Hey everyone,
I need some advice. My Hyundai Elantra Hybrid just hit 30,000 miles, and the service center is recommending a list of things that’ll cost $860. According to the manual, I only need to replace the air cleaner, fuel tank air filter, and cabin air filter at this stage
I’ve been keeping up with oil changes and tire rotations every 5,000 miles, but this feels excessive. Are these extra services necessary, or should I just
Wow, they really overcharged you. $30 to pop in an air filter? That takes like 10 seconds. They’re splitting up the cost of oil and filter separately? And charging for labour for both? If your car is still under the free oil changes plan for the first three years, why are they billing you?
Also, $860 for what? Nearly half of it for engine cleaning? That’s absurd. They’re also charging way too much for parts. I got an air filter for less than what they’re charging just for the part. You can buy them even cheaper elsewhere.
Edit: I’d love to know how they justified charging for 0.2 hours to change the air filter. That’s 12 minutes. It’s laughable.
@lizbeth
An hour for fuel cleaning service? What are they even doing for that entire hour?
I’ve got a 2022 SEL with 34k miles. My first five oil changes and tire rotations were free. Now I just do my own oil changes every 5,000 miles because it’s cheaper and I like to stay on top of it. I also changed both air and cabin filters myself—it literally took minutes. Just keep your receipts for records.
It sounds like they’re trying to sell you stuff you don’t need. Stick to what the manual recommends and decline the rest.
I’ve got a 2024 Elantra Hybrid in Canada with 32,000 km. I do delivery driving, so I rack up miles fast. I’m at the dealer every month for an oil change, and they always try to push $500 or more of extra services. Last time, they messed up my tire pressure, and now I hear this weird gurgling noise in the engine.
Honestly, buying a new car feels like a mistake. I thought I’d save on maintenance, but it’s just constant spending.
You definitely got taken advantage of. Engine cleaning? Who’s benefiting from that?
Why did they replace the drive belt? Those usually last 60,000 to 100,000 miles.
Japheth said:
Why did they replace the drive belt? Those usually last 60,000 to 100,000 miles.
And $100 for an oil change? That’s crazy. $65 for a wiper blade replacement? Who is paying that?
Don’t go back to that place. They’re ripping people off.
I’ve never owned a hybrid, but from my experience, most of those conditioners, cleanings, and treatments are unnecessary. The only thing worth doing is what’s in your manual. For example, cleaning your transmission fluid might be needed around 60k miles.
If they say the serpentine belt needs replacing, ask them to show you what’s wrong with it. I usually don’t need to replace mine until 60k or later. You can also take your car to another service center to get their opinion. Don’t show them the current quote—just let them inspect your car and see what they recommend.
I stick to what the manual says every time.
That shop supplies line is just a way to grab extra cash. It’s never a set thing—they just pick a random number.
Dealerships love to upsell, but this is ridiculous. Belts at 30k? I’m at 30k soon myself, and I’m already practising what I’ll say when they bring up their ‘recommended services’ sheet. Probably something like, ‘Have you no shame?’
Tell the service advisor to stick to what the manual recommends. You can handle things like cabin air filters and wiper blades yourself. If you go to an auto shop, they’ll even help you install them when they’re not busy.
At my last free oil change, the dealership tried to charge me $500 for random things, including ‘cleaning the brake pads.’ Who cleans brake pads? That was an easy ‘no thanks.’ Don’t let them pressure you.
That’s a complete rip-off. Your car probably doesn’t need most of those things, apart from an oil change.
If you’re hearing a gurgling noise, it’s likely air in the coolant system. Bleed it, and you should be fine.
I showed this to my dad, who’s a mechanic, and his response in his thick Italian accent was, ‘That’s garbage! They’re scamming him!’
I went to the same service center recently for the 24k service. Even with a prepaid oil change, they tried to charge me over $400 for ‘engine cleaning’ and ‘induction cleaning.’ They’re shameless with their upselling, and it sounds like they’ve only gotten worse since then.
