Some of the maintenance intervals include things a lot of people can't do like brakes/pads/belts and so on. If you're mechanically inclined that's a plus, if not, I'm sure there are more important things to be worried about than the dealership taking your money.

 

This is supposedly what they check during your 15k mile checkup:

(taken from my Owner Link account @ Honda.com)

15,000 mi/24,000 km/1 yr Scheduled Maintenance
Recommended service for your 2001 Honda S2000:

Replace engine oil.

Replace engine oil and filter.

Inspect front and rear brakes.

Replace engine oil filter.

Check parking brake adjustment.

Inspect tie-rod ends, steering gearbox and rack boots.

Inspect suspension components.

Inspect driveshaft boots.

Inspect brake hoses and lines (including ABS).

Check all fluid levels, condition of fluids and check for leaks.

Inspect cooling system hoses and connections.

#Inspect exhaust system.

#Inspect fuel lines and connections.

# = See information on maintenance and emissions warranty, last column, page 153 of your owner's manual.



They basically repeat this for every year (or 15k miles) with the addition of:

Replace air cleaner element.

Replace rear differential oil.

Replace dust and pollen filter.

Inspect drive belt.

 

oh geez, not again.

there's a very big difference in terms of overhead and business between a grease monkey and a shop(esp. a honda dealer)

in the dealer, they are ASE cert, you get oem part and all done under honda's name and reputation. i am not saying they never make mistake but if in case they do, you can always go back. how much is the labor? 74/h? that would easily taken 2 hours in and out of the dealership. did i mention overhead, labor and insurance?

don't get me wrong, i am all for DIY but it just seems very silly to compare shop rate to diy rate. if you worked in a shop before you know what kinda of math are you doing.

is it worth it? for some it is(at least have a good service record) and for some it's not.

it's a personal choice, not a default right wrong answer.

 

Maybe you can provide all the fluids yourself to the dealer and let them do it as a compromise (if they would let you). That way they dont get to mark up the cheap stuff on their way to a big bill. Then again, $270 just doesn't seem that big a bill to me when the diy price is $110.

 

Well said. I'm just baffled by the fact that people on this site insisted on buying a relatively expensive car and are not willing to accept the fact that there are inherent maintenance costs associated with the car. For all of those repairs listed above--especially considering it's a dealership that quoted the price--that's a considerably good/reasonable rate.

Hmmm...in the event that I get this big laceration on my forehead, I suppose I could save a lot of money by just getting a bottle of alcohol, thread, and a needle and stitch the cut up myself instead of taking it to some wanker of a doctor at a hospital and spending some outrageous amount.