A good read, and as I've always said REGULAR low mileage oil change intervals are the key to a long living engine.

 

I was thinking 15k miles was a bit much even for synthetic oil, my only problem is where do you buy the super duper special oil we need.

 

Wow yeah you got shredded on your labor costs, and that invoice is pretty hazy in terms of the itemization. The labor cost just kind of "shows up" and definitely seems inflated. I have heard some negative comments about Rosenthal Jag in the past...the good news is that there are a bunch of Jag dealers in the DC area so it would be worth shopping around for other service departments.

 

The original question from bhojov, as I recall, was not whether it was cheaper to DIY, or even whether it was cheaper to go to an indie, but rather, what was the expected charge for a dealer to do a "scheduled maintenance". A dealer maintains an expensive parts inventory and keeps (theoretically) a highly trained work force. That costs money.

I do not have much experience with what a dealer charges since I do non warranty work myself for the most part, so I would like to hear what experience folks have had for dealer charges for scheduled maintenance. If they did the complete 60,000 mile scheduled service, it would include:

Brake Hose/Line
Inspect lines and hoses for correct routings and damage
Fluids
Check / top up underhood fluid levels. Check for underhood / under vehicle fluid leaks.
Lighting and Horns
Check operation of all lights, warning indicators and horn
Parking Brake System
Check operation of electronic parking brake
Tires
Check tire pressure, condition and tread depth (including spare if equipped).
Wiper and Washer Systems
Check operation of windshield wiper / washer systems
Diagnose/Test
Malfunction Indicator Lamp
If fault lamps illuminated use IDS for further diagnosis / repair.
Vehicle
Perform comprehensive road test and verify the following: Correct operation JaguarDrive Control and transmission interlock. Condition and operation of seatbelts. Operation of steering column and seat adjustionment mechanisms. Starter motor operates normally and engine starts easily. Steering self centers from left and right-hand turns. Vehicle does not pull or wander to one side. Brakes operate smoothly without judder, noise, or pull to one side. Transmission shifts up and down smoothly; Jaguar Sequential Shift operation. Cruise control operation. Climate control operation. Inspect for undue vehicle noises.
Inspect
Battery
Check/ top up battery electrolyte level.
Brake Fluid
Check and top-up brake fluid
Brakes and Traction Control
Inspect for brake pad wear, caliper leaks and disc condition
Coolant
Check coolant level and freeze protection level
Drive Belt
Inspect accessory drive and (if equipped) supercharger belt
Power Steering Fluid
Check and top-up power steering fluid
Power Steering Line/Hose
Inspect lines and hoses for correct routings and damage
Washer Fluid
Check and top-up windshield washer fluid
Wiper Blade
Inspect windshield wiper blades and rubber inserts
Replace
Air Filter Element
Cabin Air Filter / Purifier
Engine Oil
Oil Filter, Engine
Seat Back Intake Filter
If equipped.
Reset
Oil Level Warning Indicator
Service Reminder Indicators

There is no possible way to do all of that in an hour or two! So, the question is whether they did the 60 k scheduled maintenance or not. If they did, the charges seem right to me.

I would guess that the average hourly billing rate for someone driving a newish Jag would be somewhere in the $150. /hr range. Do you not expect the factory tech to be there too?

 

So, I looked up the "standard" time for the 60 K service. - 2.3 hours.
It seems the dealer might have cheated that up a bit, but any tech on here will tell you it takes a superman to make the standard times.

 

If the factory time is 2.3 hours- that's what the customer should be charged and not a penny more.

It's then up to the customer to decide whether he wants to pay someone 2.3 hrs x the shop labour rate to do the things on that list. Almost all of them are routine items the owner should be doing themselves anyway.

 

I've kept all of my service receipts in a binder so I could post up all of the work the dealer has done so far and the associated costs. Granted I haven't put a ton of miles on my car since I have owned it but I have had it in for several services and had them run the gambit when I bought it since I knew the service history but wasn't 100% sure what all had been addressed. I'm out on vacation so if I remember I'll post some up when I get back; the dealer I use in Charlotte is more than fair on their rates and parts pricing.

 

Reedman-Toll Jaguar in Langhorne PA charges $130 an hour at book elapsed time. They haven't overcharged me yet (I don't get to see what JLR reimburses them for the warrantee work I've had done, but that's normal...); so far, I've been treated fairly, I think.

(FWIW, my SO's VW dealer charges the same hourly rate. So, either the VW dealer is overcharging or my Jag dealer is a bargain. The indie I use to work on my XJ8 (Ross @ Jaguar Specialists in Fallsington PA) hits me for $85 per, but he's not up to date on the latest cars (and his garage lot is filled with customer cars stretching back to a 100-point 120 in one of his bays...), so, since the XF is still in CPO program with an added extended contract...use the dealer for that, and give my indie the XJ. I take care of the lightweight stuff (interior renovation; cleaning, preserving, etc); Ross has the 4-post lift and such for the underneath and engine work...

 

I have a 13 XF supercharged and took it to the dealer here in south Fl. They did an oil change and inspection at 18,000 miles for $175.00. Included was their full inspection plan. I don't know why a dealer would ever charge for the inspections, as they are always looking for something else to fix. Thought that was very reasonable considering the car is still under warrantee and if they found anything wrong it would have been repaired for free. BTW everything was fine. No problems at all so far.

 

Hmmmh. The MY 12 XF came with free bumper to bumper service including lubes. Has that been eliminated, or did your guy cheat you for $175. ???

 

That program ended in 2012. No longer free maintenance.

 

Yeah to my knowledge Jag hasn't included maintenance for a while. I heard from a buddy of mine who works in the auto press industry that they are going to be including 5 years included maintenance in the near future...which is sweet!

 

guess Jaguar start to do that to compete with BMW and Mercedes