My problem with dealerships is often as much to do with the cost of a part as it is with the techs. LR will charge 3X as much (or more) for a part. And no need to start in on OEM parts. We all know that there are OEM parts available out there at better prices. Not to mention that some aftermarket parts are actually better than OEM. So do I really need a mechanic that charges me twice what an an indy does and then rapes me on partsc? I appreciate and respect your view but I will disagree.

 

Ah, but you forget that OEM parts bought at the dealer are warrantable, parts & labor, at any LR dealer. For some people the peace of mind is worth the price. Aftermarket warranty is hit and miss - especially when you're in a time crunch..........and believe me, I've filed plenty of aftermarket warranty claims for customers, those companies do NOT want to pay.

 

I'm OK with the technical abilities of my local dealer, and I've used them for a few things in the past. But I remain unconvinced of why I should pay $1500 to install a new alternator. I wasn't there for alternator problems, but as part of their check they said I needed a new one and it was $1100 for the part and $400 labor. I haven't been back.

 

One of the great ethical issues for commisioned sales persons is how big a lie you are willing to tell to make your mortgage payment....... and if what you tell a customer will increase your wages, be it labor split, bonus, spiff, monthly goal, the "plan", etc., it is still a form of compensation based on sale of a product and/or service.

Most sales people are highly ethical, as are most managers, and most techs. But that is just most. Leaves a lot of room for the green-eyed backsliders. Upper management turns a blind eye to such practices sometimes, because they are being squeezed by low sales output and banker's nightmares. We recall the bad apples, that stink up any operation they join.

 

To the one who said "dealerships don't tear down"... Bull. I have 3 engines torn down waiting for parts. 2 of which were rebuilt by a reputable Indy shop.

If you have an American product, Indy shops are ok. Anything else, no, too many calls wasting my time asking for codes and to borrow diagnostic equipment.

Mitchell's and Alldata don't hold a candle to genuine manufacturer supplied technical material. Sorry, they just don't.

Parts price? Again, a crap shoot. Sometimes you save $300 on the part, other times you spend that $300 on having the part swapped out 4 or 5 times until you find one that works as designed. Your vehicle is down for that much longer. A real savings? Probably not. But, you have the satisfaction of sticking it to the man.

Where I work, if we don't resolve your problem the first time, we work for free until we do.

And yes, work gets upsold. And? If you need maintenance, it should be done, no? Rarely would a dealership "upsell" an expensive part that you don't need. The liability outweighs the monetary gains.

 

I do have to agree with the quality being better on most OEM parts than aftermarket ones.
I went through 4 rebuilt alternators in 2 years, wound up getting a used one and that has lasted almost 2 years now.
However I am not willing to fork out $600 for a OEM alt for my truck, and it only takes 30 min to change so the dealer charging $400 to do that is a rip off.

 

It is true that dealerships have access to proprietary info, but when it comes to any vehicle 8 years old or older, it doesn't matter(unless you are LR and make the prop. info too expensive for anyone else to buy it).

As for parts, indies can get oem, and aftermarket. I have seen many and worked at a few dealers that sell aftermarket and charge oem because that is what they now use for oem.

I have never been to a dealership that did not overprice or upsell known good components. I have been to a few indys that were ethical in every area.

I have torn down engines and trannys at both dealers and indys. But most shops will replace the engine or tranny with a reman/new engine. Dealers and indys alike.

The main thing that makes or breaks any service shop, dealer and indy alike, are the mechanics(if they actually know their job) and the management. I hate throwing parts at a vehicle. It is a poor way to diagnose a problem. Too many mechanics and managers recommend throwing parts until the vehicle is fixed.

My advice is to always require your 'bad' components back. And if you have questions about them, take them to another shop to be tested. Especially if they replaced a whole lot of crap other than what you sent it in for. Also, they cannot replace anything without your approval. Not even a wiper blade. So make sure you remind them to call you if they find anything before doing any repairs other than those you authorized.

I don't necessarily hate dealers, I just haven't seen any I trust. I'm sure there are some out there that are trustworthy based on the stink this topic brought up.

If the shop you work at truly is as you describe, tell us which one it is so those that live in the area can go there for their needs. And those of us that don't live there, can recommend your shop to our friends and family.

 

When I bought my 2001 Mistubishi Monetro they gave me 2 free oil change coupons and I held onto them until winter.
Called and scheduled a PM for a Mon.
Got there in the morning and they had a loaner car sitting in the warm shop all weekend and full of gas. (so it wasn't covered in snow)
Nice touch.
I also asked the service manager if the tech could show me the lube points under the truck because I like to do my own oil changes, they did.
When it was on the lift (they did real oil changes not quick lube ones) he showed me everything, grease fittings, fill/check/drain plugs...he was more than happy to show me.
I dont use the dealer because I do 98% of my own work and the work I do have done elsewhere is at a shop I have been using for years and years and I trust those guys, and they let me bring in my own parts.

 

IMHO the more modern vehicles have been designed to keep a captive market of customers coming to the dealership, providing a steady background of service revenue, while new sales can be expected to fluctuate. This made great sense to some high level management, but they forgot to factor in the "customers vote with their wallets" principal, the prices are so high the maintenance is just skipped. On leased cars this was killing BMW, so they (and others) started the all inclusive lease. But the poor old hulks that were ignored by their previous owners eventually filter down to the bottom feeders like me, and we start the process of trying to squeeze some life back into them. If it wasn't for those high prices, and previous owners that had fiscal conversions (lay offs), we would not have affordable posh previously pampered sheet metal.

Think of the dealer as the "hospital staff specialist", and the indy shop as the "family doctor", and the DIY as the pharmacy aisle at the store. Each one can deal with something like indigestion. But the specialist will charge more.

Note to Spike - I sold my 03 Montero Sport after I put on 292K miles, some slip in the tranny, and never could bring myself to fork over $400 to change spark plugs at the dealer. There are days I wish I had kept it...

 

I didnt have the Sport, I had the "Full Monty" as I affectionately called it.
5yrs and 100,000 miles and not a single problem, timing belt and tune up at 60k and fluids and filters, thats it.
I had to tighten the nuts on the wiper arms once.
I got divorced and had to let the truck go, it was either keep the truck and get my kids, I miss that truck.