As a result I trust them and especially Mike their service advisor completely. They charge $30 for an oil change and tire rotation, front brakes and rotor cut for $180, new Motorcraft 100 month battery was $99. Perhaps I could save $10 bucks going to Wal-Mart or doing it myself, but I prefer to spend the money with them for the routine stuff, so in the event a major event occurs they won't have to gouge me. Shop around, there are some good dealers and shops out there.

I agree there is merit in being loyal to a dealer's service department, if you trust them. If you plan to stay with the same brand of car, I've found I can get a better price on a new car if that dealer knows I'll be using their service department. They can make up a small loss on the sale with the money I'll be handing over for service. You can sometimes also get better trade-in value if the dealer knows your car has had the proper service. For some of us, DIY maintenance isn't possible...even though I know how to do basic oil changes, etc., my HOA forbids this kind of stuff from occuring on the property.

Be strong.Do the right thing.And post this "Service Writer"'s name.Along with the Name and location of this dealership(which you had done already).Time and day of the visit too.
Be clear and concise about it.Be a journalist.And report it cleanly.
GIVE us HIS Name.

This is the main reason I will never own a Lexus. My wife took our GX for its 15K service, and asked for the recommended service. They ended up also flushing the radiator, changing the transimission and differential fluid etc. Final bill was crazy.
I called the service manager after seeing the bill demanding to know why they did all these unnecessary services, and stated that even the severe duty schedule did not recommend doing any of these things. He quoted that they have a special maintenance book that they follow for vehicles that tow, never mind that our GX did not even have a tow package.

This kind of stuff will never stop at dealerships unless you just say NO! Ask ahead of time for the FACTORY recommended maintenance as prescribed by the manufacturer only, and write that on the work order: If they try to cram anything else in, tell them that you will not pay for anything that the factory manual does not specify. Get a hard quote before you sign the work order, and question anything over and above what was agreed upon before the work was started. Entirely too many people get intimidated by service writers; this is especially true of women, who often question their own mechanical aptitude. Don't be afraid to be a hard-ass!