YACT: Why do dealers charge 2x regular price?

[isaacmacdonald]

I have a 98 stratus, and it's time for some routine maintainence so I'm pricing out the timing belt and plugs. Here's what I've got so far:

Local Shop 1: $250.00 for timing belt, $50.00 to put in 6 Plat plugs.
Local Shop 2: $263.00 for timing belt, $70.00 to put in 6 Plat plugs.

Local Dealer: $479.00 for timing belt, $170.00 to put in 6 Plat plugs.

wtf? Is there some kind of special dealer warranty that makes up for the huge price difference?

 

[murphy55d]

Because they can. And people pay it.

 

[Chaotic42]

My guess is that people who don't know any better assume they should go to the dealer for service. Personally, I'd only go to the dealer for under-warranty service and recall stuff.

 

[z0mb13]

dealers jack up the price because most people and dumb and dont know that is cheaper to go to a independent mechanic..


also dealers sometimes give the jobs that they have to a mechanic anyways.. hence they have to make profit and jack the price up

 

[Siddhartha]

Originally posted by: isaacmacdonald
I have a 98 stratus, and it's time for some routine maintainence so I'm pricing out the timing belt and plugs. Here's what I've got so far:

Local Shop 1: $250.00 for timing belt, $50.00 to put in 6 Plat plugs.
Local Shop 2: $263.00 for timing belt, $70.00 to put in 6 Plat plugs.

Local Dealer: $479.00 for timing belt, $170.00 to put in 6 Plat plugs.

wtf? Is there some kind of special dealer warranty that makes up for the huge price difference?

They want to earn a living too...

 

[Fausto]

OT- put the plugs in yourself. If you can handle a light bulb, you can handle spark plugs.

 

[isasir]

I think when you buy the car, most dealers try to give the impression that any modifications or repairs you do to the car that isn't done at the dealer could void your warranty. So this gets a lot of people to just bring their car there. I'm just glad that my dad's a mechanic.

 

[isaacmacdonald]

Originally posted by: Fausto1
OT- put the plugs in yourself. If you can handle a light bulb, you can handle spark plugs.

I was thinking of doing that, but like my last ride, this one has 3 plugs facing the firewall. I always have a hard time doing those.

 

[Triumph]

Originally posted by: RishiS
I think when you buy the car, most dealers try to give the impression that anything you do that isn't done at the dealer could void your warranty. So this gets a lot of people to just bring their car there. I'm just glad that my dad's a mechanic.

Good that you pointed this out, because it is against the law. Repairs cannot void a warranty if they are done somewhere other than a dealership. If the mfg chooses to limit your options to just a dealership, the services MUST be provided free of charge. Look up the Magnusson Moss Warranty Act.

 

[NutBucket]

Originally posted by: RishiS
I think when you buy the car, most dealers try to give the impression that any modifications or repairs you do to the car that isn't done at the dealer could void your warranty. So this gets a lot of people to just bring their car there. I'm just glad that my dad's a mechanic.

No kidding. Toyota Corporate was sending my dad crap since he was doing his own oil changes on the Camry. Sent stuff that read, "If you take your car in now we'll extend the warranty period etc. etc." We were both a bit dumbfounded. That said, I only goto the dealer for parts.

 

[DainBramaged]

Hahahha, when I read the thread title, the first thing I thought of was that they had to because the trip from Colombia is pretty expensive.

 

[isasir]

Originally posted by: DainBramaged
Hahahha, when I read the thread title, the first thing I thought of was that they had to because the trip from Colombia is pretty expensive.

Yet Another Crack/Cocaine Thread? :Q

 

[StageLeft]

Generally people expect better service from a dealer and to their defense I believe they'll get it. I mean service as in competency of the problem. If you've got the same mechanic working on 5-10 cars every year of his life he's going to know their problems more than one who works on 100 different cars a year. So, for diagnosing a difficult issue I'd take my car to a dealer.

For anything more standard I'd definitely go to an independent mechanic because they are definitely cheaper. Nissan charges around $200 in labor to replace 6 ignition coils on my max, for instance, but it's a 30 minute job.

 

[DainBramaged]

Originally posted by: RishiS

Originally posted by: DainBramaged
Hahahha, when I read the thread title, the first thing I thought of was that they had to because the trip from Colombia is pretty expensive.

Yet Another Crack/Cocaine Thread? :Q

Thats what I thought of first. Must just have a perverse mind!