Hello all,
I wanted to run a current situation past the experts on here to get your thoughts. For 10 years my momhas been taking her `95 legacy to the Ford/Mazda/Subaru Dealership's service department for service. So naturally when I purchased my `01 Outback in December of this past year, I took mine there as well. The main reason why I did this was because our service advisor was a guy I truely trust and who is a computer customer of my business. So there is a well earned personal and professional trust that extends both ways. This was put to the test this past January when this service advisor said my mom's ABS brake pump was leaking and needed to be replaced. he said the cost for that pump alone would be in the $1500+ range with labor and all costs exceeding $2200. Knowing my mom isn't the richest person in the world, he suggested I find an ABS pump out of a wrecked Subaru and bring it in and they'd use it. I've never seen any other service advisor go out of their way and do that. In the end, I spent $110 at a salvage yard for one of those, and her final cost was $300 including labor to have it fxed.
Well two months ago this service advisor along with SIX other fellow co-workers quit. I talked to this guy as a customer of mine and he explained that the service manager was putting pressure on the advisors and mechanic's to cut corners and milk customers for money. He in good faith and conscience could not do that to the customers he respected and had to be honest with. Now he is the service manager at a GM dealership and I plan to contact him about finding where he works and possibly taking my Outback there for service.
Now with all of this in mind, when I took my Outback in for servicing yesterday of the CV boots which was getting close to critical, I had this growing doubts in mind of quality of service with the new service advisor. I dropped off my outback at 9:30am and didn't recieve it until close to
5:00pm that afternoon. While I understand that sometimes things get busy and work may not start on time, but I had an appointment for that time for over a week with a promies that it'd be done in around 3.5-4hrs. Even though it wasn't completed on time, I didn't find that to be the issue. When I went in to pick it up I was hit with a total bill of $397.76. The 2 CV boots ran $23.16 total with 150 grams of grease running $25.90. The labor itself was $320.00. There was a misc charge of $25.00 for HazMat disposal of the old grease.My question to everyone is, is the process of replacing CV boots so extensive that it would cost $320 in labor??
Also one final question. When I went in to pick it up, the service advisor was a bit nervous (I could tell in his demeanor) because he had notes written down that said I need *alot* more work done to the vehicle. He said the rear brakes were near gone and that the rotors and pads would need to be replaced now or otherwise they'd grind and the calipers would need to be replaced. His estimated charge - $450. He said thd rive belts would need to be replaced at a cost of $115. They did find a pinhole leak in the radiator hose and rather than wanting to just replace that hose, kept suggesting I get all heater/radiator hoses done at a total of $365. Along with replacing the battery at $45, service the differential at $95, and brake fluid flush of $100. If I said yes to that and let them keep it as he seemed to be nerviously pushing for, it would have been at LEAST an additional $1100.
I said no thanks and asked what it would cost just to replace the radiator hose, the service advisor paused nerviously fingering over a paper and said "I really don't know, let me check" and walked back off into a room out of the main garage area. He was gone for about 5 minutes, came back and said $90 for the hose + labor. I almost got the feeling that this guy was being told or pushed to try and milk me for money and he had to go back and confirm this with a service manager.
Here is the kicker. I had it in for an oil change last month and with that oil change they spent an hour doing a multi-point inspection. NOTHING was found to be critical other than the CV boots. Brakes were good, and everything else on there list was good. They did make note at thetime that the tires should be replaced before winter, but I've known that and plan to take care of that in August. While I have no problem paying good money for parts to be serviced and replaced when there is a legit need for it, I get irked really bad by someone trying to rip me.
Please tell me your thoughts. Was the labor for the CV boots too much? I glanced at the brake rotors on the front and rear brakes and both looked the same. When I had a WV inspection in January, the guy said I had really great brakes. That makes me feel like the dealership is trying to rip me a new one. I plan on taking the tire off today and inspecting them myself.
Brad