dealership service rippoff!!

[airborne_mp84]

so after jump starting another car my MM started really overheating last week.
i replaced the thermostat my self and the problem continued, so i had it towed to koons ford dealership in falls church VA...they tried to charge a grand total of $1200. I told them, you guys have lost your damn mind! when i asked them to explain why so much she told me 500 for the fan, 500 for labor, oil and fuel filter...i then told them stop work on my vehicle right now ill take it some where else. I told her i looked on line for a cheaper one for 270 so they said ill sell it to ya 300... so long story short my baby is back for $800...still to Dam much if ya ask me, ill tell ya what never again... HIGHWAY ROBBERY!!!!

[larryo340]

I would love to see a detailed work order show where the $500 in labor came from.

It's "bad apple" dealers like that give a good dealer a high hill to climb to prove themselves. Dealers are guilty until proven innocent due to a shop like you went to.

[justbob]

$500.00????????? For what else? That fan is nothing to replace!!!

Towing, diagnostics,???

[larryo340]

$500.00????????? For what else? That fan is nothing to replace!!!

Towing, diagnostics, LUNCH ???

That's more like it :D

[n00bkiller944]

I have a friend who used to work a koons over in falls church... Have the name of the tech or service adviser? I'll see what he says about them

[justbob]

That's more like it :D
Well i didn't want to come right out and say it. LOL.

[Ken]

So you think that that is a rip off? Why didn't you repair the car yourself? Didn't know what the problem was? You are paying someone for what they know and they know how to get the job done. Diagnose and then repair it for you.

EX. about a month ago my 99 F150 needed a new heater core. I knew that it was a major job, involving r/r of the IP. I called a shop that FastMerc turned me onto. Well, book says 7 hrs @$70/hr. $490 labor to change a $66 heater core. "OK, when can you get at it" I'm smart enough to know that I'd rather pay for this repair than tackle it myself. So I have to pay the price. If I had the time to do the job, I would've done it myself.

Time is money. If the price is too much, park the car until you can afford the time to do it yourself. If you don't have another car to drive, go out and rent a replacement till it's done. Which is cheaper now? You paid to get your car back sooner and fixed.

Quityerb****in! :D

Ken

[NATEHAWK]

dude you should have just installed the fan yourself. They ***** you on that one. I would have just paid for the diagnostic or whatever and took my car. Order the part online and install it myself.

[Aren Jay]

..........

[airborne_mp84]

So you think that that is a rip off? Why didn't you repair the car yourself? Didn't know what the problem was? You are paying someone for what they know and they know how to get the job done. Diagnose and then repair it for you.

EX. about a month ago my 99 F150 needed a new heater core. I knew that it was a major job, involving r/r of the IP. I called a shop that FastMerc turned me onto. Well, book says 7 hrs @$70/hr. $490 labor to change a $66 heater core. "OK, when can you get at it" I'm smart enough to know that I'd rather pay for this repair than tackle it myself. So I have to pay the price. If I had the time to do the job, I would've done it myself.

Time is money. If the price is too much, park the car until you can afford the time to do it yourself. If you don't have another car to drive, go out and rent a replacement till it's done. Which is cheaper now? You paid to get your car back sooner and fixed.

Quityerb****in! :D

Ken first of all im not talking about the labor, I knew it was going to be up there in price. Im talking about how they tried to charge me $500 dollars for the fan at first and then when i threatin to take it somewhere else they all of a sudden sell it to for 300. I think thats kinda fishy...i figure at a dealership parts would have a set price and not be able to fluctuate. If i knew what the problem was i would have done it..given the proper tools and equipment to get the job done and im smart enough to know when someone is rippin me off SMART guy

[airborne_mp84]

dude you should have just installed the fan yourself. They ***** you on that one. I would have just paid for the diagnostic or whatever and took my car. Order the part online and install it myself. yeah i know man but i was in the woods for a week for training...lol... by the time i tried to stop them it was to late. They told me it was a quick job, the most important thing is i got my baby back...MONEY COMES AND GOES:D

[airborne_mp84]

This is part of the reason I got out of the computer repair business. To make a decent wage you need to charge a fair amount. But people want you to solve all their problems and balk even after telling them up front what you charge an hour that their now working but three year old computer is going to cost them $200, $300, $400. It is so much easier and better to just have them buy a new one. Do this at a computer shop and they charge double. That is why no one gets their computer fixed unless they really need it.

For cars it costs lots of money to fix anything but it is not something that you can just do for free. Service is the way that dealerships stay in business, that and used cars. New cars make them next to nothing and with several people on staff your repair is paying everyones salary, equiptment cost, taxes, etc...

Few things in life are cheap. Cars for us are necessary, and still on the whole rather cheap.

A car over 20 years will cost you $100,000.00 that makes sense, thats also understandable..ive had i whole day to calm down lol over this thing, i guess i have to look at it from both sides and look at the current automobile industry i guess they have to make their money somehow huh

[chader]

you can all argue what is fair or not and if someone is over charging but there is always more facts then what is stated.The real fact is if you can't do something yourself you are going to pay to have it done.No matter if it is fixing cars,toilets,or computers.I hate to see people ***** and tell everyone how they could do it them selves "if they new what the problem was"...I suspect "if you new what the problem was" this would not be a conversation!

What I would like to know is how "smart" people can break the cooling fan by boosting a vehicle..this is something stupid people do everyday?..jmo

[SWOOSH]

Airbone, I can see how you feel about being ripped off. Probably best to call around and get a quote from nearby shops, the cheaper, the better!

[BODYMAN]

well scan the est and post it I would like to see a breakdown on the bill? before we all start cutting the dealer up lets see what they were doing. example ie tow bill diag time if. Not saying they were not wrong or you are wrong but a breakdown please. I work at a delaer and they are very honest (i'am very honest to all my cust) every bit of work is always thourghly explained to the cust before any work is peformed and as lary340 explained it is hard working at a dealer because people think that way I had a cust come in on friday wrote him a est and he stated thats 400.00 cheaper than another b.s. why. well in short I looked over the other est and this was a indepent shop and all the labor repair times were alot higher then mine so this goes both ways & have seen this many times.Talking to Ins adj in my area Iam one of the easiest and fairist shops to work with I wanna profit but be reasonable to. The only problem I have ever seen @ any dealer was the old repl parts till problem fixed. Seems like part of the story is missing? I dunno?:rolleyes:

[BODYMAN]

Airbone, I can see how you feel about being ripped off. Probably best to call around and get a quote from nearby shops, the cheaper, the better!

sometimes you gotta be careful at this to sometimes you get what you pay for! Cheaper not always better!!! Its AMERICA you get what you pay for!

[TAKEDOWN]

and expensive ain't always better either, you pay a good amount and some of them don't know what they're doing.

[BODYMAN]

and expensive ain't always better either, you pay a good amount and some of them don't know what they're doing.

Could not agree more it can go both ways:beer:

[justbob]

I only go one way.

[ctrlraven]

I paid around $650 for my fan and have it installed. $400 something for the fan and $200 in labor.

[Marauderman]

, so i had it towed to koons ford dealership in falls church VA!!!

well, rackoons do rob and pilfrig in those that leave stuff behind....so maybe you should just stay away from a dealer with that name..........

[larryo340]

well scan the est and post it I would like to see a breakdown on the bill? before we all start cutting the dealer up lets see what they were doing. example ie tow bill diag time if. Not saying they were not wrong or you are wrong but a breakdown please. I work at a delaer and they are very honest (i'am very honest to all my cust) every bit of work is always thourghly explained to the cust before any work is peformed and as lary340 explained it is hard working at a dealer because people think that way I had a cust come in on friday wrote him a est and he stated thats 400.00 cheaper than another b.s. why. well in short I looked over the other est and this was a indepent shop and all the labor repair times were alot higher then mine so this goes both ways & have seen this many times.Talking to Ins adj in my area Iam one of the easiest and fairist shops to work with I wanna profit but be reasonable to. The only problem I have ever seen @ any dealer was the old repl parts till problem fixed. Seems like part of the story is missing? I dunno?:rolleyes:

Thanks, and yes as I said in my previous post that I would love to see a copy of the repair order. I have worked in Ford/Lincoln/Mercury service for 18 years or so in mostly honest shops, but even in an honest shop some service advisors I've worked with jack up the labor because of their pay plan. Some dealers have their advisors get their commision on only their individual labor sales which can make some advisors greedy. I don't agree with that as it only hurts the dealer and yourself in the end once people realize they are getting screwed, and stop coming back.

:sorry: to go off on a rant :soap:, but it just pisses me off the maner some dealer principals think they know everything which is a whole different argument. :mad2:

[CRUZTAKER]

Mine did the same thing late last summer. I was able to narrow the over heat issue down with the help of this board to the fan not always spinning.

Thank god I was bright enough to buy the ESP Platinum on my MM.

Even with my fan modded with a cobra shroud to fit the blower, the dealer recently replaced my oem fan motor under warranty. $50 co-pay.

I could have done it myself actually. The fan is one of the easier items to replace. And we have an awesome member here....Ray "TheDealer" that would have sold that oem part to you wholesale.

[BODYMAN]

Thanks, and yes as I said in my previous post that I would love to see a copy of the repair order. I have worked in Ford/Lincoln/Mercury service for 18 years or so in mostly honest shops, but even in an honest shop some service advisors I've worked with jack up the labor because of their pay plan. Some dealers have their advisors get their commision on only their individual labor sales which can make some advisors greedy. I don't agree with that as it only hurts the dealer and yourself in the end once people realize they are getting screwed, and stop coming back.

:sorry: to go off on a rant :soap:, but it just pisses me off the maner some dealer principals think they know everything which is a whole different argument. :mad2:

Larry, Iam with 100% on this the dealer I used work at had the writers on a commision and it just po,s me I have seen some things the writers would push and yeah piss off the customer and it hurts everyone. does nobody understand that concept anymore? Keep the customer happy and tell a 100 people make them made and they will tell a 1000 people .As for the 2nd point done even want to go there. Dont the dealer owner principal know every thing? I thought they did?:)

[BODYMAN]

Mine did the same thing late last summer. I was able to narrow the over heat issue down with the help of this board to the fan not always spinning.

Thank god I was bright enough to buy the ESP Platinum on my MM.

Even with my fan modded with a cobra shroud to fit the blower, the dealer recently replaced my oem fan motor under warranty. $50 co-pay.

I could have done it myself actually. The fan is one of the easier items to replace. And we have an awesome member here....Ray "TheDealer" that would have sold that oem part to you wholesale.

Cruz, The dealer had no problem with the mods and repl the Fan even though diff? under warranty? That is a pretty good dealer!! you must have the touch like the woman at the emmisions place!!!!

[Motorhead350]

I was charged $90 once for having a spark plug changed on my truck because I was out of town and didn't have my tools. I was really mad because that was the only GM dealer in that college town. On top of that they charge $500 for everything, I am not kidding you, to all of the college kids.

Later that year I ran into the son of the owner of that dealership and told him what a horrible place it was. He actually looked worried... good!

[CRUZTAKER]

Cruz, The dealer had no problem with the mods and repl the Fan even though diff? under warranty? That is a pretty good dealer!! you must have the touch like the woman at the emmisions place!!!!

Why would the dealer have an issue with the radiator fan?
A blower and engine mod doesn't void the factory cooling fan warranty.
Nor would it void the stock alternator if it were to fail under normal age.

Now of course the motor itself isn't covered as it isn't the oem motor, AND it has a blower attached....but the inconsequential oem items still in use are covered.

The emissions issue is another story. I failed because I as an individual failed. I forgot to pull the chip. Otherwise, my car is tuned (or soon will be) to accomodate Ohio emission requirements. It passed before the blower with radical tunes and radical race fuels.

I agree with you however, and I don't think I made my support of your bad experience. I DO support your grievence, and feel you were screwed. I just love to use the hind-site card. ;) Even my dealer has been a pita once in awhile. I recently lost my sevice write of the last 10 years to a new guy hired by the new ownership. He is a real prick, and won't budge on certain issues the old guy cut me breaks with. I have to go over his head and talk to his boss just to get a rental comp-ed these days.

[BODYMAN]

[QUOTE=CRUZTAKER;685521]Why would the dealer have an issue with the radiator fan?
A blower and engine mod doesn't void the factory cooling fan warranty.
Nor would it void the stock alternator if it were to fail under normal age.

Now of course the motor itself isn't covered as it isn't the oem motor, AND it has a blower attached....but the inconsequential oem items still in use are covered.

The emissions issue is another story. I failed because I as an individual failed. I forgot to pull the chip. Otherwise, my car is tuned (or soon will be) to accomodate Ohio emission requirements. It passed before the blower with radical tunes and radical race fuels.

you are correct Cruz, fan SHOULD NOT be denied due to blower as it would not be the cause of fan failure but alot of these dealers see one issue and run the other way even if not related, I guess scared of there Ford rep? dunno?As for what you are saying about unaatched or related warrantble items I beleive the magnussom act were GM got Suid over deniel of unrelated item on a modified car!
I was just giving you trouble about the lady at the emmisions place! AS you stated in youre other thread,abot her being a gear head.:)