This rating is specifically for the service department.
When I bought the vehicle in 2012, I had great experience with sales.
However, several issues with the service department:
1) They will systematically try to up-sell you more stuff.
Stuff you don’t need.
Stuff your vehicle doesn’t need.
Example:
In recent years (2023/02/10) I’ve had the service manager telling me “At your vehicle mileage we recommend valve cleaning service”.
I had my suspicion what the manager was trying to do, but I gave them another shot “could you be more specific what that service is or does, I’m not sure what ‘valve cleaning’ is supposed to represent”.
A: “Certainly. On Skyactive engines, that is where we walnut-blast the backside…”
“Ok, then stop right there. My cx9 is a 2012, it has a Ford V6 engine, is not a Skyactive engine. This V6 fuel injection is in the intake port, there is gasoline vapor flowing over the back of intake port valves. These valves would NEVER need walnut blasting in their lifetime.”
The service manager just looked at me and said “ok”.
(Ok what? Ok you caught me lying / red handed?)
Another example:
On 2021/10/01, I had coolant replacement done with them. This record was in their computer.
On 2024/03/01, I was there for an oil change. Service manager said: technician said coolant reservoir appears low, suggest flush/replace.
This has being only 2.5 yrs from the previous coolant replacement.
Service manual says every 5 yrs.
At most the reco should have being to top off the reservoir to either the high/hot, or low/cold mark. Not a full replacement of the coolant. They know it. They can see they replaced my coolant in 2021/10.
There is what the honest technician says to the service manager.
And then there is what the manager says to the customer…
Folks should pay very close attention to the choice of words from the service manager.
If they say “X and Y and Z are close to due, so they are not urgent for this visit but is something to think about for the next visit” —> in saying so, they never reco’ed for you to do these service in THIS visit.
If YOU decide “oh let’s just do them now” —> YOU made the DECISION and asked them to perform X/Y/Z; THEY were not the ones that made the reco.
YOU have nothing on them, even if you later felt you were cheated.
I’ve had the service manager telling me in 2023/03/01 that my brake pads were getting low, only to have bought my own rotors and pads 1mo later, take off the wheels, to find out I’ve still got 7mm of pad thickness left.
Those new rotors and pads bought in 2023/04, eventually went on the vehicle in 2025/02; that’s almost TWO YEARS later!
2) They will recommend the WRONG fix, vs the problem your vehicle actually has.
Back in roughly 2016, the cx9 flagged an EVAP code.
First likely culprit, which is the most common “fix attempt #1”, (after trying to tighten the fuel cap more) is to replace the fuel cap.
We had oil change scheduled already. My wife was taking the cx9 in for this service. I told my wife to tell the service desk about the evap code, that most likely we should try a new fuel cap (and see if the reset code stays off for the next 2 weeks).
My wife, not knowing as much about cars as I do, got persuaded by the service manager the issue was TPMS sensor out of battery, and needed a new TPMS sensor installed.
If I recall correctly, that charge was in the $260~280 range.
The dashboard had no TPMS code.
OBD scan tool showed no TPMS code.
There was nothing wrong with the TPMS.
After the cx9 came home:
- the EVAP code was still there,
- nothing was done about the EVAP code,
- we’re short $260-280 for a TPMS sensor we didn’t need
- no way to verify if a new TPMS sensor was even installed.
3) When we bought the new 2012 cx9, we were promised lifetime $9.99 oil change.
In Dec 2025, service desk said the dealership has decided to no longer honor that promise.
Betting on: too few ppl still with their 2012’s to bring on a class action suit.