[EWTech]

Yesterday I made the mistake of going to one of the local dealers for a "Fastlane" oil change. I do not know what anyone else is experiencing. I was billed a total of $58.36 for an oil change. I was told that the "misc." on the bill is due to my insistance in the use of 5W30 motor oil rather than the 5W20 oil they wanted to put in the car. The bill was advertized as being 32.99. As high as it is it is better than doing it at home and being harrassed by my condo for maintaing my car in the parking lot. I asked the clod at the desk what he was planning to put in the car since another fast-lube place told me that the PT oil spec had changed to use 5W20 oil (which has not been verified: Chrysler still maintains the oil spec is the same - more below).

Besides the fact that they wanted to do other work on the car steering mechanism when the car steers just fine they maintain that the oil spec changed to 5W20 rather than the original 5W30. I suspect that they want to force the same oil on everyone so they can buy in bulk and save on supply costs. My valves do not like 5W20. It makes 'em noisier as the oild gets worn. I left in in after losing the shouting match for a couple of weeks until I had time to go elsewhere to have it changed (again). I will not go back to that dealer regardless.

I called Chrysler. Chrysler maintains that the specified oil is still 5W30 and has not changed. The lady on the phone read from the 2006 manual. I made a complant against the dealer. The Case # is 22581734. I'll hear something (or not) some time next week. Am I alone in this? Has anyone else experienced this sort of dealer behavior with Fastlane?

 

[Bob Lincoln]

Well, our 2012 Chrysler 200 takes 5W-20 specifically for the variable valve timing, so I can't help you there. We've only had one (free) oil change so far, at the dealer. But the price should be the same for a different viscosity of the same brand and type.

 

[135SoHc]

Most everything now takes 5-20 because of the variable valve timing and/or MDS so the dealerships buy the oil in 55 gallon drum quantity and force its usage on everything. If you read the fine print you may find such a disclaimer that the advertised price is only valid on certain weights of oil and that certain vehicles/engines are exempt.

 

[EWTech]

135SoHc:
I addressed your point in the initial post. I am aware of buying supplies in bulk and then using that to lower running costs. The issue is that this must be against corporate policy for Crysler to allow dealers to decptively lure in cutomers only to install the wrong material in their cars, all under the sanction of being a Chrylser dealership. This is so far wrong that it doesn't matter what fine print there is on the papers they have me sign. It still smacks of fraud. It is the reason so many customers go to the foreign brands: They are treated like customers rather than proles. The dealer has lost me as a customer regardless. If this is SOP for Chrysler dealers in general the company will deserve to lose a lot more.

 

[thedriver]

This is the situation at MOST dealers. My dealership (non Chrysler) make an effort to put the correct oil in because we do not want the liability if the engine fails. Our local Nissan dealer for instance puts the same oil in every vehicle that comes through, no matter what the manufacturer specs out. I can't wait until someone loses the engine on a 2011-up GM product which requires the new Dexos or Mobil 1. Anything else and the warranty is VOIDED. Who will be on the hook? The owner for not getting the right stuff, or the oil change place for using the wrong oil?

 

[CudaPete]

I had a similar situation at the old dealership I used to go to (no longer around). The service adviser explained that the 5/20 was being bought in bulk but they did accomodate my PT by getting 10/30 for it. He did not charge me extra because I was a long time, regular customer. Part of the theory was that many people with older cars do not use the dealer for oil changes so the actual market segment for cars coming in requiring 10/30 was limited and would continue to decrease. It's basically a business decision. They never put in the wrong oil though.