THIS is How Some Car Dealerships Get a BAD REPUTATION and They Deserve it!
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- čas přidán 19. 12. 2023
- A Car Technician Shares How Car Dealership's service departments are getting really crafty with overcharging their customers.
BE AWARE of what's going on in the Automotive industry these days folks. Here's a clear example of way overcharging for parts at dealerships and this is not the first time I see this.
Hope this video helps someone out there
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It’s why we call them stealerships. They’ve lost our respect. They have no honor.
They prey on old ladies.
It is all about profit margin. If dealerships use MSRP (Toyota's "suggested" retail price), the margin is probably around 30% for parts. In AMD's comparison, the recalculated gross margin is over 130%. Toyota should be doing something about this, but they won't. Pretty disgusting what the rape and pillaging has become. The alternative? Do it yourself, IF you have the equipment and skill. The other thing that bugs people are environmental fees that are charged. Actually double-charged and over-charged.
It's all about Greed
I agree, but I am also a huge Toyota fan. That said I kind of want nothing to do with them when it comes to my vintage Toyotas because I know decent mechanics in my area will do the job for much less and not hassle me. Even more so I honestly don't trust them to even know wtf my cars are or how to work on them. I mean when I drive my 88' Supra into the local Toyota Dealer, the young dudes there don't even know what the hell it is.
Especially when a woman goes in for oil change... I have witnessed this myself, they try to scare them, make it sound like the car will explode.
My son was charged $200 for an oil & filter change at a local Toyota dealership. He drives a 2014 Toyota Camry! We are doing our own oil changes moving forward!
Please buy high quality floor jack and jack stands. If you use ramps please secure the tire with wheel chocks. Harbor Freight its a great start. They have those low profile. Works so nice. They have a $180 one that is a beast. Your life doesn’t have a price.
Jesus Christ that’s an overkill price.
The highest one I did was not even close to urs at $86 bucks.
A DIY oil change saves u tons of money from rip-off’s dealership.
@@junboo8730 Or, alternatively, a decent pair of car ramps. That's what I use
$200 for an oil change................that is GOOD $ that could have been used at the strip club!!
For my wife's Camry (180k miles) and my Tacoma (155K miles), I bought for $3.99 on Amazon 25-PCS (.16 a piece) Oil Drain Plug Gasket Washer- Aluminum M12 Crush Washers. I go to the dealer and usually buy at least 3 filters per vehicle to save trips $6. a piece.
I use Kirkland Signature 0W-20 Full Synthetic Motor Oil 5-quart, 2-pack $40.00 Each vehicle oil change is $26. Project Farm did a comparison video and the conclusion is Kirkland is a good oil. I change the oil around every 5k. I like clean oil.
I can honestly vouch for this. I use to work for a high end german brand dealer. We were required to sell, sell, sell, even when customers came in for maintenance that was already covered by the manufacturer, meaning we had to push alignment, fuel cleaning service, etc, etc.
if we didn’t, you could get written up, or, better yet, the angry customer feels pushed on and they give you a NEGATIVE SURVEY! Then that goes to management and then we get grilled why we angered the customer.
Dealer service centers are not there to help. Us “service advisors” can’t even do our job to honestly help a customer now days. Toxic environment!!!!
same here .
our service manager would just say " they're not buying a product , they're buying a brand " like that justified the scam.
joe public sees car / servicing prices and assumes the technicians are pulling in truckloads of pay .
wrong . they're paid literally peanuts . and they're the kingpins - the ones who keep the cars running ...
the techs HAVE to rush through so many jobs a month to make "bonus", to JUST meet their monthly commitments.
once they have met that target ? ? that same target gets raised . what does that do to mindset ? ? Donkey / Carrot .
GREED is worming its hideous ways into soooo many walks of life - where does it end ?
We're all struggling . Or living on Credit . Either way has no long term future, sadly .
Happy New Year to anybody reading this . Make the Best of Family Time - even when it's driving you up the wall .
(you know what the true cause of your stress is ) . Because , when all is said and done , that's ALL we really have .
Treasure it .
Dealerships are no bueno… they should employ necessary people only mechanics and customer service get rid of over priced management
@itzryyster I was a svc mgr at a GM dealer in NJ for 8 yrs. Was fired for refusing to rip off our customers.
And yes. The survey's are the very worst thing industries invented. People generally bury you because their refrigerator failed at home or the kid came home with an F. Usually things not associated with the car repair.
That was the trend in our store because our service team DID NOT rip people off.
Best to You and Yours, and good luck !
I have been saying this for 30 years!!! You are my kind of guy. I’ve been an auto repair facility owner for 45 years and I constantly (and now more than ever) say that dealerships are out of control.
So good business practice for you, I'm the same.
On top of this they are trying to take away your ability to repair your cars as they force the world to move to EV's. Criminal.
I firmly believe in giving credit where it's due, if dealerships are advertising outrageous prices and unprofessional service, people need to call them out includng on Google Maps, Yelp, etc.
The dealership was honest about what they were actually using
Yes, and they were *honestly* a huge rip off and unprofessional.
@@johnh8705 Not true 🤔 we don't know if they used what's on the paper 🤷
@@PkoiCetrBeLoud good point!
They could be using conventional for all we know.
There’s no regulation that penalizes them for cutting corners.
It’s like getting watered down whiskey at the bar.
My wife's Toyota dealership quoted $870 to replace a front end link (written estimate) on her 2015 Rav 4. I bought 2 end links for ~$100 and replaced both in under 30 minutes. I complained to Toyota USA, and they responded "dealerships are allowed to set their own prices".
They're called "Stealerships" for a reason lol.
I would tell Toyota USA "I will no longer buy your cars !!!
Toyota USA would say fine go buy a Ford and enjoy all the repair bills because Ford does the exact same thing the Dealerships all of them set their own prices. It is up to you to shop around.@@stephen8623
@@stephen8623 It's not a Toyota thing, they are all starting to do it. Not every dealership, but it is growing.
Hopefully you didn’t buy aftermarket end links. They don’t last. Toyota ones are really expensive, but they are really good.
I just had a 30,000 service at my local Lexus dealer that was included with my CPO purchase. For comparison, the filter was $5.97, gasket $1.16, oil $6.75. Thanks for the video. I have learned so much following your channel.
I just did a 40k mile service at the Lexus dealer. I bought my car new, service is $350 for oil, filter change and cabin air filter for a 21 ES 350…
@@baoanprounited nice
@@baoanprounitedcould’ve done all that for less than 100 bucks. Its 350 it has that ancient engine which has none of the fancy things cars nowadays come with
@Elmamaguebo16 Not less than $100 but I get the point.
@@malcolminthemiddle8777 5 quarts of oil is like 40 bucks the filter not more than 20.
Years ago I took a 1984 Toyota pickup to the Toyota dealer in Brewer Maine for a tuneup. When the service writer was writing up the work order he would ask me if I wanted a particular thing done and then make a check in the appropriate box. One of the questions he asked was "Would you like us to check for loose screws and bolts?" Thinking he was joking I laughingly asked, "What's the charge for that?" His answer? "Twenty seven dollars." To which I responded, "You are going to check all the screws and bolts on this truck for only twenty seven dollars?" Without making a check mark he moved on to the next item on his list… When I got home I asked my wife if she would have okayed the "Check screws and bolts for tightness" option and she said, "Of course I don't want any loose screws and bolts on my car!" I never went back to that dealer again…and that's the solution to the crooked dealer problem…don't go back! Problemo solved!
This reinforces my long standing policy to never use a dealer for any service except recalls. I guess ever since they got away with charging $499 for nitrogen in your tires they figure you’re too stupid to realize you are getting hosed.
Exactly!!! Nitrogen filled tires always makes me laugh. 78% of AIR is nitrogen ... 78% !!!! That leaves 21% oxygen and 1% "other" ... just what is swapping that for 22% more nitrogen supposed to do what? ... oh, increase profits. LoL!!! Thanks for the laugh
Although in many cases I wouldn't go to dealerships for repairs, I've found that a local Honda dealership will do some repairs cheaper than some independent repair shops, such as an AC clutch I paid $800 for a shop to do, which the dealership would have done for a few hundred dollars less.
Agreed. The last time I was at a stealership for a major recall on a Subaru, they tried to sell me all sorts of things and said my engine warranty was void because the oil changes had not been done at the stealership. As evidence, they took a picture of the Subaru oil filter and attached it to the service record. Problem: I bought a case of Subaru oil and filters and did my own oil changes. Why? should there be a problem, the first thing they do to deny the claim because the parts used weren't OEM. I kept the receipts and log the oil changes in the owner's manual. Kinda backfires on them because their picture proof of the correct OEM parts were used.
I take advantage of their oil change specials. $30-$50 and I just decline all other services. But be careful, they will tell you after "That's for 4 quarters of oil, but your vehicle takes 6 quarters" so suddenly it's $70. Or "that coupon is for conventional oil and yours takes synthetic only" and now the $30 oil change is $100+.
@@OnlyMeee-gb5vv My last Toyota was a ‘17 Camry. I got tired of their bullshit pricing tactics, so I went down the street to the local Mazda dealer and special-ordered from the factory a made-in-Japan a CX-5. No market adjustments, no add-ons, no bullcrap. Actually got the car for $300 below MSRP. Screw Toyota.
AMD, Thanks for this public service message. You always put our interests first and we appreciate it. For their own long-term corporate interests, we can only hope some day somebody at Toyota USA or Toyota Motor Corporation starts bringing law and order to dealerships displaying the TOYOTA banner. 🤨
No sólo es en Toyota (creo es el más "racional" y confiable de todos los Servicios de Post Venta) sino que TODOS los concesionarios siguen la misma práctica. Lo digo como ex-mecánico de Taller de Concesionario de 3 marcas muy conocidas acá, que comienzan con F. otra con V y otra con Ch.
Bro just say Ahmed, that’s his name
@@flamingkillermc2806 When we correspond, I always call him Ahmed. On CZcams he uses the initials AMD so that's what I put in the comments section. 😉
Problem is the person that runs it wants all the money and the hell with anyone else😂
The excuse I was told that you have to pay the person in Parts that says "we need this part" then pay the person who ORDERS the part. When the part comes in you have to pay the person who STOCKS the part. and then when the part is needed you have to pay the person picking the part for the tech...Uff what bullshit...
Something I tell all young people starting out, there will always be work for an honest mechanic. No need to lie or cheat or steal. Your customers will come back again and again and again and they’ll recommend you to everyone they know. After watching and enjoying many of your videos I see you as that honest mechanic. Where’s your shop?? Another little nugget I like to share with young people is that “Trust is earned by the drop and lost by the bucket”. Truer words were never spoken. 😊
A local mechanic in the UK left a dealership and set up in a small industrial unit, he now has a business bigger than all the main dealerships in the area! People go to them because they don't scam and they do the work they charge for.
The manufacturer must definitely get involved as this will ruin a reputation. I accidently discovered this very practice with my local Acura dealership. As a long time loyal customer I was shocked. I called them out on it and the parts person said these are our prices now. So now I go to a different dealership (after I checked there pricing).
Good on yah mate!
The dealership decided to charge $149.95 for all oil changes as standard policy, so they simply fiddled with the line item prices to get that result.
That's a good idea
@@MrMagichobo21 I was thinking gravity is free so where do they get off with $149.95? I like doing it myself, so I can see the CV boots, trans fluid, battery terminals. And dodge that $6.00 'oil recycling fee'. lol. No thanks.
If you have that going on in the parts dept, can you just imagine the shenanigans going on in the Finance office and Sales floor? Great video as usual!
Those shenanigans have been going on for decades. The lowest of the low is a car salesman.
"The lowest of the low is a car salesman"
Heh. No. The finance guys are lower.
Nope. It is lawyers and then car sales.@@davidgagnon2849
This is why I like what Tesla is doing. They're selling directly to the customer. I mean yeah they have their own shady things too but I respect them for not wanting to include 3rd party dealers as part of their new cars
This is old news ,its been this way for decades in all departments
I try to stay away from dealerships much as possible, not too long ago, went to my local Hyundai dealer here in PSL FL to buy some OEM oil filters, once arrived homd noticed that they charged me $5 for each crush washer, I felt robbed on the spot. These dealerships deserve the bad reputation. Thank you brother all you do I'm glad you are exposing this stuff.
I work for a toyota dealership in Dublin, OH. They only use genuine toyota parts, they only go aftermarket as a last resort. After they have checked with other dealers and sources in the area, and exhausted every option then they will go aftermarket. And each estimate is itemized line by line and the service writers will go over it with the customer before any decisions are made. Some people think this is time consuming and annoying, but my manager says "this the way we've done it before and people keep coming back."
Man I wish my local Toyota dealership was like this! They do the hand written quote and when I ask for more information they get annoyed with me. They also know by now that I check their website and compare to ask for a price match. If they aren’t willing to do so, then I just order it myself. I generally just order the parts from their website and take them to my local mechanic anyway. I literally can’t believe the prices of my local Toyota dealership for anything service related anymore. I think they are confused and think they are Lexus now 🤦♀️😂. I only take my vehicles to the dealership if it’s a repair my local mechanic can’t do, such as when my Sienna automatic door broke.
@coston1986 Wow, I'm very sorry to hear that, my friend. It's your vehicle and if you have questions you have every right to ask them.
This is why I am so glad I am my own mechanic. I got fed up with the BS I was “required” to do when I worked at my local dealerships. I was told to recommend brakes at 90% wear or less, and oil pans were always leaking/seeping struts always needed replacing on anything over 10k miles. I refused to upsell things that were not needed.
You and me both. I was a certified auto tech at a local Chrysler dealer for 20 yrs. Was told by management that i needed to upsell every workorder by 80 % no matter what it came in for. Saw many junior mechanics tow the line and upsell brakes/suspension that were not needed. Butted heads with management to many times so I retired early cause I just could no longer accept the B.S. from dealers in good consciousness. All us mechs junior or not got thrown under the bus by the dealer principle every time there was an issue. It was always the mechanic's fault whether that was over or under selling. Loving my retirement gift of a '22 Toyota 4Runner where I'm the only one who touches it. Actually happy to be retired and away from the B.S.
@@redwoodforest3572 my cousing was told the same thing by his service manager at a small town Chevrolet dealership he worked for 25+ years ago. I can't recall what the name of the stealership was but it doesn't matter anymore. The owner died and the heirs shut it down and sold the lot and building. The building was demolished and now sits a Burger King and KFC on the lot. LOL!
How about “recommended services “. Power steering flush? Brake fluid flush? Supposedly, Honda kinda started this crap because in the early 90’s their service departments were ghost towns because stuff wasn’t breaking! Recommended services keeps their shops busy.
@@GaryKroeger-wz3tx If the vehicle truly needed the service I had no issue recommending it. We were told to make any little thing seem like a major issue that could threaten the safety of the vehicle. This was pretty much standard fare for the Toyota, Ford, and to a slightly lesser extent the GMC dealership I worked at. All these dealers were in the same area of town so…. After dealing with that for 5 or so years, I left dealerships behind and went to independent shops and found the work far more enjoyable. Today I will only bring my vehicle into a dealership shop for warranty work, I handle everything else myself.
Oil change prices went up drastically in my area 2 years ago; it was about $130 for an oil change for a Sienna, not even full synthetic. At that point I said no more. Bought all tools to do it myself. Doing 5 oil changes myself paid for all tools. I actually enjoy doing the oil changes for our two cars. I use full synthetic and I know it was done correctly.
You can rent those tools too if you don't want to buy them. Autozone has a nice tool option.
Agree! Sometimes (dependent on person's life of course) people just don't have the time to do it. My opinion, sometimes a good "middle-ground" approach is to procure the materials yourself and then ask a mechanic/dealer to only do the labor. Even then, I am in complete agreement that it's enjoyable (subjective) to DIY and also that (not-subjective) you know the job was done correctly.
70 retired lineman diyer. Do all repairs and maintenance myself for familia vehicles only.
@@efil4kizum In BC, the going price is about that much for a van, I think...
A few months ago, I hurt my back, went to a dealer for oil change - I was quoted $110 for a small hatchback!
I can do my own oil changes myself, but it's like $50-60 at my mechanic. I just have them deal with it. I cannot imagine $130 for that work, that's completely insane.
This is why I love watching your channel and always willing to support you. You keep it upfront and honest and hate bs like dealerships over charging
Gotta say I love your channel. The information and knowledge you provide is very useful. I only wish I lived closer to be able to take my toyotas to you to service.
So refreshing to watch - an honest, highly skilled and fair minded master technician telling the truth. Well done!
Thanks AMD. This is the issue with Toyota these days. They have a great product, but the dealership ruins the rest of the experience from purchasing to service. Thanks for sharing the message.
Exactly!
Bro just say Ahmed, that’s his name
Most consumers don't realize that Toyota the manufacturer is a completely separate entity from the 1,000s of "Toyota" dealerships that sell and supposedly service their products, which are independent businesses. The latter literally just takes on the Toyota (or Lexus) name as part of their business name and pretends that they also espouse Toyota's standards, culture and ethics--MOST DO NOT. For example, I cannot count the number of times those dealership's service departments have messed up a simple oil change for me.
Toyota doesnt offer water as a courtesy...
Toyota got sued for pushing services you did not have to have. They are having to pay millions back to the customers.
Wow, God bless you brother. The world would be a better place with more honest mechanics like you. You are awesome and I love to hear all of your videos. Please continue with your ministry of helping others.
Thank you my friend! You are the sanest person in the automotive world. Please keep us informed about these unscrupulous acts being done by certain dealerships!
5 quart jug of Valvoline 0w-20 costs at Walmart 26.97. At Lexus site the gasket is 1.06 and oil filter 5.25. If you include dealer labor price 40$, it should have cost the customer 73.28 which is 2 times less. So dealer profit margin is 100%. Great business :)
The 6 quart cardboard box is a better deal....check it out
dealer has plenty of overhead and tax liabilities, resulting in less than 100% profit. But they make plenty and their overhead is costly so avoid dealers when possible.
@@glennhansel9411the labor cost takes into account the overhead. Why do you think a dealership mechanic charges $150/hr? They barely get like $40/hr out of that $150
The lexus dealer will Valet you car, wash it, and have a luxurious waiting room. You don't have to deal with dirty oil. It is worth it to their customers.
@@efil4kizum yeah it's like getting a free quart down here in middle Georgia by getting bulk box. It's good oil....
This is now happening in regular shops too. You even got mechanics on YT defending this kind of crazy markup percentage. When if this happened anywhere else, with any other group of items we would be calling it "scalping".
whatever you do for a living do it for less money , not more, that's common sense. Glad everyone in the comments is going to start working for less now. Such good people. Can't wait for the cost of everything to match. Soon by all of us charging less for our work we will be able to afford more. Brilliant.
No, it's referred to as inflation. Compliments of bejing biyden.
@ starguy9 What mechanics charge for their labor is one thing. If they want to charge more for their labor and the market will bear it, then charge more for your labor. Don't sell parts for 3-5 times then what it is worth. Parts and labor are 2 different things.
@@starguy9 Did you notice how he did NOT address the labor rate? That makes your lame gaslighting comment incorrect/irrelevant. Nice try troll.
@ jdtractorman7445 No, its not. We are talking parts, not labor. It is not inflation, when I can go on Amazon and find the exact same part for a quarter of a price. Again, the exact same part, not a lesser model, not a different brand name, not a knockoff, the exact same part. Just like Car Care Nut did in this video on a different site.
Subscribed. Love your straight-forward approach. This is missing in most cases these days.
At most shops, oil changes are such a rip off. A 5 quart bottle of Valvoline full synthetic advanced motor oil at Walmart if $26.97. When I can get oil for $30, a filter for $10, and a crush washer or rubber o-ring for a buck or two, compared to taking it to the dealer or oil change place and dropping $100 or so dollars. I have 3 cars and usually change all threee at the same time and do it in my driveway in 15-20 minutes per car. Between set up and clean up it takes me 1.5 - 2 hours to do all three and there is no way I could get them all to a shop and back home in that amount of time. This also gives me time to look over the underside and make sure everything looks good (no leaks, drips, ripped busings or rubber, nothing hung up, etc). I would recommend everyone learns how to change their own oil, it isn't hard and you can save yourself a lot of money in the long run.
I don't even charge that much and I'm in a big city. I'm also providing a mobile service so I'm doing the work at your house or place of work, you don't even need to spend anytime at a shop. Being fair and honest on pricing will get you WAY more business than trying to get a little bit extra out of customers for a job.
Sadly it seems that the market will bear these prices, unless there is a change in peoples behavior and tolerance to these prices.
Way back after I bought my first car and discovered the hard way that the dealership was not playing fair, I decided to learn how to do basic tune ups and repairs. Not only do I enjoy it, I've saved a ton of money thru the years as well. For those jobs I can't do I wish the Car Care Nut was local to me here in the NYC area.
We sorely need more business men like him!!
Agreed! We could all use a guy like AMD. Maybe AMD could create a network of honest, Toyota centric mechanics. We need one here in eastern PA.
10000000% agree with you 👌
U know, this might go global.
As always Thank you for educating us on these deceptive practices. keep making these great videos. 🙏🙏👍👍
Thanks for being honest! I'm a DYI guy anyway, just taught my daughter how to change her own oil a few weeks ago. Channels like yours help a lot of people and it's much appreciated.
Glad to see someone in the industry exposing some of the hustling that goes on at some dealerships. The fact that they use bulk oil is really a eye-opener. I am glad that I do my own repairs so I get to choose O.E.M. or aftermarket parts & which type of oil I will use. You made a good point about possible contamination with bulk/drum oil.
Wonder how the bulk non-OE oil impacts the warranty.....
Not entirely true about the oil. I work for Toyota as a technician and we have barrels of 0W-16, 0W-20, 5W-20, and 5W-30 that are all Toyota stamped barrels that are just the bulk version of the bottles.
Sucks some dealers buy the Mobil 1, Valvoline, etc equivalent and charge the same if not more lol.
Besides the price it really doesn't matter as long the weight is right and possibly some other specs (such as euro specs for Volkswagons)
You don't honestly think Toyota or any maker for that matter makes there own engine oil? They go out and buy it from an oil company and have it bottled under there name. I've never seen an owners manual, while they may recommend their oil, at the end of the day doesn't specify the viscosity and grade of oil to use. As long as you do that you're not going to have any warranty issues, truthfully as along as you have oil in your engine that's even remotely clean and not a filthy goo you're not going to have any warranty issues. Nothing wrong with bulk oil either.
Dealers don't want to see you anywhere near their workshop, to come in, interrupt the work and ask questions !
Sit in the waiting room, drink your coffee, read your paper, and wait for us to finish !
Then just pay and buzz off ! 🥵🤔
I think Toyota and Honda are in the same space as Ford and GM were back in Detroit's heyday. They're on top of their game and focusing on MONETIZING decades of good will and quality products. This will continue until the game of pumping money out of customers no longer works.
Or the products themselves tarnish thier decades old goodwill and quality and then customers move away from thier products en masse.
GM is looking to do away with Apple Carplay & Google support on their infotainment units "for your safety" - that is, they likely want to make all vehicles have a subscription feature for the similar features you already get for free via your phone... they want to make each car be a continuous revenue stream.
Growing up, Toyota was building its reputation. I purchased used Toyota pickups (the real ones 1983, 1986 etc) used for cheap and ran and maintained them 100 percent myself.
After living through that, I had a 1989 4Runner now an 01 4Runner all bought used. These were all real Toyotas. The Tacomas they sell now are a very sad and pathetic caricature of a truck. They are relying on marketing-on their name and people’s perceptions anymore imo. When you know from experience what a real Toyota is you are no longer interested in their low quality offerings.
Nicely said!
This applies also for Hondas@@torquewrench3909
A recent $200 transmission flush prompted me to change the power steering fluid and brake fluid in my '02 Sequoia. Never done these services before myself. I feel really accomplished after doing them.
I always thought parts markups were 25%. I went to a dealer asking about a valve cover gasket, I knew the price on it through OEM wholesale sites, the dealer price is probably lower. It was a 400% markup on parts. And labor was being charged much more than I expected it would. I thought it was 1.5 or 2 labor hours (that's what it would take me and I've never done one before) and they were more closer to 4 hours. Needless to say, I didn't have them do the work.
It's worse when you have more than one task that needs to be done. Service departments bill on what they call 'Book Hours." Which are the estimated time it will take to complete a given task. If two tasks overlap, they will charge for both, even though part of the work for one task is covered by the other. Further, mechanics are pushed to do the work as fast as they can so the service department can book as many repairs as possible. This leads to rushed work which often is done incorrectly. My own personal example was a leaking transmission line on my Jeep GC. Since it is a 'sealed' transmission and getting the fluid amounts is about impossible, I paid the dealer to do it. Got about half way home and the lines came loose. Needless to say, I was not happy. They had to eat the cost of fixing it and I never went to that dealer ever again.
Of course, now that I've watched AMDs channel, I know how they set the fluid levels with the stand pipe. Another skill for me!
I've been a car owner for 60 years. I can say emphatically that tricks....overcharging...
and outright lying at dealerships and independent shops has NEVER been as bad as it is now. The sad thing is that most car owners don't know enough to realize how badly they are being ripped off.
Yes they really do prey on ignorance and lack of mechanical knowledge. Our local Subaru dealer wanted $120 on TOP of the service, just to rotate the wheels/tyres!
Same as the UK. 10years ago they started s aiming at franchises and people stopped going. One GM/Vauxhall franchise closed 4 garages down as they went bankrupt. That was because they upset their customers.
They were being dishonest, charging for work that was not required and never completed.
As a Toyota technician and corporate employee for 50 years I’m appalled that this stuff is going on, but I see this kind of stuff happening in all businesses, and yes corporate needs to stop this kind of behaviour
Especially with toyota/lexus. Such ripoffs. Now, I've been a technician for a few different companies but I'm at vw currently ( can't beat their incentives!!). But observing throughout my career. I feel the past 5 years, toyota and their dealerships have seriously been taking advantage of their customers when it comes to service.
Asking the "parent" corporation to police dealerships is, in some cases, like asking a convicted child molester to work in a Kindergarten or Primary School. Inspecting, Enforcing and prosecutions of breaches in consumer protection law is the only answer.
And yet, you decided not to leave. Tells me something about you.
I took my car to a shop with the concern of the a/c not working, they told me I needed an a/c compressor. I asked what they would do if that didn't fix the problem and they just told me they're 90% sure that'll fix the problem. I ended up getting a second opinion and found out the a/c condenser needed to be replaced. It's always a good idea to get a second opinion and take it to a well reputable shop like yours.
The info and warnings in this video are second to none. Honesty IS the best policy vs. living by buyer beware.
@The Car Care Nut The oil listed is actually called Valvoline SynPower, it's about $30-$36 for a five-quart jug at the local Fleet Farm if I remember correctly.
Love your videos, I wish there were more shop owners like you around.
Its less when on sale at NAPA...Valvoline makes NAPA store brand oil, both conventional and synthetic.
Synpower 0W-20 is about $60/12qt. box. That's $5/qt.
It’s only $27 on Amazon and I don’t pay for shipping because I have Amazon prime.
I agree 100%
I wish they would put back all the tire stem caps! 1/2 screwed on, missing, etc. Take pride in your work! Thanks AMD! Excellent info to educate consumers!
Exactly! overpaying and you get a half assed job.
Ask a dealer to air up your tires you will end up with 4 different readings!
It’s under warranty. This just happens every time I take it in for the regular service. I plan on doing everything myself as soon as I’m out of warranty. I change the oil in between the 10,000 mile warranty oil changes. It’s part of their service… removing and losing the tire stem caps 😂
Love these kinds of short videos. Keep it coming. Too bad you are not closer to my area. A good and honest mechanic is hard to find.
Amed, your common sense and honesty is second to none. I had a 1990 Camry LE V6 that lasted til the Illinois winter salt did its damage. It was a trouble free or 17 years just by doing the PM on it. Since I live close to your shop. When I buy a Toyota again you will be my only shop to take it to.
I was the parts manager at a Toyota dealership from 1995 to 2020. I'm retired now. I did not mark up retail prices on maintenance items. I also did not mark up retail prices on parts with MSRP over $100.00. The ownership was not happy about my practices but I always felt that my policy would induce the customer to come back. I was lucky to be successful.
Luck has little to do with success, your attitude and work ethic made the difference. In recent years I've noticed a decline in customer service with Toyota dealership parts personnel in my town. 'Unprofessional, unfriendly, no eye contact, with attitude that indicate the customer is an annoyance to them. Dealership management has been informed and yet no positive changes seen. Any suggestions ?
So you marked up parts over MSRP that were less than $100--like these filters and gaskets?
@@donthesheek I was a broken record. I constantly tried to get my guys to realize that if we could convince the customer that his problem was now our problem, we'd have a customer for life. Management ignores the back end in general and the parts dept in particular. That can be an advantage.
No, as I said I did not mark up maintenance parts. @@nicholash8021
Yes, I've noticed the same dealers have no reference on their site to parts counter personnel. I think they're hiding them. @@mikegiammaria
I was doing transmission work on my Toyota. Needed a quart of WS fluid. My local Toyota dealership tried charging me $44 for one quart! Online msrp was around $10 at the time. Outrageous.
AMSOIL
Greed is a terrible thing , and it’s everywhere not just the car dealerships , people need to do their homework before they purchase a product or a service , great video Amd
I’m glad you’re bringing this topic to conversation as it recently happened to me.
2022 Kia Soul with 41000 Kia said my brakes were low pads front and rear rotors front and rear $1250 plus tax.
Bought the parts for $318 middle of the road rotors ceramic pads has a local put them on for $100 and he did it right.
Next time when you're at a dealer showroom with the grand piano, cathedral ceiling, marble floor and breakfast bar, just remember: All of these are paid by you, the customer. This is why dealers will only see me for warranty work.
They are not called "stealerships" for no reason! Thank you for another great video!
I just bought 10 quart oil from costco. This is full synthetic Kirkland brand (0w-20) it cost me 38 dollars for 10 quarts, and the filter cost me 5 dollars at Wal-Mart. I use Fram filter. I do my own oil, change, and it cost me less then 25 dollars. I change my oil every 3000 miles. Dealership cost around 90 dollars or more.
I think a reasonable price is 60 dollars.
I was a 25 year Toyota dealership parts and service employee and I agree with your frustrations. We used to have a box full of those drain plug gaskets on the parts desk available for technicians. Employees used to throw them at each other when horsing around! We got them aftermarket in bulk for pennies. Also you missed the variable Matrix labor rate! For people here unfamiliar that means if the dealership service department charges $150 per hour and we have a vehicle with 8 hours of repair work needed the labor rate will actually be inflated to whatever sliding scale the service director has in place it could be over $200 an hour! Technicians don’t see any extra money and they deserve it especially the MDT technicians certified for Hybrids.
I recently bought last year a 2023 Lexus rx500h and I purchased the original oil($7) and oil filter($6). I got 5 cases and 6 oil filters. I do the oil changes myself. I have been doing that for near 20 years for all my cars just because of this. Thank for showing everyone about this which I had known for 20 years now.
I've been doing the same since 1980. While the oil is draining, I lightly spray and clean the engine bay with water mist. Then I lubricate all hood and door gaskets. The interior is then cleaned, as well.
Same here for over 45 years, no one has ever changed my oil but me. My assumption has always been that the kid changing my oil was probably flipping burgers the day before. Amd is a great guy and has been doing other services to my 2 Lexus's since he opened his shop.
I never go to a stealership for any service not under warranty. I would imagine that it is illegal to do a sort of "bait n switch" . These owners need a class action suit against any dealership that does this. Another great informative video!
Ever noticed they never try to upsell or recommend anything once your car is under warranty it's only when it's off then they recommend everything and anything they can scare you with
I agree there should be a lawsuit against these practices to stop them.
Love this video. All of my local stealerships do exactly this. They have always been a minimum of 250% above MSPR for parts at service or the part counter. It's insane. I buy my parts elsewhere. I wouldn't do business at the dealer if my life depends on it.
A lady stopped in with a KIA SUV that had traveled to the area from out of state. She had it serviced at her dealer 2 weeks earlier so it would make the trip uneventfully. There are no KIA dealers anywhere near here and a local parts store recommended us as a black plastic plate fell from under the dash under the glove box and the dash was rattling. She explained she just had it serviced and gave us the receipt the dealer gave her. Oil & filter change, engine air filter, cabin air filter, wiper arms - "front & back". Checked & filled tires with nitrogen. Body lubrication ?, and $75 for engine oil treatment. $676, LOL. We found when we pulled the glove box down, the cabin air filter cover was the plate that fell. The tech who changed it broke off the clasp on the heater box side. The entire heater box would have to be changed. We brought her in and explained we had a fix using a zip tie, but the tie would have to be cut and a new one used every time the cabin air filter was changed. She OK'd the fix and asked us to check everything on the list the dealer had done. The oil filter had a minor leak that tightening the filter cured. She was charged for OEM filters and Purolator filters were used. The oil filter was base line even though they claimed to use mobile one oil. Wiper blades were Anco. She asked us what we would have charged her for the same work. We wrote a estimate using Advance Auto prices on the exact same parts the dealer used on her car. "Including Mobile 1 oil". I've never seen a face get so red so fast. Our charge, $20 for the cabin air filter cover fix and comped the multi point inspection.
Got screwed by McGrath Mazda. Needed a belt tensioner they charged $295 to inspect the car. $575 for the tensioner installed. Then recommend $3700 more in work I didn’t ask for and didn’t need.
Part of the problem is dealerships treat the parts department and service department as two different companies. The service department buys the part at full retail from the parts department then adds their markup- could be double for small parts or 15 percent for larger parts. The dealership profits twice. I see the same thing with appliance sellers.
Excellent, eye-opening video! Thank you very much for telling the truth!
Always great to see you have a new video as an independent automotive technician I've seen this in a lot of the local dealerships and I get a lot of business as a result of unfair business practices because of inflated prices from the dealerships if an oil change costs more than $100 dollars something is wrong as you've said the oil, oil filter and gasket do not cost that much and it's not like the labor is that difficult and takes less than 40 minutes so $40 dollars in labor means you are making $60 an hour which is more than most jobs pay granted the technician is probably not being paid that amount as every job has a set pay for each service in the dealership it's sad that this has gotten so out of control and don't get me started on the markup I've seen recently in the used car department at the dealerships recently I replaced front end hub bearings in a vehicle sold to an elderly woman on a fixed income with no warranty period that they said they inspected and cleared that two months later they wouldn't fix and wouldn't take back for what she paid they did offer to sell her another car and refused to give her the selling price for the vehicle she just purchased they offered her less than half of what she just paid for her car 2 months ago it's time for these dealerships to be held accountable
A few years ago, I was taking our Caravan to a Chrysler dealer for oil changes. Then I decided that I could do it at home for a third of the price. The first time I tried to remove the drain plug it must of been on there with 100+ ft lbs of torque! Some underpaid apprentice probably zipped it on with an impact. Why take your car to a dealership when they're going to overcharge you and do a worse job than you can do yourself?
Most people are concerned about clean up after an oil change, but there are so many great, inexpensive oil drip pans out there to catch the oil and make it easier to deposit it back into the empty oil containers.
Another stopping point for average folks is "what do I do with old oil?", one of my questions at 40 years old.
I was surprised at how easy that is to overcome as well! Just put it in the empty oil container and take it to your local auto parts store for disposal!
After that, it's just a matter of raising the vehicle to get to the drain plug, depending on how low your vehicle sits, or in my case, how far my waist expands!
I thought modern cars are too sophisticated and for years and I overpaid a dealership to do all of my maintenance. Then I discovered this channel and AMD taught me that I can do more than I thought. Now I take my son every time I do something with my car and he will never have to get scammed by a dealership.
AMD, you are indeed a giant among men. Thank you.
I didn't know what a radiator was, then found a leak and learned it was the radiator. After a 20 minute CZcams video I bought the part, and replaced it in less than 2 hours. It's amazing what you can do with just a little exposure to some knowledge and a little courage.
@@raiden031sadly my car is way too low to the ground
@@sherlockwho5714 I haave a set of portable wheel ramps to solve that problem. You just lay them in front of the tires and drive up on them. Mine raise the front wheels up about 10 inches and hang on a couple of hooks behind the garden fence when not in use. Mine are metal but a lot of the newer ones are plastic. They are not expensive or heavy and they last a lifetime.
@@sherlockwho5714 Harbor Freight!!!! Get yourself a couple of ramps, a jack and some solid jack stands. Everything is possible one project at a time ALWAYS keeping safety in mind. I'm 71, a lady and I maintain all 4 trucks that we own. Over the years I have learned watching all kinds of youtube videos and I do a damn good job, even if I say so myself.
@@Cocora22 You're awesome! 71 and female and turning wrenches. I'm 69, a guy, and been learning to do it myself for 50 years. I love Harbor Freight too!
I love your videos, this is amazing information, although I change my own oil to my cars because of this same reason... I feel like you hit the nail in the head. 😀
Great preaching!!! Thank you for sharing.
I'm an automotive technician at a dealership that's been around for 50years here in Australia. This video is tip of the iceberg, the front desk and management are in such a mad scramble to make any and every cent they can of customers. Mechanics get a really bad reputation but often are honest people and especially when we have no control or power to treat clients with respect. The best we can hope for is to carry out the work to a high enough standard to keep the clients satisfied, and then the front desk will tear their wallet a new one. I have countless horror stories of shady behaviour on this front and it's honestly depressing.
We all have to pay the bills somehow but it's getting out of hand
Sorry, but I don't think mechanics should be excluded as part of shady dealerships. It takes one to see one. Self respecting mechanics would never ever work at a shady dealership with service managers who encourage cheating and short changing customers. They quit and join a reputable shop or start on their own.
@@bbmatfreddy That's really easy to say when you're not a paycheck away from absolute disaster like the majority of americans.
@@auroranovae4493 what has this to do with the topic or my post? Someone lives with integrity in good and bad times.
yeah I love those Indian scam centers stealing grandmas retirement account too@@auroranovae4493
@@bbmatfreddy @auroranovae4493 not trying to create an argument here. neither of you are wrong. It's a difficult situation to be in. It's all well and good to say "if it's shady then leave" but when you have bills to pay sometimes you gotta just keep going with a steady paycheck until in a situation where it's safe to leave. This doesn't make you the bad guy or culpable to the corruption of the sales team either. It's possible to commit no faults and still lose.
The other note though is that it's harder and harder to find the reputable workplaces in any industry, should we all just jump jobs every few months till finding that dream ideal location? Are red flags always immediately noticeable? Especially as a new hire in any place?
And "start your own workshop" would easily cost close to a million dollars in tools, location, rent, staff, specialty equipment and hopefully clientele base. Daresay few light vehicle mechanics have that lying around too.
It's the same in all industry though. How many resteraunts would you say the food is worth the bill? Are pilots liable for being part of airlines ripping patrons off? Are the poor underpaid staff at cinemas responsible for your cinema experience being overpriced or poor quality films?
The Toyota Dealer in my area (Hillside, NJ) broke the transfer case where the right front cv axle connects (2006 Matrix 4WD). They JB welded it and it started leaking gear oil a few days later. I put a stop payment on my Amex and took them to court. My wife and kid could have been in the car and been left stranded. They are lowlifes IMO.
Thank you. They did not try to make it right, which is not surprising considering what they did. It occurred several years ago.@@efil4kizum
What's the name of the dealership?
Was it resolved in court ????
Not really. @@PeterHernandez-lg2eh
Thank You and Merry Christmas CCN.
The local Toyota dealership's parts department charged some insane amount for a crush washer set for a 08 4runner, I think I paid about $30, which of course is crazy. I ordered a set from Amazon for $6.58 which was actually two sets for the trani and both diffs. This was back in September.
I did the same for my Matrix.
This is the exact reason, years ago, I started learning how to do my own maintenance on our vehicles. It started with the oil and cabin filters then oil changes and, now, I can do almost everything. The money I saved doing things myself went into buying tools and, now, I have a wonderful Quick Jack 7000 that easily lifts my Tundra and my daughter's Sienna and other daughter's Palisade! My local Toyota dealer used to match on-line prices (Sparks Toyota) but doesn't anymore but does, still, give me a 10% military discount which pays for taxes.
Wait for the "Sir, your warranty has been voided since you performed non-authorized fluid changes" -- All car manufacturers within the next 5 years probably.
@@efil4kizum No the 7000 is on Amazon right now for $1,569 US
@@mambi74 Nope I have meticulous records of everything.
Because of you and others like you, I have learnt to do all regular maintenance myself. If it doesn’t involve disassembling something in the engine I do it myself on time.
Oil changes
Brakes
Brake fluid flush
Rotate tires
Replace spark plugs
Replace diff and transfer case fluids
Replace Air and cabin filters
Transmission and coolant flushes I take to AAA mechanic shop.
All because or my youtube mechanic professors!
The issue is having the time to learn how to and to actually do all this. Some things are easier said than done and I will never believe otherwise. I say this as a person who is savvy enough to do my own maintenance and repairs. However, I will never fault someone for not knowing how to do it themselves. Knowing that basic maintenance needs to be done is a whole other story.
coolant flush is easy dude... add that to the list of stuff you do yourself
@@BH-gh6qm I’m actually a female corporate attorney during my 9-5. I did a coolant flush once and there was an air pocket that I couldn’t get out. After, I decided to take to the shop.
Transmission flush with my truck you have to drop the entire pan. That is a bridge too far for me without a lift.
I currently have a 2019 Ford Ranger.
@@GeorgetteMiller Dropping and installing a transmission pan and replacing the filter isnt difficult, although a bit messy. Ive done them on some trucks without even raising the vehicle.
In some cases you need a new transmission pan gasket, although some are reusable.
If any automatic transmission equipped vehicle hasnt had its fluid changed on a regular basis, I wont change it as fresh fluid can actually cause friction components in the transmission to degrade.
I was told this many years ago by a guy who owned a transmission shop since the 1950s
For Toyota Transmission with no dipstick for Transmission flush I would recommend buying a Scangauge2 to measure transmission temperature & if they have a Haynes repair manual for your vehicle it will tell you the temperature of transmission fluid to level it. Just make sure the vehicle is idling & level when checking the transmission fluid level.
I really appreciate car care nut shining a light on dealership fleecing. Unfortunately I don’t think this is a new problem, dealerships have been overcharging for years and hiring sub-par mechanics to boot, but that is another episode for car care nut.
Excellent and accurate video!!! I have been running into this over the past few years with 3-5x part prices, not sharing part numbers until I show them what I have. Tried to charge $700 for what I paid $200 for. Many other examples. I understand being fair but it’s way too expensive. Keep the work steady versus over charging for everything. It’s not a good practice.
Unfortunately this is the rule not the exception. People need to find an honest independent shop with a good reputation. That’s not always easy! After experiencing the same treatment you showed here at every dealer I dealt with I was lucky twenty years ago to find an honest independent shop.
He retired recently so now in my 60’s I am back to doing my own maintenance and repairs! If you can find an honest shop who does good work for a reasonable price, that is like gold.
Even that's hard to do because manual labor has been so maligned and mechanic work is hard on the body with low pay = no incentive for youngsters to get into it and all the old guys are retiring. I talk to a lot of trade and manual labor guys because I've got sons who need to be thinking about their future careers now, not at 18. I've never met a mechanic who's recommended getting into that line of work. Everyone needs to learn how to perform routine maintenance on their own vehicles, at the very least.
@@efil4kizumThey don’t even get close to a third of that!
@@efil4kizum To understand comparable rates, what do local CPA firms and law offices in your area charge hourly? What do local stylists charge for full highlights? Throwing out a number for what mechanics' shops charge in NY doesn't mean the pay across the board is sufficient to attract new labor.
Been a Toyota tech for 35 years, door labor rate at dealer is 210 on are west coast dealership, we would be lucky if we are able to get 45 of that. That’s why you guys will be super screwed when all of old timers are gone!! No new guys are coming in the trade to replace us, and if they do find someone they are not at all competent!!
Got one near Lexington, KY?
Unfortunately, customers often do not ask questions. When you make an appointment ask for the cost breakdown. Ask what oil they use. Shop around at a few local Toyota dealerships.
My previous car was a Hyundai. One dealership tried charging me $150 for wiper blades. I told them to get lost.
The audacity to even think about $150 for wiper blades. I can't imagine any sane person would pay that price. But, if they are charging that it must be someone paying it otherwise they probably wouldn't set that price.
Regarding the wiperblades, I would Google it and wave the phone at them, showing the actual price and then leave. 😄
@@marty4809 My Ex would have payed it - Smart girl when it came to her field but absolutely 100% clueless to anything even remotely mechanical... $150 for installed wiper blades? OK Thanks! LOL.
Do your own oil changes!
I just love your channel and I wish there were more honest people like you. I went to the dealership to get my oil changed and they told me I needed a cabin filter changed they were going to charge me $125 and I said why and he said he had to take off the whole dash I told him no I didn’t have the money to do that so I went home and looked it up on CZcams and it showed that you go into the glove box to change the cabin filter and you just remove this one little part in there and take the filter out and replace it so simple my little 10-year-old granddaughter, replaced it for me watching the video but we did go back to the dealership and buy the filter to put in there. It was under $10, that was the last time I ever went to the dealership except for to get parts
went to the Oakbrook Toyota parts counter for a thermostat (2002 camry) last year. guy said it was $34 for the thermostat AND $15.50 FOR THE GASKET! I have to credit him for not laughing hysterically as he said it. I kept my composure and politely thanked him and left.
Love your videos. I've learned a lot about doing my own repairs from you! Yes, a friend of mine bought her car to a Dealership for a battery 12 volt. They over charged her $400. The Stealership is a good place to avoid. But even mom and pop shops you have to watch. A guy told me $87 and next called to state he wanted $500 to do front brake pads on my Camry 2000 and another $500 to bleed the brakes. I quickly went to pick up my car before he laid a hand on it and drove off. Did the brake pads for $50 myself. Next up Master Cylinder and bleeding the brakes. Thank you for your excelllent videos! An honest mechanic / engineer, who is willing to share his know how. You are a blessing all year round.
This video is the confirmation of what I’ve experienced. The worst scam is the so called mandatory inspections . They say they inspect yourcar but it’s all crap. In one of those inspections I specifically asked to inspect my brakes. When I picked up my car they said the brakes were fine. I took my Prius Prime to one of my friends garage and the front rotors were so rusted I didn’t dare use my car until we had changed the pads and rotors. Never going back to dealershit for car repairs. I realy appreciate your videos. Thank you.
Back when I lived in New England they actually called cops on my coworker when he refused to buy additional service to pass the inspection.
Ha! I had the opposite experience - they told me my brake pads are so worn they are "almost illegal" to drive. Asked me for $270 per axle to replace them.
I took the car to a friend mechanic, he ordered new pads, when the pads came he told me my current pads are thicker than the new ones. Didn't do the replacement. It's been 2 years since then and I'm still using the old pads with no issues.
Yup. Same thing happened to me. With brakes. And I knew they were messed up. They said it was good. So I just learned how to do my own brakes. Save a ton $$$ and it was at Toyota
@@locuus Had the same thing. Told my wife that the brakes needed to be done as a "safety" repair. I thought that was weird because I could have sworn I did the brakes in the past couple years, but told my wife to just bring it home and I would change them that weekend. Pulled a wheel off and the pads were 75% or more life left. I had done the brakes about 2 years prior.
I'm confused. Rotors normally rust if you leave the vehicle parked for a bit, especially in the rust belt. The rust scrapes off the surface that matters once you drive and brake for a bit. Rust elsewhere on the rotor is irrelevant. With regen braking and easy driving, you just need a couple hard braking episodes to clean them up. Unless the rotors are literally crumbling, rotor rust doesn't mean you need to replace them.
Loyal customers getting ripped off at dealership! Nooo...can't be 😂 Great of you to put this video together!
Thanks for the heads up. Called the three available options in SW Florida for a Surge Tank Gasket. MSRP $27. Autonation quote $48. Gettel quote $41. Germain quote $21.
I just went to the Naperville Toyota dealership yesterday . Got an oil change and tire rotation. I compared the pricing on the parts you just showed us and it looks like they’re msrp pricing. They did use valvoline oil though. Oil filter 5.69, gasket 1.16, 1qt valvoline oil at 5.06. The labor was $39. Thank you so much for the video.
Sounds like one of the honest dealers... id keep giving them your business
That's where I bought my Camry in 2016 for a really good deal. Then around 2,000 miles when I was going to change the oil myself with my beloved Amsoil (not wanting to wait until the free oil change at 10,000 miles), I discovered my trusty oil-filter wrench did not precisely fit. Since I didn't want to damage the plastic of my new car, I proceeded to the parts department at Naperville Toyota to purchase a proper fitting oil filter wrench and I was nearly floored when they charged me over $60 for a chrome-plated wrench! It was a precisely fitted wrench and I removed the oil filter without any problem. Then at the 10,000 mile mark when I returned for the free oil change, I brought them the top-of-the-line Amsoil and Amsoil filter. I watched the mechanic from an obscure vantage point and observed him placing my Amsoil products in my vehicle. When it came time to replace my oil at 20,000 miles, the mechanics were on strike for quite a long time, so my son changed it. When I reached 30,000 miles, I explained to the Service Manager that I had to forego the free oil change at 20,000 miles, since the mechanics were on strike and I didn't want to affect any warranty issues, so I requested free labor to give me an oil change with my Amsoil oil and filter. I explained that Ihad supplied the oil anf filter at the 10,000 mile service and I was surprised that he compiled! I would go there if I didn't have Ahmed's TCCN Automotive perform the maintenance on my Camry.
I agree with your price overcharging. My last dealership service came with the included multi point inspection and tire rotation. Not only did the "Tech" ruin my wheel lock adaptor but also 2 of the wheel lug nuts. On top of that he had all four tires at different air pressures ranging from 38 to over 45 pounds when spec is 33. Most dealerships have an entry level employee doing these jobs, as fast as they can, and they are charging certified Tech hourly prices.
What you explained is why I do everything I possibly can myself. They use impact wrenches on the lug nuts and over tighten them and over time round them so they don’t fit in the socket properly. My daughter’s Camry needs all new lug nuts. I was lucky to get them all off the last time I rotated the tires. They also do sloppy oil changes. They won’t take 5 seconds to wipe off the oil so it doesn’t drip on my garage floor when I get home. I’ve even found a piece of homemade drain plug washer on our Highlander drain plug. Looked like a piece of thin cardboard cut out with a pocket knife. What a joke. Luckily I’ve always been a gear head and car guy and know how to turn a wrench. Just wish my body could hold up a little better after rolling around under our 4 Toyotas / Lexus that I have to keep maintained, Lol.
@@bwildman1818 Agreed.
Thanks for your honesty great content
This guy is awesome. First time watching him. 👍👍👍
I wish there was some way of finding mechanics who are as honest as you are throughout the country (for those of us who don't live in Chicago). Wow, your videos are amazing.
Get to know your techs at the dealership, preferably the old timers,, they can rec. somebody or hook you up outside of work.
I had good experiences with G&G (Skokie & Evanston).
His bloods boiling. So is the bottle of oil. This stuff here is and my son is why I became a technician. World needs more honest technician.
Amd.. wish your shop was in my neighborhood.. thanks for the eye opener even tho' it's bad news, we need to be aware so we can keep things in check going in.
The parts department at the last dealership I worked at didn't keep rotors in stock because it was "too expensive", so they would order cheap rotors from autozone but charge OEM rotor prices. It was one of the MANY reasons I quit working there. Technicians like myself already get a bad rap, we don't need shit like that making us look even worse.
That’s why I always do my own oil changes. Brakes too. I hate getting ripped off.
Told my mother to take her 4Runner to a Toyota dealership that had a service department I once trusted. They wanted to charge her almost $400 for a battery and the service rep told me “it was a special battery with special programming” 😂
i've heard of german cars needing to be programmed/told that they now have a new battery so the charging logic accounts for the age of it but never heard of toyota needing that. keep leaving negative reviews on google maps for all these antics
Yes, that’s true for BMW and Mercedes-Benz to let the Brain know they have the new battery or it will over charge your new battery
Toyota doesn't even make there own batteries
@@Hitomaru-shiki.senshayou can do it on your own with a good scanner, a scanner that you plan on keeping, I have an X5 and never EVER go to the dealer unless I want a keychain or a cup😂😂
@@Hitomaru-shiki.senshait’s a 2020 but can confirm just need to swap the battery with one that fits, even an OEM battery costs $170 from the parts department and 84-month prorated warranty at the parts counter. The guy told me “this isn’t like your old Land Cruiser” go figure, it’s exactly like my cruiser.
See, I do my services through Toyota of El Cajon in San Diego. They give me an itemized estimate every single time, and when they perform their inspection of my car, they send me a video inspection where not only do they give me a breakdown of what my car needs, but they show it on video and explain why said component needs to be replaced.
I have had nothing but great experiences with them, but I am aware that other dealerships within the San Diego area aren't as honest.
I would love to provide you with documentation and the video the next time I go in for a service so you have an example of how dealerships SHOULD be doing things.
I have a positive relationship with the staff. They know me and my car, and they take great care of me. My parts guy even uses his employee code when ordering expensive parts for me to get me a discount.
Phenomenal service, and it really makes me feel the pride in owning a Toyota and working with them.
Again. Next time I get a service done, I'll send you everything so you can see an example of a dealership doing everything right.
I’m used to getting screwed at dealerships. But kudos to them for continuously improving the screwing process. Impressive attention to detail.
Ahmed, you are truly a public servant. Thank you and Mrs. CCN for all that you do for us all year long. May you have a blessed Christmas and a profitable new year.
There are a million stories like this out there in both dealerships and Independence.
I can tell 12 myself that happened to me and my friends
stories from co-workers that were service managers
But we've already heard enough
My suggestion is when you can find an honest, fair, competent mechanic.
Treat them right!
Realize what a great value you have found and treat them accordingly.
I want to thank you for your knowledge and videos keep it coming for the public my God bless you 😊😅😂
One of these days I’m gonna have to drive to Chicago just so you can work on my car. You are good. This is coming from a guy in Western Maryland. Love your channel.
They do not want your business anymore, they don't have enough people to work on your vehicle. The loss leader is now the wallet flush!
As consumers we all need to educate ourselves on what is involved in repairs and what is a fair cost for labor. I agree with MSRP cost at a dealer, but nothing more. Enough people complain and things will change. The squeaky wheel gets the grease. The problem is that people do not pay attention, just except it, or have a high level of disposable income and do not care what it cost. I was once quoted over $5000 in repairs on my rusty minivan because they wanted me to buy another vehicle I reckon. I did a few of the repairs and drove it a few more years. None of the quoted repairs were critical.
BTW, i bought your long sleeve tee, and i absolutely love the quality. I'm proud to wear it ❤
Great report . It's sad when overcharging because the norm. I've switched to a local Firestone instead of the Toyota dealership I used to use. For almost 20 years