acura dealer repair costs too high??

exhaust system, two

Ed Gelb wrote in news:YaidnU5N2feGjpLYnZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@adelphia.com:

The amount of labor is reasonable. The shop rate seems rather high, but that would depend on where you live. If you live in New York City, you'll pay a lot. If you live in Des Plaines IA, you'll pay less.

In my area, the shop rate is about $100 per hour.

All garages everywhere follow the same standardized book of labor times. The times given are often a bit long, and a good mechanic can easily beat them, making a few extra bucks in the process. However, if he has problems -- such a frozen bolt -- that causes him to go over the standardized time, they can't charge you for that extra time, which is to your benefit. You win some, you lose some.

Honest Competent Cheap

choose two.

J.

$166 per hour sets a new high water mark in my book. Our local dealers are in the $110-$120 range, and No. California is a notoriously expensive market.

You might check around for a competent independent Honda/Acura specialist in your area to potentially save a little money. However, don't use a "generalist" shop as they are unlikely to be familiar with any subtle issues on your vehicle and can easily waste your time and money while they learn.

John

I found out that the dealer charges $60/hr. for regular maintenance and $80/hr. for repairs. Since the labor cost was $249, the shop rate (aka book rate and flat rate) for my repairs must be around 3 hours. That is twice the time that the mechanic actually took!

I wonder what percent of the time the mechanic can beat the shop rate.

Please note correction : the price was $249.50 not 294.50

I am told that a decent mechanic can beat the estimate every time. Me? If I can do it in three times the quoted time I feel proud.

Mike

If a decent mechanic can beat the estimate everytime, then most of the time we are overpaying. That doesn't seem fair. Ed

Ed Gelb wrote in news:xe2dnbrNoaTafIrYnZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@adelphia.com:

No it doesn't. And that dichotomy has been a bone of contention for a long time.

But let's not factor in the dealer's cost of acquiring, operating and equipping his premises, and advertising, and...

Oh hell. What am I going on about? DEALERS ARE ALL THIEVES!!

Dean Dark wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

I certainly have never said that. I am also certainly correct in my opinion that most people find the flat-rate system unfair when the mechanic can usually beat it. Not that it IS unfair, but that it is universally regarded that way.

It's ALL garages, not just dealers, that use the flat-rate system.

I believe the flat-rate system came about as a way of allowing garages to give quotes that they didn't end up losing money on. Many jurisdictions have strict regulations regarding quotes and any deviation from them.