EV Services That Do Nothing

Jackson on 18/07/2025 - 13:57

Now that there's a few people on here with EVs, wanting to get people's opinions on scheduled warranty services for EVs, specifically ones where all they do is "checks" and then charge you 270 bucks for it. This is my current experience with my BYD.

Obviously it's just a waste of money, but on top of that if you refused the service, would your warranty be void? Realistically why should it be, if there's no actual preventative maintenance done and no issues? Expecting to here from the Ozbargain clique of auto gurus and their opinions.

One thing we could do in protests only do the services where actual work is being done beyond someone plugging in a computer and reading no codes. Also my car isn't throwing an engine light or anything, so can it be expected that no codes are being thrown, and therefore the check is a waste of time?

And lastly, say you have a warranty issue and need it checked, are you obliged to pay for a service? Seems like it's part of the warranty to check it. I don't expect people to work for free, but 300 to plug a car in or drive it around block is rich.

Some manufacturers are of course better than others, e.g. Tesla, who tell you not to come in at all if no issues, and MG who I believe have 2 year intervals and reasonable prices. What's people's experience?

Thanks

Automotive Electric Vehicle

Comments

    • DashCam AKA Rolts on 18/07/2025 - 14:34
      +6

      All well and good until you realize you need blinker fluid, because a non-BMW driver jumps behind the wheel.

      • Far Cough on 18/07/2025 - 14:35
        -5

        never needed it in the past, never going to need it in then future

      • carlJack on 18/07/2025 - 16:08
        +1

        yeah BMW blinker fluids are very expensive.

        • jv on 18/07/2025 - 23:03
          +2

          Not as expensive as a Tesla oil filter.

    • Jackson on 18/07/2025 - 14:52
      +2

      The car I replaced was a 01 Camry and I did everything myself for 8 years, cost me about 500 bucks in that time. I don't expect that but if there's nothing to do just let me stay home.

      In fairness I have a Leaf and in 9 years I haven't had to do anything, but I have some fluid changes coming up soon.

  • Protractor on 18/07/2025 - 14:24
    -3

    Surely there's wheel bearings,moving parts,brakes etc? Something must wear,need inspecting,safety check, or lubricating?
    ( And the windscreen washer fluid is unique,I hear. Not the cheap BMW crap)

    • Jackson on 18/07/2025 - 14:56
      +7

      It's got regen, so hardly use brakes, they will last 10 years plus. Tyres aren't covered by the service. Bearings last 15-20 years at least. No motor oil, petrol filter or oil filter. Gear oils are all 15 year intervals, as is the coolant (in my Leaf at least, BYD seems to want to do it ever 40-50k or so from memory)

      • Protractor on 18/07/2025 - 15:12
        +4

        I'd ask the dealer for a specific breakdown of the tasks performed at each service. You are entitled to know. How else can you montor their so called workmanship? .Not like it's a military secret.

        • Jackson on 18/07/2025 - 15:26

          I asked, received nothing so far

          • Protractor on 18/07/2025 - 17:23
            +3

            @Jackson: Try a forum maybe, or if you CBF write (eml) to the company HQ. Consumers are entitled to know what they are paying for.

    • JimmyF on 18/07/2025 - 20:15
      +1

      Surely there's wheel bearings,moving parts,brakes etc? Something must wear,need inspecting,safety check, or lubricating?

      There is, and just like ICE cars, they are not inspected (other than the brakes).

  • joka on 18/07/2025 - 14:24
    +4

    I’m no ev owner or mechanic but don’t ev’s still have coolant and hydraulics and things that can leak and cause other things to break? Surely they need checking and maintenance.

    • Jackson on 18/07/2025 - 14:57
      +4

      My Nissan Leaf had a 15 year coolant interval, had it for almost 10 years and still not done. Nothing leaks that you can see. Posted because I am wondering what it is that they are checking.

    • tanksinatra on 18/07/2025 - 16:20
      +2

      Depends on the car but when it comes to Tesla, most of that stuff is sealed for life. Brake fluid needs to be changed every four years.

  • Switchblade88 on 18/07/2025 - 14:29

    You seem to forget fluids like coolant & brake fluid, and that tyres, suspension, alignment, brakes & calipers etc need to be checked (hint: EV owners are generally not mechanically minded people). It's not just a diagnostics plugin. Doesn't mean you're getting value for money, but your EV isn't just a computer on wheels.

    say you have a warranty issue and need it checked, are you obliged to pay for a service

    No, and this applies to any kind of car.

    • Jackson on 18/07/2025 - 14:58
      +2

      Nissan Leaf has a 15 year coolant interval. Brake fluids are changed more often but don't really need to be in a sealed system, many test the fluid and if it's OK just close it again.

    • freeb1e4me on 18/07/2025 - 15:43

      No you need to service it for the warranty and resale value. Especially if it’s written off

      • Iwantthebestprice on 18/07/2025 - 20:40
        +5

        Not for Tesla, there is no actual service it’s just when the car says to come in. Also the only thing really is brake fluid but in my Tesla I’ve use the breaks maybe twice a week if that.

    • Jackson on 18/07/2025 - 14:59
      +6

      I still have two, and yes do my own servicing for those. Having said that been driving EVs for 10 years and you would be mad not to change to EV for a daily driver, it's just the strange servicing that's the issue in my opinion.

    • JIMB0 on 18/07/2025 - 15:28
      +4

      You must be very skilled to service it without opening the bonnet or incurring any costs. Do you strain the oil with your wife's used pantyhose and put fresh newspaper in the filter?

      https://www.ozbargain.com.au/comment/16688510/redir

  • Dumax on 18/07/2025 - 15:53
    +3

    Which car are you referring to specifically? All BYD BEVs should have fixed price servicing which is clearly outlined on their website - this is currently $165 for the "A" service (i.e. 12, 24, 36, etc. months - where they only plug the car in and do inspections).

    If you're paying ~$270 then you either have a hybrid (where the engine oil/filter is changed at each service) or are getting overcharged/charged for things that aren't necessary for the service (i.e. pollen filters and tyre rotations).

    However, I do agree with your premise that it's completely unnessary to have to pay $165 (or even bring it in for a service for that matter) for what is essentially a safety check-up (which is done for free or much cheaper at other places) and really only serves to earn money (in exchange for maintaining the warranty) or give an opportunity to upsell (pollen filer, tyre rotation, batteries).

  • Euphemistic on 18/07/2025 - 16:01
    +2

    $270 is a bit rich for 5mins on the hoist and 3min of plugging on the computer. On one hand i can understand they want to keep an eye on your car to make sure its not completely neglected, but on the other hand its a bit rich to ask $270 for a service that basically does nothing.

    If, as above, its actually $165 you need to think of it more like an insurance premium rather than a service fee. Youre paying to keep the warranty.

  • wannagrababargain on 18/07/2025 - 16:01

    You do have a right to do the scheduled servicing elsewhere even for a new car/EV.

    Warranty covers defects, not 'wear and tear'. The servicing is a check of all the wear and tear items - tyre wear patterns, suspension components, brakes etc. Effectively a visual inspection and safety check at a minimum. Whether that is worth $270 to you I dunno, might be worth shopping around, but it could be considered a 'cheap' peace of mind for the next year or whatever. From what you describe, sounds like BYD service is subpar compared to competition - I know of another manufacturer they will send you a report listing the measurements of the tyre tread, brake pad, brake discs and even send you video with the tech talking you through the underside of the car.

    Yes EV brakes are hardly used which is actually more of a reason to have regular brake inspections because a potential to corrode from lack of use.

  • tanksinatra on 18/07/2025 - 16:32
    +5

    I agree with the OP. EV's don't have an internal combustion engine and don't need most of the servicing of regular cars.

    But at the end of the day the manufacturer writes the schedule, and compliance with the schedule is usually a requirement for the warranty. Is it truly mechanically necessary? I don't know however it does feel like some manufacturers are milking these schedules for revenue.

    Tesla takes a better approach and tells you only to come in when there's a problem. Your local tyre shop can manage anything else.

    • GordonD on 18/07/2025 - 17:41

      it does feel like some manufacturers are milking these schedules for revenue.

      It isn't manufacturers who are milking buyers for revenue from unnecessary servicing. They don't get a cent from it.

      This is dealers source of ongoing revenue. Sales go up and down, but servicing of past cars sales goes on forever. So manufacturers listen to them, that's who they sell cars to, dealers, not you, and take into account what they want versus what buyers are likely to put up with or desert to 3rd-party servicing.

      You do want the dealer to be there when something fails under warranty or really is broken and needs repairing don't you?

      Cars are bit big to have to ship back to the manufacturer if there's a problem, so they need a dealer network. Servicing pays for that network to exist. Yes, often unnecessary servicing.

  • JimmyF on 18/07/2025 - 20:15
    +4

    Should have purchased a Tesla…. No yearly BS servicing to pad out the dealer pockets.

    • Protractor on 18/07/2025 - 20:50
      +3

      If Musk takes down Trump, even I'd consider going over to the dark side.

    • jv on 18/07/2025 - 23:06

      No yearly BS servicing to pad out the dealer pockets.

      Do they charge for software upgrades?

      • drewbytes on 19/07/2025 - 08:38
        +3

        No of course not. Tesla do regular OTA (over the air) software updates which often include new features.

        • jv on 19/07/2025 - 19:36

          Do you need to hotspot from your phone?

          • drewbytes on 20/07/2025 - 08:06
            +2

            @jv: For software updates? No, connect to your house Wi-Fi. I guess if you lived in an apartment or something where you can't park close then you would have to hotspot. I think it will also update via the cars connection if you can't Wi-Fi or hotspot.

            • jv on 21/07/2025 - 07:49

              @drewbytes: What’s a ‘car’s connection’ ?

              • drewbytes on 21/07/2025 - 10:20

                @jv: The car has an unlimited data connection (supposedly a Telstra SIM) when you're on the $9.95 per month premium connectivity plan. Unlike BYD for example where you have a data limit of 2Gb a month (500Mb first month).

                • jv on 21/07/2025 - 10:50
                  +1

                  @drewbytes: So $120 per year. Sounds like a 'BS servicing fee'

                  Is it optional ?

                  • drewbytes on 21/07/2025 - 19:31
                    +1

                    @jv: Not at all, it's optional.

                    • jv on 21/07/2025 - 21:21

                      @drewbytes:

                      Not at all, it's optional.

                      Seems like it's only optional for the first 8 years of the car.

                      • tanksinatra on 22/07/2025 - 08:47

                        @jv:

                        Seems like it's only optional for the first 8 years of the car.

                        I reckon it's partly a technological limitation. Tesla's have 2G/3G/4G. But in 8 years time it might all be 5G and need a retrofit…

                        If you want the finer details of Tesla's data connection you might be better asking on a Tesla specific forum such as https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/forums/australia.129/

  • Iwantthebestprice on 18/07/2025 - 20:16
    +5

    I was going to buy a BYD but there 5 year schedule pricing is crazy. Tesla told me skipping service would not affect my warranty and I would only need to come for a service if my car says something is needed.

    Happy I went with the Juniper.

    Nothing like spending $5K on servicing over 5 years for literally a service centre to top up some fluids!

    • freeb1e4me on 18/07/2025 - 20:46
      -4

      Look, you should have just gotten the BYD and skipped the servicing and save yourself at least $15k

      • Iwantthebestprice on 18/07/2025 - 21:07
        +3

        Mate, way off. The sealion 7 is 58K drive away, vs the Tesla being $66K.
        The sealion 7 was a nice car, but the fact I had to be in the car with the sales guy for a test drive and couldn’t go over 80 km/h for 15 mins only killed it for me. Tesla gave me the car for almost 2 hours by myself and got to actually give it a good test drive and hit some good speeds. That locked it in for me.

    • TheMindsetTraveller on 18/07/2025 - 20:57
      -2

      Tesla Y costs more though that the BYD Sealion 7

      Entrly level Y is like $65k vs the Sealion's $58k, then the more premium models the Y long rage is like $74k vs $68k on the 7's peformance.

      That said, the 4 year warranty on the Tesla is almost a joke in 2025. I could be wrong but I would almost guess it is the worst warranty offered on any car maker in 2025.

      • Iwantthebestprice on 18/07/2025 - 21:04
        +4

        You’re right, the 4 year warranty is a joke but I really cbf dealing with dropping my car off for servicing and organising that every year. If I keep my Tesla for 5 years not dealing with the warranty servicing 5 times a year is well worth it.

        • Jackson on 18/07/2025 - 22:06
          +1

          As a BYD owner, there's a certain level of honesty about Tesla's servicing process that I wish others would adopt. I went in today because I wanted them to check a issue for me, but aside from that all that happened was a bunch of software updates for various modules (sounded like more than one) and there's no reason why they couldn't employ an OTA update system like Tesla. Also not stinging people hundreds of dollars for arbitrary servicing, some services are the same as others and have different pricing, which makes no sense either.

          Having said that when I bought mine I saved over 35k on the equivalent model Y, no doubt it's a better car but i just needed something big that ran on electricity and it fit the bill and my hip pocket

          • Iwantthebestprice on 18/07/2025 - 22:28
            +3

            @Jackson: I agree 100% this whole Tesla vs BYD is silly, the BYD was a really nice car but being on the Facebook groups and the complaints about the servicing and getting bookings etc really turned me. I just paid more upfront to not deal with the headache of all that. Once I saw the 5 year service plan and BYD said if you miss a service you void your warranty I just went with the Tesla. I feel BYD could really improve if they adopt teslas way of doing things when it comes to servicing. But I feel the dealers wil revolt.

          • freeb1e4me on 18/07/2025 - 22:29

            @Jackson:

            there's no reason why they couldn't employ an OTA update system like Tesla.

            BYD does support OTA updates…

            • Jackson on 18/07/2025 - 22:32
              +2

              @freeb1e4me: They do, but not for my car. And I am not sure if all modukes in the car can have ota updtates or just the main entertainment unit

      • JimmyF on 18/07/2025 - 21:47
        +5

        Tesla Y costs more though that the BYD Sealion 7

        Generally things that are better, cost more….

        That said, the 4 year warranty on the Tesla is almost a joke in 2025

        Tell me how good the BYD warranty is after 4 years. People are complaining today about the warranty process on cars less than 6 months old.

        No point in having a warranty that is useless.

  • Speckled Jim on 19/07/2025 - 11:52

    Realistically why should it be, if there's … no issues?

    Who should be the arbiter of that? A layperson, such as the owner? Do they then take responsibility for something they missed that may go on to cause a bigger problem, such as a stranding or accident?

    That $270 and the dealer stamp is them warranting the car as safe to resume operations.

    • Jackson on 19/07/2025 - 15:19
      +2

      I get your point, but an annual safety check at any mechanic, we call them pink slips here in NSW, is something like 54 bucks. 270 bucks to do nothing but run and update or two, and only if needed, is highway robbery. I understand that many folks have just gotten used to the fact that cars and their maintenance come at a high price, but I am not one to want to pay high prices if there's no value

      • Speckled Jim on 19/07/2025 - 18:22

        Let me remind you and anyone interested in this gripe of yours…service schedules and their associated costs (parts and labour) are public information. Have been for decades. Car mags would include a table of typical running costs, any decent car website does too.

        Some consider that information an important factor in their purchasing decision. It pays to do your homework, EV or not.

        • Jackson on 19/07/2025 - 18:51

          Root cause brother, price should be related to cost, I know it's not always, but it should be. When I purchased there was a post in the BYD website that said it was 189 per service and I paid that for the first one, but they took it down and back tracked. I have a screenshot somewhere but either way they won't honour it anymore.

  • trankillity on 19/07/2025 - 12:19
    +3

    I recently got my first yearly service on my Cupra Born. They did a tire rotation and balance as part of it, so it took around 4 hours to complete. But on the actual servicing side of it, literally just checked the fluids and updated the firmware (no OTA on Cupra).

    So yeah, hell of a rip off. I will be going for an EV that doesn't require logbook servicing for warranty next time.

    • Jackson on 19/07/2025 - 14:43

      Yeah, I don't know it's worth paying the Tesla premium if all you want to do is go from A to B, but MG seems to currently have better pricing an longer intervals. It seems they might have a little more incidents if issues tho, but from reports they handle them relatively well. BYD seems to be lagging behind in this area

      • trankillity on 19/07/2025 - 16:02
        -2

        The Tesla premium isn't just about the asking price, it's also about the insurance actual premiums. Last I checked, Teslas were about 2x as expensive as any other EV to insure, presumably due to a combination of "self-drive" stuff and the high rate of keying claims in the early days of EVs.

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