It is amazing how much price difference. Did you confirm with each dealership what they are including in the 60k service?

The reason I ask is, although I have done most of the service on my '13 myself, including the 60k service which I just did last weekend, I did have gotten some minor inspection work done by the dealership. When I had the Outback in for warranty work once, I asked the service scheduler how much it would cost to have them do all the inspection points that are outlined in the maintenance manual for the 30k mile service on my Outback. She replied that they do that for free, and she would add it to the ticket. When I got my car back and reviewed the report I noted that the inspection points they had completed did not include all the items outlined in the maintenance manual. I was disappointed, and a little disillusioned with the dealership.

So that is why I ask if you confirmed exactly what each is including as part of their 60k service.

 

Yes, I asked Kings auto and hatfield Subaru. Wagners, Subaru of Dayton and byers all had their prices listed on their webcite, all 3 showed the services being exactly the same. hatfield and kings auto told me over the phone the same as the others showed on their webcites.

 

did some more looking and had some additional prices to list

Park Subaru of Akron
534.15/566.15

Brunswick Subaru
479.95/479.95

Ganley Westside
654.95/544.95

Waikem Subaru
445.00/585.00

Yark Subaru
689.95/707.95

 

Wow...what a price discrepancy between dealerships...

 

This is so stupid, SOA should know about this, and be embarrassed as well.
Back in 2013 I had the 60k service done on my 2009 Outback 2.5. It cost $430...
Why in the world would it not only cost so much more now, 3 years later, but also have such a difference in price between dealers???
Shame on these dealers and SOA for not demanding a standard price...
Now a 120k service is going to cost around $900 because the timing belt has to be replaced, as well as the bearings and water pump. But the 60k service isn't that invasive.

 

It would be almost impossible for SOA to demand a standard price as different regions would have different labor costs. And that's the value of competition/free markets. You can weigh what the dealer says they will do and what they're going to charge for it (as well as their reputation) and decide for yourself which one is the better one to go to. Kudos to the OP for making all those phone calls where most would only call one or maybe two dealers.

 

Why are you all so surprised that the estimates are different?

Every dealer is different. They have different labor rates, different markup on parts and techs with different skill levels. SOA probably has a schedule of expected hours for each service but not dollars. Just like they can't tell dealers how much to sell cars for they cannot tell them how much charge for repairs.

 

It is usually MUCH more economical to not ask for XXXservice. Most dealerships add in a bunch of 'services' which have very little to do with what the automaker recommends in the shop manual. Instead, they see this kind of request as a 'blank check' to do whatever they think they can get away with charging you.

The best approach is:
1) READ THE MANUAL.
2) Form a list the items with pen and pencil
3) For the items YOU can do, DO THEM and cross off the list.
4) Take rest of list to dealer and ask them to do JUST THOSE ITEMS.

For example: If one of the items recommend by the automaker is to "inspect the tires".... this is something you can do yourself and not pay $50 for the dealer to do it.
-or-
Changing the air-filter can be done at home for about $16. The dealer would charge another $50.

Most people find they save several hundred dollars by being specific regarding what is to be done.

BTW: Although Subaru considers the CVT a "no servicing" unit. I would STRONGLY suggest you ask them to change the fluid.

 

I looked at the items listed in the 30K & 60K service list for one of the dealers you listed. Many of the items listed are not at the interval recommended by Subaru.

I agree with brucep's suggestion on how to approach dealer service for your car.

 

The best approach, as has been the case for many decades with ANY vehicle, is to learn to do it yourself....


Works for me....

 

Not so easy for everyone. For example, I live in an apartment where I can't even wash my vehicle at home, much less do much more than an air filter or 2.

 

First mistake added about a 300% markup to what your car actually requires. That mistake was saying xxxxx mileage service. All dealers make up their own xxxx mileage service and it has nothing to do with your car.

Open your owners manual it has a chart showing mileage points and service items. Do those and save your self $1000's over the life time of ownership.

Its customers that call in asking for xxxx mileage service that creates the $100 light bulb change. Dealers dont want to use shop time for fair priced service items when they have a line out the front door of people paying 300% mark up for a xxxxk service.

 

My biggest thing was doing the spark plugs on my 3.6r. That is the only thing I really cant do, nor do I have that much patients, well doing the flush and fill on the tranny too. On the 2.5 the only thing im not sure on is the cvt service.

 

So I sent SOA an email asking why the prices for the 60,000 mile service vary from dealer to dealer when its the EXACT same service, exact same parts and exact same labor. I provided the names of 9 subie dealerships that gave me price quotes on the exact same service, doing the exact same thing, and here;s the response I got

Thank you for taking the time to contact Subaru of America, Inc. as it relates to your email regarding the different costs you received as it relates to a 60K service for your Outback.

At this time, you are only required to follow the maintenance recommendations set out in the Warranty and Maintenance Booklet. However, some dealers will recommend earlier and/or different services for Subaru vehicles based on their specific geographical location and feedback from other Subaru owners that they service. If you have any questions why your dealership has chosen different maintenance recommendations, I would recommend that you discuss their reasons with the Service Manager.

Once again, thanks for your email and I appreciate the opportunity to assist you.

My response email wasn't the nicest to say the least

 

So I sent SOA an email asking why the prices for the 60,000 mile service vary from dealer to dealer when its the EXACT same service, exact same parts and exact same labor. I provided the names of 9 subie dealerships that gave me price quotes on the exact same service, doing the exact same thing, and here;s the response I got

Thank you for taking the time to contact Subaru of America, Inc. as it relates to your email regarding the different costs you received as it relates to a 60K service for your Outback.

At this time, you are only required to follow the maintenance recommendations set out in the Warranty and Maintenance Booklet. However, some dealers will recommend earlier and/or different services for Subaru vehicles based on their specific geographical location and feedback from other Subaru owners that they service. If you have any questions why your dealership has chosen different maintenance recommendations, I would recommend that you discuss their reasons with the Service Manager.

Once again, thanks for your email and I appreciate the opportunity to assist you.

My response email wasn't the nicest to say the least

Why? You asked the question and they answered it. Do you expect all Subaru dealers to sell their cars for the exact same price? Probably not. Why would you expect them to all to do service work for the exact same price?

 

For the exact same service, same parts and labor one would expect the same or near same not a 500.00 difference. That's what my complaint is about and they didn't even tell me why there was such a price difference for the exact same service. here an example filter and oil change at dealership a- 29.99 same exact oil change at dealership b- 49.99. why would there be such a price diff for the exact same service from said maker dealership. If you go in for a service in this example the 60,000 service is listed on every subie dealerships webcite for the most part, and the services and things provided were exactly the same, why is there such a huge difference in price if its the exact same service and things being provided and performed?

 

SOA most likely cannot give you an honest answer for such a price difference.

When all is said and done each dealer can charge what they believe the market will bear.

Using your example, a dealer selling 29.99 oil changes is either using it as a loss leader and will try to up sell you on everything under the sun or he may have lower paid lube techs doing oil changes. Thus allowing the dealer to charge less than other dealers.

The dealer charging 49.99 for oil changes may not have lube techs and uses their higher paid line techs for oil changes. They are going to need to charge a little more because they have higher overhead.

Same with scheduled service, if a dealer has no shortage of folks willing to pay them $500 more for the 60k service then that is what they are going to charge. It is not something SOA can dictate.

Of course you could always hope that Sanders is elected POTUS and he will make auto service free, just like college tuition....:grin2:

 

Im game for free stuff, Ive been working way too long to not get something for free!

 

I'm a bit late to the game here but if you want free stuff and standard pricing, I'm sure you'd enjoy moving to a country that doesn't have the luxury of a free market... Of course there are trade offs... 😜

 

If you really want to know the difference in prices, ask the dealers to itemize their 60k list. SOA doesny have much say in what the dealers do when they package menu like that. SOA only has a say in what they put in the service schedule in the manual.

Look in the manual, write down all the required items, than call the dealers and ask, line by line, what they charge. Most will be inspection items, and if you ask nicely for them to "give it a good look over" while it's in the shop they normally won't charge - they WANT to find things.

There are two air filters, engine and cabin, and both are easy to DIY. Oil, oil filter, brake fluid, and maybe something like spark plugs (going ftom memory) and tire rotations are not generally going to break the bank.

 

Just a FYI on tire rotations at the dealer. If they are not balancing the tires most dealers dont you shouldnt be paying for the rotation. Develop a relationship with your tire shop of choice and get it done correctly with balanced tires. I found 4 local Subaru dealers non of them balance the tires during rotation, which case its like only doing half the job and saying its done. Just a fyi for our Subie forum members.

 

I agree, after all the reason for rotation is wear and when you have wear, you need to balance the tire/wheels.

Only road force balancing should be done if you're paying a fee to have them "rotated" by a dealer. Most have the Hunter GSP9700, so may as well put them to work.

After all, how long does it really take to move wheels from axle to axle? And then they have the nerve to charge you too? BS!:cursin:

If you take it off, do it right and each should be checked by road force then installed. This way, you know the tires will be riding better, wear more evenly and less chance for vibration.

 

You're wasting energy worrying about different dealerships charging different prices for the same services. That is common practice regardless of the brand.


Instead, focus on learning which dealership will offer you the best value when you need dealer service. I DIY all four of our vehicles (two Jaguars, a Dodge, and a Subaru), but I've made sure to call around and get quotes from different area dealerships on various services that I prefer NOT to DIY. This gives me a fairly accurate assessment on who to start with if something breaks that I do not have the capability to repair myself.


I've done this for decades and I keep a trusted list of potential service providers in each of our vehicle's file folders for when I need it. The top potential service providers for all of our vehicles are local indie shops, not dealerships. I may never need them but if I do, I just have to pull that vehicle's file folder and grab my trusty list....


And here's another shout-out for Discount Tire. By far the best at what they do compared with anyone else in the industry. You cannot beat their service, follow-up, pricing, and warranty honoring....

 

I purchased a lifetime alignment/rotate balance at Firestone for about 200$ years ago on my 10. It paid for itself in the first year.

 

So,

I recently took the Outback to the Stealership.

I say this because they are in business to make money, and it seems to make it no matter what.

Ive 82k on our 2013, and I've done the following myself:

- change out the brake fluid
- change the air filter
- change the cabinet air filter
- change the 3.6R ATF
- change the front and rear diff fluids

I walk into the dealer and tell the service rep that I don't want to hear that they need to change the ATF, or flush the brake fluid, etc. More to the point I don't want to see anything on the vehicle report indicating anything needed to changed without scientific proof (eg chemical testing, etc.)

What I previously noticed is that they like to decide to change stuff based on the schedule and not actually based on observations. The prior time I took the car to the dealer i had indicated that I had just change the ATF, and that it did not need to be changed. I got a telephone call from a dealer saying the tech says the ATF need to be changed. So then I asked all sorts of questions: how did the tech arrive at that conclusion? Does the fluid smell burnt? Does the fluid look excessively dark? What chemical analysis was run on the fluid?

I then informed him that I had just changed the ATF and that it was in flawless condition and that I did not appreciate someone trying to make money off of me by telling me it needed to be changed. I also indicated that it better not be on their service documentation with an indication that it needs to be changed. Of course what happen when I got the paperwork: it indicated the ATF needed to be changed.

This most recent time when I told the guy the brake fluid was flushed, and I told him I did it myself, he attempted to give me a hard time in implied that I didn't get it out of the brake calipers. So I turned it around and said " are you telling me that when I replaced the brakes and reset the calipers, somehow the fluid mysteriously stays inside the calipers?"

Bottom line is that my experience with the dealer is that they are trying to make as much money on you as possible and they will do it by replacing stuff but does not need to be replaced.

With Subaru the schedule is basically there to ensure you're car is properly taken care of, while the dealers use it to take advantage of the situation and make money.

For example: if you're driving on the highway back-and-forth to work every day and you're putting lots of mileage on your car that does not mean that you have a severe service interval. It actually means that you can rotate the tires at 10k ( The previous service manager told me that...)

Another example:

Almost every automotive manufacturer says that your oil should be changed at 6500 to 7500 miles. Almost every dealer will tell you to change your oil at 3000 to 3500 miles. This is because they can make a lot of money on oil changes . Screw the environment - who cares about that, let's create a lot of waste oil for no reason. If Subaru wanted the oil changed every 3500 miles they would tell you that. Unless you live in a desert there is no way you need to be changing your oil that often. And if you live in the jungle make sure the car just operating temperature at least three times a week...

Most dealers, especially in urban environments, where people don't know how to do the work themselves, will take you to the cleaners monetarily.

There are some things I don't feel like doing myself, and then I'll use the dealer to do it. However, the mount of money that you can save by doing small jobs yourself is quite substantial.

I also agree with coming up with a detailed list and presenting it to them.

Oh, and the ATF thing, they claimed it had to be done using a special machine. When I called Subaru directly and asked them what the deal was -> I eventually got an engineer on the phone who told me just drain 3 quarts like it says and put 3 quarts back in. That's the only thing you need to do ....

 

Bottom line is that my experience with the dealer is that they are trying to make as much money on you as possible and they will do it by replacing stuff but does not need to be replaced.

Yes, that's their cash cow. However, hard to say if they actually would replace something that has been changed. It is much quicker to charge someone for an ATF drain/fill but not doing the work.

Most dealers, especially in urban environments, where people don't know how to do the work themselves, will take you to the cleaners monetarily.

Yup. Perpetual cycle, you don't know what to do and you can't show your kids what to do and so on... I come from a small village and learned from my dad but mostly by just taking things apart and reassembling (I bought my first motorbike at 16, rebuilt the engine, and that was my ride). So, that's why my kids are watching and helping with any work; my 7 y.o. did the service on my snowblower this year.

I married a city gal and the doubt from the family when I did the brakes on the car! They were all but certain the pedal would go to the floor since a dealership did not do the work.

Not sure if you can stream CBC Marketplace from the US, this one was interesting greasy business

 

I found with those different prices that different work is done with each dealer. For instance they inspect the transmission fluid verses change it. I do like how dealers do levels in their mileage services intervals. I’m smart enough to read the manual and know when things should be changed. The less expensive price will just inspect then when you show up at the next oil change the want to change the fluid that they just inspected in the previous service. I’m getting so I don’t like trust the dealers. I wish I can find a garage that I can trust to do quality work and know what I am getting when I go for service instead of confusing packages that the dealers offers

 

I'm at 118k on my 2013 2.5L and about to do the 120k service and I will NOT be using the dealership. I have only every brought it once for some recall fix they sent a letter about, everything else is done by a very excellent mechanic I have used for a long time as have my whole family. I have done minor work on some other trucks and cars but do not really have time anymore....I do really see the value of learning this so when my son is old enough getting a project truck or something to wrench on will probably happen but anyways back to the tune up, in addition to everything in the manual (which includes spark plugs) I plan on changing the water pump, the timing belt, and the transmission fluid. Anything else I should do at this point? I also will be replacing the shocks and struts but at a different shop.