It's a good idea to get it there at least once to take care of any TSB's.
Example: I purchased a low mileage '01 Miata with a chattering clutch a couple of years ago. Installed a new one and went on my way. A couple of weeks ago I had a mystery engine fault with no code stored on the ECU. Couldn't find an issue so I dropped it at the dealer for further diagnosis. They replaced the ECU under warranty (unrelated) and claimed they would have replaced the clutch on a TSB as well.
I could have saved a couple of hundred bucks if I brought it to the dealer up front.
Yeah, sometimes the dealer is the way to go. I take SWMBO's Sonata to the dealer because it's under warranty and oil changes there aren't much more than it would cost me to do it. Although today they told me the rear brakes on the car are worn and should be replaced. They quoted $177 for the job. Betcha I can do it for a lot less.
I take my RX8 to the dealer for oil changes too for the same reason, costs about the same as if I did it. Plus that oil filter on top of the engine concerns me some, if I spilled oil I'd have to clean the engine compartment. If they spill, they clean.
There are some jobs it just isn't worth it for me to buy the special tools to do the job one time. I usually farm out the tasks that may only need to be done rarely and take special tools and equipment that I don't have and can't justify the cost of a tool I would use once.
