Local mechanic chain wanted $918...

[jinjuku]

To replace 2 CAM Sensors and 1 Crank sensor.

I picked up Delphi and Dorman sensors for $103 to my door and had it done in 80 minutes. Just amazing that I was quoted that. $169 per sensor so $510 in parts and $408 in labor?

I know they have overhead and the such and quote a flat labor rate. $272 an hour (adjusted) is just nutz.

 

[lovinthehd]

I've changed my own crank position sensor due to exorbitant pricing for both the part and labor by the dealer altho I don't remember the numbers when I did have them do the first time it happened way back (I've had essentially the same vehicle twice now since 1998)..kinda hard to reach on mine but I bought a spare just in case (the part on mine was less than $40 each).

 

[its phillip]

Ask how much an hvac company would charge you to replace a starting cap in your compressor. It'll probably be $200-300. It takes ~5 minutes and the part is ~$20.

 

[jinjuku]

Ask how much an hvac company would charge you to replace a starting cap in your compressor. It'll probably be $200-300. It takes ~5 minutes and the part is ~$20.

If I couldn't figure out the problem then so be it.

I told the repair shop what the symptoms were: intermittent hard crank, and shut down while driving and found the exact problem before they did.

It was a google search away.

I get the old adage of the part was $1.50 and knowing where to put it is $65.

This isn't that. I'm not walking into the shop and choosing their pricing for them. Sorry but $169 for a $37 sensor and 5 hours labor is just price gouging.

 

[slipperybidness]

If I couldn't figure out the problem then so be it.

I told the repair shop what the symptoms were: intermittent hard crank, and shut down while driving and found the exact problem before they did.

It was a google search away.

I get the old adage of the part was $1.50 and knowing where to put it is $65.

This isn't that. I'm not walking into the shop and choosing their pricing for them. Sorry but $169 for a $37 sensor and 5 hours labor is just price gouging.

But, surely they provide some added value by providing a warranty

Some of the best advice my dad ever told me: Never pay anyone to do work that you can do for yourself!

 

[MR.MAGOO]

somehow a few twigs and leaves got sucked into the blower of my car heater/air conditioning. Dealer said it would cost about $900 to fix! The service advisor even admitted he was amazed that Nissan designed the system that way, need to take apart entire dashboard to get at the blower. It still works, just sounds like crud bouncing around in there. Funny how things start falling apart as soon as the warranty expires.

 

[NINaudio]

I've ended up doing a lot of my own car maintenance for these exact reasons. It all started when my dealer wanted $380 to do just the front brakes on an old Accord. This was new pads/resurfacing rotors. I picked up new pads and rotors for all four corners for around $225 and had a friend show me how to do it myself.

A lot of cheap parts that should be easy for someone to replace are made difficult to access.

The light in my odometer went out, bulb price: $2.50. They wanted $60 to install it. Took me 15 minutes to disassemble the dash, put the bulb in and reassemble it all.

Most HVAC filters are also behind the dash, it's an under $20 part but they'll want $100+ to do it for you.

And headlight bulbs are sometimes quite difficult to get to with so much other crap in the way!

 

[jinjuku]

I've ended up doing a lot of my own car maintenance for these exact reasons. It all started when my dealer wanted $380 to do just the front brakes on an old Accord. This was new pads/resurfacing rotors. I picked up new pads and rotors for all four corners for around $225 and had a friend show me how to do it myself.

That I would pay someone to for that price of $380. It's a reasonable cost for me not to have to jack the car up, remove tires, remove rotors, resurface etc...

It's when the shop around the corner wants $700 that I have an issue.

They also quoted me when my starter went bad (also said my year old battery was toast):

$379 for starter, $120 for the battery. $250 in labor.

I picked up a starter from Amazon Auto for $98 delivered, it was 3 bolts and I was done in 20-30 minutes.

The battery? Still working two years later.

 

[slipperybidness]

That I would pay someone to for that price of $380. It's a reasonable cost for me not to have to jack the car up, remove tires, remove rotors, resurface etc...

It's when the shop around the corner wants $700 that I have an issue.

They also quoted me when my starter went bad (also said my year old battery was toast):

$379 for starter, $120 for the battery. $250 in labor.

I picked up a starter from Amazon Auto for $98 delivered, it was 3 bolts and I was done in 20-30 minutes.

The battery? Still working two years later.

You really need to build a relationship with local mechanics and shops. But, I agree, when they are out to rip you off......that is tough to do!

I'm very picky about who works on my car. I have a local shop that I trust now. If I don't do the work myself, then there is only 1 shop that I let touch it.

 

[NINaudio]

You really need to build a relationship with local mechanics and shops. But, I agree, when they are out to rip you off......that is tough to do!

I'm very picky about who works on my car. I have a local shop that I trust now. If I don't do the work myself, then there is only 1 shop that I let touch it.

I'm the same, if I can't do it myself I bring it to the same place I've been going to for 20+ years. I found this mechanic when I got my first car and knew almost nothing. The trans was slipping, I went to three shops and they all said the same thing: "you need a new transmission, $2000." I was 17 years old, I didn't have that kinda money laying around! My dad suggested I try this guy he had found a few blocks from us. I dropped it off there and he called me 20 minutes later: "You were a quart low on transmission fluid." He didn't even charge me for it. I've been going there ever since.

 

[lovinthehd]

That I would pay someone to for that price of $380. It's a reasonable cost for me not to have to jack the car up, remove tires, remove rotors, resurface etc...

It's when the shop around the corner wants $700 that I have an issue.

They also quoted me when my starter went bad (also said my year old battery was toast):

$379 for starter, $120 for the battery. $250 in labor.

I picked up a starter from Amazon Auto for $98 delivered, it was 3 bolts and I was done in 20-30 minutes.

The battery? Still working two years later.

Had the starter on my van go out and had to tow it into town to the dealer (local shop pretty much non-existent, particularly for anything electrical). Didn't know it was the starter, tho. Dealer charged a very high price for a rebuilt starter, and when I asked for the core was when they told me it was rebuilt, the service advisor didn't apparently know himself when advising me of the charges. After complaining they knocked a piddly amount off the part cost and then proudly told me I had a lifetime warranty on this starter....when I asked where the lifetime warranty was on the original equipment new starter they shrugged it off (the original only lasted 51k miles).

 

[Midwesthonky]

Unfortunately, I know the repair part pricing game as I set the repair parts price for a major appliance manufacturer. President would come to my boss and I and ask "Can you find an extra $300,000 this quarter?" My response: "Not a problem, sir." And I would. Minimum markup is usually 100%. Then the parts distributor marks it up, then the repair shop adds their % so you get the crazy pricing. Add in shop labor rate... I used to love the stainless steel appliance fad. My repair part cost for a stainless steel refrigerator door was about $5-$10 more for stainless than the painted ones. Yet I could sell it for at least $100 more because of it being stainless and people wouldn't even blink.

I do my own repairs whenever possible for my business. Replace a potentially bad pneumatic valve? $400 from the CNC manufacturer. $62 from the importer of the valve to the US. Fixed the overhead sander yesterday for $3 in parts from Ace hardware. Broke a fitting on my 20 year old edgebander. Manufacturer said they don't even make that part anymore. Scheitz! So I drew up the whole pneumatic manifold and went shopping at the Parker store. $140 in parts later and I'm up and running.

Find a good reputable shop and develop a relationship with them. They will give you a break when needed and watch your back. My business neighbor is a tire shop. He gets me tires at cost plus a small fee to cover his labor. In exchange, I let his guys park in my lot when the snow flies and people suddenly realize they need new tires.

 

[slipperybidness]

For anyone that is not familiar with http://www.rockauto.com/ I highly rec them for auto parts online!

I was never very happy with the brakes in my 2002 Mustang. I bought a full set (4 of each) of PowerStop performance rotors (drilled/slotted) and brake pads, and SS braided front brake lines, all delivered to my door for just a little over $300! This is just slightly more than I would have paid for bottom-barrel econo parts from O'reilly's. My Mustang now stops on a dime! Furthermore, I have gotten about 3-4x the life out of the performance parts as compared to the econo parts.

 

[Midwesthonky]

I'm the same, if I can't do it myself I bring it to the same place I've been going to for 20+ years. I found this mechanic when I got my first car and knew almost nothing. The trans was slipping, I went to three shops and they all said the same thing: "you need a new transmission, $2000." I was 17 years old, I didn't have that kinda money laying around! My dad suggested I try this guy he had found a few blocks from us. I dropped it off there and he called me 20 minutes later: "You were a quart low on transmission fluid." He didn't even charge me for it. I've been going there ever since.

That's how you get repeat business. Take care of people for the piddly stuff and they come back when it's big stuff. I haven't advertised my business for the last 2 years. I just did the same amount in sales in the first 8 months of this year as we did for all of last year. I work hard to take care of my customers. I have fired one this year because I can't keep pulling their butts out of the fire because their project managers are grossly incompetent. It jacks up my scheduling too much.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

If I couldn't figure out the problem then so be it.

I told the repair shop what the symptoms were: intermittent hard crank, and shut down while driving and found the exact problem before they did.

It was a google search away.

I get the old adage of the part was $1.50 and knowing where to put it is $65.

This isn't that. I'm not walking into the shop and choosing their pricing for them. Sorry but $169 for a $37 sensor and 5 hours labor is just price gouging.

100% agreed. I get that it takes overhead and mechanics needs to make money and I'm fine paying them up-to $90-100/hour in labor, but FFS don't in same time rip me off on car parts costs - at least do the old copper pipes routine
I mean - there are cheap "compatible parts" and there are good quality OEM parts.
If $100/hour labor is not enough, then what is the number sufficient to stay profitable ? I don't know, but it seems like most garages are in industrial areas anyhow, how much overhead they possibly have anyhow?

Similar deal I had with my sprinkler repair guy. After one time than he replaced few pop-up heads and valve - while charging me in both labor (not cheap) and 2-3x times on RETAIL prices on parts. It was last time I used his services.