Did My Mechanic Rip Me Off?

x2...that's why I jacked up a tie rod end and took it to Midas to finish the job. I was 90% done, only to have to put it all back together and limp to the shop.

 

It doesn't matter how long it actually takes, any shop that I know of charges the estimated repair time listed in the dealer book. If it takes a lot less time (usually the case if you are familiar with the work) they still charge for the estimated repair time. If it takes more time than the estimated, they still charge you the same.

 

And if you are doing business in a place like HI, CA, NY, NJ, etc., we haven't even taken in to account taxes, regulations, state mandates, taxes, regulations, state and federal mandates, taxes and a couple of more taxes.

 

Shoulda bought the shocks yourself online,put the rears on yourself(a caveman could do it),have a shop or the Stealer do the front coilovers and Alignment cost about maybe $200-250 for that,plus cost of shocks

 

We should have someone get a written quote from there local stealer - mine charged Toyota more than $300 for an alignment.

 

the dealer by me 124.95
i do them for 79.95

 

Not too bad. If the work was from a shop you trust that stands behind the work it is a fair price. Don't forget mechanics and shop owners like to eat and provide for their families.

Or any of the other rust belt states.

 

Here is another example of doing as a private guy or a licensed guy:

Change your from your front door?

$500 or $2,000?

 

Thank you Chris. Now think of what your free labor and time would be worth on the open market!!!

 

that $300 that was just for the alignment?

 

Thats a Cali price $100 for the Alignment plus $200 for Tax

 

Yes thats about right,when I had the stealership install my new fronts and align Im almost sure the hustlers didnt do an Align.,I didnt like the the way it handled afterwards so I took it to a STS where I bought my tires I get a free Alignment Check per year and the numbers were way out of spec. according to the printout sheet from them the Stealer never gave me a Before and After printout(my fault for not asking too I didnt know thoght I could trust them) took it back to the stealer and showed him STSs sheet he told me he did the Align about a month ago and anything couldve happened to the Alignment in that time NOT! Ill never do business at that stealer again although its the Alignment Tech. who "F"ed me not the stealer though he lied said he did it and that I questioned his honesty Let the Buyer Beware

 

Yeah baby - nothing else - other than a drink from the latte machine and a small bag-o-popcorn from the machine in the lobby - but they weren't part of the service ticket!

Are you forgetting the waste disposal 'fee' for the pair of gloves worn by the tech? The waste disposal fee for the 6 shop rags (disposable type)? The Cal Osha audit fee? The ... fee... ?

 

NO , your mechanic did NOT rip you off ..

At the going rate of $75@ hr thats a little over 3.3 hours.....who the hell thinks they can do all 4 corners in under that with rusted parts like yours is dreaming....

My guys used to get paid from the minute they sat in the seat until they backed it out AND test drove it.....now ad all the time in between,put it up on the rack, R&R wheels ,remove old parts ( bust open a knuckle or 2 ), go to the counter and gather up NEW parts ( hopefully someone remembered everything in the parts list) now installation can begin.finish,test drive....bill customer....

Those that try to skip a thing or two usually became my best recovery customers,1st pulling your a$$ out of somewhere by the HOUR, then towing your "15 minute saved" to our shop to FIX by the hour that "oh shit" "15 minute saved" eventually finds it way to us anyway..

 

True and $75 an hour is cheap, idk about the mainland but in Hawaii the going rate for an indy shop is about $105 an hour labor, dealers are more like $125+!

 

And for skilled guys - that can be the best bargain in town. You know how many dealer installed fcuk ups I have had installed in high line cars!!! Fcuking dealers can have great techs and they can have shitty techs. For my money, if I were not to do my own work, good indies have my money!!!

 

You can always look up the flat rate labor yourself. Pretty sure the factory service manual has the time listed. There are links on here. Or you could ask the shop to show you. Really straight forward I think. They have their rate multiplied times the standard flat rate time that everyone uses. You can also call NAPA or whoever and price the parts yourself. Chances are pretty good that you will pay the same over the counter that you paid at the shop. The shops get a decent discount most of the time when they buy their parts.

As far as needing replacement, I think from the pictures and the mileage you stated that they probably were due. What was your complaint to the shop? That would be my question.

I do appliance repair for a living. Our customers have a really hard time understanding our flat rate charges. Basic flat rate labor including service call now is 149 bucks. All they see is the 15mins it takes to change the failed part. They do not consider the fact that I came to their location with the necessary part in stock in my truck. They forget that trucks run on gas and require repair, maintenance, and insurance. We need liability insurance in case they sue us for damage to their house that we may or may not have caused. They frequently tell me that they could have just done it themselves. That may be true, but unless they are really hard up for cash, it is likely worth it to pay me instead. What takes me 15 mins would likely take them several hours to diagnose, chase down parts, replace parts, etc. Cars are not that much different. I can fix them, but I would rather have my Saturday to do things I enjoy. The wrenches stay in the toolbox most of the time, unless finances motivate me to do my own work.

 

Suspension work is what I did the most & daily when I worked at my buddy's shop. I too would say $250 is pretty steep. Most cars take about 1-1.5 hrs. The rear on a tacoma is child's play, to do the whole truck would be like 45mins if even that. I would've charge $100 to do it.

However.....

I totally agree, looking at those shocks, chances are every bolt may not have came out with ease. I worked on a Civic that came from up north. Everything was rusted. The rear shock bolts & lower arm bolts were siezed. Even torching it didn't do anything. We ended up having to cut the lower arms off.