Car and Truck Repair Skyrocketing Costs

[polarred21]

I do most of my own work, have not had anything major done in a while, the last was condenser coil on 2015 Silverado for $900. I must be out of touch from what I'm hearing. Same truck at 124k miles and their telling me ticking time bomb for the transmission to fail.

Some recent horror stories from coworkers using local reputable shops:
2017 Tahoe transmission 145k miles, $4500
2017 Ford Escape transmission $5000, it's front wheel drive!
2008 Ford Explorer water pump $5000, must drop engine?

Share your experiences if you wish.

 

[oosik]

Two years ago I put a full height, vertical crease in the tailgate of my beloved Taco Wagon. Dead center.

So into the body bender shop. Figured they would strip it down - pound it out - repaint. NO WAY. Brand new tailgate. Needed to be painted, all the electronics installed and all new decals. The word - RAM - $300. The two words - Power Wagon - $50 per letter.

Almost fainted when I saw the bill. $2800. Insurance company didn't even flinch. What is this world coming to.

 

[5030]

I must be out of touch from what I'm hearing. Same truck at 124k miles and their telling me ticking time bomb for the transmission to fail.

If you didn't maintain it correctly and change the fluid and filter at the GM required 80K miles, then you do have a bomb ticking. I don't mean a cheap flush either, I mean a pan drop, new filter and new fluid and the torque converter drained as well.

Other than batteries, the most neglected component on any vehicle is the shush box and it you per chance have an allison and you didn't get it serviced correctly, it will fail sooner than the standard slush box will. Allisons are especially touchy when it comes to clean fluid and filter changes.

I might add, you ever change t he serpentine drive belts or the idlers? Only good for a max of 100K and then on borrowed time.

 

[JasperFrank]

The end game, I believe is that you will only be able to get insurance from the manufacturer, and their repair shops as some sort of vertical integration strategy.

 

[5030]

I don't but they would prefer it. I'm sure.

 

[Rockbadchild]

Repair cost is one thing but what piss me off is the new strategy of car dealers to not hold any inventory... Hi sir we have a good news and a bad news, the good news is it's only this $200 part that is broken but the bad news is it will take 6 month to arrive... We have rental available at $800 a month if you are interested ?

 

[dodge man]

I creased my tailgate also. I went to a body shop for an estimate. They found a used tailgate for me and I picked it up and they didn’t even charge me. It was the same color and even had the same bed liner on it. I spent about 2 hours buffing it out. Cost me about $700. I was going to turn it in but would lose my accident free discount so paid it out of pocket.

 

[polarred21]

^^^ Now auto body repair, that's an all insurance driven different story. Glad yours turned out well. The larger higher quality shops don't want to do out of pocket paint jobs anymore.

 

[BackRoad]

View attachment 2179739I creased my tailgate also. I went to a body shop for an estimate. They found a used tailgate for me and I picked it up and they didn’t even charge me. It was the same color and even had the same bed liner on it. I spent about 2 hours buffing it out. Cost me about $700. I was going to turn it in but would lose my accident free discount so paid it out of pocket.

You owe that body shop guy a hamburger, WITH fries!

That's spectacular and unusual customer service.

 

[sandman2234]

View attachment 2179739I creased my tailgate also. I went to a body shop for an estimate. They found a used tailgate for me and I picked it up and they didn’t even charge me. It was the same color and even had the same bed liner on it. I spent about 2 hours buffing it out. Cost me about $700. I was going to turn it in but would lose my accident free discount so paid it out of pocket.

You no longer have an accident free record, just a claim free record now!
David from jax