[lazyforte]

Hey guys,

I'll be bringing my car in for my 2nd service soon.
My dealership told me it costs $120 (oil change, checks on brakes, rotate tires, fuel injection system treatment, etc.)
Is this really necessary?

My first 'oil change' (regular service) cost $40.

 

[conwelpic]

check your maintenance section in your owners manual that will tell you what is necessary.

 

[Takashi]

Hey guys,

I'll be bringing my car in for my 2nd service soon.
My dealership told me it costs $120 (oil change, checks on brakes, rotate tires, fuel injection system treatment, etc.)
Is this really necessary?

My first 'oil change' (regular service) cost $40.

Your call.

If you don't want to service the car, then don't bring it to service.

You can do it yourself if you like. It is not that hard.

Ultimately, Kia and Hyundai are high maintenance vehicles. I guess you get what you paid for. In other words, you should've checked with the service department before you buy the car.

 

[17929]

I've spent $214 in over two years maintaining my 2014 Kia. Wouldn't call that high maintenance at all. Especially compared to other car makes I've owned over the years.

 

[conwelpic]

my Soul has been one of the cheapest to maintain vehicles I've ever owned and that is following the maintenance guide in the owners manual.

 

[mdavej]

Service is not different than any other car. Schedule is about the same. Either do it yourself or take to an independent shop to save money. Or pay top rates at the dealer. $120 seems about right for that list of stuff at the dealer. Fuel injection treatment is questionable. I do everything myself if I have the time and expertise. Oil change and inspections are super easy.

 

[s.f.c.hooligan]

Its all inspections....only oil change and filters need done actually. And that's dirt cheap and easy. Fuel treatment is chevron additive. Buy that a parts store. Keep receipts of all service items for warranty.

 

[Takashi]

The problem with Kia / Hyundai (and many other makes) is that the manufacturer in Canada treats the car as it is operating at extreme conditions whereas in US they treat the car as it is operating at normal conditions. As per the owners manual, oil change is required once every 6,000 km (or every 3 months) under extreme conditions whereas under normal conditions oil change is done every 12,000 km (or every 6 months). The $ spend in maintenance adds up very quickly.

My previous car (Acura), oil change is required once every 8,000km (or every 6 months) under extreme conditions.

At the end of the day, it adds up quick.

 

[Walpole5]

Why is driving in Canada considered extreme? Except for areas that are colder than typical in the US, I don't see why maintenance would be any different. It's not like you are driving in the Arctic or the Saharan desert.

I'm on my third Kia (Spectra and two Forte's) and have found them to require the least maintenance of any car I've owned. Compared to our Eos, there is virtually nothing to do. And, what maintenance is required is very easy (I have to remove 16 bolts just to remove the engine pan on the VW to get to the oil drain plug and filter and don't get me started on the oil filter canister design).

For our original poster, change the oil, oil filter, and cabin air filter (if you're at 15k miles) yourself. Some ramps, a drain pan, and a basic socket set is all you need. It'll take less time than driving to the dealer and you can use the money you save to buy a nice dinner.

 

[conwelpic]

The problem with Kia / Hyundai (and many other makes) is that the manufacturer in Canada treats the car as it is operating at extreme conditions whereas in US they treat the car as it is operating at normal conditions. As per the owners manual, oil change is required once every 6,000 km (or every 3 months) under extreme conditions whereas under normal conditions oil change is done every 12,000 km (or every 6 months). The $ spend in maintenance adds up very quickly.

My previous car (Acura), oil change is required once every 8,000km (or every 6 months) under extreme conditions.

At the end of the day, it adds up quick.

please fill in your location and what you are driving (we have no idea what vehicle you are talking about), so we can understand what you are getting at.
If you read the severe section of your maintenance section and if you meet those conditions then yes its rated as severe, its no different in the US. If your specific driving conditions are not severe then you don't follow that schedule. Where I am located, part of the year I'm severe and part of the year its normal. I don't put on a lot of mileage so simply take the vehicle in every six months for service. Also the newer the vehicle the less maintenance.
Haven't seen 3 months in severe since I had my '08 Rondo. My 2012 Soul for severe is 6000 km or 6 months, normal is 12,000 km or 12 months for oil and filter.

What is the oil change charge at a Acura dealership vs a Kia dealership?

this is the severe chart for the US but the requirements are still the same.

 

[lazyforte]

Thanks for all the responses.

I also see the normal maintenance schedule is 12,000 km (7,500 miles), but from reading other threads it seems nobody waits that long to perform oil changes. My dealership recommends every 6,000 km which seems excessive to me.

Regarding regular servicing, from what I gather, it sounds like most people just perform engine oil and filter changes. That seems more reasonable...and my dealer would charge $40 (includes fluid top ups and basic inspections).

So I guess Kia wouldn't void the warranty if I'm not performing tire rotations, brake adjustments, and the fuel injection treatment?
Does anyone perform the fuel injection system treatment on their own?

 

[kiaguy007]

I also see the normal maintenance schedule is 12,000 km (7,500 miles), but from reading other threads it seems nobody waits that long to perform oil changes.

On my Forte, I use 7.5K (mile) OCIs, and am totally comfortable doing so. Todays oil and filters have no problem lasting that many miles (and typically a lot more).

My dealership recommends every 6,000 km which seems excessive to me.

They are fully aware of what I wrote above, and are doing nothing but increasing profits for their stealership with this 6 kms OCI.

... from what I gather, it sounds like most people just perform engine oil and filter changes. That seems more reasonable...and my dealer would charge $40 (includes fluid top ups and basic inspections).

I'm someone who won't do anything at a deler except warrany claim service, but if you don't DIY yourself, that's not a bad price (just extend the OCI).

So I guess Kia wouldn't void the warranty if I'm not performing tire rotations, brake adjustments, and the fuel injection treatment??

None of that stuff should have anything to do with a warranty, but you need to be aware that when it comes to warranty, you're working only with your local dealer and not "KIA" (at least initially). So an unscrupulous dealership COULD try to deny a warrany claim for any reason they want to cook up. Yes, you have the right to bump the issue up to corporate KIA, but that's something you would need to push, and a really crooked dealer may try to stonewall you. IMO, the 6kms OCI they're selling you is not a good omen relative to this outfit.

Does anyone perform the fuel injection system treatment on their own?

Top tier gas has additives (Techron or similar), which provides all the "treatment" your injection system needs. Others add all kinds of stuff into their fuel and oil, but IMO it just a waste of $$, because all the right stuff has already been included in good gas and oil.

 

[old man]

I know I am new here but I have been a car guy since I was 12 and my father owned a gas station when they used to repair cars. Before I was disabled I used to do most mechanical work myself but no longer am able. I hate car dealerships more than words can express and if I don't have any warranty issues they will never ever see it again. They terrorize customers especially women. You can get the same thing at Jiffy lube or other oil change place for about $30 for an oil change and they will vacuum and clean the windows and you won't have to wait an hour or more. All you need do is keep your receipts and your warranty is all good. Know this...service writers work on commission, don't you think that's a conflict of interest???

 

[Markus]

@lazyforte
Here's the service schedule from my local dealer: http://www.lockwoodkia.com/lockwood-service-schedule.htm

Seems to be every 6000kms. You can also see what is involved in the Service 2 over a Service 1. I've only just covered 10,00kms on my 2014 SX, and so I go by time rather than distance, thus every six months. As for the cost, I too agree with others that the cost is very reasonable to other cars out there, certainly a lot cheaper than the service was on my old Accord V6.
Given the affordability of the service, I don't mind the dealership doing it, saves me doing it too, plus anything brake related, I'm not confident enough to mess with, for obvious reasons.

 

[sube]

In Canada because of our severe winter weather over much of the country the service schedule falls under the severe use requirement which is 6 months or 6000 Kilometers whichever comes sooner. Failing to follow this schedule could result in and probably will be a refusal to repairs under warranty..

Pat.

 

[kiaguy007]

In Canada because of our severe winter weather over much of the country the service schedule falls under the severe use requirement which is 6 months or 6000 Kilometers whichever comes sooner. Failing to follow this schedule could result in and probably will be a refusal to repairs under warranty..
Pat.

If this is what the Canadian warranty requires, then I will retract my previous recommendation to the OP for longer OCIs because you apparently have no choice in order to protect your powertrain warranty.

That said, I wouldn't hesitate to use considerably longer OCIs in my own vehicles, even where you live (once the warranty is over). Modern synthetic oil still flows well in extremely cold temps and protects adequately during cold startup, which is by far the most severe issue for an engine. And once it gets past startup, oil in a Canadian engine is no different than one running in Florida.

 

[lazyforte]

@lazyforte
Here's the service schedule from my local dealer: http://www.lockwoodkia.com/lockwood-service-schedule.htm

Seems to be every 6000kms. You can also see what is involved in the Service 2 over a Service 1. I've only just covered 10,00kms on my 2014 SX, and so I go by time rather than distance, thus every six months. As for the cost, I too agree with others that the cost is very reasonable to other cars out there, certainly a lot cheaper than the service was on my old Accord V6.
Given the affordability of the service, I don't mind the dealership doing it, saves me doing it too, plus anything brake related, I'm not confident enough to mess with, for obvious reasons.

Yes, that's the dealer 'recommended' service schedule. I guess what I'm trying to ask is what's the bare minimum we need to perform in order to maintain the warranty? It seems like only performing Service 1 is sufficient. I can't imagine people actually performing Service 3s and 4s considering the cost ($280 and $480, respectively).

In Canada because of our severe winter weather over much of the country the service schedule falls under the severe use requirement which is 6 months or 6000 Kilometers whichever comes sooner. Failing to follow this schedule could result in and probably will be a refusal to repairs under warranty. Pat.

I don't see that explicitly spelled out in the owner's manual regarding the Canadian climate, so I think it's still open to interpretation. The dealers obviously say we are in 'Severe Weather'. Also, I think it would depend on where you live in Canada.
More importantly, we aren't in cold weather year-round, so the 6,000 km requirement shouldn't always apply either. In other words, I should be able to drive over 6,000 km in the summer without voiding my warranty.

 

[Markus]

Yes, that's the dealer 'recommended' service schedule. I guess what I'm trying to ask is what's the bare minimum we need to perform in order to maintain the warranty? It seems like only performing Service 1 is sufficient. I can't imagine people actually performing Service 3s and 4s considering the cost ($280 and $480, respectively)..

Do you mean you cannot see people paying the dealership to do S3 and S4, or that you cannot see people DIY'ing them as it's cheaper and less hassle to go to the dealer to do it?

I certainly will be getting S3 and S4's done at the dealership, perhaps I'm foolish in doing so, but I'd rather have a dealership, that knows the car and specializes in that car, then a general shop that doesn't specifically know the car, or more specifically my car.

I don't see that explicitly spelled out in the owner's manual regarding the Canadian climate, so I think it's still open to interpretation. The dealers obviously say we are in 'Severe Weather'. Also, I think it would depend on where you live in Canada.
More importantly, we aren't in cold weather year-round, so the 6,000 km requirement shouldn't always apply either. In other words, I should be able to drive over 6,000 km in the summer without voiding my warranty.

Have a look at the bottom right of the link I posted, it specifically states the Canada clause there. It's not specifically the dealers stating this, it's Kia Canada itself, and the dealers are pretty much bound by what they say. In addition, unfortunately it does not vary depending on where you are in Canada, we're considered as a whole.

There isn't anything stopping you from maintaining the car as and when you like, the only issue comes if you have a problem that the dealer can pin down to being due to not following the manufacturers servicing schedule, for example, let's say you decided not to change the oil for 24000kms and suffered an engine issue that was tracked down to lack of oil changes, at that point they could refuse a warranty claim based on you not following the schedule.

 

[lazyforte]

I guess the problem I have with Service 3 and 4 is that most of the items are merely inspections, and is just robbery.

Looking at the Lockwood Kia link, it specifically states "recommended service". I wish they would have another table showing "required service".

I'm obviously not suggesting to drive the car for 24,000 kms without an oil change. I'm merely stating that we aren't driving in severe weather conditions year round. So during the spring, summer and fall we should be able to follow the normal schedule stated in the manual (12,000 km interval) without voiding the warranty.

 

[Walpole5]

723
Out of curiosity, I checked the Kia Canada owners manual for the severe service. They do suggest replacing the oil and filter every 6000km or 6 months and checking the brakes and steering component more frequently for salt corrosion. But that's it. The rest of the dealers aggressive replacement intervals are their own idea. Stick with the Kia recommendations and save some money.