Edmunds.com | Inside Line | Auto Observer Your Account | Help | Directory
You are here:
![[F]](http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com/media/townhall/webxicons/site.gif){kind=small}
Forums
Maintenance & Repair Dealer vs. independent shop?
294 messages, Last post on Feb 12, 2008 at 5:09 PM
You are in the Maintenance & Repair Forum. Your Host is mr_shiftright
|
|
|---|---|
|
Replying to: explorerx4 (Sep 06, 2006 6:19 pm)
|
|
| I relocated to southern california about a year and a half ago ...i have a 2001 suzuki esteem....the nearest suzuki dealership is a 45 min drive away...not convenient...a friend recommended bill's quality auto care in simi valley..they do great work..prices are fair...and they know how to work on a suzuki. (they even offer shuttle service). | |
|
Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (Sep 07, 2006 6:49 am) In that case, you just have to find a shop that makes up hydraulic hoses for heavy equipment and have them fit a new hose to your existing fittings. That's what most of the folks on the ///M Register do.
|
|
|
|
|
Replying to: div2 (Sep 08, 2006 8:38 am) They'll make power steering hoses for you but not brake lines. So I always tell them that any hose they make for me is "hydraulic" but not for braking. They wink, I wink, job done. |
|
|
Aloha, I'm disparate/puzzled or just plain confuse! I use the dealer for maintenance service always! They service oil/lub job battery, whatever is wrong if any, I've always used the dealership,you figure they know their cars; well for over the past 4 years and at 60,000 miles I have a multitude of probles! The dealer gives me this 21 point Silver package maintenance service special(performed every 4-8 months,which also include roadside & tire hazard protection!) Whoopie.... It includes: 5-1234516-Oil-10W30Q; 1-25010792 Oil Fltr; 1-110W Oil Addative for the engine and 1-203 Fuel Additive at the cost of $150.00 on June 29,2006. My car is a 2002 Pontiac Sunfire,4 door sedan, 4cyl eng...To make a long story short as possible; On 23 Aug, I filled my tank with gas,had a safety inspection, had it cleaned. I drove approximately 2 miles from the car wash then all the dashboard lights came on to my surprise; then they went off; No smoke,fire,file odors,nothing from under the hood,or out of the exhaust pipe so I continued on my way,(mine you I'm on the freeway) mainland call them highway! Then approximately 5 miles down the road all the dashboard lights came back on however this time my car cut off, the steering mechanism locked, the brakes locked and I was coming off of an exit going down hill. Praise God nothing was in front of me as I rolled downward into the main street, and nothing was coming up the main road! I tussled with the steering wheel to get the car on the side of the road. I waited a few minutes, turned the car on and it came on then cutoff. I waited again, this time for about 10 minutes, the car turn on, the dashboard lights was clear, so I drove off into the main street, two light up the street the car died and three angels came to my rescue... they push me into a parking lot, I called my insurance to have my car towed to the dealership; While waiting for the tow truck, something told me to pop the hood and check the oil gage... did, the oil was clean, but not to the full point on the dip stick which surprise me again. I remember noticing when the dashboard lights came on, the temperature gauge went from 225 to 260 then dropped to zero then back to 225 while I was driving until it locked on me getting off the exist. At the dealership, the customer service rep, said you have to pay $105 to put the car on the diagnostic machine, so we can fine the problem. Ok, of course I did, then the very next day, the rep called and said the Ignition Control Module went out and have to be replace, however, it's under 8 year manufacturer warranty, therefore, you meaning me wouldn't have to pay anything! YEAH,(my warranty expired 25 May 06, couldn't get extended coverage at the time of purchase/contract was offered 3 years or 36,000 miles that's it). Then on Monday, the customer service rep called and advised me that the modular was in, but they checked and the spark plugs needed to be replaced at the tune of $713 plus tax; I agreed for them to fix it; Then the next day, she called and said the fuel pump needed to be replaced at the tune of $611 again I said go head, however I asked why wasn't this detected on the diagnostic machine; she couldn't answer me! I also added please inform your mechanic to get it right, don't call me with more or additional problems with my car; The next day the supervisor called me and said we did a another check and found the cylinder head gasket, either has a cracked or you've blown a head gasket, estimated cost $1,112.00; do they have permission to remove it and send out to another company to check the problem, Price to agreeing to have this done; Well after they removed the cylinder their telling me I have a hairline crack in the engine wall where the cylinder goes inside,they can't repair it. I would have to buy a new one at the tune of $5500. or they can fix the head gasket at the tune of $2000. or I can have the car towed and pay $500. for what was worked on as far as the cylinder casket, I don't have to make a decision right now; Well by then, I had a splitting headache that wouldn't go away; I couldn't understand how all this could happen without any indication of a problem with my car.... Oh yeah, they told me that GM would pay the previous cost of $1,400 for the spark plugs and fuel pump, but they wouldn't pay for the gasket if that was the problem. I called a friend prior to giving them permission to take the gasket out of the engine for inspection, my friend told me to check the oil and if it look like chocolate milk shake then water got into the oil, probably from the radiator... I'm still puzzled, how can this possibly happen and the dealership is the only people who check the fluids and everything under the hood of my car and this goes unnotice.Yes I do realize car's have problems after a period of time, but all at once???? Can someone enlighten me....I think they forgot to do something when they performed there 21 point check, and then my car died 8 weeks later which caused a blown head gasket and who knows the engine could've had a hairline cracked when I bought it or due to all that was going on with the dashboard lights, the car over headed,the engine froze, and now I have multi problems! This is not my first car, it's my third new car from GM, with a balance of $8,000 and my fifth car since I've been driving over 30 years. I have never experience anything like this in all my years of driving! :sick,  HELP! HAVE YOU? *^_^*
|
|
|
$713 for sparkplugs?!!!! You are being fleeced. Sunfires aren't greatest cars, but you shouldn't have these kinds of problems. If the engine problems are real and not just these guys taking you for a ride, then you should just get rid of the car. You're throwing money away trying to keep it on the road. |
|
| You are paying Ferrari 348 prices for simple repairs on a four year old GM subcompact. The dealer is ripping you off terribly. | |
|
|
Somebody is messing with us?
|
|
|
This particular sub board is hardly a buzzing with activity. Why post something like that here? I've seen enough stories on things like Dateline that show shops of all kinds ripping off little old ladies. Car pulls to the right? Don't check tire pressure, get new tie rods, struts and tires. It's the only way to be sure. |
|
|
Replying to: isellhondas (Sep 16, 2006 9:39 am) Perhaps someone from a higher elevation??? 
|
|
You are here:
Forums
Maintenance & Repair Dealer vs. independent shop?
New? Join Now!
Forum Tools
Search Forums
Browse by Vehicle
Browse by Board
Browse by Topic
Today's Chats
