Car Dealerships... what a rip off!!! Options

[T/A6Pak]

I needed an oil change and there was a problem with my window. So they call me and tell me that I need new rear rotors and pads--> $530.00, then they tell me I need a new air filter that cost $20.00 and an hepi filter that is for the interior of the car---$80.00 installed.. they say they have to take out the whole dash to put it in.

I tell them just to do the oil and ask them if there is a charge for putting in the air filter, it's 2 bolts... I can do it myself. Dave gets the roters and the pads for $200.00, so I tell them to disregard doing that.

I talk to my dad and find out the hepi filter that costs $30.00 to buy is put in by removing two bolts in the glove compartment. I tell them not to do that...LMAO. I ask them if there is a charge to put the filter on, if so.. I will get it myself and do it. They tell me it's no charge.. so I say go ahead.

I go to get my car and they tell me the total and I say: Let me see the bill, notice they charged me $22.00 to change my air filter... wow, I tell the guy, take that air filter off my car and put the old one on, I'm really pissed that they are now charging me to put on an air filter that they said would cost nothing.

I tell them that they are just a bunch of rip off artists and I will find somewhere else to take my car now on!!!

So they take the charge off my bill and leave the new one on: I still paid for the part. I tell them that they just try to take advantage of people and that service like this is the same as theft!!! They charge a mechanics fee of $100.00 hr to do work at the dealership.

Warning--> Do not deal with dealerships unless it's warranty work!!!

[Sir Ace]

LOL, been there, done that. I stay clear away. I've had to purchase parts at the dealership though, that doesn't seem too bad. Sometimes there are parts that you can't get other than at the dealer. So you're cornered there too!
"And a hepi filter" That's like saying you need a Watchamajigger in your thingamajig! And that's going to cost you $1,000...


This post has been edited by Sir Ace: 09/27/07 12:41pm

[majorhavoc]

The new car dealers are not making much money selling cars these days so they're left with overcharging folks on service matters.

I do as much work on my car as possible and enlist my father-in-law for more extensive repairs. Between us we've covered about 90% of repairs and maintenance. Brakes, alternators, batteries, fluid changes, some electrical stuff, interior work, filters, etc...all hundreds of $$$ cheaper!

[Bargod]

My wife took her Toyata Camry into the dealer for an oil change a few weeks ago. To be honest, I don't even remember at this point what else they "found" wrong. It ended up costing $800.00. I drove the car off the lot and the check engine light was on. I had to go to work but took the car in the next day and told them that light was not on when my wife dropped the car off and to correct the problem and that I didn't expect to get charged for it (oh, yeah, there was an alignment that wasn't aligned in there as well- the car still pulled left). Well, they keep the car another day and then come back telling me it's some "fuse" that they have to take half the engine out to get to- yadda, yadda. I tell them that whatever happened to the fuse happened while they were working on the car and it was their responsiblity to fix or replace it since it wasn't broken when we brought it in.
He said "they just break. It could happen anytime".
I told him to shove it up his ass and that we wouldn't be back.

I miss our old mechanic. He moved away, but he'd change my wifes oil for only the cost of the oil, and top off the fluids. He'd tell us when things weren't worth the cost to fix, like a cracked strut that made a lot of noise, or power light motors that burned out, or the power sun-roof motor that burned out (crappy ass Saturn). But he explained these weren't really needed and way too expensive. So we took his advice and traded the car in, lol. We got more than we thought it was worth. Clearly they didn't try to start it and check everything. Yay for CarMax!

[Old Man Mike]

How about $206 to replace a 550 cranking amps battery in my Lexus?

Their big gotcha with battery replacement is the loss of memory in the some of the electronics if you don't parallel a voltage source during the replacement. So most everyone pays to have them do it.

(Yeah, I could do with an even higher rated battery and save over $100 but I would rather not get my hands dirty. I'm such a lazy retired guy.)

Old Man Mike

[T/A6Pak]

Oh yea, they also tried to tell me that I needed my tires rotated....lmao, I just had that done 2 weeks ago. I think they know I was mad, because they just called me from the dealership about 5 mins ago to appologize. I guess they only change the filters free for the Q45 models...LOL, I guess because those models are more expensive.

I like the old junker cars that you can drive forever and never have to change the oil...lol, I blew up two engines while in University and my dad rebuilt both. That's when I learned if the oil light comes on, tell your dad right away... don't wait until a month later when the car dies and smoke is coming from the engine compartment....LOL (True blond moment!!)

Bargod, I bet you paid a ton for parts you didn't even need. My dad told me today that he checked by brakes the other day and they were still good.

Mike, that the same happened with my door... loss of memory?? It's a window... still working, just not properly. Well, they scammed me out of $50.00 for that... no parts at all.. they had to reset the memory. Really sounds like the scam of the year to me.

Mike, Lexus really gets you there... and I thought they were just trying to scam me because I was a female!!

[Bargod]

When I was in college my dad was kind enough to pay for car repairs as needed. The only problem was he was going to a BP Procare shop that replaced an alternator on my first car that caught fire a few days later. The fire department said it was too burnt to be sure, but it looked like they installed it wrong.
Yet, my dad still went to these guys.
So, used car #2 leaks oil. I'm putting in a quart every other week or so. There is a stain on the driveway to prove it. My dad has me take it in to the shop where they find nothing wrong. I tell them I know it's leaking. There is the stain and the fact I keep putting oil in. They check again and say there is no problem. A week later I'm about to leave my wife's (we were just dating) appartment at about 4am. I had to drive through some very shady areas to get home. I got a really bad feeling about it and stayed the night instead.
The next morning I drive home and at the most dangerous part of the freeway, in the most dangerous part of town, I throw a rod! Oil and engine parts are spewing out behind my Mazda 626! The idiot to my right stays even with my looking at the oil and smoke spewing from the hood of the car. I'm waving frantically for him to move so I can coast to the shoulder. Luckily I was close to an off ramp and a gas station. I used a pay phone to call my wife. She came and got me. I took what I wanted from the car, and never looked back.

[flatliner]

When I have 3 hours, I will spin the yarn of a 2006 HHR, and a man who was bent over the hood.

[Overheated]

wow.... this is a heluva topic there folks....

please keep in mind that i can name four individuals who have LONG careers at new/used car dealerships that are MOB and Reg members...

perhaps not such a "general" and "all encompassing" thread of car dealerships as a topic could be used as i am sure there are good ones out there. : \

signed:

Overheated - the service manager

[Capt. Andtennille]

Overheated is absolutely correct. Not all car dealers are bad. It's just that 90% of them give the other 10% a bad name.

My most recent story involves my local dealership. I used to own a GM product but was extremely unhappy with the service department at my dealer. They were never able to fix ANYTHING on the first attempt. So I got rid of that vehicle and got a different brand of truck from a different dealer, one who had a really good reputation for excellent service. They were infinitely better than the first dealer, but then out of the blue the first dealer bought the second dealership and I was back with the same bunch of yahoos I started with.

Earlier this spring I had my truck in for service and they did one of those "courtesy inspections" and told me that one of the bulbs that light up the license plate was out. I told them to go ahead and fix it, but they called me back and told me that they had to replace the whole assembly and it would be $50 to replace it. WTF? While I was glad they let me know, I though that $50 was a little steep so I declined, thinking I would just live without it (there are two anyway).

A couple of months later I was back at the same dealership for an oil change at thier lube shop and they again mentioned that the bulb was out. I told them that I was aware, but wasn't willing to spend $50 to get it replaced. They told me they didn't have to replace the assembly and the bulb could be done for $7. THIS WAS AT THE VERY SAME DEALERSHIP. While $7 is a lot of money for a small bulb like this I still find it hard to believe the service department thought they could get away with $50. I had them do the $7 repair and vowed to never take my truck back to that service department, although I still go to the lube shop.

I'm beginning to suspect that I didn't need the muffler belt and blinker fluid they sold me either... LOL

[Cpt. Snot Rocket]

Dealers are bad. Some 25 years ago i took my car in for some simple work. Replace the plugs and wires. The calls me at home and says $75. I say fine, go ahead.

I go in to pick it up, and the guy hands me a bill for $219. I said "you told me $75". The guy said said he screwed up it's really $219. The Dealership Owner (The guy with his name on the sign!) come over and says they screwed up but you have to pay the $219. I said no F'n way. I approved the work at $75. The Owner actually yelled at me saying "Fine, Have it your way" and stormed!!! LoL
What an idiot!

[Ouch]

I had the same thing happen to me at a dodge dealership. I really dont want to go into detail, But I have to say since that happened to me I will never buy dodge product again.

[Barkmann]

Sorry to hear that 6...do what i do...take the bus

[Crazy Canuck]

lmao! I have a feeling theres a few "ears burning" in the background. Just the other day i was at the store and they were selling home made pies. They were charging 12 bucks a pie. Can you believe it! I can get the apples, flour, and the sugar for one pie for about 3 bucks! These shady bakers are rediculous! You think thats bad...Before fishing last week i decided i better stop off at the bait store. 4 bucks for 12 worms! wtf! There worms for christ sake! Then i filled my car for $1.20 a litre/$4.54 a gal of gasoline which i could have got south of me for about $2.75 a gal...



We're getting ripped off on all ends people....

[T/A6Pak]

Don't worry Overheated, they called and appologized which I guess makes it a little better.

Bad to worse Corey, after dealing with all this crap... I get a call from a private garage that rebuilds old engins. I had my 340 6pak for my t/a rebuilt, they said it would cost $2,500.00 which I thought was decent. Well, got the call today that the engine is ready and it's going to cost $5000.00. I wonder where the money tree is growing?

Do we ever get a break?