I have a Honda Cr-V - always had it serviced at the dealer with a logbook servicing. That was mainly to keep my warranty. Now that my warranty is finished, wondering if I should bother
1) getting it serviced at the dealer
2) getting a logbook service or just get a basic service?
Will an irreputable service centre forge years worth of service reports for you when it comes time to sell a neglected car?
Depends how deep your pockets are and how many different coloured pens they have.
Many reputable independent vehicle service businesses use the latest computer technology to analyse the vehicle electronically and advise of potential problems. In my experience they are competitive in charges. Also they often use generic parts which are much cheaper then the factory parts that are used by dealers.
the latest computer technology
Is that a $20 OBD reader from ebay, that's been around for 20+ years now?
oem parts last longer, pay that extra if you want to keep it 20+ years
lots of honda spec stuff u should use
oem parts last longer,
OEM isn’t necessarily better. Plenty of other brands have good stuff. they often manufacture the same stuff and put a different logo on for the OEM and then the dealer charges extra for the privilege.
@Euphemistic: like the plastic water pump on Golf/Audi, that's a $1.5k replacement when it cracks just after warranty period. Aftermarket replacement could be better.
Personal opinion
1 ) Learn to service yourself or take it to a mechanic you trust. Dealers are usually expensive I find.
2 ) Maintaining logbook would be my recommendation. But most modern cars have a service reminder (including what the service should include) built into the computer, so its not as important as it used to be.
Your car could react unpredictably if it is serviced by an unfamiliar mechanic. It will feel more comfortable at the site of familiar faces.
I sincerely hope this is sarcasm.
I use dealer servicing only because with capped price servicing it is cheaper than outside mechanics.
In fact if outside mechanics are priced similarly I will go to whoever is more convenient.
edit: my car is still under warranty. So for an out-of warranty car, all the less reason to go to the dealers.
Also, you DON'T lose warranty using an outside mechanic, as long as they are certified mechanics.
Never had my vehicle serviced by the dealer. Had no trouble having warranty work done,
337,000ks later it's still running fine.
Finding a trusted mechanic is the problem. Been with mine 16 years and the mechanic that first serviced it way back then serviced it Friday last week. .
Should you continue to service at the dealer? No
Should you keep log book servicing? Probably, a full service history can help resale especially if selling privately.
A reputable local mechanic may recommend adjusting the service schedule based on your driving style and conditions. This may also affect your service records if that is a big thing for you. Some private buyer insist on a full logbook service history. For an older car this is less important to some buyers. Ie knowing the car is in good condition and maintained trumps a stamped logbook blindly serviced by the apprentice at the dealers.
You should continue with the regular logbook service, but you don't need to go to a dealer. Any reputable service centre that does a log book service should be fine. It's now more for resale of car to record its been regularly serviced.