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Did I Get Ripped Off? :-(

646 views 4 replies 4 participants last post by  ytudrepus 
#1 ·
My beloved Jeep started making a sound that was mortifying and sounded really bad. I took it to my trusted mechanic and he called me with the news that I was right to be alarmed. Something was off with the bearings in the engine. He was really sorry, but it needed to go to the dealership for it to be repaired-it was beyond what he could do at his shop. The dealership where I bought my Jeep had closed, and there is only one Jeep dealership near me. So, that decision out of my hands, I scheduled an appointment and took it in.

The dealership just called to tell me it was not the engine (which I think would be covered by my powertrain warranty.?), but it is the alternator. I questioned this and he said they were positive and had spent an hour diagnosing it. When all is said and done the repair or replacement is almost $600. After several years of state inspections finding whoozits and thingamabobs broken, and always ending in three-digit bills, I had finally found a mechanic I felt I could really trust. Just to give you a quick example, I was told my left elbow joint needed repaired and then the next year told the same thing. I stood up for myself and insisted they repaired it the year before. The mechanic said he was glad I kept track of that and since they did the repair, they would not charge me the $20 or whatever for the new joint, just the $86 for the labor. I assume left elbow joint is code for, "easy mark".

Anyway, I had a mechanic in the last year and a half who seemed very honest. Bills were always reasonable. So, was he just wrong or is the dealership trying to charge idiot tax? I obviously do not know about the inner workings, but presume that an engine bearing and an alternator are two very different things.?

Back when the dealership would seemingly milk it for the state inspections (I think my first inspection, after owning the brand new Jeep for six months was around $400), I was making peanuts and it crushed me. I am doing better for myself now and it is not the money, it is the principle of the thing. Just wanted some other opinions on whether there could be such a discrepancy between the two mechanics, one is ripping me off, or the "good" mechanic is missing important things.

Thanks for any help.
 
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#2 ·
I don't think you were ripped off. I think that you have a good mechanic that didn't want to spend all day to replace your bad alternator and have half of the front torn off of your compass. I have had good mechanics that have told me the same thing, it needs to go to the dealership. With how things are packed into the engine bay in a fwd car, I didn't want to attempt the repair myself, thus taking it to a mechanic. So I don't blame him for sending it to the dealership as they have the special tools/procedure on how to take the car apart and put it back together in the quickest/easiest manner.
 
#3 ·
Dealerships are not the place to get your Jeep repaired. You probably paid the highest hourly shop rate in town, and got charged full retail price for the parts for a simple repair. So, yes you paid an idiot tax. If in fact the alternator was bad, you probably would paid only 1/3 of what Dealership charged for a rebuilt alternator and installation somewhere else.

If in fact your regular mechanic misdiagnosed a faulty alternator, you should probably find a more skilled/experienced mechanic.
 
#5 ·
yea, if you like the mechanic it wouldn't hurt to swing by and show him the dealer fixed it with an alternator.

Maybe ask him the question ("do you think they got it right?"), he should be humble enough to see all that grinding noise were alternator bearings and not main's.

This will 1. help the next guy, and 2. maybe he'll spend 5 more minutes troubleshooting before calling you.

I agree with the other post - stay out of dealerships ~ those places are scams for part changers (most people don't realize dealerships are three (3) businesses - Sales - Parts - Service each with profit margin requirements.
 
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