car dealership rant

A

animal-inside

Well-known member
Trusted Member
I do nearly all my own vehicle repairs and maintence for the most part.

Wife has a 2015 Honda Pilot.

I have done everything up to this point. All the fluids needed to be done this summer, so I did them all.. But wow the ONLY fluid for the rear differential is Honda fluid. No place could cross reference another fluid for it. Bummer.. I tried to order the honda fluid off amazon and it was like 200$, but at the dealership it was much less.

The car has an airbag sensor recall as well and its getting time to get the timming belt done. I don't want to touch the timing belt for a few reasons, the main one being I don't have time right now.

So I figured take it into the dealership to have the recall done, the rear diff fluid and the timing belt.

Wife called and booked the appointment which is 5 hours round trip away. I told her to tell them "only the recall, rear diff fluid and timing belt". They agreed.. They said they replace timing belts on wednedday in sept for a special and we'd save 400$. So wife agreed and took today off work.

Wife took the vehicle in today and dropped it off. She got a cab and did some errands.

The dealership called her back and tried to coninvce her she needed more fluids changed due to km's. Wife told them, no just the rear diff fluid the rest had been done.

Then they called her back and said "your water pump is leaking and needs replacing.. ".. They quoted her like 600$ for this.. Then in the same phone call they told her she should get a full tune up which would be another 400-600$..

WIfe called me and asked me if we should get that work done.. I asked the wife "did they actually say the water pump itself was leaking or just the seal/gasket".. She said "they just told me the water pump is leaking and needs replacing".. I told her to call them back and tell them again just the recall, timing belt and sensor.

She said they really tried to convince her to do all the fluids, full tune up and a new water pump..

1) I watch my vehciles like a hawk.. I do not think that water pump is leaking and the level in the resvoir has never dropped in the 3 years we've owned it. I just checked it 2 weeks ago for oil, coolant levels. I have my doubts.. if it is slightly leaking, it doesn't mean it needs a pump, could be a seal..

2) A full tune up costing 400-600$? what a joke.. spark plugs, air filter, fluid top up?? What else would be included? Nothing else on that car needs replacing.. no belts, hoses etc..

3) IT pisses me off they try to up sell.. I get if they want to inform us they see other issues and ask if we'd like them fixed, but they really tried to push her on the phone thorugh several phone calls.
 
I remember one time my mom took her Jeep in and they told her she needed all new vac hoses and brakes done, brake system flushed and refilled.
She left because they were pressuring her.
Asked me to look at it. It needed none of that. Brakes were fine, who flushes the oil with 60,000 km, and the hoses were fine.
All she wanted was an oil change.

I havnt done my own fluid changes in years, did the oil on the Gladiator this past weekend. So stupidly easy, especially with the oil filter on the top of the motor.
Cost me $45 and I used synthetic. Mobil one was on sale 1/2 off at Canadian tire, filter was a big $10. They wanted $120 for synthetic at the dealer.
I do need a door adjusted it rattles and my tires rotated so I’ll need to take it in eventually.
 
well the story gets better.

Wife just walked in and we talked about the car and I was like "600$ for a tune up is ridiculous.. It's just spark plugs, air filter and check things.. That's not 600$".. Wife said "umm no, not 600$.. they said it would a 1000$ for the tune up"... I was like "are you kidding me??? Did they say what the tune up included??".. Wife said "they lady on the phone told me that the full tune up is check everything on the car"
 
As a former Honda technician, they should always sell the timing belt job with the water pump. The water pump runs off the timing belt, you do them as a pair. And the V6 has a hydraulic tensioner that seeps around the seal
So we always replaced them.
And tune up on top of the timing belt job is nothing. All coils right there and easy to swap spark plugs. Already in there doing the belt. There is no fuel filter. Tune up is plugs. Maybe an air filter.
 
every time my mom went to the dealership there would be like 5 extra things wrong with the car even though it was a toyota, maybe if it was a ford it would be believable
 
superbeast said:
As a former Honda technician, they should always sell the timing belt job with the water pump. The water pump runs off the timing belt, you do them as a pair. And the V6 has a hydraulic tensioner that seeps around the seal
So we always replaced them.
And tune up on top of the timing belt job is nothing. All coils right there and easy to swap spark plugs. Already in there doing the belt. There is no fuel filter. Tune up is plugs. Maybe an air filter.
Click to expand...

From what you said, they really should have told my wife "Since the tech is in the area of the timming belt, it might be a good time to do the coils, spark plugs and air filter. And the timming belt runs the water pump which has a small leak. So it would be easy and cheaper to swap the water pump out while its already a part". This may have swung me to have it done.

The air filter and spark plugs were recently done, so I would have delined those. Coils are not difficult, so I would have passed on those as well. But no friggin way would I even consider their "tune up" for 1000$.
Water pump? I might have went for it.
 
animal-inside said:
From what you said, they really should have told my wife "Since the tech is in the area of the timming belt, it might be a good time to do the coils, spark plugs and air filter. And the timming belt runs the water pump which has a small leak. So it would be easy and cheaper to swap the water pump out while its already a part". This may have swung me to have it done.

The air filter and spark plugs were recently done, so I would have delined those. Coils are not difficult, so I would have passed on those as well. But no friggin way would I even consider their "tune up" for 1000$.
Water pump? I might have went for it.
Click to expand...
Yeah, you dont change those coils unless one fails. I never even seen the boots go bad cause they sealed up good, unlike a POS Ford or something where you constantly changing leaking boots.
So I dont know what their tune up consists of for a grand, but there really is nothing else. LOL
 
I think a "tune up" or recommended inspection for my tacoma was like $200. They just went over the whole truck and topped up any low fluids which was none because only jackasses drive around all the time with low fluids, same kind of people who get sold on blinker fluid top ups


Moral of the story fuck that dealership and next time your wife should give them your number.
 
Reminds me of the time my wife took her car in to get a turbo and service, by the time she got it back she had a a $13,000 bill to pay. And I had a lengthy discussion with the owner.
They seen her coming! That was the first and last time we went there, and also the first time I’ve ever heard my wife cry telling me about the money she spent.
It’s tough to find honest and ethical services, when you do make sure you reward them and show appreciation!
 
RigPig said:
Reminds me of the time my wife took her car in to get a turbo and service, by the time she got it back she had a a $13,000 bill to pay. And I had a lengthy discussion with the owner.
They seen her coming! That was the first and last time we went there, and also the first time I’ve ever heard my wife cry telling me about the money she spent.
It’s tough to find honest and ethical services, when you do make sure you reward them and show appreciation!
Click to expand...
A turbo?
On what?
 
The biggest issue i see these days is poor service advisors.
They do not collect enough information when opening a repair order, and do not relay the correct information when passing technician notes to the customer.
The technician does what is written on the repair order and that is it.
So when you are going in for any type of service, diag or repair, it is always good to give as much detail as possible, and read the repair order before signing off on the work and verify the case lines are as you described them.
 
And never authorize a repair unless you have an estimate provided with details on why the work is required/recommended.
 
superbeast said:
A turbo?
On what?
Click to expand...
On her Range Rover. We had a quote for that, agreed to it and a service. Then they started calling her recommending breaks, rotors and some other shit. The turbo quote was on par with everything I had researched, but by the time they finished with their “recommendations” to my wife they ran the bill way up.
I didn’t have a leg to stand on because they got all verbal confirmations from my wife and she didn’t ask for any further prices.
Live and learn.
The worst part is some of the work they did was recalls that Range Rover would have done for free.
 
I got an oil change once, paid $140 on my grand Cherokee, then 2 months later had to get a motor replaced in the heating system that adjusted the vents, the tech saId, your oil is really dark, I could smell it, you should change the oil.
I explained that it was done 1500 km ago by you guys, and i explained how I had to reset the oil light, and that was likely why.

‘Last time I went there, unless it’s warranty and only because they are close.
 
RigPig said:
Reminds me of the time my wife took her car in to get a turbo and service, by the time she got it back she had a a $13,000 bill to pay. And I had a lengthy discussion with the owner.
They seen her coming! That was the first and last time we went there, and also the first time I’ve ever heard my wife cry telling me about the money she spent.
It’s tough to find honest and ethical services, when you do make sure you reward them and show appreciation!
Click to expand...

To be honest, I've found the best thing to do is find a tech/mechanic who does work for cash after hours. Someone who you know, will shake your hand, give you their address to drop the car off at their house etc.
 
superbeast said:
The biggest issue i see these days is poor service advisors.
They do not collect enough information when opening a repair order, and do not relay the correct information when passing technician notes to the customer.
The technician does what is written on the repair order and that is it.
So when you are going in for any type of service, diag or repair, it is always good to give as much detail as possible, and read the repair order before signing off on the work and verify the case lines are as you described them.
Click to expand...

You got that bang on!!!!

I rememeber when the mechanic with the dirty hands would be the one to call you to explain things or get the go a head.

I'd rather talk to the guy with his hands in the car over the person behind the desk any daqy
 
animal-inside said:
well the story gets better.

Wife just walked in and we talked about the car and I was like "600$ for a tune up is ridiculous.. It's just spark plugs, air filter and check things.. That's not 600$".. Wife said "umm no, not 600$.. they said it would a 1000$ for the tune up"... I was like "are you kidding me??? Did they say what the tune up included??".. Wife said "they lady on the phone told me that the full tune up is check everything on the car"
Click to expand...
I'm like you and do most of my own work on vehicles. But I can see costs getting up there quickly at a dealership. Keep in mind they only use OEM parts that are usually 3-4x the price of aftermarket equivalents. And then the rediculous labour rates that are up around $150/hr now. Dealerships get my vehicles for warranty work and recalls. That's it, that's all. Anything else that needs to be done, if it's something I don't have time to tackle myself, I take it to a really good indy shop that charges me $40/hr cash and let's me bring my own parts.
 
IronRobi said:
I'm like you and do most of my own work on vehicles. But I can see costs getting up there quickly at a dealership. Keep in mind they only use OEM parts that are usually 3-4x the price of aftermarket equivalents. And then the rediculous labour rates that are up around $150/hr now. Dealerships get my vehicles for warranty work and recalls. That's it, that's all. Anything else that needs to be done, if it's something I don't have time to tackle myself, I take it to a really good indy shop that charges me $40/hr cash and let's me bring my own parts.
Click to expand...
We had to take it to the dealership for the recall and for the rear diff fluid. So I figured timming belt too to save another trip to a different mechanic.

I agree though, dealerships aren't the best value to get work done.

I only use Honda parts though. Whats the point of owning a honda and using the sub par after market parts? For the most part, Honda makes superior quality parts. I did use after market brake calipers though.. I read the honda ones were junk.
 
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