Why car dealerships are called "stealerships"
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- čas přidán 6. 09. 2024
- Car dealer large repair shops are not the best place to have your vehicle serviced, and here's why...come along as we go through a shocking repair estimate and look at all the shady things they do to try and steal more of your hard earned money!
Links to items showcased in video:
brake fluid tester: amzn.to/43E6j1v
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There is a simple lesson that needs to be taught in driver's ed; the "Service Advisors" are not advisors, they are commissioned salespeople.
Boom, mic drop!
Correct. Just like the "Service Advisors" at Tire Kingdom & Firestone, and the counter guys at AutoZone who upsell the deal of the day and the people at...
Not just Service Advisors. The rot runs far deeper than service advisors. The new General Manager at the dealership I worked at for 20 yrs considered all the mechanics to be commisioned salespeople as well. Said it to my face more than once. Told all us mechanics we needed to upsell every work order by 80% no matter what it came in for. Some mechanics were happy to comply. I didn't and walked from the trade completely.
@@redwoodforest3572 I'm glad you were able to walk away.
@@redwoodforest3572 wow, good for you, and that's really scary for folks that go there!
I'm a used car dealer and I have an experience to share. About two years ago, a young man, 17 years old, from Guatemala bought a Dodge Durango from me. In Texas, I'm required to get a safety inspection on any vehicle that I sell. I'm not licensed to do inspections, but there's a shop right down the street that does. Aside from inspections, their main thing is oil changes, and light maintenance and repairs. So kid buys the car, and about 3 months later, he calls me, upset that he took his car to get an oil change, and he was going to be billed about 1,200. He passed the phone to the service writer, and it was the same shop to which we went to get the inspection. She tells me that the drain plug is stripped, and the only way to fix it was to replace the oil pan. Because the car is 4X4, there was insufficient room to replace the pan with the engine still in the car, that's why it was so much. This made to sense to me because I change the oil on every car I sell, and tighten to specs from Alldata. So I tell the kid to bring me the car, along with oil and filter. When he did, we get underneath and I showed him how to do oil changes himself. Car was high enough we didn't even have to jack it up. It took us 10 minutes, including pausing to give him instructions. Drain plug came out, and went back in, 30 ft-lbs, without a hint of cross threading or any sort of damage. I've been selling cars for nearly a decade, always referred people to that shop because I've always had good luck with them, but this one experience made me question that, young man, knows nothing about the land he's in, can't speak English, his first car, and he was going to be charged 1,200 for an oil change. Had the kid of given them the go-ahead, would the shop really of gone through the motions and replaced a perfectly good oil pan? Or would they of just spent ten minutes and replaced the oil like we did, and bill him the twelve hundred anyways?
So sad, and again, not all shops are bad, nor us mechanics, you just get some now and again that are unscrupulous and/or incompetent! Thanks for helping that kid out! You're a good dude and will be helping to keep the joy in wrenching going another generation.
I could go on & on about Stealerships!🤨
Lots of scumbags out here
@@MrSamPhoenix Are you one of them?
@@Botman.com1125 nope, I work on my own cars. Bad technicians at a Jiffy Lube torqued my engine drain plug with an impact wrench 🔧. Long story short, engine was leaking tons of oil, and I was taught a lesson.
Never, never, ever going to the dealer except for recall
Yep that's my philosophy now to live by never again
Yeah, until you have some unique problem that only the dealer has the training and equipment to fix.
@@craigjorgensen4637 sure, I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.......nothing yet in 45 years
@@craigjorgensen4637😂 they like guys like you !
@@vmaxmuscle5612 As a person who once managed a very high volume shop I know what needs to be done and what can be delayed as well as when I am flat out being lied to.
I’ve worked for 3 different Toyota dealers, a Honda dealer, bmw dealer and a Porsche dealer in my retail career. Everyone in my service departments were the most honest people I’ve ever known. If you find someone dishonest, they are the exception not the rule. Go to the manager or fixed ops director and let them know your experience. If I found one of my guys taking advantage of customers and selling something not needed, they wouldn’t even finish out the day.
That's great to hear, and yes, I think these type of experiences are not the norm, but I do see and hear about them way too often!
At the dealership where I work in Parts, I've had guys hand stuff back to me saying it's not needed and they won't do the job.
😂😂😂
The technicians maybe they higher up staff, no.
Independence shops can be even worse. A shop is either honest ot they are not. YOU call stores Stealerships. What a disgusting term. I agree a lot of those prices were ridiculous! Especially the valve adjustment!
My theory on this?
Because of the age and mileage of the vehicle, the dealership saw an opportunity to scare the customer into buying a new vehicle from them.
Dealers make way more money in the service department.
Dealerships make their money on service, not sales.
Not always true. At the dealership group where I work, the prior owner was all about sales volume with Fixed Ops being there to support the customer. The current ownership group (in place for 16 months) is the opposite. It depends on where the big cheese wants to focus.
Met a lot of people that don't know if they have a6 cyl or a4 cyl and never check the oil a lot of idiots own cars and get rid ripped off ,you can find any problems on the Internet it's that easy
Years ago I asked the Honda dealer to fix a hesitation. They replaced the spark plugs and billed me for one hour of labor, which was $65. This did not fix the problem. Some weeks later, I found the real problem. Ignition coil had a crack, moisture harmed the secondary winding. It was up under the gas tank (79-81 Honda 400, two-cylinder chain drive). And of course the replacement part was only available through them.
Much of that work they probably wouldn't even do after charging for it.
Oooh, that'd be sooo bad! Hidden camera time!
@@joyofwrenching In NYC its called a "wall job". Part the car against a wall and do no service work but charge for it. Also they size up the customer to see how vulnerable they might be. Women, Immigrants & the elderly are good candidates to be ripped off.
Yeah , unfortunately it is every dealer !
Good call. Specifically instruct service desk not to perform any type of inspections on your car, even if they insist on it, saying it's "Free and it it's part of the deal, Still tell them not to do it. Only do the Oil change and park your car outside. I would also check to ensure they changed the oil filter, check dipstick for fresh oil level, and tightened all oil caps and drain plug before you drive off from the premises.
That's one way to handle them! Most people say they don't mind the inspection as they may alert you to something that does need attn, and they just politely say thanks but no thanks to letting the shop fix it if it seems overpriced or unnecessary
You really sound like a person who should do your own work as distrustful as you seem to be!
The valves on the Honda V6 usually tighten up and cause a miss fire rather than making a clicking noise. The best way to check for valve adjustment problem without taking off valve cover is monitoring the miss fire cycle on your scanner. $500 for a adjustment on a V6 is not bad. I bet the quote is for a 4 cylinder.
Good info, thanks for sharing!
Same with the 4 cilinder in the CRVs, I Invested like 50 dollars including gaskets, feeler gauge and valve adjustment tool and 1 hour of labor.
I do most of my own basic work. But...had to go to the local Porsche dealer a few days ago to try to remove some locking lug nuts in order to get new tires installed (yah, they didn't have the correct key either, and had to just bust them off). Part of the 1 hr service charge, they do an inspection of the car and send a video. The tech was very thorough and pointed out all the things I already knew to need attention, but, nothing extra. Kudos to them. Even though I have a hooptie 25 year old Boxster, every single person I encountered was kind and treated me like a millionaire in disguise (I'm not, for the record!). Great experience. But, would still go to my local indy for work if needed over the dealership.
Great video and thank you!
Yay! a good experience story, and there are many many great shops and people who work in them who are honest and competent. These guys obviously fall in that category, and I find it interesting you still go to the independent for the repairs...why, is it mainly cost, relationship...?
@@joyofwrenching Both cost and relationship. I have a local small indy that I have used for years who does great work and I trust. My visit to the dealer the other day was the first time in their service area, and the shop was amazing. They have a huge glass wall from the waiting area that overlooks the shop and everything is neat, clean, well lit - it's beautiful. But, that's why they charge $200/hr labor rate. I prefer to support the guy I've been going to for 20 years, but, wouldn't hesitate to go to the dealer again if I had to for some reason.
@@amyboehm802 they are not all bad, that's true. We have to inform people in our communities of the good and bad ones based on our experience
Oh, I'm well aware of stealerships...like the time when I took my old Hyundai in for a warranty repair, and they told me the brakes were shot---even though I replaced them two months before, and they worked perfect. They even had me sign a waiver saying that they're not responsible if my brakes fail---they spooked me out enough that when I got home I pulled the wheels off and had a look; there was nothing wrong
Wow, that's pretty bad!
That's funny. So much lying goes on in this industry to the point where they get you to start doubting your sanity (gaslighting). I'm just relieved that I'm not crazy or alone.
I had contrasting experiences with an independent mechanic shop and a dealership. I had taken my vehicle to the independent shop for a tune-up, and about a week later, the car started jolting when I accelerated. I returned to the shop, and they informed me that my transmission required a flush. So, I got it done, but the issue persisted. I then decided to get a second opinion from a dealership. After waiting for 15 minutes, the service personnel came out looking irritated. He advised me to go back to the independent shop and have them fix the issue since the work should have been warrantied. He revealed that the spark plugs had not been correctly gapped. I followed his advice, and the independent shop was surprised and quickly fixed the problem. Since then, I have been going to the dealership for my car needs.
You found a good shop! Some are independent, and some are dealerships. This is how we learn which are the good ones, so make sure you pass the info around your town.
@@joyofwrenching Oh, let's say I left a couple of Google reviews.
Good dealerships/Bad dealerships, Good doctors/Bad doctors, Good lawyers/Bad lawyers, Good Policemen/Bad Policemens, you can get more if you want. Remedy: unknown.
I’m a long time Honda guy and this stuff pisses me off. I have a near mint 01 Prelude,a 92 civic si hatch,a 14 Civic coupe and my wife has an 05 Acura ATL. I used to be friends with the head mechanic at my local Honda dealer so I used to have an advantage when I got anything done. He died of cancer about 6 years ago and now I get fleeced by the new advisor because I don’t know him very well. I needed an o2 sensor for wifes TL and I got an estimate for over 5 grand. They throw things at you for stuff that they assume it might need because of the age of the car. It didn’t need the timing belt done,valve adjustment or anything like that as I had it done a few years ago. They saw oil on the power steering pump and reservoir so they said it was leaking and should all be replaced 😅. The reservoir was still full and I’ve never topped it up so clearly it wasn’t leaking. These guys kill me.
Wow, glad you're on top of things, and that's exactly what we have to do, just educate ourselves and be on guard
The problem with dealerships is all those flushes are high proffit for the poor tech getting paied for every hour of work sold not for every hour he is there, as for rear main leak or valve adjustment again high pay on customer pay compaired to scraps the dealer ship pays for warrenty work. You also have to remember that most dealers dont pay diagnostic time, so are you going to put to much time into diagnostics if your not getting paied? Likely no your going to look at the service scedual and let the service writer do his job there are bad apples everywhere but dont point the finger at the tech he is doing what he can to feed his family. If the greedy dealer wanted to pay for a real craftsman this shit wouldnt happen
We can all agree the techs are the real heros and are getting abused in this industry. They really should be paid and treated better!
Just to clarity, mechanics have to buy their own hand tools and the labor rate they are paid is just a fraction of the labor rate the dealer charges the customer.
Yes, they really get the shaft I'd say!
Great advice and real life facts about how even I go in for their complimentary service then turns into a massive bill with tons of unnecessary repair work with a shocking bill! Appreciate the video and advice!
You are not alone, and I'm hoping this helps a lot of people avoid this mess. Way too common
I taught a young lady at work how to replace her cabin air filter located in her glovebox. It took under 2 minutes with no tools. She asked why they wanted to charge $50 for installation alone. I told her because they think you are stupid
The water is heavier than brake fluid it will accumulate at the bottom of calipers, so brake fluid flush is needed every 2-3 years to remove the water for system
Another good reason to open the bleeders when compressing the calipers to expel some of that crud while changing pads
@@joyofwrenching That's some I just recently learned, The stuff that came out of my F150 calipers was dark green and stank like the worst dirty socks ever!
@@joyofwrenching That water makes its way down there through the reservoir and is corroding the internals the whole time. That's why brake fluid flushes are recommended. They are not a scam.
@@johnaclark1 yes, brake flushes are necessary now and again
Water dissolves in brake fluid, does not settle at bottom of calipers. My 1998 Frontier at 275K miles is still on its factory rotors, drums, calipers, wheel cylinders, master cylinder, and original brake fluid. Should I ever have a hydraulic issue, then I'll completely flush out all the old brake fluid. Note that I'm in Arizona, very dry here.
Took my BMW in for a recall. Service advisor hands me back the key and a clean multi point inspection. I was so shocked I asked him “16 year old BMW and nothing else recommended?” He said “Nope! Car is in great shape and doesn’t need a thing. Most are leaking but I bet you have already fixed those common leaks” and I had. Compare that to the Honda dealer that said I needed a timing belt “due to age” when I took it in for a key to get programmed. Considering there was a sticker on the top of the engine that showed replacement just 3 years prior I was livid and went off on the guy.
Whoa. That's definitely an unusual statement from a shop inspection!
Start with the owners manual, Honda says: Adjust valves at 105,000 miles, Flush brake fluid every 3 years. Replace coolant at 10 years. The car is 12 years old, depending on the service history it does need new coolant. Engine air and cabin Filters as required due to driving conditions. This car shows 211,000 miles. So it needs it's second TIMING BELT and tensioner, it's second valve adjustment and new spark plugs! While you are putting on a new timing belt you might as well replace the accessory drive belt as there will be no additional labor. It has 211,000 miles, it does need some HONDA recommended service items. What happens when the timing belt or tensioner break due to lack of HONDA recommended service? Who will pay for that?? Did you read the recommended service schedule before filming this video?
Good points, and true. A lot of times people have to make judgment calls based on their finances and plans for the vehicle. Some shops really pressure people with scare tactics above and beyond too. In a perfect world, yes, these things could all be addressed for the longevity of the vehicle
I worked at a dealership many years ago, I was told by the “service manager” to replace the emergency brake pedal, I got a light and found the lock pin for the cable broke off, I replaced the pin and the pedal was fine, the person that owned the car was my neighbor, the service manager and him got into a fight over me not replacing the pedal that wasn’t needed. The owner of the dealership fired the service manager and didn’t charge my neighbor for the work.
That was very nice of you to save your friend a bunch of unnecessary expenses
My 2004 Nissan Frontier had a steering shaft replaced under recall last year, the only upsell attempt was for a car wash. Mrs. Cuss took her 2014 Yukon in for air bag recall replacement, got a laundry list of $1700 in "needed" repairs (don't think dealer ever opened the hood). Years ago, when dealership was unable to repair the sunroof on our 2005 (told me they had no idea what was wrong), dealership still wanted almost $2000 for "needed service".
Bet you avoid that place as much as possible now!
Only go to the stealership for warranty or recall repairs. I don't even go in for the free oil changes. Your example of the loose drain plug is the reason why
Good points, they do have their utility!
Don't blow out your engine air filter. You put a hole in it and reinstall it your going to cause yourself a lot of problems. Throttle position sensor, MAF sensor, micro scratches on cylinder walls. Just spend $25 on a new air filter and watch a CZcams video on how to install it.
I’ve found dealerships expensive that’s why I don’t use them except maybe for warranty work.
My neighbor took her 4 year old car into Honda for a simple oil change and walked with a $360 bill. Nissan pulled a battery scam on myself. They had me so scared that I may not be able to make it home in my car.
which is why I tell the 'service dept/rep', "thanks for letting me know, I have other plans (or I've already accounted for that) and pay what I asked to be serviced. Also, if parts are being replaced, I ask for the old parts back (unless it's a warranty claim and obviously I don't ask for old fluids back).
good idea, ask questions, ask them to show you the issues, then ask them to give you the replaced parts! Maybe doesn't cure all the potential issues, but does cut down on the likelihood of being completely fleeced.
When you go to mechanic around where I live it’s minimum $99.00-150.00 diagnostic fee, they don’t wave the fee, if you have them repair. 👎
It does take a good hour or more to do a thorough inspection and diagnose what a car needs, so that one I'm ok with. The technician that is doing a real inspection will have tons of money and time in experience, education, tools, and research, so their Service is valuable and worth that. Again, if done right.
Thank goodness I do my own work.
How do you think the main steelers have such beautiful showrooms, yes you have to pay for it. Oh and the more prestigious the brand the more you will pay.If you are a women ( my wife ) they will try to take you to the cleaners every time. Get a good independent ( I give mine bottles of wine ) you can trust. Avoid main steelers, they will rob you. Pity they cannot be named and shamed.
Yes, that does seem to be common, trying to prey on the unknowledgeable (blinker fluid), and I like how you build that relationship with your trusted shop with wine...a bottle of Crown goes pretty far in my shop!
I just brought my '16 Prius C to the dealership, and it needs rear brakes, small drum brakes. $1,004. Nope.
I agree with every word you said. Note that the standard for checking the serpentine belt changed a long time ago. I too never bought the gauge.
Glad you enjoyed the video
I agree but we have a Chevy Dealership that is local to where I live in Ohio and their prices are on par to regular repair shops so I’ve been splitting where I have my car worked on. I go there when I want factory parts and for transmission flush and things like that and go to my cousins wife’s family tire shop for that.
Yes, as you've found, not all dealerships are bad! Nice that you have a family connection at another shop too for that second opinion and some less expensive work.
Valve adjustment for our 2005 CRV is in the owners manual as a mileage based item and the brake fluid change interval is also in the owners manual as a time based change. I bet if you opened that owners manual, both services are probably due. Are you recommending ignoring these schedules printed in that cars manual?? Also I believe valves only make noise if they are tight, not loose, (or the other way I forget), so no noise does not mean it doesn’t need it.
Good points, and no I don't recommend ignoring these types of issues forever, just hated that these guys made the owner feel like they needed to do that all today, and many of the recs were wrong
People don’t even like going to the dealer anymore because there always tryna put the screws to ya period. That SUM BULL SHIT
Those are two different leaks there. Rear main is seeping a bit.
Could have spit out a drop or two over the couple hundred thousand miles, that's true. Surprised they missed the CV axle leak though
Rear Seal?? LETS GO SEE!!!! Love it!!!! Great advice man!!! The old bait and switch!!!!
Yep, the "oil change special" strikes again!
Rear main oil seals are pretty common leaks. Ok job if not on warranty, sucks on warranty. Easily verified with a camera/scope.
I'm guessing that everyone watching this channel probably knows at least a little bit about cars, have at least a little bit of common sense, and already knows that dealerships do this crap. It's unfortunate that those who would be suckered are probably never going to see this video.
Being a dealership tech i can tell you one thing. If you dont mention every little thing you see on a car that is the time the customer comes back and wants a refund saying you didnt inspect it. When you do mention them all they get mad and say its not that bad, i had someone else already look. Damned if ya do, damned if ya dont. End of the day its the customers decision to have any repairs done. I 100% encourage a second opinion anytime someone feels they are being mislead. If i write on an estimate that something is required in the future i cannot control how that message is relayed to the customer. I have done hundreds of reinspections for people i know, their friends and down the line. About 80% are legit due to they never said these things had to be fixed. They were all things pointed out as possible future issues. Thats when the customer says to me well they just told me all these things and gave me an estimate. So they didnt really listen to what was being said. The other 20%, ya they were trying to scam them for sure.
Great insight my friend. I can tell you're one of the good guys! Keep the joy in wrenching, and keep helping others!
Talk to friends, neighbors, & coworkers to find an honest reliable shop. Word of mouth advertising is still the best. It does not hurt to check BBB ratings of possible shops as well. Your best option is an honest new car dealer who is the most well versed in the car that you drive. Finally as a customer try to develop a relationship with the shop that you select. Being combative does not work in the long run.
my dealership tried to sell me cabin filter on 2010 chevy silverado 1500. I am glad i said no on replacement. It didn't even have a cabin filter.
Oops!
I got a coupon oil change at my local BMW dealer. They came back with a recommendation to replace all 4 spark plugs for $700. They're 100k mile plugs, and the car only had 40k miles! I later bought them myself, along with new coil packs, and did the job when the car was at a higher mileage. It was super easy, even for me.
Good catch! And think of all the money you'll save over time doing your own maintenance...enough to enjoy a nice vacation I'll bet!
European Cars are very expensive to repair when out of warranty. Also they often use plastic parts which do not last over time.
And the “alignment” scam is a buggy. We did a free alignment check and one is out…. $150.00? Had that tried and refused. Got car home and checked torque in all wheels the next day. The one that was out had 2 nuts side by side that were hand loses and the others under torqued. Corrected that. Took care of to an independent alignment shop and told them what went in. They did an alignment check. All in spec. Haven’t been back to the dealer since.
Wow, that's shady if they loosened the lugs! and dangerous!
Installed new brake pads and rotors on pathfinder. Had some warranty work done few weeks later. Nissans "inspection" said my brake pads where in dire need of replacment. They even wrote some phoney measurment showing how bad they where. What a joke
So sad, but good for you to know better! And think how much you saved doing those brakes and rotors yourself!
GM dealer wanted to replace the 1-month aftermarket radiator hoses on our 2005 a 15 years ago. The hoses had the Gates stickers and non-GM hose clamps on them, believe they "diagnosed" from odometer reading.
Big brother was a mechanic working for a domestic dealer (not Ford or GM, hint) which often offered a $9.99 oil change. Figured I couldn't go wrong with my brother as the tech, right?
He tried to warn me off, because he was 'required' to upsell the job, and if he couldn't, the advisor would!
I asked big bro if my demanding adherence to the advertisement would jeopardize his job, he grinned and said, "Let's find out."
My truck was low mileage, less than 3 months old, and perfect...
The service manager was pissed, and brother had a new job 2 weeks later (a Master with 30+ years at that point, getting another position was not a bother😊)
Wow, that's so sad, but I'm glad he had options!
As I tell folks, odds are the dealership is going to suggest anything that isn't as it was when it left the factory.
Sagging visor? Who cares if the owner doesn't. Maybe the owner is shorter and keeps the visor in the down position 99 percent of the time.
Seeping seal? We call that spot rust proofing here in the rust belt. =-) Keep an eye on it, if it gets worse, yeah, then we'll go in.
From the list on this car, I got a feeling rear main seal was the lead to a further upsell once it was in the shop; hey Joe, we found something else once we got in here, you need a shaft and seal... btw, that'll be an additional $999.... You don't want to spend that much on fixing your used car? Well, heres Sam, he can show you some of our new cars that you'll really love..."
If you had a bad meal at Applebees would you also claim ALL chain restaurants are stealing your meal money?
That's right, as I try to state many times here, not all shops, service advisors, mechanics, etc are shady or incompetent. I love social media for this as people get to share stories, good and bad and help others find places to trust.
@@joyofwrenching You video title set a bad tone, in my opinion. Something about the value of getting a second opinion in the title would have better than "watch out for the terrible dealer employees."
@@greeneyesmsActually, The title of the video reflects the reality.
He clearly states that he’s not implying that all dealers are like this, but millions upon millions of customers will tell you that dealers are indeed trying to rob them blind.😂
I checked KBB with the VIN number and mileage from the video at 6:35. The vehicle is worth around $7000 at best. So asking for around $4,200 is just ridiculous. The customer might just decide it's time to sell their car. I'm wondering if the stealership wants to screw the customer during the trade in instead.
Oops, guess I need to be more careful with what I cover up. Good points man!
I took a car in for an oil change once. it wasn't a dealership, it was like a Firestone I think. anyway they told me I needed to change my transmission fluid. the car was a stick shift
Dealership hourly rates are usually 150-175 per hour….Factory replacement parts either: belts etc are double parts houses….what do you expect?
The dealership does tend to be more pricey than many Indy shops
A friend once went to ther GM dealership, got an estimate for $900+ for pads & rotors.......I did it in less than 2 hours for ~ $200
that's true friendship, helping one another out! Keep that joy of wrenching man!
Well to be fair a car this old and used so long is bound to have a ton of issues with it. They don’t last indefinitely no matter what they say. They wear out. That’s why they make and sell new cars
Yes, if you neglect the maintenance the car is bound to have a ton of issues and there is a difference between indefinitely and a very long time. BTW. they make and sell new cars because they are in business to do so and most Americans love shiny new things. 😊
Cum on man he went in for a damb oil change. Which wasn’t a damb billion dolla car. Dealer tried to bamboozle him cuz he was 1 young 2 foreign lookin. And dealer employee was unscrupulous idiot.
That passenger front wheel did look like it was wearing more on the inside.
The coolant should be changing atheist every 105,000. That car had over 200,xxx
Yeah, many of these things need to be addressed over time if the owner wants to keep it going as long as possible, but in this case they tried to take advantage of his lack of knowledge and used some fear tactics to make them think it was all critical
There is a simple and inexpensive test which tells the coolant strength in cold weather.
Dont forget ladies and gents , we check valve adjustment not only if a ticking noise is heard.
One or more of the valves may be TIGHT !
If the valves are tight there maybe a misfire or low compression...
If this was my car and I planned to keep it forever, I'd work through many of these items as budget allowed to make sure it lasts. Hate that they made this uneducated guy who owns it feel like it was urgent they did it all
Cant agree more - I have 2013 ford (escape 1.6litre turbo) which the adaptive cruise control radar stopped working - dealership quote for part without installation = $5000, had 2nd hand part $350 plus fitting & programming $300 - not been back since.
Wow, that's a big difference...enough to fund a vacation!
One year ago i took my car to firestone for a alignment because i cant do that myself. They said i needed new tires i said no thanks. They said your car is ready to go then. It was only 15 minutes after handing them the keys. This car really needed an alignment. I just replaced the tie rod ends lower control arms and so on. Went home jacked my car up and nothing was touched. Still needed a alignment. Longer story short goes like this. My 02 censer was unplugged. I've been to 4 firestone shops in my life. All 4 tried every trick in the book to rob me. I dont come off as a smart man but i do know more about cars then they do. I dont own a alignment machine and can't do everything myself.
The manager & service mangers in dealerships all have numbers on them. This is why you get this type of unscrupulous practices..
People do what they are incentivized to do. We all have to be on guard from the upsell
The place my wife bought her car tried this. Their tune changed when I demanded they show me what was needed and I dropped my ase certifications on the desk.
They started crawfishing away real fast!
Even if you pay for a transmission or brake fluid change what's to say they don't do it but charge you for it? My coworker marked his tires to see if the dealer did the $19.99 tire rotation. They did not. He called them out and pointed out the special marks he made. The manager made excuse that the tech is going thru a hard time and then have my coworker coupons for a couple of free oil changes.
Ouch, busted!
How ironic that the ad at the 15 min. mark is for an oil change and free inspection from Firestone...
Ads????
Haha! That's crazy and funny
Not all dealerships are con artists like this only 99.9999% of them are dishonest like this
The reason they do this is because taking car of you and your car isn't even on their list of priorities,! Always approach with caution
Sad isn't it?
@@joyofwrenching yes I used to work at one and in my opinion unless they separate authorized repair shop from dealerships it'll never change. Car dealerships don't even break even selling cars the entire dealership is funded thru service and used car sales but mostly service.
A lot of the techs are leaving dealerships and going to independent shops
Lots of reasons for this I'll bet!
The truth of the matter is that most people do not take care of their cars, and most of these are maintenance items that are probably due to be done. Just getting oil changes for the life of the car and nothing else makes you a terrible owner.
That belt was good .
Leased cars or cars still under warranty never seem to have any problems when a "free" inspection is done, only cars out of warranty, go figure.
Good point, wonder why that is...hmmm
The best deal out there is 1 guy/gal and a truck/shop/office. Think about it. There are no managers, receptionists, service advisors and other overhead to pay for.
Yes sir, and they can make a really good living doing it...and not even have to cheat people to make it!
Took my 2 year old Tacoma into the dealership last year with only 18,000 miles on it for the stupid state inspection and they gave me a list of maintenance items that they “recommended” worth about $1800. I said no thanks the truck is still practically new and will never go back. I do all my own maintenance and it saves me a boatload of money.
Lots of stealerships in my area. I do all my own repairs and maintenance
Imagine the amount of money you've saved over the years doing these things for yourself!
This is a front wheel driven car ? Then why would you do a tire rotation ??
up sales its a thing deal with it or go to a local shop.
Seems true in almost all businesses these days. Gotta protect our wallets everywhere we turn!
Also high rates per hour:(
Isn't it true that Hondas require valve adjustment every hundred thousand miles? This car has 200k so the tech advisor was right to recommend. It's one of the reasons I prefer Toyota. ( valves never need adjustment and has timing chain instead of belt). Hondas require more maintenance after lots of miles compared to Toyota. It sucks that Honda stuck with adjustable valves and timing belts. I guarantee you those valves have tightened out of spec after 200k. I don't agree that you should wait until they make lots of noise.
yes, this should be checked and adjusted on these engines. It's just not the end of the world they tried to say it was, and I still think it's funny they quoted the cost for a 4 cyl adjustment...wonder if they would have hit them with a higher 6 cyl cost had they got the go-ahead?
A tight valve shortly becomes a burned valve and a burned job requires a valve job. I just don’t know why a valve adjustment would be over 500.00? Must take close to four hours? Doesn’t look that time intensive. Anyone?
Only V6 Hondas have timing belts. The fours haven’t had belts in many years.
@@craigjorgensen4637 thanks
@@craigjorgensen4637 I would think that valve jobs are over 500 bucks because only mechanics with lots of experience and training should do the job and they will charge accordingly. Where do you live to think 500 is a lot for a valve job? Just fixing a valve cover leak is probably 400. (Just replacing the gasket). Adjusting the valves to factory spec should cost well over 800 dollars I would guess.
For the love of all that is good, can you learn how to get to the point? This legit could have been a 4-1/2 minute video
Haha, yes, I'm a bit long winded sometimes, but wanted to take the time to explain and show it all!
Excellent video, brother. So glad I do 98% of my own work.
BTW, what state are you in?
You're saving Soo much money doing it yourself! I'm out in Oklahoma
@@joyofwrenching Indeed! I started at age 45, as a man who was COMPLETELY inept at DIY wrenching. Watching channels like yours, has been instrumental in bringing me to where I am now.
I have 3 cars from the 90s, that I plan to keep running indefinitely.
Thanks for telling me that you're in Oklahoma. I'm Canadian, but I'm curious about accents. Forgive me for being rude, but I had guessed that you were from Texas. Thank you for setting me straight. Cheers! =)
You're not wrong! I am a Texan, moved to Oklahoma about 17 yrs ago@@Maplecook
@@joyofwrenching Holy crap! I actually successfully picked you out as a Texan!? I'm thrilled!! hahahaha!
I think your accent is beautiful, and I also think that most northerners miss out on the subtlety (and beauty) of a lot of Southern States American English. Up here, most people can recognize a Southern accent, but can't tell the difference between say, Texas and Arkansas. Most people here think that all Southerners sound the same, that's just not true.
I look forward to continuing my learning journey with you, Sir! =)
I am not a fan of the dealerships either but you are overlooking a few things and leading your customer/friend down a bit of a primrose path. A few comments here from someone who has worked on a lot of these J series Hondas:
Be careful telling someone they don't need the valve adjustment. If that car has 200k on it, and it's never been done, it absolutely needs a valve adjustment. Having done many on these, I can tell you that the exhaust valves will tighten up and cause no noise. This begins to happen around 140-150k miles. Honda recommends the adjustment every 105k. I'm all for skipping it and pushing it off to 150k or more but not beyond 200k. So, just because it's not noisy does not mean it doesn't need a valve adjustment. Every one I've adjusted valves on has had tight exhaust valves and loose intake valves. With tight exhaust valves the engine is at risk of burning exhaust valves, or at the very least will begin to experience random, unexplained misfires. If there is any record of it being done then it's unlikely it would need it again at this mileage. Otherwise it's a good recommendation and definitely should be done soon.
Your inspection of the serpentine belt is incomplete. Yes, check for visible cracks but also you need to check them for wear in the grooves. You only need a cheap small tool to check that. It looks like a small saw blade and goes across the belt in the grooves. If it's tight then it's good. If the tool wiggles back and forth across the groves then it's worn and should be replaced. You didn't check that.
Brake fluid does absorb moisture from the air so that would need to be checked, along with copper content of the fluid. Copper is a byproduct of corrosion. You can't go by color of the fluid. Honda recommends every 2 years but you can buy test strips that check the copper content and their are moisture testers, as well.
That oil could be coming from the axle seal but another common source of misdiagnosed oil leaks on these is the rear spool valve. They are prone to leakage. I agree they are completely wrong on the rear main seal diagnosis though.
Transmission flushes. Honda doesn't recommend "flushes" on their transmissions. I hate when the Honda dealer even calls them that. They are simple drain and fills and if you can change your own oil, you can do trans fluid changes on these. If your goal is to change all/most of the fluid then 4 drain and fills, with some driving in between, is what Honda recommends and I think they recommend it every 30-45k miles. Personally, I do one trans drain and fill every other oil change on my own J35 which keeps most of the fluid clean all the time. I've got over 273k miles on mine.
My point here is that much of what the dealership is recommending is valid. Yes, their prices are higher than what you can find elsewhere but most everyone knows that when they go there. The rear main seal is a complete misdiagnosis and it's pretty obvious it doesn't need an alignment. The rest of the items are good and valid recommendations.
Good points and information. Thanks! I hate that they made my friend feel like these were all urgent, but I agree they all eventually need doing on cars we plan to keep a long time. They plan to get a newer one soon in this case and don't really have the money to do it all
Well Said. Dealer Service Shops have more experience with the car brand they sell. Cars are also becoming more and more complicated by computer software which can make it harder for independent shops to properly diagnose.
But there's free coffee...
yeah, you have a point there. It can be expensive coffee though.
Happened to us on a 2012 Honda Pilot.
That stinks. What did they say it needed?
@@joyofwrenching about the same as your list. 5 weeks later a tree fell on it while Janice was driving.
@@scpc2006SO UH...I think the tree was Irrelevant...100%...lo
do the service advisors even know about car lol?Imagine you aks them that question.😂
what blows my mind is the piss-poor shopping of things wrong with this vehicle. No suspension defects so what will alignment help if indeed its off? Wrong leak diagnosis. It figures with shitty mechanics at greedy dealer.
capitalism is in the fine print. all economic transaction are in favor of capital. do you expect even odds in a gambling house?
Gotta watch ourselves, and it's a shame so many go to places like this thinking they can trust them
Gm dealerships have terrible mechanics, they are biggest rip offs ever. I been to 6 different ones. They use kids that are not certified, cant find workers . Just because there shirt says certified dont mean they are lol
Dang, I hate that that has been your experience, and I hope you can find a good reputable place to take your vehicles. The worker shortage is real! And unfortunately, society still tends to look down upon becoming a mechanic as somehow a job only an idiot or dropout could do...far from the truth!
@@joyofwrenching Would you be better off by racking up 100K in college student loans & no job after graduation. AI is already wiping out white collar jobs and it is only getting worse.
My dealerships won’t verify my issues. They always say it’s fine. My coolant temp fluctuates after warm up and under acceleration it increases until I let off the gas. The coolant is seeping somewhere. I can smell coolant after going through a car wash. The right front wheel makes a noise like a bad wheel bearing. I have a factory Mopar extended warranty idk if that has any effect on my outcome. Anyone have any thoughts?Also I had a busted rear shock. It took 3 weeks to diagnose. I’m sure it just sit there until someone put it on a lift and saw the oil leaking
I can’t find a shop in my area that will honestly diagnose these issues
Also I wanted my transmission fluid changed and they refused
it's so sad, but shops don't want to do preventative stuff under warranty, rather wait till something breaks so they can get paid to fix it. Also, warranties sold by dealers, and really most aftermarket ones have terrible reviews from real customers due to the hassle to get anything covered. Sorry you're having these issues.
@@joyofwrenching
Thanks I’ll just start throwing parts at the cooling system unless by some miracle I find an honest skilled shop
@@joyofwrenching What shops don't want to do preventative maintenance and hand a customer a bill? They prefer to let the customer walk and then have the dealer do warranty work?
that coolant temp creeping up while you're on the gas seems to show that the cooling system is working, but just isn't able to cool it down effectively under high heat load, and you may have big issues this summer. Could be restrictions to flow in the system (clogs in passages, hoses crimped), restriction across the radiator from trash in fins, partially opening thermostat, low coolant level, partially working water pump...I think that's why they don't want to figure it out...they are waiting till it's more evident, but you can go down this list as much as you're comfortable and check these things. What else could cause this that I might have missed here guys?
Oh no, sorry I wasn't clear. You're absolutely correct, they all love to give a bill (get paid by owner) for preventative stuff, kinda like I show on this Honda here, but they don't just do that stuff when we walk in and say I've got this extended warranty and need something done so stuff won't break like the original poster was talking about @@greeneyesms
So you say those things DON'T need to be addressed? I started in the early 70's in the garage learning from very highly experienced men that started in the 40's and my high school auto shop instructor was the same and and owned a shop for 35 years. Both taught that part of our job was to inform the customer of issues needing addressed. Part of the reason vehicles and other equipment get into bad shape and seemingly large costs is because some shops ignore problems. It'll be OK, it wont break tomorrow. You can put it off. Then the next thing is treated the same, then the next, and the next. Before you know, it has all added up to a large one time repair bill to take care of all of it when the customer takes his equipment to someone that sees it all and informs the customer. Also, those pictures are probably for reference only and not of his actual car. Just there to familiarize the customer of what they are talking about.
True, and good points, over time many of these things and more will need addressing. They tried to take advantage of his lack of knowledge and make him feel like it was imminent that the car would die without these things today!
Fr
Yeah, they are. 👀🥷🥷