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I'm just wondering.. because I always feel like I'll never know.. if I'm paying too much for my car service. Money is tight, so I considered just getting an oil change. But we went with the the complete 45,000 mile check and I forked over $160 bucks. It included tire rotation, air filter change, a thorough check of all the important parts and something about a chassis. Nothing was wrong with the vehicle, I know that, but I'm just curious what YOU pay, what you get for it, and where you go. Sarah |
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Posted by: Megan Location: Reedsburg
Sarah, that is too much considering it was just basic maintenance (not an actual tune up) that you paid for. A $10 air filter will cost you $40 or more if you have someone else change it for you. Most of that stuff that you paid them to do could be done at home. I usually do my own maintenance and only bring the car in for the bigger mileage milestones where work that I can't do is involved. Another thing I've found is that different dealers have their own prices for the same thing. Some dealers don't follow the factory book and throw in more unnecessary maintenance and jack the price up. Posted by: Sarah C. Location: NBC-15 I just wanted to thank everyone who has written me with advice about car-care costs. It sounds like what I paid isn't a rip-off by any means. The place that did the work is reputable in the community, so I expected nothing less. It's always good to check, though! Thanks again, and feel free to disagree with some of the other posts. Posted by: Chris Location: Madison Hi,I am a mechanic and work for carx auto service, in madison i can tell you that when you come in for an oil change you get all those this looked at for free and you dont no that unless something is wrong, As a tech when a car comes in for anything from a head light to a new mototr we check everything over and make sure you are safe to be on the road is a $160.00 to much for that yes thats a little high the most exspenive thing you listed was the cabin air and thats only because some of them are hard to get to thanks and next time stop in at carx ..thanks chris Posted by: Anon I work for a dealership and the prices are about right on with what we charge. The oil change seems a bit high, though. People need to remember the costs of running these shops. The overhead is a lot with salaries, cost of parts and equipment. Not to mention fees for state regulations that we have to comply with. Everything is pricier now. The funny thing is, we're selling a lot of full size trucks and SUV's lately. We do have small cars, including some Hybrids but it seems that people are going for luxury instead of economy which I just don't get. Posted by: Sarah C. Location: NBC-15 I brought my itemized receipt in today because I'm still determined to get the best deal. Please someone tell me if this sounds decent. The following is parts plus labor: Oil change was $30. Rotate tires was $17. Replace air filter was $28. Maintenance inspection (ball joins, brake pads, discs drums, drive shaft boots, exhaust pipes, mountaings, steering gear and linkage, drive belts) was $37. Tighten chassis nuts and bolts was $8. Finally, replace interior cabin filter $53. Comments? Posted by: Kevin Location: Madison It depends. What was the breakdown for cost of any new parts vs. labor (obviously labor was no doubt the bulk of the $160)? Looking at this from another angle, however, I think car maintenance is probably one of the most important things you can spend money on. Even with the economy these days, people still seem to spend money on things they don't need. Keeping your vehicle in good condition, however, is important. Posted by: Mike Location: Madison Sounds kind of pricey to me. depends on age of car, computer diagnostics- which are rarely needed for a "tune up", labor cost/ hr; etc. Some things are user friendly- tire rotation, oil, air filters & require no special tools. I'm confused bout chassis- was the car in an accident? generally the chassis (alignment) only gets checked after an accy. Some places (I know Firestone used to) offer lifetime alignment packages- if your tires ever show uneven wear, they will align the car free ( cost/ parts) a wise invest in pothole country. course you have to plan to keep the car longer than 4 or 5 years too. Sometimes friends can help if you ask- some backyard wrenches are cheap, good, and fun to have over for a burger/ soda/ beer while they tweak the ride! Ask everybody- my sisters know more about cars than most my male friends, cause dad taught them to never depend on salesmen's opinions when quoting repair costs- my sis tunes her own, & knows the parts guys by name! Good luck! Posted by: Anonymous Location: madison Hi Sarah:I guess I would have to say I just don't know for sure without looking at your sales reciept. It just depends on how much work was done, and how long the work took to complete.It seems a bit high I know,however, what I try and do is find one repair shop, and stick with the same one over time. If the prices do not seem to high ,keep returning, because as they get to know you they are less and less likely to take you,or a family member. Take Care. Posted by: John Location: Deere Yikes!!! I do my own maintenance, so I don't know if this is typical. I do know that when I do the work, oil/filter costs about $15, air filter between $10-15, and rotating tires is free. Most of the other "stuff" they check you could do yourself if you knew how. Labor is so expensive on cars, that's why I choose to do most myself. If you have someone (husband, friend, etc) that could help, it would save big $$$$. Good luck!! |
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