24-Month Maintenance Service 
(April 8, 2004)

What this service includes:

-Replace engine air filter
-Replace engine coolant
-Replace engine oil and oil filter
-Replace inverter coolant
-Rotate tires
Inspections of:
--Ball joints and dust covers
--Brake lines and hoses
--Brake linings/drums and brake pads/discs
--Differential oil
--Drive shaft boots
--Exhaust pipes and mountings
--Fuel lines and connections, fuel tank band and fuel tank vapor vent system hoses
--Fuel tank cap gasket
--Steering gear box
--Steering linkage and boots
--Transmission fluid

Visit Summary:

As you can see this was an intense service visit! It took approximately 2.5 hours for the service to be completed, during which time I played Game Boy, did some reading, watched some TV and checked out the clearance at a nearby Gateway Country store. 

As with my spring visit last year, I noted to the service advisor that the wheel locks had begun to rust. I don't know what they coat these things with, but it sure doesn't work very well. Thankfully the dealer happily put in an order for another replacement set under warranty. 

After my wheels were recoated last year, I noted that the center caps on my wheels were looser than they were previously. Driving around this spring, I noticed that they had become loose enough to rattle while I drive. I was told another set of caps would be ordered along with the new wheel locks and I will get a call when they arrive.

So aside from the recurring wheel issues, the visit seems to have been wonderfully uneventful. And the price sure was nice! ;)

UPDATE 4/15/04:
Well it turns out there were some complications with my maintenance after all. Shortly after arriving home I got a call that the tech performing the maintenance had forgotten to completely secure the protective shield under the engine. I quickly drove back to the dealership where the three remaining screws were put back in place by the very apologetic tech. I was very thankful that they caught this and called me so quickly!

But that's not all: When washing and waxing the car this week, I discovered that the cap to the coolant reservoir was off and the coolant level was just above the minimum "-L" mark. There was also coolant spilled on the lip of the inverter. I returned to the dealership today where they topped up the coolant and explained that the spill on the inverter was probably from filling the separate inverter coolant tank, and that the cap to the regular coolant reservoir probably wasn't put back on all the way and popped off while I was driving. 

This experience certainly has raised some concerns about the service at my dealership, but at no time was I treated poorly, and the dealership quickly resolved the problems without flinching. If I had paid for this maintenance, I'd be irate, but as it was provided free under warranty I'll take it with a grain of salt for now and will weigh it heavily when it comes time for future maintenance visits...

UPDATE 4/28/04: I returned to the dealer today where my rusting wheel locks and the rattling center wheel caps were replaced. Now my wheels are not only nice and shiny again, but whisper quiet too! :-)

Cost of Visit(s): $0.00 (Provided free under warranty)