Rant: $106 to change a Thermostat??!

[basspig]

My wife's been complaining about the lack of heat output from our 2006 Ford Explorer lately. Actually, we noticed it didn't provide as much heat as our 1998 Explorer last year, but winter was nearly over and it was a mild one so we moved on to other matters.

This winter has been colder than normal and the lack of heat really became an issue. Even after a 30-minute drive, the temp gauge was still just barely above cold.

When we bought the truck, we paid thousands extra for an extended warranty. And the last time we brought it in for service, it didn't cost a penny (one year ago).

So this morning, I bring it in to have the heat problem looked at. The inform me there is a $100 deductable on the extended coverage. I asked them why they didn't charge me a penny last time I had the truck in for service. They said it was because it was under the 'initial coverage' which ran out in April of this year. Okay, so I figure, how much can it cost to replace a thermostat? I had brought $40 with me, anticipating the slight possibility that it might not be covered under the warranty.

So they test it and find it IS the thermostat. They replace it and a gasket and top off the antifreeze. I get a bill for $106. I said "for what?" She said the parts were almost $50 and labor is $95/hr. Holy smokes! I could get a thermostat for $15 and a gasket for fifty cents! Only problem is it's 8°F outside and I don't have a garage to work in and my hands have frostbite from 35 years ago working on a radio tower in an ice storm and I lose the use of them below 50°F. The wife was complaining and we have a child in the household, so the truck heater has to work.

Well to conclude, I ended up having to put it on a credit card, as I didn't earn enough cash this month to pay for the repair with earnings. These extended warranties are a joke, when they price nickel and dime items at tens of dollars to make it cost you the full deductable plus sales tax.

My wife's going to be pissed, because she said to just turn around and come home if they are going to charge for the repair, since she paid a couple thousand extra for the extended warranty. I made a judgement call, considering sub-zero temps are coming in the next week, and decided to get it done anyway. But at what great cost!

Lesson learned: If something doesn't seem quite right when you buy a vehicle, get it checked out RIGHT AWAY before the initial warranty runs out. Extended warranties are a waste when it comes to small items.

 

[jamie2112]

If its not to late DIY it buddy
http://www.ford-forums.com/ford-explorer/10937-how-replace-thermostat-4-0l-ohv-v6.html

 

[basspig]

If its not to late DIY it buddy
http://www.ford-forums.com/ford-explorer/10937-how-replace-thermostat-4-0l-ohv-v6.html

If it were summer, I would have done the replacement myself. I'm no stranger to doing my own auto repairs. But it's 8°F outside and I have no garage space to work in and a set of hands that are frostbite damaged so I couldn't change it to save my life in this weather--my hands have no feeling in them.

Well, my wife found out about the charge and went ballistic. You know, I'm damned if I do, damned if I don't. If I didn't get the heat working, she'd ***** at me. So I paid it and did get it working, but she just *****ed at me for spending money on a credit card that we don't have. I can't win!

 

[jamie2112]

Sucks man,sorry bout the 8* temps,you can't win ,I know the game well...

 

[T2T]

I feel for you. Although, $106 doesn't seem too bad when compared to my last service that I had done a few weeks back on my Taurus. I needed a few vacuum lines to be replaced (with a little troubleshooting), plugs and wires replaced, air filter replaced and the oil / filter changed. That bill ran me $719. The labor rate for the shop was $112 per hour. I'm pretty sure that's even a few bucks higher than the local Ford stealership charges. Though I needed my car repaired, this place was still open at 8:00 p.m. when I dropped it off and they fixed it the next day.

I just need to get off my lazy arse next time and perform these maintenance items myself before they become too big of a deal. I have the tools and the capability to do it.

Needless to say, my wife wasn't too happy as it kind of put a bit of squeeze on our Christmas spending this year.

 

[Adam]

Sorry that it cost more than you had expected. That's always an aggravation.

Most days, $106 doesn't even get me in the door at my Honda dealer, though.

By all means, don't let this ruin the holidays for ya. The money's spent, the truck works...let the good times roll again!

 

[CaliHwyPatrol]

My old TBird loved to eat up thermostats (I'm thinking more because the tstats were cheap crap). I got to the point where I could change them in about 10 minutes, which included getting tools out and cleaning up. I sure as hell wouldn't be paying 100 bucks for it.

 

[basspig]

So you don't think that charging $50 for a $9 thermostat is out of line, nor $95/hr for service? The service rep also informed me they charged $18/gallon for replacement antifreeze. I was in Wal-Mart last week and the most expensive antifreeze that was full-strength was $9/gallon.

I still think $106 (probably more, but that's what it came to with the warranty less deductable) is outragious for a thermostat replacement. A 5X markup on parts is just unreasonable. I can see a 20% markup, but not a 500% markup. That's just pure greed.

My wife is really pissed off. I had to leave the room because every time I come in the livingroom she starts up on a rant about how I should have turned around and left the dealership and not had the work done. And I retort with "but Honey, if I didn't get it fixed, you'd ***** at me again that it's cold in the truck like you've been doing for the past 2 weeks!" and she'd start yelling at me, and both of us would be talking at once and no one getting heard. ARRRRGGHHH!!! Money problems make small issues like this turn into marriage-endangering events.

For the record, $106 is a LOT of money to me, especially when my gross receipts from my video production business barely reached $4,000 in 2009. Nearly all of the expense burden is on my wife, who earns barely above minimum wage in manufacturing. She is REALLY angry that I put this repair on the Amex card as we owe $700 already. I had to forego buying heating oil this winter and lower the thermostat to 55°F, as it was a choice between that or shorting the second installment on our property taxes by $1500. It's been a terrible year!

 

[T2T]

So you don't think that charging $50 for a $9 thermostat is out of line, nor $95/hr for service? The service rep also informed me they charged $18/gallon for replacement antifreeze. I was in Wal-Mart last week and the most expensive antifreeze that was full-strength was $9/gallon.

I'm not implying that $106 for such a job isn't a bit ridiculous, because it is. However, running a business isn't cheap. Benefits can bankrupt a company because of their cost. I do realize it has put you in a very horrible position.

 

[Davemcc]

My wife is really pissed off. I had to leave the room because every time I come in the livingroom she starts up on a rant about how I should have turned around and left the dealership and not had the work done. And I retort with "but Honey, if I didn't get it fixed, you'd ***** at me again that it's cold in the truck like you've been doing for the past 2 weeks!"

It's been a terrible year!

The solution to the first issue is to tell her that you know how to fix the problem but your hands don't work. Then take her outside and tell her that you will guide her while she does the repair. Five minutes of that and she'll be glad to pay for the repair.

Sorry to hear it's been such a bad year. I can relate. My year started off with a layoff notice and most of the year just sucked. The last few months have gotten better. I hope the new year sees more favorable events for you.

 

[Matt34]

The solution to the first issue is to tell her that you know how to fix the problem but your hands don't work. Then take her outside and tell her that you will guide her while she does the repair. Five minutes of that and she'll be glad to pay for the repair.

Sorry to hear it's been such a bad year. I can relate. My year started off with a layoff notice and most of the year just sucked. The last few months have gotten better. I hope the new year sees more favorable events for you.

Sorry to hear that Dave. I have been worried this economy would catch up with you and your wife eventually.

 

[Adam]

I hope that I didn't come across as trivializing the amount. That was not my intention. Rather, I was trying to say that you've already spent the money, you got the truck fixed (which was your goal), and you can't get the money back. You might as well learn what you can from this, move on, and enjoy the holidays.

Given what you know, would you have done it again? If not, how would you have fixed the truck?

Another lesson learned, IMO, is to get an estimate up front. They should have told you how much it would cost to diagnose the problem, and then told you how much more it would cost to fix it after the diagnoses. If they didn't, you should have asked.

 

[basspig]

Dave,

Sorry to hear about your situation. I can relate. I haven't had any paid video production work since August. The rest of my time was spent marketing. Mary Ann's employer announced that as of Jan 2010, her Major Medical will be replaced with "wellness care" insurance. That means if I go into the hospital for a triple bypass, the cost falls 100% on us--insurance won't cover it. On top of that, her company cut wages 10% across the board. Heck, they even cut the free turkey coupon at Thanksgiving. No company holiday parties either, but they cut that 2 years ago. It's bare bones. She gets to slave for 12 hours a day on the night shift for them. And there's no one else hiring, as she's been looking for a better wage for the past four years now.

You have been thinking like me.. I told her, out of frustration, 'next time, YOU fix the truck then!'. I can't even get her to come outside. She's from the Philippines and hates the cold. It's bad enough when it's 30°, but when it's in the single digits, that's impossible--for both of us.


Adam,

I asked them what this is going to cost, and they could only tell me that it would be limited to the $100 deductable on the warranty plus sales tax and that they won't know until they diagnose it. I was certain it was the thermostat, due to the symptoms, so I figured what could it be, maybe $40 total--I mean it takes 10 minutes to change a thermostat that costs $9 at an auto parts store. I was totally blindsided when she said it came to $106. My first thought was it needed a new heater core or something major. Nope.. it was just a thermostat change and nothing more.

Knowing what I know now, I would have waited til spring. My wife would ***** up a storm all winter (and we seem to be having one of the colder ones in the recent 40 year period) about how she's getting no heat in the truck and that our little girl is getting sick all the time riding around in that cold truck, but knowing how angry she got this morning over my spending money we can't afford, I would have said 'okay, then bear the cold until I can fix it in warmer weather'. I can't win, either way.

 

[Davemcc]

Sorry to hear that Dave. I have been worried this economy would catch up with you and your wife eventually.

No, it's all good Matt. It's curious timing. It was exactly one year ago today that I got the layoff notice. Two days before Christmas...that was real nice. It wasn't looking very good for a while but I never did get laid off, just the notice. I had to change plants for a while into a real crappy job but I'm back on my original job now. The worst is over now until the fourth quarter of '10 when our big plant goes to one shift.

My wife's company was scheduled to close and that too weighed on us most of the year but it's still open and she's still working. Having these threats over our heads all year was stressful but worked out okay so far. I still don't like hearing that other people are suffering through these times. It does put a lot of stress on relationships, as BassPig noted.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

For whatever reason I always wanted to learn to fix myself two thing: Computers and Cars
I know prior pretty well, but later is mostly a mystery for me...

 

[basspig]

Yeah, these newfangled autos are Big Brother on Wheels. Computer chips that control everything... no access to tuning anything. My 1968 Caddy was easy to maintain and tune up. Everything had lots of space around it so it didn't require a contortionist to do the maintenance.

That said, the Explorer is easy to do an oil change, as I don't have to drive it up on ramps because it has enough ground clearance if I drive it onto some 2x12s laid flat on the driveway to give a couple extra inches of lift so I can squeeze myself under the vehicle and access the filter and oil pan plug.

I do miss the old cars though..

 

[Adam]

Has the brunt of the storm passed, yet? And, yeah, I'm talking about your wife being mad at you.

 

[basspig]

Well, she's busy on her computer now. When I brought my daughter upstairs, she didn't say anything to me. Generally, she likes to bring this sort of item up again and again, sort of like a cow regurgitating so it can chew the cud a little longer.. Sometimes it takes a few days, and me doing something nice for her, in order for her to put it behind her and move on.

 

[droht]

Not to be a jerk about this basspig, but do you still have your HT and associated gear? If $106 to fix the heater in the truck that my wife and child drive around in was going to set my family on tilt I'd be watching basic cable on a very basic TV and listening to the built in speakers.

Maybe I'm missing something here though?

 

[basspig]

Yes, you are missing a lot, in fact. At the very least is practicality. Even if I could quickly liquidate my assets, it would only pay about two months' worth of property taxes, and then I'd be back to square one, scraping to come up with bill money again AND a big part of my reason for staying alive would be gone. And I don't have another 39 years left to start over.
Fact two: It took me 39 years to accumulate the gear that I have. I sold a lot of vintage gear and reinvested the money in more modern gear that costs less. I actually came out with a net gain in terms of cash. But business losses were far more than the small gain I got out of converting older gear into cash.
Fact three: I once had a promising multimedia business running, until everything--I mean everything.. ground to a halt this year. Clients just stopped calling, bookings dropped to zero.
Fact four: property taxes increased dramatically and we hadn't budgeted for that kind of increase.
Fact five: energy costs increased 40% over the year prior.
We've spent $5,200 on electricity so far this year. That's more than in any year prior. We used 6kw avg per day LESS than this time last year, but the delivery cost and taxes are higher than last year.

In short, this has been a crazy year, but I'm not going to go backwards to the way I was living 50 years ago, hopping from apartment to apartment, didn't even have a working TV back then. I worked and slaved 7 days a week for several decades, working overtime, sometimes two jobs, so I could save enough to buy gear that I wanted before I retired. The wife and kid are important, but A/V is the core of my existence.

Oh, and no we don't have cable. We don't have regular cell service. I have a prepaid cell that I put in $10 every 3 months to keep it active. I don't have a mortgage to pay. Just the taxes, which make the mortgage on my first house look like lunch money. If I wasn't so tied to the equipment, I'd be 'free' to move anywhere in the country, or leave the country. But it would destroy my identity as a human being to give it all up.