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!!!

[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