Should I be concerned the dealer hasn't serviced my car?
QUESTION
Hi John,
I recently took my 2017 Hyundai Elantra GT (with 13,000 kms on it) to a local Hyundai dealer for a service special.
It wasn’t due yet, but I wanted the tire rotation and fuel conditioner for almost the same price as a regular oil change.
When I picked it up, they said that a tire rotation was not necessary, because the tires are okay still, so they did not do it.
My owners manual says to rotate tires every 12,000 km or sooner if necessary. They have never been rotated and (at the point of taking the car in), I had just returned from a 1800km trip and wanted it done. They also overinflated my tires by 3-4 lbs. and said that was just an oversight which they apologised for.
They missed another minor item, but they gave me a list of three things that they said needed to be done. They said I need a wheel alignment, brake fluid flush, and a cabin air filter. The owners manual says wheel alignments are not necessary unless the vehicle pulls or the tyre wear is uneven.
It also says brake fluid should be checked, but not changed, unless it is discolored or contaminated. As far as the cabin filter goes, I replaced it 4000 km ago and I only drive on paved roads and I can see through it clearly.
Any suggestions or advice on what to do next?
Darcy
ANSWER
Hey Darcy,
No worries, happy to respond mate.
If the tyre wear rates look pretty even all round, there’s no reason to rotate the tyres. (I’d leave the spare out of the rotation mix.)
The 3-4psi over-inflation is fairly trivial and probably even beneficial from a handling point of view. Also a good idea if the tyres are wearing a little on the edges as opposed to the centre of the tread faces. There is no safety contra-indication to doing this. Wheel alignment is not necessary in the absence of symptoms (such as the car pulling one way instead of tracking straight on a flat road, or uneven tyre wear).
Brake bleed’s not a bad idea every 2-3 years. Cabin air filter: who cares? It’s probably the most trivial service item of all time. I’d let it run another year, seeing as you only seem to do 4000-5000km annually.
How long should my tyres and brakes last? >>
Sincerely,
JC
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