I've been dodging my Service advisor's recommendation for "Blue Service" which looks to me like a ripoff. For about $239, all they do is the oil change & filter, rotate tires and reset any maintenence reminders. Then they inspect but not fix the following: Inspect the following: Ball joints and dust covers, Differential fluid, Drive shaft boots, Engine coolant, Exhaust pipes and mountings, Fuel lines and connections, Fuel tank band and vapor vent system hoses, Fuel tank cap gasket, Radiator core and condense, Steering gear box, Steering linkage and boots and transmission fluid. So do I just bite the bullet next time and let them do or is there a way out of this so as to keep a good relationship with the dealer (they have been very good to me so far)?
Funny thing is, there's a lot of inspections stipulations in the Maintenance Guide, which likely never get done. And really, unless the car's in an accident, virtually all of this checking is pointless. Not to mention near impossible to execute: there is no practical guideline to these inspections in the Repair Manual. Looking at your list, it seems to be a "boiler plate" mailer, just trying to drum up business. Note "differential fluid", AFAIK that's for 4 wheel drive vehicles only. And there's really no point to "inspecting" the transmission (aka "transaxle"). A periodic change is good though. I'd politely decline.
Just tell them you are not interested and would like to follow the manual for service. Also, most dealers will do an inspection on the vehicle, at the time of service, no charge.
I'd tell them it's not a diesel and doesn't need the "blue stuff". Just to let them know how stupid they really are.
Thanks for everyone's feedback. My dealership is fairly reputable and my belief is they will do the essential hybrid system checks anytime I bring it in for normal service. I now believe that the "green" and "blue" services are hype to drive up service sales and will I politely decline these going forward.
