Make SURE you check your hoses if you are losing coolant...

So I took it into the dealership cause I've had an annoying leak in the coolant for about a year now..

Thinking, its a hose... tops 200-300 dollars...

When they come to you and say..."we're going to give you a 2011 Jaguar XF for the week" you should KNOW its going to be outrageous.

5 hoses leaking, Thermostat stuck, exhaust tube broke, and differential leaking... Ready for this? $4400.

Nobody else in my area would tackle this job because of the complexities of the hoses. FML

 

wow, just.....wow!

 

If you think thats rape, wait till you need your home ac fixed. Markup is is the 1000's of % on parts. No where near that at a dealer. Having a fine car is like a fine woman, theyre gonna cost you at some point.
I bet you had a hose under the super charger leaking at thats very labor intensive, you never explained the cost of parts or the areas that the work had to be done. The fact that no other shop wanted to touch should tell you something too...

 

Prince,

Don't you have an indepentant mechanic you use over there? There is a good size Jag community in Tampa/St.Pete who are on this forum who can point you in the right direction. Look up Rothwell in the members list.

As a general rule, I don't use the dealer for routine stuff, prefering to use an inde Jag operation. Now for the more specialized operations, such as front end allignment, electrical, etc. the dealer is the place to be.

For the work you just described, most of the parts are available after mft. either on line or through your local parts store. A lot of folks ,like myself, can't afford to be Jag owners without geting involved with the parts and service options. Besides, it's fun.

Sorry you got ripped. Your education begins.

 

Owch, don't you have the system for automatic written estimates for works over a certain amount?

To protect both parties.

If it is as Brutal suggests, the hose under the Supercharger, there is a detailed thread about this HERE pdf supplied by ttwotees, which will give a good idea about the work involved even though it is or an STR, for a hose it looks like a massive job.

The full thread is in the S Type FAQ.

 

At $4400., I'd have fainted. You have my condolences.

 

A person can always say "no thanks". Unless there was a gun being held to his head I'm not so sure he got ripped. Assuming all the work suggested was needed, the estimate was agreed to by both parties, and the work done properly and as-agreed-upon.... no rip-off.

Wishing you had done the work youself or had gone to a less expensive repair shop isn't the same as being ripped ;-).

Anyhow, yeah, buying a Jag and keeping a Jag are two different things. I couldn't never own one if I didn't do all the repairs myself. Such is life with high end luxury cars.

I used to run into these scenarios all the time with Cadillac and Corvette owners. Everyone's happy happy until repairs are needed at which point all the costs are compared to the '71 Chevy they owned in high school :-)

I'm sorry for sounding unsympathetic.

Cheers
DD

 

Yes, if you want to dance, you have to pay the piper. I took my car in to have it diagnosed for problems so I know what I'm working with. My ex is a technician and he does my repairs but he wanted it hooked up to their computer by someone who is familiar with Jag quirks. One thing they quoted me was $850 for a headlight. There's nothing visibly wrong with the headlight and it turns on and off correctly so I'm leaving it alone.

I think you have to be careful with these dealerships; they've always pushed unnecessary parts replacement. Overall, I never have trusted them.

 

someone thats familiar with Jag quirks, knows that Jaguar X and Stype headlights break inside and they cannot be adjusted. This useally leaves the broken offender pointed at the gound orr at least lower and flops around while driving and it hits bumps. Regardless of wether it comes on or not is probobly not the issue. Did you ask why they quoted you a headlight?

 

varied responses, one hand, it's the dealer, what did you expect kind of thing. I've removed and installed an S/C in 8 hours, not fast by any means, it was a voyage of discovery. If I was to charge someone £4,400 to do this they'd tell me to swivel.

Diff seal, easy, fast job, hose replacement, easy, apart from one or two on the S/C cars.
They have the correct service tools, they have ramps and experience, but four-and-a-half-grand? Man, I'm moving to the USA, I'm gonna set up a Jag indy garage!


I know dealerships charge, I know they have time charts for jobs, but that sum is outrageous, what was the cost of parts? I'd like to see the bill breakdown if possible.

Last week I rang my friendly parts department at the local main agent, requested the price of a boot badge, I've never heard the guy swear, he's a total gentleman, but even he uttered a profanity at the cost of it, I laughed when he dryly said, "and surprisingly Sean, they have 52 on stock"...
Good old Sir William Lyons once said he made a penny in every pound of Jag's sold, you can guess were the doe is being made, the service department. Brutal don't take it personal, it's the company, not the employees.

 

The bulk of the work was indeed the hoses under the supercharger and a hose behind the engine and firewall(6 hoses altogether). There was a small tube in the exhaust that was busted and I chose not to do the differential at the dealer and will have someone else do it or get a Limited Slip Differential from Paramount.

Since i'm in this Jaguar for so much money, I might as well do some upgrades that I've been wanting to do.

 

Communication is everything. A customer can always ask "why" if uncertain.

OTOH.......

IMHO, if a customer leaves a repair shop with an estimate and doesn't know WHY a particular part and/or repair is being suggested then whoever wrote the estimate didn't do a very good job.

Baycliff left the shop with the impression that an unneccesary $850 repair was being suggested. Not good for business ! If we assume, for the sake of conversation, that Brutal is correct in his long distance assesment and a new headlamps IS needed, then the dealership shot themselves in the foot, big time. Not only did they not sell the job but the customer now feels suspicious about their recommendations. Lose-lose for the dealer.

In princemarko's case I wonder if anyone at the dealership showed or explained the depth and breadth of the labor involved. If they had then maybe, just maybe, marko might not be feeling like he got "raped". A $4400 bill is gonna hurt no matter how you slice it. But to pay $4400 AND think you got raped is twice as bad.

Cheers
DD

 

Very well said . . . as a comment after 30 years in sales.

 

And learned after 30+ years working in and managing dealership service and parts departments :-)

Cheers
DD

 

Heh heh. That's how they pay for all the mahogony furniture, marble floors, and lovely chandeliers :-)

Cheers
DD

 

Now that sounds just like my mortgage company ... but I did get a nice free pen out of the deal.

 

I got a free growler fob for the valet key from the dealer.

 

If the dealer prices have you down do what I did; invest in some tools and a manual.

 

Id love to find a manual.

 

"Id love to find a manual. "
Does that imply you do not consider JTIS and /or Alldata to be a suitable manual? Or do you not know about them?
If you are referring to the lack of info in thiose sources, I feel your pain.