F450 woes

[brain55]

I would guess $6000 in labor for the 70 or so hours of work. The parts, who knows? Maybe $7500.

Chris

Oh, and Chris most dealership labor rates out here in California are $135 or better per hour.

 

[timswi]

Oh, and Chris most dealership labor rates out here in California are $135 or better per hour.

The wife was trying to talk me into a diesel...Think I'll stay put after hearing this.

 

[Soundguy]

Oh, and Chris most dealership labor rates out here in California are $135 or better per hour.

i'll immediatly stop complaining about our 38-75$ rates now.. !!!

 

[brain55]

i'll immediatly stop complaining about our 38-75$ rates now.. !!!

Lol, even as an independent equipment mechanic I charge $90/hr, it is a bit silly out here.

 

[HHR]

My local GM dealer charges $70 per hour. They are the only dealership in my area that I trust to do good work.

 

[downslope]

It's all very interesting discussion about what these repairs might have cost at today's retail prices, but it also raises another question. Suppose someone has a similar situation a few years from now, but at that point you may be dealing with a 10-12 year old truck instead of a 4-5 year old one still under warranty. What cost effective repairs could you do/have done, or would the truck be headed for the salvage yard?

 

[TCBoomer]

It's all very interesting discussion about what these repairs might have cost at today's retail prices, but it also raises another question. Suppose someone has a similar situation a few years from now, but at that point you may be dealing with a 10-12 year old truck instead of a 4-5 year old one still under warranty. What cost effective repairs could you do/have done, or would the truck be headed for the salvage yard?

I think it depends on the individual and his location. The GM dealer where I am employed (as a tech) is at $110 per hr. Overhead at a dealership is huge combined with top tier techs demanding and getting a third of that # per flat rate hour. I see the situation you mention on a daily basis and it's not uncommon to see folks drop 2-3 even $4K into 8-10 yr old vehicles for repairs. I've even seen 10K bills go out the door and this was on 5-7 yr old vehicles. Gm trucks are prone to brake system failure due to rust. A complete set of brake lines, 4 rotors, calipers and pads will run you an easy $2500-$3K. Head gskts for a duramax will run about $4K. Head gskts on the caddy Northstar engine will set you back about $5K. And the list goes on.

On the downside...the manufactures are clamping down hard on warranty times and one way the dealerships deal with it is by replacing the veterans who leave as a result of the cuts, with $10 per hour apprentices. Sure they can handle the nuts and bolts part of the job, but complex system diagnosis requires knowledge and experience. And this is what the $100+ labor rate your paying is getting you.

I'm not bad mouthing dealerships in general, just stating the current trend. Makes me glad to be on this side of the counter and that I can repair just about any of the current models out there today. But there's also alot of horror stories on this side of the counter as well...from ALL manufacturers. I seriously doubt brain55's dealer was reimbursed by Ford for multiple cab removals as stated...if I understood what I read. But there's not a doubt in my mind that the tech doing the actual repairs was hosed by Ford as far as what he was paid time wise.

 

[94BULLITT]

I think it depends on the individual and his location. The GM dealer where I am employed (as a tech) is at $110 per hr. Overhead at a dealership is huge combined with top tier techs demanding and getting a third of that # per flat rate hour. I see the situation you mention on a daily basis and it's not uncommon to see folks drop 2-3 even $4K into 8-10 yr old vehicles for repairs. I've even seen 10K bills go out the door and this was on 5-7 yr old vehicles. Gm trucks are prone to brake system failure due to rust. A complete set of brake lines, 4 rotors, calipers and pads will run you an easy $2500-$3K. Head gskts for a duramax will run about $4K. Head gskts on the caddy Northstar engine will set you back about $5K. And the list goes on.

On the downside...the manufactures are clamping down hard on warranty times and one way the dealerships deal with it is by replacing the veterans who leave as a result of the cuts, with $10 per hour apprentices. Sure they can handle the nuts and bolts part of the job, but complex system diagnosis requires knowledge and experience. And this is what the $100+ labor rate your paying is getting you.

I'm not bad mouthing dealerships in general, just stating the current trend. Makes me glad to be on this side of the counter and that I can repair just about any of the current models out there today. But there's also alot of horror stories on this side of the counter as well...from ALL manufacturers. I seriously doubt brain55's dealer was reimbursed by Ford for multiple cab removals as stated...if I understood what I read. But there's not a doubt in my mind that the tech doing the actual repairs was hosed by Ford as far as what he was paid time wise.

I have a ford shop time estimator disk. The warranty times are rediculous.

 

[Hay Dude]

I was thinking retail the short block was in the $7000 range and I'm betting the turbos are $5000 for the pair. At some point I guess I could do some searches on that internet thing, lol.

So brain55, should I steal $4,300 from my savings account for an extended warranty for a truck that should have been built right in the first place?
I have 6 months left on factory warranty. My guess is my cab will be on the floor within 2 years. Gotta weigh $4,300 towards a warranty against bending over and taking it again from the geniuses at the blue oval on a new truck.

 

[WilliamBos]

Oh, and Chris most dealership labor rates out here in California are $135 or better per hour.

About that uo here too.