Life Long GM Guy....New Ford

[Grumpycat]

If a GM dealer would honor that estimate then it was honest.

Huh ?????

If GM insurance estimated $900 and if a GM dealer would have honored that estimate and performed the repair then $900 was what it really cost to repair. But it seems what you really wanted was a big cash payment to pocket without repairing the vehicle.

 

[Tomtint]

I wonder about the difference in maintenance costs.
Mercedes dealer quoted $1034.89 to replace 6 plugs in my 2014 Mercedes E350
I bought 6 OEM Bosch plugs online, and replaced them myself.

U-Tube is a wonderful thing! ...The job cost me $64 !!!
Replacing Mercedes E350 plugs is much more involved than a typical plug replacement.
But still .......$1034.89 v/s $64 ??????

I had my MB sprinter van in for routine service a month or so ago. One of the things it was in for was a fuel filter. The air cleaner box needs to be removed to do this.. so I asked if I should do it at that time..they offered to change my 35.00 filter for 188.00.... because of the labor involved.... on the filter housing they were removing to install the fuel filter anyway..,and they suggested changing the 25.00 cabin air filter at the same time... for 136.00.... this thing literally takes less than 10 seconds to change..it takes longer to open the box it comes in and figure out which way it faces. ..Then..they said I知 due for brakes REAL soon..that would be another $1600.00...
What some people don稚 understand is that service writers are not there to just fill in the paperwork, they are the little profit generators of the service department, they try to aftersell every car that comes through the door.. every single one.

 

[buck12]

I had my MB sprinter van in for routine service a month or so ago. One of the things it was in for was a fuel filter. The air cleaner box needs to be removed to do this.. so I asked if I should do it at that time..they offered to change my 35.00 filter for 188.00.... because of the labor involved.... on the filter housing they were removing to install the fuel filter anyway..,and they suggested changing the 25.00 cabin air filter at the same time... for 136.00.... this thing literally takes less than 10 seconds to change..it takes longer to open the box it comes in and figure out which way it faces. ..Then..they said I知 due for brakes REAL soon..that would be another $1600.00...
What some people don稚 understand is that service writers are not there to just fill in the paperwork, they are the little profit generators of the service department, they try to aftersell every car that comes through the door.. every single one.

That is why I do everything I can to stay away from dealers once a vehicle is out of warranty. We have a local mechanic that is reasonable. He is not cheap but he is honest and fair and does not play the upsell games played by the corporate dealers.

 

[coxhaus]

I have a 1995 7.3 diesel that is a great truck for me. It is a standard, 4x4. The thing just runs I don't do much other than replace batteries. I have had to replace the alternator and AC compressor a couple of times. I put Monroe shocks all around with life time warranty a couple of times. Recently the vacuum pump, idler pulley and tensioner. I change the oil every 4000 and the fuel filter every other oil change. I don't drive it much now days as I mainly use it for hauling stuff. I get about 19 mpg. I now drive a more fuel efficient car as I am retired.

This was my first Ford truck as I had always owned Chevy trucks. The Chevy place in my small home town closed so I bought a Ford. The funny thing now is the Ford place closed and a new Chevy place opened. Oh well.

 

[fried1765]

I had my MB sprinter van in for routine service a month or so ago. One of the things it was in for was a fuel filter. The air cleaner box needs to be removed to do this.. so I asked if I should do it at that time..they offered to change my 35.00 filter for 188.00.... because of the labor involved.... on the filter housing they were removing to install the fuel filter anyway..,and they suggested changing the 25.00 cabin air filter at the same time... for 136.00.... this thing literally takes less than 10 seconds to change..it takes longer to open the box it comes in and figure out which way it faces. ..Then..they said I知 due for brakes REAL soon..that would be another $1600.00...
What some people don稚 understand is that service writers are not there to just fill in the paperwork, they are the little profit generators of the service department, they try to aftersell every car that comes through the door.. every single one.

I have owned a MB car since 1999, and have only ever gone to a MB dealer once,.... for a front end alignment.
My very recent MB dealer visit was only to have them do a free mechanical review of my (new to me) used E350.
They refused to do a paid by me review BEFORE I bought the car, but offered a free review after.

Of course, I never had any intention of having them doing any work on the car, but I did want to know if they could find anything that needed repair.
I have a wonderful local mechanic, who does not replace parts unless they are actually needed, and is as honest as the day is long.
My guy charges $118 per hour, (incl.tax) and feels guilty about it. He charges for actual labor, not "book rate".

The MB Sarasota dealer labor quote for a spark plug change was 3.8 hours at $193 per hour (incl. 7% tax on labor).
$733 for labor only.
When I questioned the service writer about the 3.8 hour labor charge, he claimed it was because the intake manifold must be removed to access the plugs.

Seemingly plausible......but.... NOT true.
U-Tube shows how it is done!
No intake manifold removal necessary!
I am NOT a mechanic!
I am almost 80 years old!....I replaced the 6 plugs!.... In a good bit less than 3.8 hours too!

The dealer quote of $1034.89 for plug replacement, actually cost me $64, for 6 OEM Bosch double platinum plugs, shipped from FCP Euro in CT.