So I’ve been having trouble with my radio dropping my phone calls lately so I thought maybe my unit needed an update. I do all my own maintenance and never go to the dealership. For some reason it didn’t even occur to me that I could update it myself through the entune app or from a usb download. So they got me for $59. Don’t know what I was thinking just a lapse in judgment I guess. Or am I wrong and is there a certain update that only they can do. I know they are in the business of making money but you would think they would say hey you can just do it yourself or we can do it for $59.

Well, yes dealerships are in the business of making money. The person you talked to in service makes nothing from telling you to go home and do it yourself. They showed up to work only to be paid commission on the work they sell. If they were not able to take care of you that day, I would hope they would let you know that it could be done at home. It is important for the general public to understand that dealership employees are sales people... who would be reprimanded if they were to offer you an option that does not generate income for the dealership. Be your own advocate and do your research before agreeing to something to be done at the dealership. It will always be done in the most profitable way for the dealership. You can't really fault them, if you want them to be there the next time you need them... you have to pay for their services. That being said ALWAYS do your homework before spending money on servicing or repairing your car.

ya, I am going to give the dealership a pass on this one, but just this one time.

$59 seems very fair IMO. I would guess that's cheaper than what 90% of dealers around the country would sell that service for.

Not the dealers fault, but something with my old 2014 Grand Cherokee. Jeep, ON PURPOSE, made you come to the dealer to turn your hitch plug on if you wanted to use it to tow. If your car did not come with a hitch and you put one on with the wiring you also had to buy, you had to go to the dealer, pay them $100+ dollars (at the discretion of the dealer), and have them turn the hitch wiring on in the CPU. Talk about a scam.

I think we were quoted $300 to update the nav in my wife’s 2015 RAV4. Granted, that involves them inserting a cd, so a bit more technical….we said no thank you.

That seems pretty cheap to me for a labor rate. When was the last time you went to a restaurant for lunch and the server told you that you should just head home because you can make a sandwich in your kitchen for less than they're gonna charge you. You went to a dealership for service. They serviced your vehicle and charged you a fair price.


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Ultimately it's on him for not doing his research, but just saying "the dealer is a business that has to make money" isn't the point here. He's aware how a business works. I think it's more the ethics of the dealer where they could have just been nice and told him he can do it himself. Personally, if a dealer told me I could do a service like that myself I'd be all about that dealer. Good customer service goes a long way with me, especially at something like a car dealer. Nickel and diming for a service like that would leave a bad taste in my mouth too.

I never would have known about the entune update without the threads here. Glad I saved some money this way

That's like getting mad that you have to tip your waiter.

I totally understand that, excellent customer service in this situation was offering the solution and charging a fair price. A service advisor telling you can do something yourself at home, is an odd expectation, they would be assuming that you hadn't done your research. If I took my vehicle to a service department and I was told I can do something myself at home, I would be irritated. I brought my car in and I clearly want their help to solve the problem, don't tell me I can go home and do it myself. I would take likely offense to that (depending on how it was said). Bottom line... regardless of the outcome. Semantics aside, I'd say fair price for service. Doesn't look like you were ripped off... if we want a thread vilifying dealerships I'm sure there are plenty of horror stories out there. Often times like this... the expectation for a for profit business is to be altruistic. While people love and enjoy businesses like that, they are not around for long because the consumer will take as much as they can without regard to the bottom line of the business. Pay full price expect full service, pay half price expect half the service, pay nothing... expect nothing.

So a dealership is supposed to quiz an owner as to his or her capabilities, determine if they could do the job themselves at home, and if they determine that they could, advise them to leave and service the vehicle themselves? I'm perfectly capable of changing my own oil. I just don't want to anymore. I'm at the point where I enjoy relaxing in the lounge and enjoying some free coffee and snacks and letting someone else get their hands dirty. My service advisor didn't quiz me and suggest I change my own oil in my garage. Should I find another dealership? I'm not trying to sound too sarcastic but I think your logic is a little flawed.


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Well after reading the threads here I’m still not convinced the ones who say it was completely my fault are correct in their assessment, I did admit I should have done more research but to each his own. Your examples of the oil change and restaurant is ridiculous both of those examples are common knowledge updating a computer system in a car not so much. Yes I know they are in business to make money. I actually just had an independent mechanic tell me my wife’s car didn’t need something I thought should have been done and he showed me why it didn’t and I will always use him from now on. So yes it can be beneficial for a mechanic to give good advice even if they don’t make money that day. I originally went in on a warranty claim that the system wasn’t working correctly but they told me to pay for the update and it would fix it. Well guess what the update didn’t fix it and I’m gonna have to now go back and have them look at it again. I don’t particularly blame the so called sales guy he’s just doing the bidding of the dealership but I do blame the dealership. I will be setting up another appointment with them soon.

I wouldn’t say it’s your fault, I think you have a fair point… but hating dealerships for doing what they are supposed to do is a little silly. If you want free advice that’s what we are here for! The independent mechanic did the right thing by not charging you for work that didn’t need to be done. He didn’t tell you to do it yourself… I think that may be the point we are making as well. Frustrating the fix didn’t work, time for a warranty claim! (Dealers love warranty claims) they are paid from the factory to do the work. Hopefully you have a better experience! You will probably be glad you paid to have it done, so there is no question about how or what was done during that update.


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Incompetent beginner techs and indiscriminate usage of impact gun to install of all fasteners...