A Charlotte Honda dealer suggested $800 in repairs. Were they needed?
Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in the Feb. 28, 2022, edition of The Charlotte Ledger, an e-newsletter with smart and relevant news for Charlotte. We have free and paid versions. Sign up today.
I took my minivan in for an oil change. The dealer recommended 3 pricey services Honda says are rarely necessary.
➡️ Plus: Tips to be prepared the next time you visit a mechanic
By Michelle Crouch
I took my 2016 Honda Odyssey to the service department at Scott Clark Honda recently for a simple oil change.
After 30 minutes, my service advisor approached with unexpected news: An inspection revealed my five-year-old minivan, which had 59,000 miles, needed additional work, he said. A printout outlined three recommended services: a power steering flush, a coolant flush and a fuel induction service. The services were coded in red, an indicator that each “Requires immediate attention.”
The additional work would boost my charges from just $40 for an oil change to $511. The advisor also recommended a $297 brake job, but he said that could wait for my next appointment.
“Wow, that’s a lot of money,” I said. “Do I really need to do all of this now?”
The advisor assured me that yes, I needed all three services. Fortunately, I decided to hold off and do some research first.
What I learned should interest anyone who routinely takes their car to a dealership for service.
It turns out that American Honda — the manufacturer that built my car — does not recommend the services mentioned by the dealership, except in “rare instances.” In a position statement published by Honda, all three are included in a list of procedures it “does not recommend or generally considers unnecessary.”
The statement was published in 2019, but American Honda spokesman Carl Pulley says it’s still accurate.
Pulley says Honda recommends following the maintenance schedule in your owner’s manual, or the one programmed into your Honda’s “maintenance minder,” a light-up display that uses letter and number codes to tell you when to do specific services. (Note: my maintenance minder had called only for an oil change.) In his email response, Pulley attached a typical Honda service schedule and noted that the three services I referenced are not included.
When I told Pulley about my experience at Scott Clark Honda, he noted that “Honda dealerships are franchised independently owned and operated businesses.”
Scott Clark Honda’s response: The service manager at Scott Clark Honda did not return a phone call and referred The Ledger to LaToya Evans at The LEPR Agency, a public relations firm. When asked why a service advisor at Scott Clark recommended three services that American Honda says are unnecessary, Evans emailed The Ledger a statement. It said:
At Scott Clark Honda, we deliver world class service through our highly trained, experienced maintenance technicians and customer service representatives. As such, our team makes service recommendations based on a number of factors including vehicle age, known recalls, manufacturer notices on certain models, and the frequency of other services performed in a particular climate or area. With integrity, safety and reliability at the center of all we do, our team works to make the best recommendations for our customer’s individual vehicle needs. Service advisors are not paid on commission.
Referring to the Honda position statement referenced above, Evans wrote:
While the statement issued in 2019 addresses vehicles serviced outside of Honda, other recommendations may be made according to the Honda service guide. The recommendations in this matter were based on known issues with that particular model given high mileage. While these suggestions are in no way mandatory, our goal at Scott Clark Honda is to ensure we make the appropriate recommendations to have every customer’s vehicle run safely and at peak performance.
Evans also provided eight service bulletins about known problems with specific Honda models, but only one applied to the 2016 Odyssey, my vehicle. That service bulletin says a “judder” (rapid forceful shaking) could occur in my model even after a software update, and if that happens, the technician should flush the transmission. Since a transmission flush was not one of the three services recommended to me — and I had never experienced any shaking of my van — it does not seem to apply to my case.
After receiving Evans’ response, The Ledger went back to Pulley, the American Honda spokesman, and asked if the 2019 position statement addresses vehicles serviced outside of Honda, at Honda dealerships or both. He said it relates to the “maintenance of Honda vehicles.”
Upselling by dealerships is common: Dealer service departments recommend costly and unnecessary service items “all the time,” says Ronald Montoya, senior consumer advice editor at Edmunds.com, an automotive research site. Service advisors are encouraged to look for ways to bring in extra revenue, he says.
“One thing people don’t realize is there is a difference between a dealer recommendation and a manufacturer recommendation,” Montoya says. “The people who made the car know best. They built the car. What the dealer recommends is to make them money. It’s an opportunity for them to make a bit of extra profit on each sale.”
Montoya, who previously worked as a cashier in a dealership service department, says upsells can include replacing fluids and filters before it’s necessary, shorter intervals between service appointments and additives or fluid “flushes” that have no benefit.
Window stickers that remind you to come back for an oil change after three months or 3,000 miles are a classic upsell because most automakers today call for oil changes at 7,500, 10,000 or even 15,000 miles, Montoya says.
Other car repair shop tactics: The auto group AAA also warns drivers about unnecessary maintenance. On its site, it lists some of the most common unnecessary maintenance items, along with specific information to help you be more knowledgeable.
For example, it notes that dirt and debris on the surface of an air filter doesn’t necessarily mean it needs to be replaced, that most modern spark plugs are designed to last for at least 100,000 miles, and that a fuel induction service is not needed unless your vehicle has drivability problems.
Another tactic that car repair shops sometimes use is to try to get you to follow the maintenance schedule for a car driving under “severe conditions,” which recommends more frequent service, Montoya says.
“The dealerships tend to say if you sit in traffic, that’s a severe condition, but I disagree,” Montoya says. Instead, he says that schedule is meant for cars that primarily make trips under five miles (like delivery or Uber drivers), that mostly drive in extremely hot, extremely cold or dusty conditions, or cars that routinely tow a trailer.
Customers may get different answers than media: Unfortunately, customers who aren’t journalists may not get similar help from American Honda when trying to sort out which repairs are really required. When I emailed Honda customer relations (as opposed to reaching out as a reporter) to ask about the services Scott Clark Honda recommended for my car, they repeatedly told me I should trust the service department at my local dealership.
“I would go with whatever the dealership says,” agent Kiona Jackson told me in a phone call. “The technicians at Honda dealerships are authorized and trained for Honda vehicles. If they recommended those things, I’m sure they diagnosed the vehicle and saw a potential issue.”
Be a smarter customer: That means it’s up to drivers to ensure they aren’t paying for unnecessary repairs, Montoya says.
“This is not to discourage anyone from going to a dealership,” Montoya says, noting that some independent repair shops also push unnecessary repairs. “I actually prefer the level of service and knowledge they have. It’s just a reminder to us as customers to be informed and do your research about what is needed before you go in.”
His best advice? Open your owner’s manual and be familiar with what it recommends at each mileage mark before you bring in your car. If you have a maintenance minder, know what the letters and numbers mean. “Be very specific about what you want,” he says.
Then, if your service advisor comes to you recommending additional services after your car has been inspected, ask for an explanation of the extra work and why the technician believes it needs to be done.
Keeping good records about repairs and services can help in those situations, Montoya says. “You should know roughly know how long it’s been since you’ve done a service,” he says. “If they’re recommending new brake rotors and it’s only been a year, I probably wouldn’t replace them. If it’s been three or four years, it’s something to consider.”
Consider a second opinion. If, like me, you don’t know a rotor from a radiator, you can always take your car to a different repair shop for a second opinion, especially if the recommended service item is going to bust your budget.
That’s what I did. After leaving Scott Clark Honda, I took my Odyssey to an independent repair shop. Without mentioning my recent visit to the dealership, I asked the technicians there to give the car a once-over and let me know what it needed.
The technicians said the car looked good, asked questions about what maintenance items had already been performed and did not recommend any additional repairs or services.
When I asked specifically about the coolant flush, power steering flush and fuel induction service the dealer had recommended, they had a quick response: “Honda as a company does not recommend those services,” they said.
Michelle Crouch is a freelance writer and a regular contributor to The Ledger. Send her story tips at michellecrouchwriter@gmail.com.
Need to sign up for this e-newsletter? We offer a free version, as well as paid memberships for full access to all 4 of our local newsletters:
➡️ Opt in or out of different newsletters on your “My Account” page.
➡️ Learn more about The Charlotte Ledger
The Charlotte Ledger is a locally owned media company that delivers smart and essential news through e-newsletters and on a website. We strive for fairness and accuracy and will correct all known errors. The content reflects the independent editorial judgment of The Charlotte Ledger. Any advertising, paid marketing, or sponsored content will be clearly labeled.
Like what we are doing? Feel free to forward this along and to tell a friend.
Social media: On Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.
Sponsorship information: email brie@cltledger.com.
Executive editor: Tony Mecia; Managing editor: Cristina Bolling; Contributing editor: Tim Whitmire, CXN Advisory; Contributing photographer/videographer: Kevin Young, The 5 and 2 Project