Why I don't go to the dealer for repairs

[Bob Landry]

Took my '99 Outback wagon in for an AT flush and fill. The mechanic refused to
do it, citing "internal problems". Duh! that's why I brought it in!

But he did provide the following shopping list:

1. Rebuilt transmission and axle shafts (2) $4140.00 + tax
2. Lof (2) $40 (have no idea what this is)
3. Battery harness & cable end $171.47 + tax (cited "corrosion on the +
terminal"; anyone ever heard of baking soda solution and a stiff brush?)
4. Power steering pump leak $267.70 + tax
5. Brake flush $125.00
6. Fuel injector flush $150.00
7. Valve covers, half moons, plugs and wires $480.00 + tax
8. Fuel filter $75.00 +tax
9. Front cam seals, Oil pump, Water pump and T-stat, Timing belt seals, Timing
belt and tensioner $1107.89 + tax

For a grand total of $6983.27 with tax at 6.5%
No mention of "Shop Materials", but I'm guessing we could round this up to a
nice, even $7200.00
Oh, and there was casual mention by the service writer of "vibration in the
differential", so they'd need to look at that too.

Bob

Just your basic flake, and official Old Fart!
"The missing link between animals and the real human being is
most likely ourselves."
Konrad Lorenz

 

[Yousuf Khan]

Took my '99 Outback wagon in for an AT flush and fill. The mechanic refused to
do it, citing "internal problems". Duh! that's why I brought it in!

So what did you end up doing?

Yousuf Khan

 

[Frank]

Took my '99 Outback wagon in for an AT flush and fill. The mechanic refused to
do it, citing "internal problems". Duh! that's why I brought it in!

But he did provide the following shopping list:

1. Rebuilt transmission and axle shafts (2) $4140.00 + tax
2. Lof (2) $40 (have no idea what this is)
3. Battery harness& cable end $171.47 + tax (cited "corrosion on the +
terminal"; anyone ever heard of baking soda solution and a stiff brush?)
4. Power steering pump leak $267.70 + tax
5. Brake flush $125.00
6. Fuel injector flush $150.00
7. Valve covers, half moons, plugs and wires $480.00 + tax
8. Fuel filter $75.00 +tax
9. Front cam seals, Oil pump, Water pump and T-stat, Timing belt seals, Timing
belt and tensioner $1107.89 + tax

For a grand total of $6983.27 with tax at 6.5%
No mention of "Shop Materials", but I'm guessing we could round this up to a
nice, even $7200.00
Oh, and there was casual mention by the service writer of "vibration in the
differential", so they'd need to look at that too.

Bob

Just your basic flake, and official Old Fart!
"The missing link between animals and the real human being is
most likely ourselves."
Konrad Lorenz

I'm not fond of dealer and try to avoid him using another reliable shop.
Your car is old and way out of warranty but I made an after warranty
claim this year on my '03 Forester and was asked to supply all service
records not retained by Subaru. I had done all my own oil changes, air
filters and other simple stuff and when asked for receipts told them I
did not have them but I did have a log book of stuff I had done with
dates and mileage. They were totally satisfied with this and without
going into detail, I thought that settlement by Subaru of America was
very fair.

 

[Bob Landry]

So what did you end up doing?

Yousuf Khan

Brought the car home, and will take it to an independent mechanic for most of
the stuff, some I will do myself. The AT problem is a delay in dropping into
first gear from being parked. Once in motion, the tranny shifts without delay
and with no signs of slippage. If it ever strands me somewhere, THEN I'll think
about replacing it. Probably with a used one.
What bothers me about this incident is 1) the mechanic didn't do what I
requested, but just came up with this list and 2) I had the exact same timing
belt repair done at an independent shop 2 years ago for less than half what the
dealer wants to charge.
And a tranny flush and fill at nearly the same time, at the dealer, solved the
tranny hesitation for nearly 2 years. I think it's a valve or some other small
part that is sticking.

Bob

Just your basic flake, and official Old Fart!
"The missing link between animals and the real human being is
most likely ourselves."
Konrad Lorenz

 

[Gilbert Smith]

I'm not fond of dealer and try to avoid him using another reliable shop.
Your car is old and way out of warranty but I made an after warranty
claim this year on my '03 Forester and was asked to supply all service
records not retained by Subaru. I had done all my own oil changes, air
filters and other simple stuff and when asked for receipts told them I
did not have them but I did have a log book of stuff I had done with
dates and mileage. They were totally satisfied with this and without
going into detail, I thought that settlement by Subaru of America was
very fair.

You are very lucky, the UK importer will not lift a finger.
My Forester auto front diff packed up at 20k miles / 3 years old and
they just said 'tough'.

 

[Frank]

You are very lucky, the UK importer will not lift a finger.
My Forester auto front diff packed up at 20k miles / 3 years old and
they just said 'tough'.

Warranty there must be different than US. We get 3 years or 36 k miles
bumper to bumper and 5 years or 60 k miles for drive train. I had a '98
Forester where dealer replaced leaky boot and joint under warranty one
month before it expired.

My problem was past the warranty period but my '03 only had 40 k miles
so I brought it to Subaru's attention. Got no response or help from
dealer but a call to Subaru of America ended up getting nearly a third
of my repair bill refunded. Sometimes you have to keep pushing and try
all avenues.

I had a flat tire from a nail Sunday on a 1 year old tire and since
dealer was closed, I went to a shop that was open for repair. The
warranty company would not refund cost of repair since I was within 10
miles of the dealer that sold me the tires. I called the dealer and
he's sending me a full reimbursement for the repair. Persistence pays.

 

[Hachiroku]

Took my '99 Outback wagon in for an AT flush and fill. The mechanic refused to
do it, citing "internal problems". Duh! that's why I brought it in!

But he did provide the following shopping list:

1. Rebuilt transmission and axle shafts (2) $4140.00 + tax
2. Lof (2) $40 (have no idea what this is)

Lube, Oil, Filter

 

[Nobody > (Revisited)]

I had a flat tire from a nail Sunday on a 1 year old tire and since
dealer was closed, I went to a shop that was open for repair. The
warranty company would not refund cost of repair since I was within 10
miles of the dealer that sold me the tires. I called the dealer and
he's sending me a full reimbursement for the repair. Persistence pays.

It must have been your luck to use the only cheap-assed tire shop for
miles that charges for fixing minor nail (or such) flats.

I haven't paid for a minor flat repair in over 40 years.



--
"Shit this is it, all the pieces do fit.
We're like that crazy old man jumping
out of the alleyway with a baseball bat,
saying, "Remember me motherfucker?"
Jim “Dandy” Mangrum

 

[Frank]

It must have been your luck to use the only cheap-assed tire shop for
miles that charges for fixing minor nail (or such) flats.

I haven't paid for a minor flat repair in over 40 years.

Where do you live that people do repairs for free?

 

[Ben Jammin]

Where do you live that people do repairs for free?

Our local Discount Tire store (discounttire.com) has always repaired
the tires I bought there for free. I've put over 500,000 miles on tires
purchased there for various vehicles, mostly Subarus. Highly
recommended!

 

[Frank]

Our local Discount Tire store (discounttire.com) has always repaired the
tires I bought there for free. I've put over 500,000 miles on tires
purchased there for various vehicles, mostly Subarus. Highly recommended!

That's not free if you bought them there. I'd consider it part of the
purchase price.

Mine would have been "free" too if shop was open on Sunday.
Because it is a Subaru and if one tire goes you may have to replace the
others or shave a new one down to match, I bought extended warranty for
4 years.

Whole point of my response to op is sometimes you have to push further
to get satisfaction.

 

[Big Jim]

Can't blame him for trying- you'd be the sucker to pay that much to
fix a car that old. Trade the car in and get a new one

 

[clare]

It must have been your luck to use the only cheap-assed tire shop for
miles that charges for fixing minor nail (or such) flats.

I haven't paid for a minor flat repair in over 40 years.

Where do you live?
ALL tire shops around here charge for tire repairs - and a proper tire
repair is about $15. That's not just a peice of string dipped in
bat-shit and stuffed into the hole.

 

[clare]

Our local Discount Tire store (discounttire.com) has always repaired
the tires I bought there for free. I've put over 500,000 miles on tires
purchased there for various vehicles, mostly Subarus. Highly
recommended!

BOUGHT THERE is the secret. They give you a "road hazard guarantee".
Take it to any other shop, and you are paying. Take an "orphan" tire
there, and you are paying.

 

[clare]

Can't blame him for trying- you'd be the sucker to pay that much to
fix a car that old. Trade the car in and get a new one

Or fix what REALLY needs fixing for about $500 and drive it another 3
years.

 

[Nobody > (Revisited)]

Or fix what REALLY needs fixing for about $500 and drive it another 3
years.

1. Rebuilt transmission and axle shafts (2) $4140.00 + tax

I have the same symptom in my 00. A can of Seafoam Transadditive for $8
every 2 months will never come close to that.
--
"Shit this is it, all the pieces do fit.
We're like that crazy old man jumping
out of the alleyway with a baseball bat,
saying, "Remember me motherfucker?"
Jim “Dandy†Mangrum

 

[Nobody > (Revisited)]

Where do you live that people do repairs for free?

Montana then Washington State, but have had free minor flat fixes in ND,
SD, WY, OR, ID, NV, and NorCal. I had one in FLA on a rental car that
was charged, but to the rental company not me.

But: remember I said 'minor", as in nails and such with little damage.
That's something a good tire-whacker can do in 5 minutes or less,
especially if you rolled in the loose tire and rim.

It's just good PR. They hope you'll come back when you need a set of tires.

And it's not saying I expected/demanded it either. I always try to bring
in something to leave as "thanks. Half-rack of beer, box of donuts...and
then when I TRY to pay and they refuse, I figure some way to leave it in
plain sight with a thankyou note.




--
"Shit this is it, all the pieces do fit.
We're like that crazy old man jumping
out of the alleyway with a baseball bat,
saying, "Remember me motherfucker?"
Jim “Dandy” Mangrum

 

[Nobody > (Revisited)]

BOUGHT THERE is the secret. They give you a "road hazard guarantee".
Take it to any other shop, and you are paying. Take an "orphan" tire
there, and you are paying.

Depends on the shop. I've been lucky? The ones I've dealt with without
a R/H or previous sale always did it as PR, hoping for your next sale.


--
"Shit this is it, all the pieces do fit.
We're like that crazy old man jumping
out of the alleyway with a baseball bat,
saying, "Remember me motherfucker?"
Jim “Dandy” Mangrum

 

[Bob Landry]

And THAT's the plan! I'm retiring in about a month, don't need a new (or used)
car payment. (Plus, I've still got the '85 Saab 900 turbo that is still running
strong at 325K miles, and the Yamaha 500cc scooter for warm weather.)

Or fix what REALLY needs fixing for about $500 and drive it another 3
years.

Bob

Just your basic flake, and official Old Fart!
"The missing link between animals and the real human being is
most likely ourselves."
Konrad Lorenz

 

[Frank]

 Where do you live?
ALL tire shops around here charge for tire repairs - and a proper tire
repair is about $15. That's not just a peice of string dipped in
bat-shit and stuffed into the hole.

Hate to tell you, but NTW charged me $27.50. They don't just plug but
go inside tire. Warranty would have only given me $20 and was refused
but, as I said, shop that sold me the tires will reimburse all.
Old Nissan tire I had was leaking and had a recall so I asked them to
look at the tire. Dealer said he found nothing. It kept up so I took
it to a tire dealer that found a nail and made repair. I mentioned
this to a Ford dealer shop supervisor and he said they probably
disregarded my request at the Nissan dealership as they could not make
much money from tire repair.

I'd like to find the government guy that proclaims US inflation rate
is only about 2% and kick him in the ass.