I have a 2003 Hyundai Elantra with 92K miles on it.
I was looking around for service plans with Hyundai dealer, local shop and companies like Firestone , Sears etc.
Sears platinum package at ~$250 seems to be a good bet compared to dealer prices of ~$400.
Any comments ?
That does seem to be a good price in comparison with the dealership’s price. However, after Sears tries to convince you that you need new struts, tires, brakes, etc., the bill will be much higher. In the past, Sears Auto Centers have been cited for:
Unnecessary “Upselling”
Sloppy workmanship
Used parts (especially used batteries that they have cleaned up)
Personally, I would avoid Sears, and would seek out a highly recommended independent mechanic if you want to stay away from the dealer–but it is your money.
I have found Sears to be a good place to get tires – as well as tools and batteries if on sale. I really haven’t asked anything more of their Auto Service department chiefly for the reasons that VDC mentioned.
One problem is that you are ordering a package. You can’t easily compare it with another, which may contain either more or less services than the other one. Is tire rotation provided or not? Or, you may be charged for certain minor adjustments that someone else includes in the arranged price.
You may do quite well going to Sears. Read the fine print on your agreement, avoid the upsell, and be prepared to spend a bit extra per Sears’ recommendations.
wow! this is a great forum. that was my first post and i was not expecting such prompt responses.
VDC - i feared that much. i was wary of these big chain stores especially after a recent mess up at a firestone nearby.
Steve - tire rotation is in the package. rest of it is tranmission flush, coolant replace, fuel system cleaning ,brake fluid exchange ,brake evaluation
you have to be very lucky to find a trust worthy mechanic !
thnx
Forget the “Platinum Package”. That’s meaningless hype. Read your owners manual and decide on what services you wish performed based on its 90K mile recommendations. Then with list in hand, get a few estimates on the maintenance items your car REALLY needs, no what is provided in some package deal…
Just stick with what is listed in your car’s owner’s manual. Those one size fits all chain packages are not your best deal.
Why does the original formatting of a post later disappear? In my earlier post (above), the text was originally more readable than it is now. Why do paragraphs, bold font, underlining, and spacing display properly when a post first appears, only to disappear later ?
This site still needs work!
Click and Clack have often said “It is the stingy man that pays the most”. What works for me is to follow the recommendations in the owner’s manual and then select shops that specialize in a particular service. For transmission fluid changes, I take my vehicles to an independent transmission shop. For wheel alignment and tires, I go to an independent tire dealer. I have an excellent garage that does engine work, oil changes, radiator service, etc. I had excellent work done by an independent alignment shop until the owner retired and sold the building. At both the transmission shop and the alignment shop, I found that these shops did work for automobile dealers, both new car and used car, in the area. By avoiding the dealer’s service department and going right to the specialists, I avoid the “middle man”. Independent shops are much less apt to sell parts or service that really isn’t needed.