Service Rip-off???

[mike0021]

Hi all, first time post.

My sister took her 2002 Toyota Camery with only 30k miles (she used it in college and hardly drove) to the Toyota dealer. She went in looking for a little service and maybe taking a look at the breaks. 5 hours later she walked out after paying $1,200. This is an itinerary of what they did:

* 25 point inspection
* grease and lube steering shaft
* 7500 mile/6 month service (check engine settings, inspect filters, lube oil filters/rorate and balance tires, service brakes, add oil and gas additives) $ 169.95
* replace front brake pads and resurface rotors $ 389.95
* e.f.i. fuel injection service $ 295.95 * tune up service (replace air filter and pcv, clean spark plugs) $ 169.95
* power steering system service and flush $ 179.95
* flush and bleed brake fluid system $ 159.95
Sub-Total $ 1,365.70
Sub-Total w/discount $ 1,092.56
Total with Tax $ 1,179.96

Am I crazy in thinking she was completely ripped off on a car with 30k miles, even though its 5 years old? If so, is there anything I can do, i.e. complain to Toyota and try to get a partial refund?

Thanks all,
Mike

[johnnyzee]

ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh YEAH !!!


that is the best example of getting ripped off possible.

Please make a new wikipedia entry for "ripped-off" and copy and paste your post into the article so all can learn.

[JSM1284]

Did she tell them to do the 30k maintenance? Or did she just say an oil change and Brake check?

[MrSo0h0o]

my question is why did she agree to all of that??

edit: i noticed you are in nyc.. what service dept did you go to?

[beejay21k]

Originally Posted by JSM1284

Did she tell them to do the 30k maintenance? Or did she just say an oil change and Brake check?

That's still outrageous for even 30k service. It's about $300 at my dealer.

[TRD VVTi]

The services themselves aren't bad but those prices are HUGELY inflated.

Yes, due to the price she got ripped off. BIG TIME.

[Hialeah Florida]

Originally Posted by mike0021

Hi all, first time post.

My sister took her 2002 Toyota Camery with only 30k miles (she used it in college and hardly drove) to the Toyota dealer. She went in looking for a little service and maybe taking a look at the breaks. 5 hours later she walked out after paying $1,200. This is an itinerary of what they did:

* 25 point inspection
* grease and lube steering shaft
* 7500 mile/6 month service (check engine settings, inspect filters, lube oil filters/rorate and balance tires, service brakes, add oil and gas additives) $ 169.95
* replace front brake pads and resurface rotors $ 389.95
* e.f.i. fuel injection service $ 295.95 * tune up service (replace air filter and pcv, clean spark plugs) $ 169.95
* power steering system service and flush $ 179.95
* flush and bleed brake fluid system $ 159.95
Sub-Total $ 1,365.70
Sub-Total w/discount $ 1,092.56
Total with Tax $ 1,179.96

Am I crazy in thinking she was completely ripped off on a car with 30k miles, even though its 5 years old? If so, is there anything I can do, i.e. complain to Toyota and try to get a partial refund?

Thanks all,
Mike

Yes ripoff is in order.If the Dealer is anything like King Toyota in Florida they did not do half of the things they say they did..

[mike0021]

is there anything I can do now to get any of the $$$ back?

[JSM1284]

If she paid, No money back. She should have denied payment. Unless she gave consent for the services beforehand.

[mike0021]

She did, its not like they just did it without telling her. But she is a non-confrontational girl that knows nothing about cars. if a mechanic tells her "you need x done" she is too gullable and not jsded enough to be suspicious

[Mike Murrell]

The brake work was a bit pricey - almost $400 for front pads and turned rotors.

The real rip was the 2 flush services and this is an area where dealers REALLY tear people up.

I'm not saying these services do not need to be performed at some point in the cars life. I'm simply saying the price charged for the brake/power steering flush is absurd.

Automotive maintenance is in many cases a big rip-off. You bring your car in and have a variety of fluids/filters changed. For the most part, your car really isn't going to run all that much better after an oil change, brake flush, power steering flush, etc. The avg. Joe wouldn't have a clue how to tell if any of the services charged for were actually performed.

The people who runs the shops know this.

It would scare people if they knew how often the majority of maint. work they paid for was never done.

This problem is not limited to the Quik Lube places. Independent garages and dealerships are just as guilty.

I can't tell you how many times I've gone out into a corporate parking lot after a co-worker had maint. work done by a local dealership, only to point out the mud-soaked oil filter, the dark-as-coal motor oil, filthy transmission fluid, dirty air filter and all of these and more had supposedly just been changed.

Sure am glad I'm a DIYER. It's the only reason my cars last many years.

[mike0021]

Thanks Mike, thats what I thought. have you heard of anyone complaining after the fact and actually getting anywhere with it? maybe going up the chain of command at toyota?

[MrSo0h0o]

what service dept did you go to?

[mike0021]

a Toyota dealer in westchester

[Mike Murrell]

The best you can hope for is to go back to the shop used and ask to speak to the service mgr.

Point out the mud-soaked oil filter(just an example) that was not changed. If one can clearly see that a part or service was not included, the mgr. should address the issue. If he won't, go inside and speak with the dealerships GM.

Obviously if one went to Quik Lube or an indy garage, the service. mgr. is as far as you're likely going to be able to go, unless the shop is a chain operation and you want to contact their national HQ. I wouldn't bet on that helping much.

The problem has to do with how automotive techs are paid. They're basically trying to beat the clock. The sooner they sign off on one car, the sooner they can pickup another. Now add in the fact that techs get a small portion of the whole bill, the reason they're in a hurry to move on in the first place. If they're paid a flat salary, you're less likely to run into this. Some people will argue this last point, but I know that in most cases, you have fewer "come backs" in flat salary shops. Those types of operations are; however, not as common as they were 30 or so years ago.

Another issue has to do with the lack of skills and the over-complexity of todays car. A 19 year old with an "auto mechanic" high school education and 1 years post-high school auto tech training simply does not have enough education to work on today's autos.

You need a clear understanding of physics to work on todays cars. A lot of junior colleges offer "engineering technology" assoc. degress. They're watered-down pre-engineering degress, but offer 60 hrs. or so of higher level mathematics, physics, mechanical principles(early stage mechanical engineering); micro-processor internals. This coupled with a legitimate 2 year auto training program will in most cases produce a solid automotive tech.

Since the dealer pockets most of the $$$ - not many are willing to go thru the effort/expense involved.