Dealer Recomended Maintenance 75K Miles - Worth it? What to do first? Cost?

bscheer

Member
Hi - I am a first time Mazda owner I purchased a 2016 Mazda6 two years ago and it now has $75,000 miles. I have always had regular oil changes at a local Mazda dealership, and added a new pair of tires. After my last oil change however the list of recommended maintenance has all of the sudden gotten pretty long. Dealer recommended I have a transmission service/flush which I did and paid $270 for, while the car was in for that service the dealer went on to recommend the items below.

- Break flush ($115) they mentioned that the fluid was dark
- Fuel System Cleaner ($198)- mentioned carbon build up in throttle body
- Replace all 4 Spark Plugs ($252) - mentioned wear and tare and showed me a small white speck on the top of the spark pulg
- Replace Cabin Air Filer ($40)
- Replace Engine Air Filter ($35)

I commute 40ish miles round trip in the car daily and it goes on several road trips a year but nothing out of the ordinary, its been an awesome car and I plan on keeping it a long time but I am not sure if these services are actually needed or just extra cash for the dealership. Additionally do the prices listed above seem reasonable?

Any recommendations on what to do first or if the work could be done better by a service center not at a dealership? Any help at all is appreciated. Thanks!
 
Every thing but fuel system cleaner, that's a gimmick. Those prices are on par for someone who doesn't do their own maintenance.
 
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I'll take the counterpoint on this one.

Those prices seem really obscene if that is really what they cost is for those specific items. $252 for 4 spark plugs? That's crazy, as is $198 for "fuel system cleaner".

A cabin air filter for $40?!! The filter is less than $15 and this youtube video will show you how to change it in less than 5 minutes. https://youtu.be/euhVkvn1iiM

The engine air filter is probably under $20 and can be replaced by unclipping a couple clips taking out the old and putting in the new one.

The fuel system cleaner seems like a ripoff.

About the only reasonably priced service is the brake fluid flush, which is worthwhile IMHO.

This guy is kind of goofy, but you can buy 4 spark plugs and all the tools you need for under $50 and change them yourself. Just make sure to set the gap, which this guy does not seem to do https://youtu.be/GMjw2D2am3o

If you don't want to learn how to do any of this maintenance, find yourself a different Mazda dealer, or a good independent shop, and have them do the work.
 
Thanks for the info - a couple follow up questions just to increase my understanding...

More than one person has mentioned that the fuel system cleaner is unnecessary and overpriced which isn't surprising based on my research, however should I be concerned at all about the "carbon build up" on the throttle body? or is the just part of the normal operations of the car?

On the spark plugs is there a millage threshold I shouldn't go over? I am right at 75K miles right now and have thought about waiting on those until 80K - 90K. I may shop pricing around for this service.

I think I can do the two air filters my self, thanks a ton for the video references.

One additional item - they also recommended a new battery which seemed simple enough I didn't mention it in my original post. However, after some looking around they quoted me $114 for what the guy called a "Mazda Battery" and this appears to be cheaper than what I am seeing as recommended battery's on we sites like AutoZone see link (https://www.autozone.com/ignition-tune-up-and-routine-maintenance/battery ) any thoughts or history with "Mazda Battery's"
 
Check your owner's manual for recommended service intervals. That will give you a good guideline for each of the service items. Service intervals vary based on operating conditions and your specific car condition.

Look at the spec on the battery and price it elsewhere. It actually seems a bit cheap. I bought my 2016 last June and noticed the starter spinning a little slowly last September so I replaced it. I bought mine at Costco. I usually replace a battery after 3 or so years, especially if winter is approaching.

Spark plugs will typically continue operating even past their prime, though your car will not perform as well or as efficiently.

Carbon typically builds up in combustion cylinders as a byproduct of combustion - and you can get deposits on direct injectors. You can get deposits and wear in a throttle body, but based on the other prices and recommended services, I'd call BS on that as well. All gasoline sold in the US is required to have basic cleaners, so most of the aftermarket cleaners you can put in your tank are unnecessary. But if you want to try some, go to your local auto parts store and buy a bottle. They'd love to sell you one. Check your fuel mileage before and after and see if it makes a difference.

If it were me, and I didn't want to learn how to do these simple maintenance tasks, I'd be asking friends, looking on local car club sites, etc. for a good, honest dependable local shop and ask them for their recommendations and a price quote.
 
Apparently, the OP drives nearly 40,000 miles a year and routinely had his local dealer service the car with oil changes, new tires, transmission service etc...
Now at 75,000 the dealer is recommending appropriate services for the mileage, so why not allow the dealer to continue to get the OP's business ?
 
Apparently, the OP drives nearly 40,000 miles a year and routinely had his local dealer service the car with oil changes, new tires, transmission service etc...
Now at 75,000 the dealer is recommending appropriate services for the mileage, so why not allow the dealer to continue to get the OP's business ?

See below.

I plan on keeping it a long time but I am not sure if these services are actually needed or just extra cash for the dealership. Additionally do the prices listed above seem reasonable?

Any recommendations on what to do first or if the work could be done better by a service center not at a dealership? Any help at all is appreciated. Thanks!


OP, just to clarify, do the prices you quoted include shop labor? If they do, then the prices are actually pretty good. If you're not mechanically inclined or don't have the correct tools to do it at home, I'd get them to do the brake fluid and the spark plugs for sure. Air filters are pretty easy to learn how to do with all of the resources on the internet. For the battery, I'd recommend investing in a battery trickle charger like the Battery Tender Plus. I got mine for $50 after accidentally fully discharging my own battery. It wouldn't hold a charge for longer than 36 hours, but after letting it charge on the Battery Tender for about 12 hours, my battery is good as new. You're throwing money away if you replace a battery when the starter starts spinning a little slower.

Fuel system cleaner is a money grab, you should only worry about it if you start to experience carbon build-up issues. Even then, I would have someone take a look at the intake valves with a boroscope before considering a "fuel system cleaner". If they see deposits on the valves, then that $200 would be better spent on walnut-blasting the intake valves. But we're getting ahead of ourselves. With a daily commute like yours, the engine will warm up to operating temps during every drive. Coupled with the road trips where the car should see higher RPMs while overtaking slower drivers on the highways, carbon build-up will be slow and minimal. You could probably get to 200k without worrying about it.
 
so why not allow the dealer to continue to get the OP's business ?
Because their prices and practices are outrageous?

You're throwing money away if you replace a battery when the starter starts spinning a little slower.
This is why forums are such a great place. You can get a wide variety of opinions. IMHO - I'd much rather replace a battery early rather than waiting until it fails and I'm inconvenienced, or worse have to pay for someone to come jump start. But that's me.

You could probably get to 200k without worrying about it.
Yep.
 
This is why forums are such a great place. You can get a wide variety of opinions. IMHO - I'd much rather replace a battery early rather than waiting until it fails and I'm inconvenienced, or worse have to pay for someone to come jump start. But that's me.

Agreed on the forum thing. I'm with you on being proactive, but for me, proactive means attempting to fully recharge the battery before replacing it. If I have to put the battery on a trickle charger every night to make sure it starts, then I would be looking into replacing it. This is coming from someone who weathered a particularly cold winter this year (temps ranging from -35 to -50 Celsius for weeks at a time).
 
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