Calgary Jeep Association

General Forums => Chit-Chat => Topic started by: bae146 on August 04, 2009, 07:50:08 PM

Title: Stealerships
Post by: bae146 on August 04, 2009, 07:50:08 PM
Normally  I dont take any of my vehicles in to a dealer for any maintenance, but I had some warrenty issues that needeed to be delt with as my vehicle warrenty was about to expire, so off to a jeep dealership I go.  I asked them to do a 50 point inspection which I was happy to pay them for as I wanted them to look the vehicle over, as the warrenty was about to expire.  The only thing they found was the rear brake pads needed replacement.  So I ask the question "how much"?  Well you see Doug that will be 500.00 to do the rear brakes.  I just about fainted, they had my rear wheels off, to swap out the pads they needed to do was, undo one bolt per side.  How do they sleep at night?  Needless to say I declined to have the work done.  Did it myself in my garage for 67.00, and 1/2 hour of my time.  Now I remember why my vehicles will rarely grace the doors of a stealership.  If there is a job I don't/ cant do I will take it to an independant shop and have it done there.
Title: Re: Stealerships
Post by: Vinman on August 04, 2009, 08:48:21 PM
Normally  I dont take any of my vehicles in to a dealer for any maintenance, but I had some warrenty issues that needeed to be delt with as my vehicle warrenty was about to expire, so off to a jeep dealership I go.  I asked them to do a 50 point inspection which I was happy to pay them for as I wanted them to look the vehicle over, as the warrenty was about to expire.  The only thing they found was the rear brake pads needed replacement.  So I ask the question "how much"?  Well you see Doug that will be 500.00 to do the rear brakes.  I just about fainted, they had my rear wheels off, to swap out the pads they needed to do was, undo one bolt per side.  How do they sleep at night?  Needless to say I declined to have the work done.  Did it myself in my garage for 67.00, and 1/2 hour of my time.  Now I remember why my vehicles will rarely grace the doors of a stealership.  If there is a job I don't/ cant do I will take it to an independant shop and have it done there.

I kind of chuckle every time I hear about someone taking their vehicle into a dealership for these warranty-about-to-expire inspections.
Of course the dealer with find next to nothing wrong with it, why should they? If they do, it's a warranty repair and if they don't "find" anything wrong and YOUR warranty coverage expires, guess who has to pay for the repairs? in sure ain't the manufacturer.

IMHO, have the same inspection done at a reputable, non-manfacturer affiliated repair shop and they will gladly tell you what needs repairing and then take it back to the dealer for the repairs under warranty.

Vince
Title: Re: Stealerships
Post by: bae146 on August 04, 2009, 10:16:41 PM
I kind of chuckle every time I hear about someone taking their vehicle into a dealership for these warranty-about-to-expire inspections.
Of course the dealer with find next to nothing wrong with it, why should they? If they do, it's a warranty repair and if they don't "find" anything wrong and YOUR warranty coverage expires, guess who has to pay for the repairs? in sure ain't the manufacturer.

IMHO, have the same inspection done at a reputable, non-manfacturer affiliated repair shop and they will gladly tell you what needs repairing and then take it back to the dealer for the repairs under warranty.

Vince


I kind of figured that, but because they were doing some warrenty stuff that was pusing the envelope I wanted to throw them some cash.....  but I also know know that this is not a dealership that is customer oriented.  They are only in it for a quick buck, not a long term relationship, where they will have a happy customer.
Title: Re: Stealerships
Post by: JackstandJohnny on August 04, 2009, 10:54:57 PM
someetimes i wonder why people don't just goto modern or national...... at least they knwo jeeps, and they know this is a tight knit community, and if they do a number on your vehicle it WILL be brought up in the cirlces that fuel their businesses................ if you are set on paying and want 'honest quality workmanship' goto reputable offroad shop........ or Eric at Big 4 motors ;)
or Jay at Chanda.


 hoestly, most of this stuff you should be learning to fix on your own if you plan on wheeling anyways.......
Title: Re: Stealerships
Post by: bae146 on August 05, 2009, 01:09:11 AM
someetimes i wonder why people don't just goto modern or national...... at least they knwo jeeps, and they know this is a tight knit community, and if they do a number on your vehicle it WILL be brought up in the cirlces that fuel their businesses................ if you are set on paying and want 'honest quality workmanship' goto reputable offroad shop........ or Eric at Big 4 motors ;)
or Jay at Chanda.


 hoestly, most of this stuff you should be learning to fix on your own if you plan on wheeling anyways.......

Guys I do fix everything on my jeep now as I am fairly mecahnicly inclined.  Somedays though I am not interested in fixing my jeep and would rather let someone else do it.  The only reason it went in as there was warrenty work to be done and this was a test of that dealership to see what they were all about.  I just was astonished at how bad they were willing to rip me off for a simple change of brake pads....  That is all.  The guys on this board that know me know I am more than capable of doing anything short of  a transmission rebuild....    Nope it was not courtesy or big four, it was another dealer in the south as the previous owner had the jeep serviced there and all its service hstory was at that dealership. 
Title: Re: Stealerships
Post by: BlackYJ on August 05, 2009, 07:23:13 AM
Remember, these are the outfits that charge $400.00 plus tax for a hub/unit bearing that you can get for somewhere from $70 to $225 depending on where you shop and what you think the quality is.


I have a better one Pat.  I called about a stock passenger side D30 axle shaft, they want $850 for the shaft, u-joint and stub shaft (comes complete).  You can get a complete set of chromo axles for cheaper than that
Title: Re: Stealerships
Post by: RACKMAN on August 05, 2009, 09:48:00 AM
Normally  I dont take any of my vehicles in to a dealer for any maintenance, but I had some warrenty issues that needeed to be delt with as my vehicle warrenty was about to expire, so off to a jeep dealership I go.  I asked them to do a 50 point inspection which I was happy to pay them for as I wanted them to look the vehicle over, as the warrenty was about to expire.  The only thing they found was the rear brake pads needed replacement.  So I ask the question "how much"?  Well you see Doug that will be 500.00 to do the rear brakes.  I just about fainted, they had my rear wheels off, to swap out the pads they needed to do was, undo one bolt per side.  How do they sleep at night?  Needless to say I declined to have the work done.  Did it myself in my garage for 67.00, and 1/2 hour of my time.  Now I remember why my vehicles will rarely grace the doors of a stealership.  If there is a job I don't/ cant do I will take it to an independant shop and have it done there.
Why didn't you demand a breakdown of the costs for them doing the rear brakes....It would be interesting to see this on paper....$500.00 for rear brake job.....I can't imagine how this could possibly be explained in any logical way.

RACKMAN
Title: Re: Stealerships
Post by: JackstandJohnny on August 05, 2009, 10:05:51 AM
Why didn't you demand a breakdown of the costs for them doing the rear brakes....It would be interesting to see this on paper....$500.00 for rear brake job.....I can't imagine how this could possibly be explained in any logical way.

RACKMAN

rear brake job

pads 60$
labour 150$
magical pixie dust to ensure brake pad longetivity and superior stopping power 200$
shop supplies 50$ (cause brake quiet has gone up in price)
old brake pad disposal fee 10$
tax 50$

totalling 500$ 

but  hey your rear brakes will be the BEST on the road.  those pixies possess kickass powers
Title: Re: Stealerships
Post by: BlackYJ on August 05, 2009, 10:51:31 AM
Why didn't you demand a breakdown of the costs for them doing the rear brakes....It would be interesting to see this on paper....$500.00 for rear brake job.....I can't imagine how this could possibly be explained in any logical way.

RACKMAN

I was quoted $550 to replace the drum brakes on my 1500 Sierra

rear brake job

pads 60$
labour 150$
magical pixie dust to ensure brake pad longetivity and superior stopping power 200$
shop supplies 50$ (cause brake quiet has gone up in price)
old brake pad disposal fee 10$
tax 50$

totalling 500$ 

but  hey your rear brakes will be the BEST on the road.  those pixies possess kickass powers

Don't forget about machining rotors or drums
Title: Re: Stealerships
Post by: bae146 on August 05, 2009, 04:50:20 PM
I love the reply about the pixie dust!!!!!!    ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: Stealerships
Post by: hps4evr on August 05, 2009, 07:24:08 PM
thanks johnny for the kind words. i try my best ya know. from my point of view, i dont always know what the warranty situation is on the vehicles i work on. and i could care less. work is work to me. yes warranty work pays less, but for some dumb reason i actually care about the proper condition of the vehicles i work on. i enjoy seeing a vehicle in horrible condition, diagnosing and repairing the problem, and seeing it go in complete perfection. downside is i dont make the most hours in my shop.
rear brake job is only 1.3hours labor
plus rear drums, shoes, spring kit, and possibly wheel cylinders. some techs like to do everything.
im kinda curious of the parts break down as well.
Title: Re: Stealerships
Post by: BlackYJ on August 06, 2009, 07:28:29 AM
if you are set on paying and want 'honest quality workmanship' goto reputable ........ or Eric at Big 4 motors ;)

I don't know about that one.  Everytime I had Eric work on my Jeep is just stood there for about 4 hours looking over my Jeep at all my different upgrades and then planned them for his Jeep   ;D ;D
Title: Re: Stealerships
Post by: Aspirated on August 06, 2009, 08:18:38 AM
There is no reason for a technician not recommend the required repairs to a vehicle covered under warranty. if a vehicle needs a warrantiable repair its paid for by the manufacturer. if you bring your JEEP to a chrysler dealership that see's 1-2% of there shop work on JEEP's then yeah.. they wont know what to look for, if you go to a dealership that see's a lot of JEEPS then you'll have better luck. if you got quoted 500 bux for rear brakes i suspect there was more to it then a shoe slam. Your drums were probrably below minimum spec or you had leaking cylinders. Remember, any dealership has to warranty the work on your vehicle, they cant do what you would do in your garage.... The prices at dealerships are extremely expensive. 100-150% markup on parts and door rates creeping up to 130/Hr.
Title: Re: Stealerships
Post by: jeeptastic on August 06, 2009, 11:22:25 AM
Hi Everyone... I am new to this site and very green to 4X4ing. I was just reading your situation with the "Stealerships" and over the long weekend I blew up my rear differential. The broke down near one of the dodge dealerships so I got it towed there just for a report. The dealership wanted $3000.00 just for parts in my rear differential and that was to replace the stock 373 gear ratio. That is $3000.00 without any labour yet.

I spent some time calling around and I found that the 4X4 shops are so much cheaper. I decided to go with The Gear Center because they were able to get it done quicker and I am getting my Jeep re-geared now both front and back with trac-loc for the same price as the parts at the dealership.

Can anyone tell me if a 410 gear ratio is Good for my jeep tj 4.0 with 33" tires? Will that give me enough power?
Title: Re: Stealerships
Post by: bae146 on August 06, 2009, 04:30:54 PM






4.10 gears with 33's brings your jeep back to stock power levels.  5th gear becoms useable once again.
Title: Re: Stealerships
Post by: hps4evr on August 06, 2009, 08:15:16 PM
thanks scott. did you clean all the drool off your jeep too? i do admire it of course. but for some reason its always so clean??? lol!
and yes, repairing differentials at the dealer is expensize. oem gearsets are huge bucks.
Title: Re: Stealerships
Post by: Rubi03 jef on August 06, 2009, 08:17:34 PM
i bent my steering components and i quoted out stock stuff 750 bucks

laughed and went online and got a 3/4 ton set up complete bolt on for 340

how do stealerships make money .. oh ya ripping off all the women in this world
Title: Re: Stealerships
Post by: hps4evr on August 08, 2009, 12:52:34 AM
i bent my steering components and i quoted out stock stuff 750 bucks

laughed and went online and got a 3/4 ton set up complete bolt on for 340

how do stealerships make money .. oh ya ripping off all the women in this world

so you're saying women arent smart enough to do their own research and find the best prices? i beg to differ. the parts at the dealership are oem spec parts. go to napa, or parts source and pay less for whitebox parts. i dont mind at all really. your loss when you have to change them within the year again. dealerships deal with stock vehicles. of course you'll get the beefy aftermarket steering for your lifted tj with bigger tires. but most people that own vehicles have no interest in modifying their vehicles. most people have no interest in changing their own oil. and some people dont like the downtime of having a broken down vehicle. so, they get service at the dealership. diagnosis and repaired by trained and experienced techs while installing oem parts.
now, go ahead and re-read what i just put down and then think before you speak next time. thankyou.
Title: Re: Stealerships
Post by: frenchy on August 08, 2009, 01:15:29 AM
so you're saying women arent smart enough to do their own research and find the best prices? i beg to differ. the parts at the dealership are oem spec parts. go to napa, or parts source and pay less for whitebox parts. i dont mind at all really. your loss when you have to change them within the year again. dealerships deal with stock vehicles. of course you'll get the beefy aftermarket steering for your lifted tj with bigger tires. but most people that own vehicles have no interest in modifying their vehicles. most people have no interest in changing their own oil. and some people dont like the downtime of having a broken down vehicle. so, they get service at the dealership. diagnosis and repaired by trained and experienced techs while installing oem parts.
now, go ahead and re-read what i just put down and then think before you speak next time. thankyou.

Rubi03 jef  obviously didn't come into the shop dressed as a women stocker driver (at least I hope not)...    ;D

I know we cannot expect every Jeep tech. to be proficient in all possible upgrades, but it would be nice if each Jeep shop had 1 guy who knew aftermarket parts, and who could recommend 3/4 ton parts or equivilent if the stocker stuff is already bending...

We know what is best for the "stocker" customers, but we also have  a guy who can think outside the box!..... Ideal Dealership!

What about the rig pig diesel owner crowd? (chipped, lifted, tires)
Or the performance car crowd?

They all want more from the vehichles, and are coming back for repairs/opinions/estimates, etc... Solution? replace OEM part? Or is there something better?
Title: Re: Stealerships
Post by: RACKMAN on August 08, 2009, 09:42:36 AM
Hi Everyone... I am new to this site and very green to 4X4ing. I was just reading your situation with the "Stealerships" and over the long weekend I blew up my rear differential. The broke down near one of the dodge dealerships so I got it towed there just for a report. The dealership wanted $3000.00 just for parts in my rear differential and that was to replace the stock 373 gear ratio. That is $3000.00 without any labour yet.

I spent some time calling around and I found that the 4X4 shops are so much cheaper. I decided to go with The Gear Center because they were able to get it done quicker and I am getting my Jeep re-geared now both front and back with trac-loc for the same price as the parts at the dealership.

Can anyone tell me if a 410 gear ratio is Good for my jeep tj 4.0 with 33" tires? Will that give me enough power?
I think you will be much happier if you go with 4.56 gears. Going from 3.73 to 4.10s is not much of a change, especially when you are spending thousands of dollars. Also, if the price isn't much different, you can get a much better diff than a trac-lok....it's called a Detroit Truetrac, a gear driven limited slip, much more durable, much more usable off-road traction, and it doesn't have clutch packs to wear out.

RACKMAN
Title: Re: Stealerships
Post by: Rubi03 jef on August 09, 2009, 10:24:47 PM
so you're saying women arent smart enough to do their own research and find the best prices? i beg to differ. the parts at the dealership are oem spec parts. go to napa, or parts source and pay less for whitebox parts. i dont mind at all really. your loss when you have to change them within the year again. dealerships deal with stock vehicles. of course you'll get the beefy aftermarket steering for your lifted tj with bigger tires. but most people that own vehicles have no interest in modifying their vehicles. most people have no interest in changing their own oil. and some people dont like the downtime of having a broken down vehicle. so, they get service at the dealership. diagnosis and repaired by trained and experienced techs while installing oem parts.
now, go ahead and re-read what i just put down and then think before you speak next time. thankyou.

im saying women tend to get ripped off more then the average man .. my room mate had her front brakes changed by a shop 900 dollars later .. she didnt even know that she got ripped off .

i will not pay for something i can do my self for less then 1/4 the price .

and i tried the dress and it didnt work

Title: Re: Stealerships
Post by: tubby on August 09, 2009, 11:04:33 PM
I tried to picture Jeff in a little red dress.....my head hurts now!
I hope you shaved your legs buddy.
Title: Re: Stealerships
Post by: Immortal on August 10, 2009, 08:39:34 PM
Eric, do you need a hug?  I feel the same way.... Case-in-point.... REDTEK or DuraCool.
Title: Re: Stealerships
Post by: hps4evr on August 10, 2009, 10:17:44 PM
lol, thanks trev, im fine. i dont mean to be so harsh, but i worked in the general service shops for many years. i know how they work. i know they are cheaper. now i work in a dealership. i understand why it is more expensive. why do people worry about money so much? thats a good chat topic i figure;) maybe ill post that thread one day...
Title: Re: Stealerships
Post by: Immortal on August 10, 2009, 10:32:18 PM
I agree... I try not to cheap out (although every once in a while it happens.... then later I kick myself for doing it).

Buy quality, buy once.
Title: Re: Stealerships
Post by: BlackYJ on August 11, 2009, 07:29:15 AM
lol, thanks trev, im fine. i dont mean to be so harsh, but i worked in the general service shops for many years. i know how they work. i know they are cheaper. now i work in a dealership. i understand why it is more expensive. why do people worry about money so much? thats a good chat topic i figure;) maybe ill post that thread one day...

Eric, I think the bigger problem is that the guy sitting at his desk in the service area does not do a great job of explaining things.  I had my 07 Sierra in for servicing and I get a call that I needed new rear brakes with only 28,000 kms on it, but the front brakes were excellent.  I started asking questions and he had no idea what the answers were.  It turned out the brakes were fine in the end.  Another case my fiance  had her car serviced at a certigard about 5 months ago to resolve some issues.  Then about a month ago she took it to subaru for regular servicing and when I was looking over the work order they had replaced some things that had just been replaced by Certigard and she did just subaru a copy of the certigard work order.

Now my point is yes there are some very good mechanics out there like yourself, but you are paying top dollar so you expect top dollar service, not just some idiot that can turn a wrench.
Title: Re: Stealerships
Post by: Rubi03 jef on August 11, 2009, 08:24:09 PM
the biggest problem is that they will call anythign and everything and the mechanics get the work if they can sell work

so then you get mechanics trying to call everything . even things that arnt broken
Title: Re: Stealerships
Post by: hps4evr on August 11, 2009, 09:19:57 PM
well scott, i do have to agree. the service writers are a different kind for sure. i have yet to meet one that was at one point a licensed tech. the writers usually just have good people skills (i mean usually but not always) and they get the basic auto training. as in what end the ball joint is on... oh, and it doesnt surprise me that the subaru gave your fiancee a hard time. theres only 2 subaru dealers in calgary, and yer stuck with horrible or very horrible on those 2.
since when do you have a fiancee scott? does she like it when you wear your skirt??? ;)