Foo - What's the most you've paid for an oil change + extras they found???

So you bring your car into the shop for an oil change. They call you at work / home and tell you they've found a 'few' things they'd recommend replacing / repairing. What's the most you've ever ended up paying for repairs when you originally brought your car in for a simple oil change?

i'm my own mechanic, but some of the things i've talked myself into are comical...
http://i1003.photobucket.com/albums/af153/aero_dynamic8/Nikon014.jpg

OK, maybe I'm the only one who has experienced this. Today I dropped off my 2005 Toyota Matrix for an oil change (at the dealership). One hour after getting to work I got a call from the very friendly front desk person. She started out by commenting on the weather, then slowly moved into some "issues" they had found with my car. First it was a leaking water pump, then the clutch needs to be replaced (I actually saw that one coming), then my front and rear brake components need replacing, then my belt and tensioner need replacing, and finally all 4 tires need replacing (yes I knew that was imminent as well). In the end, what I thought would be a small service bill ended up at $3500 pre-tax, or closer to $4000 after tax. OUCH! I'm not the type to shop around for a different shop to give me a second quote ... mainly because I don't have the time ... so I authorized all the repairs.

Am I the only one???

No, not the only one, but i have a few friends who turn wrenches and I usually go to them first. The oil change places try to find things to repair, that is their bread and butter. Know this because one of my wrench turning friends owns a lube place. He makes a NICE living. Nicer than me by a long shot.

OK, maybe I'm the only one who has experienced this. Today I dropped off my 2005 Toyota Matrix for an oil change (at the dealership). One hour after getting to work I got a call from the very friendly front desk person. She started out by commenting on the weather, then slowly moved into some "issues" they had found with my car. First it was a leaking water pump, then the clutch needs to be replaced (I actually saw that one coming), then my front and rear brake components need replacing, then my belt and tensioner need replacing, and finally all 4 tires need replacing (yes I knew that was imminent as well). In the end, what I thought would be a small service bill ended up at $3500 pre-tax, or closer to $4000 after tax. OUCH! I'm not the type to shop around for a different shop to give me a second quote ... mainly because I don't have the time ... so I authorized all the repairs.

Am I the only one???

Dude I am selling Golden Gate bridge, great deal. Want to buy?

Dude I am selling Golden Gate bridge, great deal. Want to buy?

sounds intriguing. How much?

No, not the only one, but i have a few friends who turn wrenches and I usually go to them first. The oil change places try to find things to repair, that is their bread and butter. Know this because one of my wrench turning friends owns a lube place. He makes a NICE living. Nicer than me by a long shot.

I've never taken my vehicles to a Lube place. I've always brought my vehicles back to the dealership.

sounds intriguing. How much?

Well CA is broke, everything must go! :lol:

I've never taken my vehicles to a Lube place. I've always brought my vehicles back to the dealership.

They are not much better.

Unbelievable story. I don't trust mechanics, in fact, I hate them with all my guts. I sincerely believe that 90% of mechanics are out there to con you out of your hard earned dollars. This includes dealerships.

If a repair shop quoted me $3500 for repairs, I will get not one, not two but at least three more quotes before even thinking about spending that kind of cash.

For the most part, I do my own repairs. I am a self taught mechanic. So far I have done a complete brake job, changed brake lines, oil changes, transmission oil changes, oxygen sensor replacements, audio equipment replacements.

Never trust mechanics unless you personally know them to be good people. Throwing parts at cars is their favorite job. Ask a mechanic to figure out if he can check your MAF sensor or your O2 sensor for malfunction using voltage input and outputs. Nine out of ten times, the mechanic will want to throw a new sensor in the car. Oh and they wont' bargain shop, they'll charge you for the parts at dealership rate which is usually a lot more expensive than if you bought it online.

Unbelievable story. I don't trust mechanics, in fact, I hate them with all my guts. I sincerely believe that 90% of mechanics are out there to con you out of your hard earned dollars. This includes dealerships.
I've only gone to a mechanic 4 times in more than 25 years of driving. The first time was about 10 years ago to do a timing belt and water pump because I didn't feel like screwing with it. 5 years ago because I had a leaky water pump and cracked outboard CV boot replaced on the same car at 165K miles. 3rd and 4th times were to do the 30K and 60K service on a car I bought in 2007 -- I decided I'm not broke anymore and am tired of this grease monkey crap.

All service was done at the dealer. Service was excellent and chats with service manager in all cases led me to believe they knew what they were doing. It wasn't cheap, but I got good value for my money and will probably return (as the value of the car drops, it becomes more difficult to justify not doing the work myself). I still have a 1993 truck that has never been serviced by anyone but me -- any repair bill would exceed the value of the truck.

Thing is, changing the oil is indeed easy to do, but after you buy the oil and filter, the price of an oil change at Sears or wherever is just a few bucks more.

Thing is, changing the oil is indeed easy to do, but after you buy the oil and filter, the price of an oil change at Sears or wherever is just a few bucks more.

That's true. I figure it depends on how much value you put on your time and whether you get any personal enjoyment out of it. A lot of us who do it ourselves take it as a matter of pride. Plus it makes you keep a closer eye on the car yourself so you have a better idea if something's going on. I always check for leaks and take a peak at the CV boots. It's probably time to check the brakes on mine, too.

Also, I use full synthetic in my car, and most lube places charge a definite premium beyond cost for that, so instead of the labor adding $10-15 to the material cost, it ends being more like $30.

I was going to do my own timing belt, but then I looked in my Hayes manual at how much crap you have to take off of a Civic in order just to get at the belt. That one's actual enough work I will pay for it, but all the minor maintenance I do myself.

That's true. I figure it depends on how much value you put on your time and whether you get any personal enjoyment out of it. A lot of us who do it ourselves take it as a matter of pride. Plus it makes you keep a closer eye on the car yourself so you have a better idea if something's going on. I always check for leaks and take a peak at the CV boots. It's probably time to check the brakes on mine, too.

Also, I use full synthetic in my car, and most lube places charge a definite premium beyond cost for that, so instead of the labor adding $10-15 to the material cost, it ends being more like $30.

I was going to do my own timing belt, but then I looked in my Hayes manual at how much crap you have to take off of a Civic in order just to get at the belt. That one's actual enough work I will pay for it, but all the minor maintenance I do myself.

Yeah, the price for synthetic is insane.

$58 bucks over the $20 of the oil + filer change. The air filter was really bad and needed new wipers.

I only go to a shop for an oil change if I really really don't have the time to do it myself, or if the filter in question is a PIA to replace due to odd location.

My problem with oil changes at the shop is not the price. I regularly spend more doing it myself due to the cost of materials. But at least I know what I'm putting on the car. Not to mention I DO tighten all bolts back, to specification.

I've never taken my vehicles to a Lube place. I've always brought my vehicles back to the dealership.

That's your problem right there. Dealerships charge far above the going rate for repairs and parts. Avoid them like the plague.

Unbelievable story. I don't trust mechanics, in fact, I hate them with all my guts. I sincerely believe that 90% of mechanics are out there to con you out of your hard earned dollars. This includes dealerships.

If a repair shop quoted me $3500 for repairs, I will get not one, not two but at least three more quotes before even thinking about spending that kind of cash.

For the most part, I do my own repairs. I am a self taught mechanic. So far I have done a complete brake job, changed brake lines, oil changes, transmission oil changes, oxygen sensor replacements, audio equipment replacements.

Never trust mechanics unless you personally know them to be good people. Throwing parts at cars is their favorite job. Ask a mechanic to figure out if he can check your MAF sensor or your O2 sensor for malfunction using voltage input and outputs. Nine out of ten times, the mechanic will want to throw a new sensor in the car. Oh and they wont' bargain shop, they'll charge you for the parts at dealership rate which is usually a lot more expensive than if you bought it online.

I don't have the same mistrust of all mechanics. Yes, there are undoubtedly some crooked ones out there, however I still believe most are fairly responsible and aren't there to screw you over. Perhaps my take on mechanics comes from growing up with my father who was a mechanic. I do believe however, that a larger percentage of mechanics these days are not as detailed in their trouble-shooting skills as past mechanics. Obviously this is in part due to the complexity of the equipment they have to trouble-shoot.

I would admit that if I had time I probably would have gone for at least one other quote, however my spare time is VERY limited these days. So I say to myself "suck it up, buttercup" and pay the bill.

I've only gone to a mechanic 4 times in more than 25 years of driving. The first time was about 10 years ago to do a timing belt and water pump because I didn't feel like screwing with it. 5 years ago because I had a leaky water pump and cracked outboard CV boot replaced on the same car at 165K miles. 3rd and 4th times were to do the 30K and 60K service on a car I bought in 2007 -- I decided I'm not broke anymore and am tired of this grease monkey crap.

All service was done at the dealer. Service was excellent and chats with service manager in all cases led me to believe they knew what they were doing. It wasn't cheap, but I got good value for my money and will probably return (as the value of the car drops, it becomes more difficult to justify not doing the work myself). I still have a 1993 truck that has never been serviced by anyone but me -- any repair bill would exceed the value of the truck.

Since my father had his own shop years ago, I did all of my own service work ... within my capabilities. I did that for many years when I was younger. Now that I have a few bucks, I figure I'll let others with way more skill due the repairs. I've only had one bad experience with a shop over the years. Needless to say I don't go there anymore ... and yes it was a dealership shop.

$4K...I'd say they saw you coming. I work with a really nice lady that kept getting ripped off by the BMW dealer, $2K-$4K every 10K miles.
I finally convinced her to find a non-dealer mechanic to work on her car, she doesn't get taken like you did anymore. New brake parts
are a dealer's favorite scam. I'm running the stock rear rotors on my Lexus with 140,000 miles. Stock calipers etc.
All I've replaced in 140,000 miles is the front rotor (twice), new front pads (5x) and rear pads once.

You bought a Toyota because it lasts, don't let the dealer rip you off like that again!

A lot of us who do it ourselves take it as a matter of pride.

Or laziness. I don't mind paying for someone else to do it -- it's just that it takes less time to do it myself than it takes to drive someplace to have it done (let alone wait to have it done). For me, it's a lot like filling your tires at a gas station rather than home. I use my bike pump for that, but it's still faster than driving 1/2 mile to the nearest station.


Plus it makes you keep a closer eye on the car yourself so you have a better idea if something's going on. I always check for leaks and take a peak at the CV boots. It's probably time to check the brakes on mine, too.

This is a real benefit. You don't repair things except when they need it, and you notice things that need it. I inspect various areas of the car on a schedule so I know what's going on.

The third benefit of doing it yourself is that you know exactly what corners you're cutting. I actually buy filters and oil plug gaskets at the dealer.



I was going to do my own timing belt, but then I looked in my Hayes manual at how much crap you have to take off of a Civic in order just to get at the belt. That one's actual enough work I will pay for it, but all the minor maintenance I do myself.
Actually, removing the crap is pretty easy -- except the crankshaft pulley which can be a PITA if you don't have the right tools since there's no clearance and torque is so high. I plan on paying for this the next time I need it done.

Like $120, when I had an Audi.

you can try out the costco garage, if you have a costco membership. It's quite cheap.

$58 bucks over the $20 of the oil + filer change. The air filter was really bad and needed new wipers.

Your air filter needed new wipers? Did they at least top off the blinker fluid for free?

Or laziness. I don't mind paying for someone else to do it -- it's just that it takes less time to do it myself than it takes to drive someplace to have it done (let alone wait to have it done). For me, it's a lot like filling your tires at a gas station rather than home. I use my bike pump for that, but it's still faster than driving 1/2 mile to the nearest station.

+1 I have a really good mechanic that I trust, and he's quick, but just taking the car to him takes about as long as actually changing the oil, and the odds that he'll be able to get right on it are pretty slim. 20 minute trip to the local O'Reilly for oil, oil filter, air filter, and anything else I feel like swapping, 5 minutes under the car and 5 putting oil back in and I'm done.

On my wife's Protege it's a bit trickier; if you crawl under the passenger side, the drain plug is right there handy. If you crawl under from the driver's side it's right there handy...except that this time it's the automatic transmission drain plug that looks exactly like the crankcase one. I'm thinking about stamping them "OIL" and "ATF."

I would admit that if I had time I probably would have gone for at least one other quote, however my spare time is VERY limited these days. So I say to myself "suck it up, buttercup" and pay the bill.

Stop wasting money on dealer repairs and you won't have to work so much.

I don't think I have ever actually paid someone to change my oil. It's such an easy job it seems like a waste of time and money.

Just for fun, a few months ago I had the wife time me. I think I was shooting for ten minutes, and I got it done in around 8 or 9 minutes. :lol:

I went to a quick-lube place a few months ago and ended up with a $200 bill for oil, front and rear differentials (Subaru), and an air filter. I don't want to go through the hassle of changing my own oil since the filter is surrounded by the funky header, and the diffs were a PITA on my last car so I didn't want to mess with them this time. And last time I checked air filters at the local part store cost more than the quick-lube charged to replace it. I think they've gone down in cost since then so next time I'll replace it myself. I don't mind doing work that does not require crawling around in the dirt and working within a fraction of an inch of red-hot exhaust parts.

Your air filter needed new wipers? Did they at least top off the blinker fluid for free?
I've taken to calling windshield fluid "Blinker fluid" just to mess with people at the parts store when they ask me what I'm there for. Generally I tell them that I want the blue rather than the orange or lime because my car thinks it tastes better.

Stop wasting money on dealer repairs and you won't have to work so much.
You beat me to it. Some things I'll have other people do because I just don't want to, but those aren't very common. When it came to doing my timing belt I had to borrow a crank puller from the parts store (didn't need it). It took me a while, but when I divided the money saved by the time taken it worked out to something like $50/hour (post tax) for that time, plus it got done on my schedule. If you spend 2 hours calling around but save $300 on the bill, you've made a post tax $150/hr for that time.

Free oil changes and car washes are great for bringing people into the service department where their cars can be inspected. Some see this as a service to their customers, and some a way to soak the customers for more money. Car talk is pretty good about mentioning that, somebody needs to make a boat payment is how they usually phrase it.

I do my own repairs and preventive maintenance.

i once brought a Honda civic to the dealer and was told it needed $800 in repairs and that i should think about getting a replacement vehicle now that this one was starting to go. It only had about 30,000 miles on it. i never went back to them. i did eventually buy another car when our family expanded, but not from them. their plan failed.

I actually always bring my car to the dealer if I am not doing the work myself; my local dealer is competitive in prices and they know what they are doing.

Rare but true example: I needed my control arm bushings replaced. It's an issue all across the model of my car. I talked to 4 shops and they all wanted around $350 + allignment charges of about $80, so roughly $430.

The dealer: $189 for everything. They just pressed in new bushings, no allignment needed. They knew what to do since they do it all day long on my model of car and already had the parts, of course.

I have a really old car so every year I put some good money into, that's expected.

I did get scammed by one of those quickie change places once... never again. I couldn't get into my regular shop so tried the Jiffy Lube on the corner. I went in for an oil change (supposedly $21 dollars) and came out spending close to $140. Don't ask... I am so embrassed I let them talk me into whatever crap they did. Shortly after that they got in trouble with the federal government. I went back to the shop after that and got some of my moneyback.

I still go there occasionally but I bark "just an oil change - no more! Don't even ask!" They don't...

The front desk assistant where I work was required by her father to learn a bit about cars as a condition on getting her license. It saved her when one of those oil change places tried to convince her that she had a broken tie rod. She had the knowledge to realize that if her tie rod was broken completely in half as the guy said, that she would not have been able to steer the car to the shop.

One of my friends bought a used car from a dealer years ago. He wanted to get the deluxe oil change at one of those quick lube places, and wanted me to go with him so they wouldn't try and take advantage of him. The oil changer came in with the air filter and said "look at this" in a concerned tone while showing it to us. It wasn't anywhere near needing to be replaced, and I pointed that out to my friend who said "that's why I wanted you to come with".

For those of you who get pressured to do stuff, it's easy to save yourself a lot of grief. First, don't be afraid to ask questions or ask them to show you exactly what the problem is. Also, familiarize yourself with the maintenance schedule in your owner's manual. You'll see that standard maintenance requires very little -- but you should do it.

If you've been doing what you should and someone tries to tell you you need a new air filter, the brake/coolant lines flushed, etc, just tell them that you do all that stuff based on the manufacturer's maintenance schedule and that will shut them up.

On the other hand, if you don't do those things ever except when harassed, it's possible that you actually do need those things in which case it is probably a good idea rather than the ripoff you suspect. The number of people who never do stuff like change brake or tranny fluid, have coolant flushed, etc is very high. If you keep on top of consumables like brake pads and keep your fluids, filters, and electrical connections clean, your vehicle will most likely run a long time with few problems.

OK, I picked up my car this afternoon. You guys can stop hassling me now because I got a great deal on the repairs. It only came out to $3891 after tax :p

I have to agree with most of the sentiment in this thread, however I can almost guarantee you that I'll continue to bring my vehicles to the dealer for repairs. Rightly or wrongly, I trust them to have the expertise to diagnose and fix the problems. The work I had done this time is reasonable considering how long I've owned the vehicle and how agressive I drive compared to the average driver. The clutch was bound to wear out faster than the average driver's clutch. I was just in a bit of shock after hearing the cost of the repairs. The car feels great now.

WOW!! Is an '05 matrix worth $4K? Next time just trade it in.


I have always had bad experiences with the dealer shops. Find a small shop and get to know them. The first time they suggest adding a bunch of stuff tell them "No." After that they usually know you won't go for the B.S. and only suggest what you really need.
I normally do all my own work unless I am lazy or don't have the time.

This is exactly why the dealerships thrive. No offense to you, but have you considered the notion that you may be overpaying for this repair? Just to give you an example, for my 2000 corolla, I was replacing brake lines and the local dealership wanted $68 plus taxes for the part which I bought on the internet (same genuine toyota part) for a mere $25. Plus most AAAS or whatever that is called certified mechanics that are private businesses charge a lot less per hour than dealership does.

For curiosity sake, you should ask an independent mechanic to quote you for the exact same repairs that the dealership did for you.

As far as dealerships being the most competent and expert repair mechanics, that's not entirely true. A lot of dealerships actually have may be one or two real technicians who have been trained by the factory, the rest are helpers who receive minimum wage and don't know what they're doing.

I would go to an independent mechanic any day over dealership. Most dealerships I have dealt with have a very unhealthy attitude towards their customers.

Last month my car was rear ended by a college chick. There was a dent in the bumper and on the trunk. Here is what the body shop quotes. They want to buy a brand new trunk and bumper (because they're so incompetent they can't fix a dent or because like most mechanics they want to throw new parts at the car), and because a new trunk can no longer be bought in my car's color, they want to strip all the paint and repaint it in my car's color. Then they want to replace all the emblems. For this they want $1600 plus taxes. Clearly, this is largely excessive. The car is 11 years old, it has 160K miles on it. It looks like ****, but still drives good and may be worth $3500 in private sale. What is their rationale behind throwing $1600 at a car like this? No rationale. All they care about is how much business they can get and how much commission they can earn in parts. $$$ glowing in their eyes. I am not the one to fall for that kind of crap.

This is exactly why the dealerships thrive. No offense to you, but have you considered the notion that you may be overpaying for this repair? Just to give you an example, for my 2000 corolla, I was replacing brake lines and the local dealership wanted $68 plus taxes for the part which I bought on the internet (same genuine toyota part) for a mere $25. Plus most AAAS or whatever that is called certified mechanics that are private businesses charge a lot less per hour than dealership does.
Actually, dealerships can be a reasonably economical.

You won't get any deals on the parts, but if you ask them to do multiple things that involve operations that require the same procedures, you can get a real break. On one of the few times I went in, the best quote I got was from the dealer, and not the 3 independent shops I called. I had an excellent experience and was later surprised to learn that the word of mouth for that dealer was overwhelmingly negative.

The key is to communicate your needs clearly and ask questions. If you can't explain your needs or wait for them to stumble on what may be only part of the true picture, it's going to be that much harder for them to help you. Likewise, you should make sure they understand your automotive goals and what compromises you find acceptable. Otherwise, you should expect them to try to make everything like new which naturally is more expensive.

Also, you get charged by shop hours, not by what things actually take (competent mechanics can do things much faster). This means the hourly rate is irrelevant -- ask for a quote for the entire job, make sure you understand what it includes, and feel free not to do certain things or have them done elsewhere.

Sometimes things can happen at the dealer that just can't happen at an independent shop. For example, my current vehicle developed a wheel bearing noise with less than 70K miles. While this was clearly outside my warranty period, I did convey a little disappointment that I'd need to do this repair so soon. After evaluating the situation, the dealer told me it would be handled as a warranty repair and I'd be neither charged for parts nor labor.

I didn't actually "pay" but I once took my 98 Rav4 to the dealer for an oil change and while waiting for the job to get done a guy comes in and tells me it needs an altenator and it would take them a few more hours, so I tell him to go ahead and replace it. So I call my wife and she picks me up, as soon as we got home we get a call from the dealer telling me that the machanic accidently put a dent in the front fender! but before I can get all Rambo on him he tells me that they are going to replace the fender right away and all the work done will be on them. =0) When I picked the Rav up the next day it was all done and even detailed inside and out! =0) I was like, "Damn! Wish the guy would have done more damage! I prob would have gotten a new car!" LOL!

$26 for a quick oil change, and I know the guy is honest. He noticed my water pump was starting to leak and suggested I take it to the dealer, as he thought he'd read there was a warranty repair bulletin for it. If not I could bring it back some morning and he could change it by noon. Sure enough, the dealership repaired it for free.

Guess who's getting more business from me?

Worst repairs I have heard of were from a friend all VW dealers. His father took his passat in for an oil change and wiper blades, some how it was a $230.00 bill. My friend on two VW's has been told after oil changes that he needs a new engine and the block is shot. Honestly dealer said he needed a new block two times two different cars two different VW dealers. Oddly he drove both cars well beyond what a car with a shot engine block should have gone.

Both of my subaru's have only seen the shop for major things like timing belt and a clutch. No desire here to drop a trans in the drive or deal with allthat can go wrong if you do a timing belt wrong. 2001 Imoreza RS has 198,000 and only ever had it in for clutch and timing belt everythiing else done at home.

I go to an independent oil change place. If they tell me I need a belt or an air filter, I thank them and say that I will take care of it. Usually when the first air filter goes south, I get a K&N lifetime one. I am always suspicious about the extras they try to sell, and I always try to eavesdrop when some other customer is being sold something. I will not go to Valvoline or Jiffy Lube as they are way too aggressive with their sales tactics.

EDIT: For any of you Volvo owners, Brickboard is a great website that will save you many dollars on your own repairs. I kept a 960 alive through two teenage drivers for not much money using their great advice.

I do all the easy work on an 11 year old Jeep with close to 100k on it. I already know that everything leaks; it's a Jeep with nearly 6-digit mileage. These things happen.

I've never taken my vehicles to a Lube place. I've always brought my vehicles back to the dealership.

dealer??????holy cash kornhole$$$$$:eek:

DIY-wise, a shop once insisted he couldn't let my car go w/ the off-the-rack vacuum lines in it I had subbed in when the originals were wearing out. Well, the ones he replaced have measurably worn better, so I guess I don't mind. Bit of a forehead smack for not picking out the correct gauge/durability/whatever at the car parts store myself.

I have found most vehicle specific forums out there are a great help in maintaining a car. Most will let you know if the repair can be made easily or atleast what you should roughly be paying. I know that I can in no way do wheel bearings on my subarus since they are pressed into the hub should they ever go. That is a dealer must to repair. Forums also have let me know of common problems with cars or even dealers/shops to avoid if work is needed.

Oh side note anyone who has a new beetle and the dealer tells you $300 to replace a headlight bulb, they are not joking. It is so over engineered it takes up to 3 hours to replace the bulbs, you have to disassemble most of the engine compartment to get the bulbs out.

^A 2000 Chrysler Concorde requires loosening screws through the wheel well to dislodge and lower the bumper cover. This is a prerequisite step to replacing a front headlamp.

^That is a pain on the concord, but nothing compared to the new beetle. Seriously do a internet search it is mind boggling