60000 mile service optional?

I am the original owner of a 2012 Leaf bought in December 2011 - it now has nearly 63,000 miles. I made an appointment with my local Nissan dealer for the 60,000 mile service, which supposedly includes

* Replace brake fluid
* Replace in-cabin microfilter
* Rotate tires
* Inspect the following:
__ Axle & suspension parts
__ Brake lines & cables
__ Brake pads & rotors
__ Charging port
__ Charging port sealing cap
__ Drive shaft boots
__ <EV Battery Usage Report>1
__ Front suspension ball joints
__ Reduction gear oil
__ Steering gear and linkage
__ Steering linkage ball joints

They called and said the car was ready. When I got there, I asked if there was any problem with replacing the brake fluid (which has never been done in this car). The service manager said the only thing the car needed was the tires rotated, which they did for $45. I asked if they replaced the cabin filter, they said no, it was fine. I did not behave well after that. I paid the bill, took possession of the car and left. My question is - why wouldn't the dealer be following the book for a major service interval? Do they have leeway to not perform services that they deem unnecessary? I like the car and I wanted to keep it for several more years, but now I'm thinking I don't have the local dealer support I need for an aging electric vehicle, and perhaps it's time to sell it. Am I off base here? Thanks.

The only way I can see that not being a problem would be if the car had been there within the last two years, and the brake fluid and cabin filter had been replaced then. Failing that, I'd complain to Nissan.

This, BTW, is the exact opposite of the usual complaint about Nissan dealer service - that they were too aggressive and wanted to do too many expensive things.

I've never replaced the brake fluid in any car I've had, well other than when doing a brake job and much of the fluid ends up getting displaced but I know others think it's a good idea to do it periodically. The most important thing is to NOT periodically open the reservoir, doing so lets moisture in, it's why the reservoir is clear to let you see the level without actually opening it. Only open it to add fluid but don't keep topping it up, it naturally gets lower as the brake pads wear, as long as it doesn't get lower than the LOW mark, your good. By the time it does get to the LOW mark you probably need to have your brake pads replaced. Other than that the rest of your items were more of an inspection item and if they actually inspected things and they were good, call yourself lucky. I'm also not all that much into replacing the cabin filter, I do check it every once in a while and if it looks clean or just needs a few leaves brushed off it, I do that and put it back. The filter really depends on where you drive your Leaf, if you live on the end of a long gravel road or even just drive on gravel roads all that often, you'll probably need the filter replaced yearly, otherwise it could last a very long time. I have a new one ready but have never replaced my cabin filter on my '13 Leaf purchased new, my '12 I did when I purchased it used in '16 as it looked a little dirty deep down and I didn't know it's history. Smoking inside the cars could also make periodic replacement necessary.
BWT tire rotation should be done probably every 6k or at the most 12k or if you start seeing uneven tire wear. Most of the time where you purchase the tires they might offer free rotation every 6k miles, I know where I purchase my tires they do, Costco.

I'm sure this thread will get about a hundred different answers/suggestions, but here's what I've done as a 10+ year owner:

• Replace brake fluid (should definitely have been done by 60k miles)

• Replace in-cabin microfilter (these filters definitely get dirty after 20-30k miles)

• Rotate tires (I do mine every 10k miles)

Note: the cabin filter is a really cheap/easy DIY project

I also recently did a Reduction Gear Oil Change, but that was a personal choice to replace the original fluid with a newer formula (search the forums for threads) and not really necessary--but has resulted in improved miles/kW efficiency!
Don't take this the wrong way, but I can't believe how anyone would charge $45 for a tire rotation (or anyone would pay that), but that's the car business.

I find it strange that they did not at least go over the procedure with you beforehand so that you were both in agreement over what to expect from this service, and have an estimate of costs.

I personally agree with the 2-year brake fluid replacement interval. ABS components are expensive and the master cylinder on LEAF is also quite complex.

Don't take this the wrong way, but I can't believe how anyone would charge $45 for a tire rotation (or anyone would pay that), but that's the car business.

Click to expand...

We just paid $107, including tax, for essentially a tire rotation, to get the snows on my car. I believe that was highway robbery, but my housemate didn't want me doing it because of the heart surgery.

LeftieBiker said:

Don't take this the wrong way, but I can't believe how anyone would charge $45 for a tire rotation (or anyone would pay that), but that's the car business.

Click to expand...

We just paid $107, including tax, for essentially a tire rotation, to get the snows on my car. I believe that was highway robbery, but my housemate didn't want me doing it because of the heart surgery.

Click to expand...

I just had my tires rotated and a flat fixed for free...from the same place I purchased my tires. Is this not "standard operating procedure"?!

This service came to our house, saving us having to load and then unload tires on wheels into my car - twice. We do get a free rotation if needed, at our annual trip to the dealership.

As Stanton said, replacing the air filter is about a DIY job that takes under 20 minutes and about $20.
See this video:
https://mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=19283&p=413893
This is the filter I used in my 2013 (I replaced it every 2 years or about 15K miles)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005R4JF0K/