Dodge Challenger Forum banner

Beware: Oil Change Package Specials

2K views 18 replies 13 participants last post by  USponycar 
#1 · (Edited)
On June 13, 2016, I brought my Jeep GC into a local Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep/Ram dealer to get a full synthetic oil change done. It was going to cost around $70 or so, but at that time, there was an ongoing promotion that included FOUR full synthetic oil changes for $139.95! Knowing that my ordered SRT was coming in a few weeks at this SAME dealership, I knew I would easily need the extra changes between both vehicles, so it was a no brainer to buy the package deal.........or so I thought!
I called the dealer just now to make an appointment for my SRT to have it's first oil change and was surprised to find out the special promotion was tied only to the VIN of the Jeep I had serviced when I purchased the special! There was NO fine print, nor was I verbally ever told this was the case. As if this wasn't bad enough, the service guy told me, if I sell the Jeep, the remaining oil changes are not transferable so I'd lose them! He said this was a Chrysler promotion and this was THEIR policy, NOT the dealers.
IDK if this is complete bullsh*t or what, but it definitely sucks IMO. So I went back to the service contract that I bought to see if this policy was mentioned anywhere, and it isn't. Finally, the amount of oil changes I'm entitled to isn't even specified on the receipt, so how am I supposed to argue ANYTHING?
Does anyone know if the crap I've been told about this being vehicle specific is true? The same deal on my SRT will be $180 for 4 oil changes. I think the whole thing is pretty pathetic since the dealership delivered a $50,000 SRT to me only 2 weeks after I bought this oil change special, and now they're telling me it's only good for my Jeep. Man, if this is truly the case, Chrysler really knows how to piss off a loyal customer (4 high end MOPARS in 6 years)!:mad:
 
See less See more
#2 ·
You're correct in that it should have been noted in the paperwork/fine print. A dealership I used to use had a special like that all the time, but I only had one Dodge so I never knew if it applied to one car or not.

Having said that, when I recently bought my Challenger SRT, I paid $500 for a package that included four oil changes, window tint and wheel locks. Even though I never pay for a "Dealer Add-On" sticker, this seemed like a fair deal to me. But it is noted on that sticker that was on my car, so I'm going under the assumption that the oil changes are for that car. Then again, I still only have one Dodge. I am curious about it though, so if I can remember I'll ask when I go in for my first oil change.
 
#3 ·
You're correct in that it should have been noted in the paperwork/fine print. A dealership I used to use had a special like that all the time, but I only had one Dodge so I never knew if it applied to one car or not.

Having said that, when I recently bought my Challenger SRT, I paid $500 for a package that included four oil changes, window tint and wheel locks. Even though I never pay for a "Dealer Add-On" sticker, this seemed like a fair deal to me. But it is noted on that sticker that was on my car, so I'm going under the assumption that the oil changes are for that car. Then again, I still only have one Dodge. I am curious about it though, so if I can remember I'll ask when I go in for my first oil change.

I bought the same package for my Ram a month or so ago and the service advisor told me it was only good for that one vehicle.
 
#4 ·
Always, always get it on paper and ask questions.
Any good deal will have a deceptive clause somewhere in there and you will find out the hard way if you dont look or assume what it is on face value.
Tell them you feel that way and maybe they will allow it on your SRT.
 
  • Like
Reactions: USponycar
#5 ·
A $180 deal for 4 full synthetic oil changes on a Challenger is a great deal. That's 7 quarts, plus the filter. The question I have with this is what brand of oil is used.
 
  • Like
Reactions: USponycar
#8 ·
I only bought the package deal because I thought it was well worth it for those oil changes I'd need done in the dead of winter here in New England. Otherwise, I buy my synthetic oil at WalMart on sale and I have a case of oil filters that fit both vehicles, so I almost always do my own oil changes. I just think it's wrong to sell a package that it is only good for one vehicle, and if you don't use it, you lose it, and there was no disclosure of this that I knew of when I purchased it. If I ran a dealership, I'd never pull that kind of crap. What bothers me most is the dealer telling me this is CHRYSLER'S policy, not theirs.
I will make my complaint directly to the owner of the dealership when the time comes for my oil change appointment, so that's about as high as I can go at that level. It's not the end of the world, because I will use the oil changes on my Jeep if need be, but I really was not planning on keeping it all that long either.
 
#9 ·
$90 is a lot for an oil change IMO. I've never paid more than $70 tops, and I think that was once lol.
 
#10 ·
Why not just do it yourself? It's great quality time with your vehicles and quite therapeutic! Plus, you know the job is done correctly, my main reason for doing it.

Sent from my SM-G925V using Tapatalk
 
#11 ·
If you read a few lines down in post #8, you'll see that I usually do my own oil changes. The only reason I even brought my Jeep to the dealer in this particular case, was because the drain plug was stripped on the outside from the last dealer I last brought it to in January (to cold to do it here). I agree, I feel much better knowing everything's done right when I do it myself. The $140 for 4 oil changes seemed worth it, but again, I was not made aware it was vehicle specific.
My point of this thread was to make others aware of the unwritten fine print, if that makes any sense.:notallthere:
 
#12 ·
...look out!

Thanks for the headsup, Ponycar. I have learned the hard way that when a dealership offers a package, whether on an initial automobile purchase
or a service package, it is buyer beware. I too prefer to do my own oil changes. But sometimes there are mitigating circumstances. In your case
a harsh winter.

thanks for sharing,

JKHolman
 
#13 ·
Another thing the dealer (at least my dealer anyway) gets you with on the oil change package is that its only good for a year. Depending on how many miles you put on your car a year that can be good or bad but with the synthetic you only change it every 6000 miles so unless you put 24,000 a year your kinda getting screwed on that in also unless you have them change it every 3 months which isn't really necessary and a waste of your time.
 
#14 ·
Thanks for the heads up HDCowboy. The only good for a year issue is probably the NEXT thing the dealer will tell me, since the time issue was never mentioned either. If this is the case, there's no way I'd buy one of these packages for my SRT because I won't be using it in bad weather to put that many miles on it.
 
#15 ·
If indeed there are no mentions of these restrictions in the contract (the actual contract, and not some pamphlet they give out), then mention you'll have to ask your brother-in-law, the lawyer, about it ;)

A Guy
 
#16 ·
I still get my oil changes at Walmart for $45 and I use my own filter. They do it with Mobil One and I don't have the hassle of dragging out ramps, drain tubs, taking off skid cover, disposal of oil, etc.

I've read many times on this forum and a few others that they won't trust Walmart people to do the job however it's no different than taking it to the dealer who will likely overcharge for a simple process and use whatever they happen to have on hand.
 
#17 ·
I did this a couple of years ago and received a confirmation letter from Chrysler. It spelled out the vin # it affected, 4 oil changes over 2 year period. It doesn't come from the dealer. But they should have explained All the details to you upfront. Now they will probably say they told you all this before you agreed to purchase.
 
#18 ·
It's great that you understood what you were getting into and received an explanation from Chrysler, but my experience has been the opposite. The service Adviser just said they had a package deal of 4 oil changes for $139.95, end of story. To this day, I've never received any notice on the subject from Chrysler, and I don't understand why I didn't, since, according to the dealer, it's a Chrysler program.
 
#19 ·
Another scary thing is, when I called to make an appointment for my Challenger, I told the service guy it was an SRT and he asked me if I wanted regular oil or synthetic??? I replied, "Doesn't an SRT REQUIRE synthetic oil?" It was a rhetorical question, since I already knew the answer, and I wouldn't consider putting anything else in even if it didn't.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top