Not a rant but free advice

 I'm very fortunate I have my own personal  mechanic, my oldest son. Only cost me parts  and he get to keep his project car in my garage. The work that needs to be done is broken down by what I can do, what I can't but he can in my garage and what we need a lift for, then it go's to the dealership he works at.

   Dave M

Our coach has been a coast rig since new and you can imagine the rust issues on all the hardware.  Once I got the steering knuckles off (hour and a half a side), found the ball joints were toast...$365.  And new brake hardlines are going to be 500 come spring, along with new exhaust while it's on the rack.  Can't get under it if not on a truck hoist.

Update:

Checked the front seals in the wife’s car today while doing the oil change and again......no leaks after over  2 weeks . Still waiting for that satisfaction survey from the dealership. 

Yes Toshi KIA is keeping it hush hush. Another is Mini Cooper. My nephew had a mini parked in his garage and caught fire which almost destroyed  his house. 

plasticjunkie

Toshi, are you aware of the fire issues with some KIAs ? We had about 3 or 4 reports in the local news. One lady had hers for years and parked it in the garage and almost burnt down her house. Just a heads up.

 

Toshi, are you aware of the fire issues with some KIAs ? We had about 3 or 4 reports in the local news. One lady had hers for years and parked it in the garage and almost burnt down her house. Just a heads up.

‘79 Mercury Zephyr

Straight Six

Three Speed Auto Tranny

Rebuilt block, tranny by myself and sold in CA for $700.00 (Cherry).  Wished new owner the best.  Father OG owner.  Miss working on cars like that.  Simple!

Added Accel am plugs, wires, rotor, Coil, K&N Filter, and Mobile One synthetic oil (Unheard of fifteen twenty years ago). Great gas mileage and went as fast as most new cars back then and possibly now.  Lol.

Current ride: 2008 Kia Sedona.  Did brakes but that’s about it.  Great Ezra ride, lots of room 107,000.  Just had brakes, rotors, Coolant, Plugs, oil, and 4x tires 80,00 mi done.  A little over $1,000.00 local shop.  Bobs Car Care

Your Friend, Toshi

Tickmagnet

Dealerships are for buying cars not getting them worked on. Don't know what this has to do with models but I got to rant too.

 

Tickmagnet

 Dealerships are for buying cars not getting them worked on. 

 

The real moral is don't get mechanical work done at a dealership. It's where car dealers make the bulk of their money and they are nefarious for finding things that need done, that don't really need done. Not to mention, they are ridiculously expensive. Do you really think all the recalls on small stuff are needed?  I get regular yearly recall notices and it's always small stuff like bolts on the seat or something ridiculous and they never fail to tell me something more expensive needs done. I just tell them thanks but no thanks just take care of the recall item. Dealerships are for buying cars not getting them worked on. Don't know what this has to do with models but I got to rant too.

JohnnyK

I wonder what they would have done if they replaced the rear differential ($2,400 plus labor) and it did not fix the thump, thump,thump (failed rear wheel bearing). Would they have given me a full refund on the differential?

 

Cases like this is best to be put on a credit card, preferably Amex. A while back I had the dealer replace a part in my son's car that was not broken and wasn't the issue cause the problem continued. After contacting the dealership I was told any additional repairs would be on me since they spent a day working (or rather figuring out what was wrong with the electrical system.) In either case they failed and I was stuck with the $800 bill. I contacted Amex, explained the issue and opened a dispute for a full refund which I got 60 days later. 

I wonder what they would have done if they replaced the rear differential ($2,400 plus labor) and it did not fix the thump, thump,thump (failed rear wheel bearing). Would they have given me a full refund on the differential?

It’s great when you find an honest service rep. I found one at the Toyota dealership where I used to take my Tundra. The guy was super nice and never charged me for tire rotations when getting an oil change. Never came back with a “to do” list. Unfortunately he moved up north so I never went back to that dealership. 

Now I have an honest trustworthy mechanic a couple of miles from the house. He even drops me off at the house when something is done to the my vehicles.

Last year I noticed red fluid by the transmission housing and feared the worse, a bad transmission leak. I took my Tundra to Jay who also owns a Tundra and said they never leak there.  He put it up on the lift and aftet 30 ish minutes he came back to tell me it was the Thermostat housing leaking the red coolant and working its way back and over the transmission. A new thermostat and almost an hour later the bill was $60. He could have taken my wallet out to the cleaners but he was honest. 

GMorrison

 

 

JohnnyK

They refunded my money in full and told me that the technician that worked on my car was going to pay for half of the refund????? 

 

 

 

 

Which pretty much explains why their techs have no interest in doing good work.

 

 

JohnnyK

They refunded my money in full and told me that the technician that worked on my car was going to pay for half of the refund????? 

 

Simply put, I have no use for "New" cars and the lonnnng strings attached to them..

Here is a good one: I have a 2004 Toyota Highlander with 175,000 miles. Great car. Last year I head a thumping comming from the right rear. I went to the Toyota dealer and they  said that the front right bearing needed replacement. Of course I said,"Don't you mean the right rear bearing?" They again said it was the  front. I approved the work because, well, they should know what they are doing. I picked up the car, drove it home and I heard thump, thump, thump from  the right rear. I brought it back to the dealer and they told me that the rear differential need to be replaced . Soooooo, I took it to Ernie (local repair shop) who said the problem was the right rear bearing. He replaced the bearing and no more thump, thump. I took the old bearing to the Toyota dealer and said that I wanted a refund on the front bearing replacement because it wasn't necessary. They refunded my money in full and told me that the technician that worked on my car was going to pay for half of the refund????? I will never go there again.

(1) Similar story with a Toyota Tundra. Place I normaly go for an oil change, they came back saying the surpintine belt was bad and it was caused by a faulty water pump. They said that during thier inspection there was a steady leak of antifreeze falling on the belt to cause it to go bad. They also said the belt tension pully was bad. For the changing of the pump, the tension pully, and the belt it would cost $1,200.00; telling me they have to take half the front of the truck apart for the pump. Keep in mind they just changed the surpintine belt 5 months earlier. I went to my trusted shop and it was simply a bad belt, the pump and pully was inspected by my mechanic and I and found to be good. After paying $78.00 for a new belt and labor I was out the door and had no problem since. I have not been back to the other place. 

(2) Another incident at the Toyota dealer for our van. It was in for a recall item. During the visit they indicated it needed new tires (they were still good but getting close to replace 25% left and still very legal). They were wanting to sell us the same run flats that came with it new for $1,225.00 . Those tires only have a 35K tread life and are not required items, but that is what they pushed. I went to a tire shop I trust in town and got top of the line Michelien Pilot 70K mile tires with lifetime balance and rotation for only $410.00 out the door (on sale). 

Bruce, and lets not forget about the blinker fluid for those turn signals(smile).

Your all correct in buyer beware. Also to shop for second opinions or competitive pricing. 

Ben

plasticjunkie

 

 

hogfanfs

So, I should have gotten a second opinion when the guy told me I needed to replace the bearings in my muffler? I knew I should have just greased those muffler bearings myself. 

 

 

 

 

 

Hey Bruce I'm surprised they didn't tell you your gonkometer needed re calibration for an additional $300. 

 

PJ,

They did try that on me, but, I was wise! They also said my headlights were low on water. But, everyone knows a headlight doesn't take water, they take lighter fluid! 

Thanks for posting this topic. I can't imagine how many people waste money unknowingly on services they don't really need. It's a shame, but, I'm glad you knew better. 

hogfanfs

So, I should have gotten a second opinion when the guy told me I needed to replace the bearings in my muffler? I knew I should have just greased those muffler bearings myself. 

 

Hey Bruce I'm surprised they didn't tell you your gonkometer needed re calibration for an additional $300. 

The majority of my bad experiences have been through dealerships. The smaller ones have not been immune but--the most trusted mechanics I have found has been with smaller shops. I had found several over the years.

Here are two more stories:

Again, in this case it was with a lady friends car. The car would not turn over ... the battery died. I purchased a new battery, installed it, bam-- it started. But--it was running rough. Not knowing what more to do we took it to a dealership. I tell them what happened and what I have done so far. Hours later, I get a call. "We are not sure what is going on but we think your injectors are bad." Estimate is $1000 or more, depending on what they find. I tell them to pack up the car and we will get back to them. I make some calls to friends and I was recommended to try a small shop that they trust. I call the shop, explain what happened, and what the dealer is telling me. With no hesitation he says, "it sounds like your computer needs to be reset. With that model car, if you lose power from the battery--the whole system needs to be reset." He says, it's an easy fix and to bring it over. I do so, and the car is fixed. I think he charged me $20. Um yeah... bad injectors. Pitiful. 

Another one:

I had a small Honda hatchback that in the dead of winter started to idle rough. It was so bad that I had to take it in. There was a small Honda Dealer nearby and I left it there. A few days later I get a call, "Your distributor is shot. It is loose and it needs to be replaced. Estimate... $1800. I call my Dad and he says to bring it over. We pop the hood, I reach for distributor cap and it is loose. Dummy me--I says--yeah look --it is loose. My Dad says, "yeah, hold on. Let's look closer." Further inspection revealed the distributor was fine. Yes, the cap was loose--but it was probably from the dealership monkeying with it. My Dad quickly figured out that we needed to install a new cap and rotor. It was a few dollars of parts. Bang! Car is fixed. 

I have many more. My Dad had several horror stories from an Olds Dealer that were  downright fraudulent. My Dad always ended up fixing it himself because he was onto their lies.

Now a days--I drive a Ford and thus far--I have had good service from my local Ford dealership. I had one incident that was suspect--but it didn't cost much--and I am willing to give them the benefit of the doubt. 

Keyda81

Convertible top replacement on 91 Cavalier-check

I.E. --2011 Camaro convertible top assy replacment time=6.2 hours under warranty. It takes two guys to do it and takes a whopping 3 days to complete to get all the wind noises, water leaks and fit issues in check. That was a terrible design for "drop tops" and was part of the reason that GM went back to the drawing board in 2014 on them.

So, I should have gotten a second opinion when the guy told me I needed to replace the bearings in my muffler? I knew I should have just greased those muffler bearings myself. 

When I was a teen, we had a '65 Chevy Impala, and that was the platform my father used to show me how to maintain an automobile. However, now a days, these car are engineered that those skills no longer apply to most vehicles. Even the newer motorcycles (Cafe style) are engineered to be smaller and lighter, which makes it difficult to work on them. 

I really like wrenching on vehicles, more specifically motorcycles. I completely rebuilt, from the frame, up a 2001 CBR9292RR, which I used for track days. And loved every minute of it. 

I have all my servicing done at the dealer where I bought my new cars.  Never had an issue.  I've seen more dishonesty at local shops than at the dealership I go to.

I believe you JK. I went to college in 1973, was working part time selling shoes and had a green Dodge just like Al Bundy lol. I paid my own car insurance with Allstate costing me a little over $300 a year with full coveragewith a $100 deductible. I also paid for my college semesters including books, had some money to put away and some to go out and spend. No student loans or debt. What the hell is happenning now with the cost of education?