Getting Ripped off for Oil Change?

[skulkingghost]

I took my 1999 Ford Escort ZX2 to get its oil changed today.
Car has:
139,000 miles on it.

I went for the normal oil change at the place I last took it to get its oil changed. The mechanic then informed me he "couldn't get the screw off" of the oil pan and needed to replace that and my hood release (my hood release cable is screwed up and you need to slam the hood to get it to close)

Total cost: 560ish

Oil pan :380ish
Hood release: 180ish

Does this sound right?

My first comment was "I took my car here for its last oil change if theres a problem with a screw your place caused it"

Should I just take it to a pepboys?

 

[exar333]

Smells bad to me....I would have taken it somewhere else for a second opinion. Sounds fishy to me....was this a mechanic you trust?

 

[Lotheron]

I took my 1999 Ford Escort ZX2 to get its oil changed today.
Car has:
139,000 miles on it.

I went for the normal oil change at the place I last took it to get its oil changed. The mechanic then informed me he "couldn't get the screw off" of the oil pan and needed to replace that and my hood release (my hood release cable is screwed up and you need to slam the hood to get it to close)

Total cost: 560ish

Oil pan :380ish
Hood release: 180ish

Does this sound right?

My first comment was "I took my car here for its last oil change if theres a problem with a screw your place caused it"

Should I just take it to a pepboys?

Exactly what I would have said. Although I'm not sure if it will make a difference in the end because it's your word against theirs, but do you have your receipt still?



Either way I would take a look myself at the oil plug bolt and see if there is anything wrong.
As for the hood, maybe it just needs adjusted?

Either way, I'm probably going somewhere else.

 

[jlee]

$380 for an oil pan? Is your engine sideways or something?

 

[PottedMeat]

sounds like they're trolling you for cash...

check the drain bolt yourself and
take it somewhere else from now on.

 

[LTC8K6]

If it's just rounded off, then a replacement is a couple bucks. You can probably get it off and replace it yourself.

 

[kornphlake]

Any time you take your car in for an oil change you're getting ripped off. Doing an oil change is so easy and quick there's really no reason any person should pay for one unless they are handicapped or allergic to hydrocarbons.

 

[Pacfanweb]

Typically, it's not a shop's fault when a drain plug strips. The plugs by design have very soft threads, and often they go in just fine, but come out cross threaded the next time they're removed.
Lug nuts are the same way. The threads simply fail, for no apparent reason. I've had it happen to me dozens of times on my own cars.....and I KNOW I didn't cross thread them the last time I put them on.

Usually, you can just force them off, then put in a slightly over sized plug and keep rolling. If the threads in the pan are truly damaged, I'd have a tap run through it first...if you can find one that big. If that doesn't work, the pan does have to be replaced.

Don't know the cost on your specific car, but it's often a big job.

 

[BassBomb]

run, fast

 

[T2urtle]

Typically, it's not a shop's fault when a drain plug strips. The plugs by design have very soft threads, and often they go in just fine, but come out cross threaded the next time they're removed.
Lug nuts are the same way. The threads simply fail, for no apparent reason. I've had it happen to me dozens of times on my own cars.....and I KNOW I didn't cross thread them the last time I put them on.

yes and no. i would say 90% of the time lug nuts/ drain plugs fail are due to the fact they are cross-threaded and or stripped in terms of lug nut. Not too many people start off lug nuts by hand at the shop since they have impacts. And many teenager lube techs just whale on ratchet to tighten often times stripping them so the plug only spins.

Yes they simply can fail but a lot of the times its the person installing it.

That being said forget hood latch, most likely its rusted so spray some WD-40 and it should be ok. If your paying someone for an oil change then most likely you dont need to play around with whats under the hood so not a huge concern.

take it to another shop to get the oil change done. you can always ask them for a oversided plug and use that.

 

[angry hampster]

Go to your local Sears or Lowe's and pick up a set of vice grips, they look like this:


Buy a replacement drain plug from your local Ford dealer (should be $5 or so). Buy a set of service ramps ($30-40). Buy a Haynes service manual ($25).


Do these things, then proceed to change your own oil.

 

[SandEagle]

are you going to jiffy lube? run man, run. take it to the dealer. sounds like a stripped bolt

 

[exdeath]

$380 for an oil pan? Is your engine sideways or something?

Wow... I can get an aluminum 7+ qt extended kicked sump Moroso race pan with windage tray for about that or less... wtf!

 

[Vetterin]

Anyone who says he "couldn't get the screw off" the oil pan is an IDIOT and shouldn't even be in business!

 

[skulkingghost]

Thank you all, the service spot in question was Heilman Automotive its in West Chester, PA. I think I will just take it to walmart / pepboys and have them do it.

 

[boomhower]

Unless your car is set-up weird blocking access to the oil pan it should be dead simple to replace if indeed it needs it. Make hole, drain oil, remove old pan/gasket, replace pan/gasket. $500+ seems way to high.