Pretty Sure The Car Dealership Is Ripping Me Off...

kristenrice

NOT just an ambulance driver
Joined
Apr 25, 2006
DH and I have several professional mechanic friends, all of whom are employed by private companies (one is employed by the government) so we have a good idea what car repairs should cost. My husband's truck wouldn't start and, as we suspected, the ignition switch is bad. We had it towed to the dealership which is the only shop that would be able to fix it by tomorrow. The shifter cable is also broken and we were quoted a price of $658. Um, the parts are about $200 at most so I asked why so much for labor. DH says that they are charging us for 5 1/2 hours of labor:faint:. I immediately got on the phone with my BFF's DH (a full-time mechanic with the feds) and he tells me that's a 2 hour job at most. I reminded DH that we (him and I...2 idiots and a YouTube video:rotfl2:) replaced the ignition switch in my Suburban in less than an hour and we had no clue what we were doing. I know that the rate for labor is +/- $100/hr, there is no way that is a 5.5 hour job.

So what is the best way to handle this? The dealership has the car. It won't start so it's not like we can just go get it and drive it off to another shop. It would literally have to be towed out of the lot. Is there any way to negotiate with large dealership/service centers? Do they budge on their prices? This just seems like highway robbery. I've never been a fan of this particular place but they are the only place on our end of town that could get the service done within a day or two and we need both of our vehicles since we both work full time and the kids have no busing to/from school. I already plan on leaving a comment on their FB page. I want to give them a chance to make it right and see if they will knock something off, but if they refuse to budge, I am prepared to name names and let people know what to expect if they bring their vehicle there for a repair. I had an awful experience with them before which did not cost me anything financially so I did not complain publicly, but if this is not handled to my satisfaction, I may have to bring up the prior incident as well.
 
You're at their mercy and they know it. You can try and negotiate the price but it's not likely they will budge much.

The dealerships make their money in the service department. Car sales have a razor thin profit margin. I always get my car serviced at the dealer because they guarantee the work, they get it done quickly, they use OEM parts, and they have long hours, courtesy cars, and a few other perks. I know I'm getting hosed with the prices but the other benefits make up for it.

You can get the work done there and pay the premium or spend more time and money getting the car towed to another mechanic who may or may not beat that quote. Personally, I'd let the dealer do it and be done with it.
 
Yep. Dealerships charge an arm and a leg (and a spleen) for repairs. The only reason I have ever taken a car to a dealership is if it's still under warranty.

Don't bother threatening them with a bad review.
 


DH and I have several professional mechanic friends, all of whom are employed by private companies (one is employed by the government) so we have a good idea what car repairs should cost. My husband's truck wouldn't start and, as we suspected, the ignition switch is bad. We had it towed to the dealership which is the only shop that would be able to fix it by tomorrow. The shifter cable is also broken and we were quoted a price of $658. Um, the parts are about $200 at most so I asked why so much for labor. DH says that they are charging us for 5 1/2 hours of labor:faint:. I immediately got on the phone with my BFF's DH (a full-time mechanic with the feds) and he tells me that's a 2 hour job at most. I reminded DH that we (him and I...2 idiots and a YouTube video:rotfl2:) replaced the ignition switch in my Suburban in less than an hour and we had no clue what we were doing. I know that the rate for labor is +/- $100/hr, there is no way that is a 5.5 hour job.

So what is the best way to handle this? The dealership has the car. It won't start so it's not like we can just go get it and drive it off to another shop. It would literally have to be towed out of the lot. Is there any way to negotiate with large dealership/service centers? Do they budge on their prices? This just seems like highway robbery. I've never been a fan of this particular place but they are the only place on our end of town that could get the service done within a day or two and we need both of our vehicles since we both work full time and the kids have no busing to/from school. I already plan on leaving a comment on their FB page. I want to give them a chance to make it right and see if they will knock something off, but if they refuse to budge, I am prepared to name names and let people know what to expect if they bring their vehicle there for a repair. I had an awful experience with them before which did not cost me anything financially so I did not complain publicly, but if this is not handled to my satisfaction, I may have to bring up the prior incident as well.

If you aren't willing to tow it off, I'd just write this one off...if you want to negotiate, I'd do it with a carrot vs a stick...sometimes I've gotten a 10% discount added on from a coupon I find, or sometimes I'll get a free car wash or oil change...but I wouldn't expect that even at your sweetest negotiating that you'll get much more...

I have had luck saying thanks for the estimate, I'll probably have the work done elsewhere or at another time...but that's when the car was drivable, and yours isn't...
 
All shops have a book they use that says how long each job should take that is very inflated. Regardless of the actual short time it takes, they charge what the book says. My son is s mechanic in his own shop and this is the industry standard.
 
I get free maintenance at the dealer and I still won't have my car serviced there. They are slow, no loaners, no courtesy vehicle unless you are only going a couple of miles. And heaven forbid they find something that needs immediate repair, like a cabin air filter, I have to pay with my first born or get a lecture on not taking care of my car.

Buy your car there but never get it fixed there. Right now, you have no choice because it doesn't run.
 


I think (now that I've put it down in writing) that I'm just generally annoyed at the whole situation. We are relatively stuck with where we get the car fixed in an "emergency" (like when it won't start!) so it has to go to the dealer. I really hate taking it there due to my past experiences.

I brought my Suburban in for a "vibration" and they told me it was the wheel bearings on the RIGHT front. They (correctly) recommended that I get both left and right replaced at the same time because if the right was bad, the left would probably go bad soon too. Well, I knew that my friend would be able to repair it for 1/4 the cost so I told them to only fix the RIGHT side, which they did. Then I had my friend fix the left. About six months later, I brought it in for new brakes (never again!). The technician called me and said that while they were fixing my brakes, the noticed that my RIGHT front bearings were shot and really needed to be replaced now or the car wouldn't be safe to drive. I told him that they had just replaced the bearings and if there is something wrong with them, they can fix them under warranty. He said, "No, ma'am...we only replaced the LEFT bearings. The RIGHT ones are the ones that are bad". Uh....check again. I insisted that they had replaced the RIGHT ones and told him to check his records. When he came back on the line, he mumbled something and then said that he must have had the wrong form in front of him and my bearings were fine. Sure, right...he was trying to get me to authorize a repair over the phone that I did not even need! He tried to tell me that my car wouldn't be safe to drive without this $800 repair.

It got worse when I went to pick it up..."Ma'am, did you know that your tires are bad?" Yes, I knew I needed new tires. We had already ordered them from another store and we were getting them later that week. "Yes, but I'm not getting tires today. I just needed my brakes replaced so I am all set. Thank you, though." Then, it got ugly....
"Ma'am, let me explain...your tires are illegal" (Ok, now I am almost laughing inside to see where this is going to go.) "See, the tread depth is so poor that your tires could blow out and cause an accident. It would be unsafe for me to allow you to drive off of the lot on these tires." (So now he's threatening to hold my car hostage until I buy new tires?!) "If you were to leave with these tires, a police officer could pull you over and arrest you because they are illegal" At that point, I burst...I couldn't contain it any longer. I said, "Well, I will tell you, sir...My husband has been a police officer for over 25 years and I can guarantee you that he does not, and has never, carried a tire tread depth gauge on him while at work. He doesn't bother checking if Abe Lincoln's head sticks out of the tread either. In fact, there is no officer in this city that is going to arrest me for driving out of here, or even care about the tread depth on those tires." He didn't try to sell me any more tires. I got my receipt, paid my bill and left...with a very bitter taste in my mouth.

So basically, this experience today is just another one in a long line of self-inflicted beatings from this dealership. Like I said, if our car is driveable and we can make arrangements to be a 1-car family for a few days, my BFF's DH takes it to his shop and does all of the work on it for us. Unfortunately, his shop is 25 miles away (so the tow truck won't bring it there when the dealership is 4 miles away) and he is often away on national guard duty on weekends so finding the time for him to do the work can be a challenge.
 
My condolences on your car repair woes. I absolutely HATE when I have to take my car to the mechanic. Like going to the doctor - if you don't know anything about what might be wrong, they can (and will) charge you anything and everything.

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Yep. Had basic oil change maintenance done at the dealer until my van hit 100,000 miles. At that visit, they gave me a list of recommended maintenance issues that totaled a few thousand dollars. I immediately took the van to our trusted mechanic who checked the van out and recommended some maintenance needs for a total of about $600. None of it was urgent. I had some of it done and the van now has 148,000 miles on it. I've never been back to the dealer since.
 
I think (now that I've put it down in writing) that I'm just generally annoyed at the whole situation. We are relatively stuck with where we get the car fixed in an "emergency" (like when it won't start!) so it has to go to the dealer. I really hate taking it there due to my past experiences.

I brought my Suburban in for a "vibration" and they told me it was the wheel bearings on the RIGHT front. They (correctly) recommended that I get both left and right replaced at the same time because if the right was bad, the left would probably go bad soon too. Well, I knew that my friend would be able to repair it for 1/4 the cost so I told them to only fix the RIGHT side, which they did. Then I had my friend fix the left. About six months later, I brought it in for new brakes (never again!). The technician called me and said that while they were fixing my brakes, the noticed that my RIGHT front bearings were shot and really needed to be replaced now or the car wouldn't be safe to drive. I told him that they had just replaced the bearings and if there is something wrong with them, they can fix them under warranty. He said, "No, ma'am...we only replaced the LEFT bearings. The RIGHT ones are the ones that are bad". Uh....check again. I insisted that they had replaced the RIGHT ones and told him to check his records. When he came back on the line, he mumbled something and then said that he must have had the wrong form in front of him and my bearings were fine. Sure, right...he was trying to get me to authorize a repair over the phone that I did not even need! He tried to tell me that my car wouldn't be safe to drive without this $800 repair.

It got worse when I went to pick it up..."Ma'am, did you know that your tires are bad?" Yes, I knew I needed new tires. We had already ordered them from another store and we were getting them later that week. "Yes, but I'm not getting tires today. I just needed my brakes replaced so I am all set. Thank you, though." Then, it got ugly....
"Ma'am, let me explain...your tires are illegal" (Ok, now I am almost laughing inside to see where this is going to go.) "See, the tread depth is so poor that your tires could blow out and cause an accident. It would be unsafe for me to allow you to drive off of the lot on these tires." (So now he's threatening to hold my car hostage until I buy new tires?!) "If you were to leave with these tires, a police officer could pull you over and arrest you because they are illegal" At that point, I burst...I couldn't contain it any longer. I said, "Well, I will tell you, sir...My husband has been a police officer for over 25 years and I can guarantee you that he does not, and has never, carried a tire tread depth gauge on him while at work. He doesn't bother checking if Abe Lincoln's head sticks out of the tread either. In fact, there is no officer in this city that is going to arrest me for driving out of here, or even care about the tread depth on those tires." He didn't try to sell me any more tires. I got my receipt, paid my bill and left...with a very bitter taste in my mouth.

So basically, this experience today is just another one in a long line of self-inflicted beatings from this dealership. Like I said, if our car is driveable and we can make arrangements to be a 1-car family for a few days, my BFF's DH takes it to his shop and does all of the work on it for us. Unfortunately, his shop is 25 miles away (so the tow truck won't bring it there when the dealership is 4 miles away) and he is often away on national guard duty on weekends so finding the time for him to do the work can be a challenge.
I would rent a car before I would let these people have any more of my business. I have never in my life heard of such pressure tactics.
 
All shops have a book they use that says how long each job should take that is very inflated. Regardless of the actual short time it takes, they charge what the book says. My son is s mechanic in his own shop and this is the industry standard.
I would bet that if you ask your son what the labor time is to replace a shifter cable and an ignition switch in a 2007 Trailblazer, it's not 5.5 hours. If it is, please let me know, because honestly, I am genuinely curious. I trust my mechanic friends and they have all said that their "books" say 2-3 hours, not over 5, but if there are shops out there that are really in the 5 hour range, then I will feel a little less ripped off.

I thank you all for the thoughts and opinions. I know that there is nothing I can do at this point except vent a little. It's just one of those necessary evils...we have to have a car that runs and sometimes, you are at the mercy of those who will take advantage of you in your time of need. It sucks, but it is what it is...
 
I would rent a car before I would let these people have any more of my business. I have never in my life heard of such pressure tactics.
I will say that the "kid" that tried this stuff no longer works there:ssst:. He may have been a single bad apple, but still, it has tainted all of my experiences and left me very skeptical.
 
DH says that they are charging us for 5 1/2 hours of labor:faint:.
That's quite a bit longer for sure than your other mechanic friends have stated. I would have an issue with that.
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It won't start so it's not like we can just go get it and drive it off to another shop. It would literally have to be towed out of the lot.
Honestly, if you felt so bad about it tow it off the lot and find somewhere else that can do the work in a more reasonable amount. Like a PP mentioned I would rent a car for a few days---though you would want to consider that in the overall cost difference depending on how many days you need the rental car and how much the rate is.
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Is there any way to negotiate with large dealership/service centers? Do they budge on their prices?
I think that depends. Perhaps if you were a loyal customer who ultimately brought them jobs which equals $$ they may work with you more. I avoid dealerships because I know they tend to overcharge. I usually stick with mom and pop for the most part mechanic places because they seem to do work more honestly and understand my situation more. They also tend to have more specials going on or coupons available.
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I want to give them a chance to make it right and see if they will knock something off, but if they refuse to budge, I am prepared to name names and let people know what to expect if they bring their vehicle there for a repair.

I had an awful experience with them before which did not cost me anything financially so I did not complain publicly, but if this is not handled to my satisfaction, I may have to bring up the prior incident as well.

But the thing is, this issue for your OP isn't related to services they provided to you in the past. Sure that's affecting your opinion on them but right now the only issue you have is the price they want to charge you for work and it seems like it's mostly coming down to their labor fees and length of labor charges.

I wouldn't bring anything else to the table at this time. To me that's the negative part of social media. I wouldn't blacken their name or attempt to because you don't agree with their price they are charging you. Sure you could say you felt they were going to overcharge your mostly on the labor but not about other past incidents. At least that's my opinion.
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Ma'am, let me explain...your tires are illegal"
I'm sure most of that was probably because of your gender. I can't say for sure but I have been talked down to, bullied, etc because I walk in with just myself.

I once had a shop tell me I needed new brakes. I refused service on the brakes (I was just there for an oil change that was $14.99+tax) and took it to my normal mechanic. He laughed and said no way you're brakes are good. I drove for almost 2 years before my car actually needed brakes.

I also had another place where we called to ask if my car qualified for the discounted rate for new struts as I needed them. They said "yes we looked up and your car qualifies"..took the vehicle there and turns out nope my car does not. They wanted over $700 for 2 new struts alone and then plus labor. I took it to another place that I normally take it to (and hindsight should have just taken it to) and I was out only $600 for 2 new struts and labor included in that price.

I find it hard TBH to find good honest mechanics especially in regards to be being female. But I expect that going in. Obviously different areas will be different.

Now I don't know your state laws but it actually could be illegal for driving with tires under X amount of tread left. That can be dangerous. That rep may have been correct too in that a police officer could have pulled you over. In practice police officers in your area may not care at all nor carry devices to test tread wear but that doesn't mean it's not within their rights to do so (again I don't know your state/area laws just thinking from a different perspective).

Now I understand if the rep was visibly forceful with their 'advice' but as long as there is no law stating the car cannot be removed from the mechanic's/dealership's shop until new tires are on the vehicle then they were likely pushing for a hard sell. I wasn't there but it's also possible there was genuine concern too.

Either way I wouldn't chalk it up to that specific dealership in that exact manner. I would say that's more normal; annoying and frustrating for sure but more normal at least as far as your overall treatment/feelings towards the dealership. Finding good,honest, doesn't overcharge or take advantage, car repair places are harder to find than the opposite.
 
I'm stubborn enough that I would have it towed to your friend's shop, rent the cheapest wreck I could find for a few days, and never go to that dealership again. My DM is 66 and has spent DECADES letting dealerships rip her off despite my begging her to go to a local, reputable, independent shop.

Terri
 
1. Uber and/or ask friends and family and co-workers to help you get around. Don't panic and overpay the dealership just to get your car back quickly, you have options. Besides, they probably won't give your car back when promised anyway!
2. Google "Toyota mechanic Phoenix" but insert your make and city. Read Google reviews, not Yelp, and pick the one with the best reviews. Call them and tell them what the dealership is doing and ask for their ballpark price. Make sure to ask for available discounts and check their website for coupons.
3. Have your car towed there if you're comfortable with the new mechanic. If not, have your car towed back to your house and do more research.
We did this a couple weeks ago and it saved us over $2000 because the thing the dealer wanted to fix wasn't even what was wrong with the car! I didn't have a car for a week but it was worth it to not get hosed by the dealer.
 
My husband bought a used explorer from a dealer a couple years ago. Right away some part went bad and he called the local ford dealer for a price. They wanted over $700! He called our local independent guy and he fixed it for half that. This small business has always been honest with us. They are out there. Most recently my car started making a slight rattling sound. It has 107k miles on it and never a problem. I had the oil changed and asked them to see if they heard anything. When I picked the car up he told me they believe it is the clutch pulley which is part of the alternator. He said he doesn't think it needs to be done immediately because it's not a cheap repair. He could have easily told me to do it right away and I would have. I just feel very comfortable with these people. They have earned our trust.

With that said, we have always had an extra car until my son went off to school in August. When my dad was still living we could borrow his if we needed. Now we have to be creative. After Labor Day I drove my son back to school and kept his car here so we could have car maintenance done. In an emergency I have it worked out in my head where I can drive my husband to work at 4 am and his daughter can pick him up when he gets off. Car repairs are a pain but don't let yourself be a victim. You are giving this place business it doesn't deserve.
 
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Car dealer service departments are well known and documented to upsell, overcharge, or "go by the book". I deal with them all the time. The stuff I've seen Ford dealers do (don't EVER buy a Ford diesel unless you've got tons of money to burn) is mind blowing. In their defense to some degree, they sort of have to "go by the book" because of requirements from the manufacturer, but they take full and complete advantage of that.

As cars continue to get more complicated, this is going to be a bigger challenge. Your local friendly mom and pop mechanic may not have the skills or tools to deal with modern cars, leaving you with little choice except to go to a dealer, or a specialty shop which isn't much better.
 
I'd find a trusty local mechanic for your auto repair needs.

I was quoted over $1,300 for repair at our dealership, the cost was $700 at our independent shop.
For a repair on another vehicle, we were quoted nearly $700, the local shop did it for $138.
We currently have a big issue with the headlights on our Mazda. The dealership wants $1,900 to replace the housing, which will happen over my dead body. Unfortunately the local is quoting $1,500, $1100 is the part alone. We are driving it during daylight hours or with high beams only, that car will be traded in soon.
 

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