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So long story short I headed into my local dealership to get an oil change as I was nearing my mileage sticker listing. While I was sitting there in the waiting area, I was recommended not once but twice for high priced maintenance tasks.
One, a brake line replacement. I had literally just had my brakes done not 2 days earlier with new everything. They quoted me almost 400$, 90% of which was labor costs. This is something I would do myself in general so I declined.
Two, not 15minutes later she comes back recommending a intake service kit to be run to clean up the carbon buildup. Quote shows total parts and total labor costs are incorrect. Parts were upcharged almost triple the shown price of the actual cost.
Needless to say I will be checking everything from now on. Note: I wouldn't come back but they are the only local dealer I have...
Brake line replacement? Are you sure it is line and not fluid? Brake fluid should be done about every 2 -3 years, it is pain on these cars, so I would have someone else do it.
BG Intake cleaning helps with intake build-up on these engines. It isn't critical, but it is useful if you are going to have this car for a long time. You can go without it on a leased car.
Brake line replacement? Are you sure it is line and not fluid? Brake fluid should be done about every 2 -3 years, it is pain on these cars, so I would have someone else do it.
BG Intake cleaning helps with intake build-up on these engines. It isn't critical, but it is useful if you are going to have this car for a long time. You can go without it on a leased car.
No sir,
They quoted me 400$ for the lines themselves, although I've had zero problems both before replacing rotors, pads, sensors, and calipers and after. I have the feeling their trying to get me to pay for something I dont need. I'm not a great mechanic but I'm not inept.
I’d call them on that. I consider brake lines lifetime parts - why touch them if there’s no issue? (I do change the brake fluid every 3 years, as SinF and the maintenance guide recommend.)
I drive 2 hours each way to avoid my local dealer when possible.
Me personally, I would have made them explain every line on that estimate and show me on the car what they are seeing to warrant what they are recommending.
If unconvinced of the necessity for their recommendations then I would be on the phone with JLR customer service asking them to investigate.
At the very least they should have to explain their math on that invoice.
I wouldn't call it a "scam", but just extremely high cost of owning an upscale luxury vehicle marketing.
That poor service adviser just being forced from higher up beancounters to ask every potential victim, I mean customer, about high priced un-needed services for dealership profitability. For every hundred they ask, probably a few will say "Sure, go ahead...."
I sure sales are down, given the new idea that everyone around the globe must sacrifice their life savings and freedom to prevent one more case of the sniffles. They've probably been told to up-sell as much as possible.
This is a very popular scheme which a lot of dealerships are using, basing on the fact that not all of their customers have the knowledge of the actual prices of the service, and sometimes, they offer it to them for a ridiculous price. I had this kind of scammers trying to log in on my website, but luckily I am using an aml kyc system, so they failed to go throw the filters. I found out about them when I was looking through the filtered messages, otherwise I wouldn't know about their existence.
While I was quoted by dealer exorbitant cost for pads, rotors and one caliper for my 2013 Golf ($1500.00) I got all that replaced and with both calipers for $ 600 at local indie garage. Interestingly, the Jaguar division of this same dealer has pulled none of this bs. We drive 1.5 hrs to have our corvette serviced. Chevy division of this same vw, jaguar dealer is 15 min. away. One just has to decide if the inconvenience of going to a more trustworthy dealer that' s farther away is worth it
Brake fluid should be done about every 2 -3 years, it is pain on these cars, so I would have someone else do it.
So, what makes you say this? Curious as I did the fluid a couple weeks ago and just can't seem to get the firm pedal back, and just can't figure what I did wrong.
03-17-2020, 08:35 AM
Dealership Scam?
