'08 450/38,000 mile service ripoff?

[MConstable]

Posting for my Mother-in-law here, thanks for any advice.

I have an '03 Dodge 3500 and do all of my own fluid changes/maintenance etc., so I'm ignorant on what her '08 needs, but her most recent service bill seems odd, need help from you guys.

Her mileage was 38,000 and change.

Her dealer performed an entire brake system flush, including replacing the fluid with DOT 4 ??

Automatic Trans flush and fluid replace.

Power steering service and fluid replace??

Radiator flush and fluid replace??

Of course, the oil and oil filter was also done.

I understand replacing break-in fluids like the transmission, but the brake system/radiator/power steering stuff doesn't sound right??

Thanks for any advice!



Any thoughts

[SmokeyWren]

Originally Posted by MConstable

Her mileage was 38,000 and change.

Her dealer performed an entire brake system flush, including replacing the fluid with DOT 4 ??

It's not in the book as a rquired maintenance item, but any enthusiast is going to do it, or have it done, every coupla years. Personally, I did mine at around 100,000 miles and it's due to be done again soon.

Automatic Trans flush and fluid replace.

Required at 30,000 miles. If it hasn't been done before, it was overdue.

Power steering service and fluid replace??

Again, not in the book, but I do mine about that often.

Radiator flush and fluid replace??

That one raises some eyebrows. Ford says the first one is due at 100,000 miles or 5 years. It certainly won't hurt anything, but it was done way early. I'd ask the service manager why they replaced the coolant so soon.

Of course, the oil and oil filter was also done.

I hope so.

And did they mention the fuel filter(s)? I don't know about an '08, but on my '99 it's required every 15,000 miles.

[guardrail22]

tell your mother in law that the truck came with a book that tells her what is suggested for each interval.

For starters there is no 38000 mile service. The service interval is 10000 miles. You can read the rest for her but fundementally she got hosed.