A dealership near my house has a neat (read: sneaky) way of getting people to opt for the dealership's "recommended" service.
 
The first Saturday of every month they hold a little meeting at about 10:00 a.m., complete with coffee and all sorts of breakfast pastries. Now they tell customers that its to go over general maintenance of the car. Simple do it yourself stuff that a lot of people don't know, but if they did, it might save them some time and trouble. Great. Not only that, but you get a coupon for a free oil change. Awesome! Free donut and an oil change.
 
They spend about 50 minutes explaining all of the services offered by the dealership. They explain how important it is to have the regular maintanence performed by the dealership so that you can safeguard your warranty. They strongly urge you to have these services performed to maintain your car in peak condition, blah blah blah. Then they show you where your dipstick is.
 
I noticed at this meeting that mostly women and older people attended. I took this to mean that these people didn't know a lot about cars, (women because they traditionally are taught that only boys like cars, and older people because they may not have owned a new car in the last 20 or so years and they aren't familiar with some of the newer whiz-bangs.)
 
Also there were guys like me who want the donut and the oil change. But mostly women and the aged.
 
Its very compelling, I think. These service managers are telling people who don't know any better, that these services are very important, and vital to maintaining the car. So we should be prepared, and plan ahead for the scheduled work we'll need done. Its worth it to save a little money so that we can keep the car in perfect condition.
 
Most of it was just "check the suspension and brakes. Check tie rod ends..." and so on. But rather than blindside someone when they have a problem or they are getting an oil change down the road, they prepare them for this "inevitable and necessary maintenance" in advance. Soften them up, so they see it coming and won't think its a scam, but rather an essential service. But of course, they don't tell you how to check the wear on your brake pads yourself, etc.
 
Sneaky, but not immoral. I took the free oil change and then started doing them myself after that.
 
Donut was good though.

Interesting approach to increasing dealer profit. Amazing what free donuts will get you.
 
But seriously, the voice of authority (in this case the service advisor) is very persuasive to some people -- mainly people who don't know they are really just salesmen for the dealership.

Its true. I work in the parts business, but I basically know zero about how to fix or diagnose problems in cars. But people ask me for advice all the time just because of my job, they assume I'll know. I'm sure its like for Edmund's editors too.

How is $156 a deal for an oil change and tire rotation? Don't taught yourself as "smart" when you overpaid by 4X instead of 9X.

The $156 on Edmunds Maintenance Center was for the oil change, tire rotation and additional work due at 15,000 miles. That price should be compared to the $372 they quoted for their "special." The $53 we paid was for oil change (and the included inspections which overlapped with what the owner's manual called for) and tire rotation.

I know the point you are trying to make is "buyer beware" when it comes to auto service. I agree. The dealer (and every other repair shop) will try to oversell everything because they are on commission. My point is the "Edmonds Maint Center" is wrong as far as pricing goes. The 15k should not cost $156, it should cost around $50. In your last post you said you paid $53 so obviously you agree.

This is unbelievable. Me and my friends from Auto Parts From A Lady Expert think that this is too overpriced.