Did the same thing with my both of my E46's. Find the source and order from them. 'BMW' fuel pump, made by VDO. BMW price: $580, VDO price: $120. 'BMW' MAF sensor, made by Siemens. BMW price: $240, Siemens price: $80. 'BMW' water pump, made by Saleri. BMW price: $380, Saleri price: $60. It PAYS to research.
@@robvenom1058 the dealership business is pretty rigged with laws that protect them from the manufacturer from selling to them directly and other competing dealerships with the same brand from setting up shop across the street. Fortunately the internet has made them more honest, but until we can see these dumb dealership protection laws removed and we can order any car direct from the manufacturer like Tesla the industry just isn't going to be consumer friendly and I've got little sympathy for those running these shops.
Same in the trucking industry . Get rid of high mileage pay for new bottom dollar drivers. Now don't you feel safe on the roads since transport company's are saving money .
usually in a 10 man dealership service shop 8 of them are 18-19 year olds making minimum wage or close. the other 2 babysit the 8 doing tire and oil changes.
Great video. I've been a mechanic for 20 years and it's the same no matter where you go. For friends and relatives, I fix cars for just a bit over my cost, and generally save people atleast 60%
Yep! Dealer quoted me $3200 for a turbo replacement, so I bought one off eBay for $80 and installed it myself! Nothing is more satisfying than a smart financial decision
I love Rock Auto but if you order multiple things, the shipping from seperate warehouses kills any value saved. I try to keep my orders from them small.
99% of the time I use RockAuto to get the part number, and then order the part on Amazon or eBay for less... Evil, I know... but it's what you do when you have a budget.
This is why I always shop for my parts or repairs. And 50% of the time, the dealership will align it's price with competition, because I usually end my search with them, going on place, and show them the other prices. I sometime agree going a little over the price... but I prefer to pay for a good service, and a place where I'm not charged 5 to 10$ per bolt the mecanic broke working on a brand new car.
I'm an ASE Master Certified Technician and I have worked for private auto shops and two dealerships. I can tell you this the guy at the private shop may know more about all brands of cars but they know considerably less than a decent Technician at a dealership. I have constant training that I have to have through general motors, I used to do limited work to vehicles like brakes, suspension and engines, I now know how to rebuild transmissions, diesel engines, rebuild rear differentials, inteior work like seats and carpeting, and I have access to a network of troubleshooters that I can call whenever I need them to help figure out some complex problems plus I can reprogram your cars computers without voiding warranty whenever I want. You just can't compare the two you simply get a better technican at a reputable dealer than at a reputable auto repair shop.
Well, in the instance you want the best of both worlds, you find a private auto shop that specializes in a certain auto manufacturer(s) that basically employs former dealer technicians, and so you get the specialized knowledge for specific vehicles and cheaper repair costs.
I dig your channel, but Rob, you couldn't be more wrong about dealerships. I am an ASE Certified GM parts Consultant working for GM for over 15 years. And I can assure you that we are not out to " get " anyone. If dealers were as bad as you say we are, we couldnt stay in business. I would challenge you, if you have a friend at a dealership, go hang out with them for a few days and get to know how it really is. If you are ever in or near Boise Idaho, stop in. I would love to show you what really happens in a dealer. Keep up the great videos, but I would refrain from speaking on a subject you do not have much experience in.
ylfapus stfu I work at GM as a parts advisors for 8 years. We are told and praised to mark up items as high as we can. Our job at GM is to charge a premium for no real reason.
John N . Wow. Really!? You must not have a lot of customers if you have to matrix all your parts to make your margins. Maybe you are the dealer who is giving all of us bad names. Maybe if you would stay competitve, you could retain customers and not drive away customers and gain more. Plus on the subject of tires, you know as well as I do that there is no money in them. Especially with the tire price guarantee. Making only 12 points or less on tires is not making money, its a tool to be a one stop shop for our customers. You must have been a parts chaser for the first 7 1/2 years.
ylfapus Realy? I've called 3 Honda dealerships before looking for a part, they all wanted 250$ for it. Found the same thing online for 80. Rob is 100% correct here.
I've bought a lot of BMW parts from the dealership either because it was the only place to get the part or because the OEM part they offered was very close to the price of the aftermarket part (or even lower). I think this may vary a lot by country.
High quality? Yes. Highest quality? Normally no. Of course it varies by part and for what kind of car, maybe for a normal sedan OEM is best, but with more performance oriented cars there are almost always higher end side market options available.
I've had all my tyres for my 7 and my M5 done at the BMW dealer. My local dealer will price match any dodgy backstreet tyre place, or even any online price. I've never found a price they can't match. So on top of them being the cheapest, I can trust them not to scratch up my rims, I get a free car inspection, wash, wax and interior, and either as much (proper) coffee as I want, or alternatively, if I want to leave and come back later I can take any car for a "test drive". Finally any part you buy from BMW including wheels/tyres are covered by a BMW warranty. I can't think of a single reason to not get my tyres done at the dealer.
i’ve always went to a dealership where i bought my vehicle. they are all friendly and i’ve gone there for years. they do tip top work and never screw me. i’ve been to other repair shops with the exact same price and hasn’t gotten the job done right. i will forever and always go to the dealerships for service and parts.
Raiden Narukami PREACH! I bought the window motor with the regulator (OEM) from amazon for about $100 with free two day shipping and replaced the parts in about 45 minutes on my 2005 350z.
This is exactly why I'm thankful that my dad put tools in my hands when I was a kid and let me help him work on whatever he was messing with. I had dealership mechanic skills at 15-16. I've been in QC now for a while at a Manufacturer. But I would never let anyone work on any of my vehicles unless it's insurance work then I'm going to do everything I can to get a total. People are shady they wanna get something half ass done get paid and get you gone. Alot of people are seriously hurt everyday because of shitty mechanic work...In my area a kid took a car in for a fuel filter. Less than 6 miles later that kid burnt up in that vehicle.
I got my 06 Volvo S60 timing belt done at my Volvo dealer for $660, lowest quote in my area. And it’s a dealership. Service advisor was incredibly honest and upfront, even turned me away from doing additional service that I asked about.
Your video makes sense buddy and I love em all, but I'm a parts manager at a dealership in Texas and we price match all the time and with the tires... Any tire we sell we markup $20 no matter how much even if one tire is $400, i agree labor rate is going to be different but if someone is also in a price budget we will go aftermarket so we can save a customer time and money from having to wait for parts and we warranty all parts we sell as well, so it's up to a customer but paying a little more for the warranty with any part from a dealership is also worth it, it never hurts to ask a parts rep then to ask a service advisor.
As a dealer tech (BMW in my case) I can absolutely agree with much of what Rob is saying. In fact, most of my parts I buy for my Bimmer are from online retailers that have the exact same parts just without the fancy shmancy BMW stamp. (check out FCP Euro if you also drive unreliable European cars like me, they warranty everything they sell). HOWEVER, like a few other commenters have pointed out, when you have Joe down the street in the (sometimes fantastic) Euro specialty shop do the work, there's a very large chance that work has no warranty behind it. And if something bad happens from said work, they may foot you with the bill. At the (BMW) dealer, we warranty all of our work for two years for parts and workmanship. Plus, if something breaks while we work on it, more often than not we're just going to eat the cost of replacing what broke. I could go on and on but this sort of debate will never end because there will be no end to shitty dealers who hose their customers for everything they've got and ridiculous parts mark-ups. So in the end, find the mechanic who will work best for you at the price you can afford and most importantly someone/someplace that won't rip you off of your hard earned money.
One thing he didn't mention is how bad dealerships are with shop supplies. I've been out of the game for a little while, but when I was, shop supplies were something crazy I remember like 7-10%. Have to watch out for that too. The only time I ever go to the dealer for parts really is to get specific bolts that are hardened. For some reason where I live, they are very hard to find.
A word about buying parts at a dealership vs online. Not only is the price lower online, but the warranty might well be shorter also. Regarding Ford parts -- if you buy them at a dealership, you get a 2-year warranty, Buy the same Motorcraft part from Amazon though, and it's only a 1-year warranty. This bit me a while back (almost). I had an overheating issue with a 2007 Mustang. The symptoms led me to suspect the electric fan. I bought the replacement factory part from Amazon (saved a bunch over buying from the dealer), and everything seemed fine. The next hot summer, the car overheated again, and I brought it to the dealer. They thought the electric fan was bad and replaced it. I mentioned that I had just purchased the new OEM fan just over a year ago (1 year and 1 week), and they said since it was bought online, it only carried a 1-year warranty. Sure enough, when I checked the Amazon listing, the manufacturer's warranty was stated as 1-year. in the end, their diagnosis was wrong anyway, and I made them refund the new fan they installed.
I knew someone who had a job that: 1) Removed drive belt from Bando (the belt manufacturer) sleeve 2) Inserted belt into Nissan sleeve. That's it. The belt wasn't made by Nissan. It was made by Bando. Oh, and of course, sometimes it's a different car make (e.g. Toyota). Same thing with bearings. Most of the bearings were made by NSK.
That service part im 50/50 on. I’m a BMW tech and what you said about the guy working on a car on his first day is true that does happen and he can mess things up. However it’s different at higher end dealerships simply because of the tech the cars are equipped with. Example: you take a 135i to the a pep boys shop because you got an internal coolant leak and it’s mixing with oil in your engine. The pep boys shop will tell you that you need a new engine. That’s already several thousands of dollars. When in reality all you need is to flush both the coolant and oil systems and follow a very detailed procedure states by BMW Engineers on how to permanently fix the leak. No new engine is needed. With labor and parts costing less than a thousand dollars. So it’s a double edged sword honestly
When I had a Jeep Wrangler, they were always trying to sell me crap I knew I knew was overpriced and didn’t need. Like a set of $800 Wrangler Tires. And the kicker was, the 4th tire was free. I declined their bogus offer and went online to buy my own tires. Saved $300. I took auto tech in high school and learned a few things that have saved me from falling for the dealership scams. And for that, I’m thankful.
I completely agree with you Rob. I have a great example. For my 02 911 Carrera C2. Coil Packs at a local repair shop. $57.99/each plus 2hrs labor at $105.00/hr.....Bosch coilpacks.....ebay price about $29.20/each and labor to do it myself $0.00......didnt even bother with trying at local Porsche Dealership! I actually went with a high performance coil packs for $33.33/each for better performance and smoothers firing.
I have worked in the aftermarket and dealerships. I would never take my car to an aftermarket shop. The dealership is much more knowledgeable about your vehicle and can fix it properly the first time. (well. usually) You wouldn't believe the amount of times a day I diagnose a car over the phone for another shop. Or they are calling wanting a price for a complete assembly, when in actuality you can buy a smaller component that will fix their problem. ($9 starter lever compared to a $400 starter. Or a TPS sensor instead of a whole throttle body, and on and on and on) Not to mention all the times we have to fix what the aftermarket screws up. Not to mention, having service advisors calling you asking if we can get an aftermarket part cheaper because the customer doesn't like the price of the OEM, and it ends up the aftermarket IS more expensive. This happens way more times than you would think. Especially on electrical components.
Not all dealerships gouge on everything. For the longest time I did oil chnages at mine even when I was past the warranty because they only charged like $10 more than if I did it myself. Now I do it myself just to save the drive/waiting time. Tires are the same. Maybe because she had a Jag but I've bought tires online (although the dealership quoted me like $20 per tire so not 100s) and they mounted/balanced for 17 a tire which is what everyone else is charging. Parts in general are definitely more expensive. Sometimes the gap isn't as large. If it's not a common part you're looking a 10% saving at the most some times but you do get the occasional part that is a third the price. I agree there, unless you're crunched for time then dont buy it at the dealership.
My aunt is 82 she has a Toyota Camry 2013 the dealership told her $800 for tires. I got her tires for $320 installed.She had a battery installed without my knowledge and it was $230 so the dealership definitely over charges.Good videos 👍🏻
Hey Rob, I work for a parts store and I found that when I tell the dealer that I work for a store they give me the retail discount and usually the parts become cheaper. I got a Pcv valve for my works van for 13 bucks at the dealer vs the 60~ that they normally sell it for.
Hey man you have a real world view of a lot of good stuff. Personally I can do 75% of work needed on my car. 2001 Miata. But there is always that bad transmission or rod know that I have to go track down a fair shop. I simply get on the phone and chat up mechanics and eventually I find a fair price and a skilled mechanic. It sure helps when I already know what needs to be done.
I have a pretty unique work history in that I worked for a dealer fresh out of school for a while, then worked for a part manufacturer for several years then finally worked in parts sales for a very long time so I have seen the good, the bad and the ugly in the automotive world. I began working on my friends and families cars way back in the day to help them out but began repairing vehicles full time when a friend was quoted a $3,000.00 bill to replace a control arm and cat back exhaust on a Mazda. I was able to do the repair for literally $100.00 because it only actually needed the intermediate pipe and a bushing replaced saving him $2,900.00. The markup on parts is amazing as well because when I actually produced these products we literally changed just the markings inside the mold when we were making different "brands" for different customers. The exact same internal components are in there most of the time but occasionally there is a slight difference in quality control so the less than perfect examples get sold as another brand even though there is no functionality difference at all. These were cases where they had a scuff on the housing or something that would not effect performance at all. Even worse many times there were known issues with the O.E.M. spec parts and a different process corrected the problem but the O.E.M. would still demand the bad design because they were contracted for a specific number of units or something so the "aftermarket" parts were superior. I could tell many stories like this and most people would be shocked to know the truth about what they are buying in reality.
Although I see your logic in not going to the dealership, I disagree with that. Always call the dealership to see how much the part costs, and then go online to advance auto parts (out of the 4-5 chain parts stores, they’re the cheapest, plus they do discount coupons). 1. I called Mercedes to see how much 6 spark plugs would cost. They’re Bosch platinum plugs. $162 for 6 plus. I went to advance auto parts, $38 for 6 NGK Iridium plugs. If you know anything about spark plugs, you know NGK has the top of the line plugs, and iridium is the top of the line, of the top of the line. 2. I called Homda for some coolant for my acura TL. $20. I went to pepboys to see how much coolant would cost. $18. I spent the extra $2 on the OEM coolant. 3. I called Acura for a window lock button piece. $5. I went on eBay, Amazon, etc. $30. 4. I picked up a full valve cover gasket kit for $50 from Acura. The aftermarket variant was $75-$90. Sometimes the dealership is the same price, if not cheaper. Always call and see. Do research.
First one isn't comparable. The plugs you got quoted for are $12-15 a piece, in addition to them using a factory Mercedes torquing tool, disposal of old plugs etc. Also, buying iridium plugs is a complete waste of time if you're using pump gas, as all the additives and ethanol content in it mean your plugs should be replaced every third oil change anyway.
Dealers have caught on and are, at least in this area, fairly competitive on some services. Good example is my dad's old Honda Civic. Like all Hondas, it was due for a water pump and timing assembly. Local mechanic wanted $1200 to do it with Gates parts, $1450 for OEM Honda parts. Dad took it to the Honda dealer for a quote, they did it that day for $650 out the door with OEM Honda parts. I've also found my local Ford dealer beats Tasca's prices on parts in most cases.
Worked at Bosch Official Car Service in the 90s. We'd get (avg) 50% at Bosch, but only 15% at Dealers for OEM parts. Then along came good quality knock-offs. No more 'Official Car Service' --- Straight-up quality service, less expensive.
Rob one exception to your don't trade your car in rule is if you live in a state like NY where they charge sales tax on the purchase price. Since the purchase price is the cost of the car minus any trade in it reduces the overall cost of the new vehicle. I know what my existing car is worth before walking into a dealership and if I come to an agreement on the new car price I see what they offer for the trade in, then it's a quick calculation to figure out which option will be less money for me out of pocket. The last two cars it's cost me less to go the trade in route. So even though you may get more money for the car by selling it yourself it may not be the best financial option.
I remember one time when some solenoids went bad in my mom's car... they were cheaper at my local Chevy dealer ship than anywhere online, and the clerk also gave me a $20 discount. Thanks, chevy, for only using the LE8 in the Chevy HHR's.
My local Infiniti dealer said it would cost about $195 to buy a replacement key fob and have them cut the key and program it to my car. The independent mechanic who does all of my work (also the guy who sold me the car) told me where to buy a brand new OEM key fob online for $75 and he programmed it and had the key cut for $20. It only took him about 45 minutes and it saved me $100. This happens all of the time. I get a quote from the dealer just to see what it is, I call and ask him about the work I need done and his price is always far lower. A lot of the time, he does the work for free and just charges me for the parts if he isn't particularly busy and it's not an intensive job just because I have a good relationship with him and I've been a good customer who always pays on time. If you're going to your dealer all of the time and what you're getting isn't warranty work, I guarantee you can find someone who is just as good a mechanic if not a better one and you will save a lot of money. Establish a good relationship with an independent mechanic and things will go so much better.
Rob, OEM parts from Audi, Mercedes or any car company are usually high quality. Yes there maybe some bad eggs such as bushing on the Mark 4 Jettas. But they are usually high quality and are designed for your car. Also there are people that enter their cars in car shows and the judges (like me) look for authentic parts. So for example if I am looking under the engine of a car and I see the owner has a Bosch belt, water pump or battery and it is not from the Mercedes or who ever makes the owners car, I will mark them down for it. However, it is a good idea to see who makes the part for your car for a cheaper alternative. As for going to the dealer for service, I strongly encourage people to go to the dealer. I say this because if you go to an independent shop for service and they screw up the service, the owner might not be covered for warranty work. Also, let's say you buy or lease a car and you bring it to the mechanic down the street for service and then all of the sudden you need warranty work or a recall, the dealership may have a few questions for you and they may not cover the work. Granted the burdon is on the dealership. Also, when you go to a dealer, the service advisor, the tech and the shop foreman are factory trained by the company. They will have the proper tools and equipment. Where as the independent shop may or may not have the techs trained on your particular car. Let alone the right tools. Also if you go to the dealership, you can get a loaner car upon request.
Sometimes the dealership is the better move. I was going to have service done on my car since i just got it, timing belt being the main thing. Every quote i got was about double the price of the dealer. Also the dealership i took it to does an inspection, which was important as i recently got the car and they might find potential issues. Your local auto shop is going to have experience in lots of brands of cars, while your dealership will be specialized in your car. The only reason i can think of for the auto shop being more expensive is either they do not work on many Subaru's, or they have had bad experience with them in the past.
You still need to negotiate on sale price whether you finance thru the dealership or not... but yes most dealerships will over inflate the interest rate
Igor Kolosha 8nterest rates are determined by alot of things, what they arent determined by is the dealer. Why would they? Unless you're financing through the dealer then they wont see a dime of that. As far as MSRP, sure they can hike that up, but as long as you can read and you can count to ten it's incredibly easy to see when they do that, you should also know how much the car you're buying is worth before you even begin to drive to the dealer and you should know when you're overpaying and what price you should be paying...
it can't translate to a higher MSRP, MSRP is only one. MSRP means Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price, a salesman is not a manufacturer, he can't set MSRP.
Not all dealers are terrible for parts at least. Sure OEM genuine parts typically cost more. However, my old Mazda dealer used to give me 25% off on most parts for my RX7 just for being part of a car club as most of us bought parts from them. I ended up rebuilding my Trans with OEM Syncros, bearings, snap rings, seals ect. for about $150 cheaper than aftermarket parts.
I disagree on several of this points because they are only accurate for some vehicles. In example, I can't take my 2016 Jaguar just anywhere- I have to take it to Jaguar because literally no other shop in town will touch it. And not for lack of trying- I called every service shop in town and every service shop declined to work on it. Also, you can negotiate cash offers on trading in cars. I always go on and get a cash offer to buy a car before even bringing my trade into the equation. Once I have the best possible price I can negotiate, then I bring in the trade so I can get a true cash offer on my trade. In example, just last week i did this to purchase a new Audi. At the end when I brought the trade into the equation, I got the dealer within 500 dollars of wholesale on my trade (I got several wholesale cash offers prior to shopping). While I did lose 500 on the trade, I did save $1,200 in taxes on the trade difference (my state only taxes on trade difference, and 30,000 in trade saves $1,200 in sales tax). So while several of your points on right on, these points I listed above are wrong.
Quoted >$600 CAD at dealership for gas struts for my rear hatch, picked up a pair for ~$40 CAD online. However when looking for winter tires the dealership gave me a better price than I could get online or from dedicated tire shops. It always pays to shop around. I didn't get them to mount and balance the tires though their pricing for that was a joke.
I work for a auto parts retail and the same part over the counter can be sold to the right dealer garage account for almost HALF the price and still have its own warranty on it which most of the time they wont tell you about bc theyre the ones putting in the labor...yes sometimes you can get parts cheaper on your own, but dont be afraid to ask for what the dealer pays for the part and an itemized receipt.
I work at a dealership in Canada and all our prices are very competitive with what can be found online, however, when an OEM uses other brands like Bosch, NGK or AC Delco you can almost always save a massive amount of money buying online. A coworker I priced parts for would have saved $400 buying a. Alternator on Amazon using the exact same part number I got from calling GM but ended up going the cheap China route...we had to return the item twice because they kept burning up instantly.
If u own a BMW, ECS tuning is the okay to go. They got all the OEM parts plus after market options. You just gotta know what parts u need. They even offer parts diagrams for the popular cars
tires in general are significantly cheaper shipped to your door than they are from any tire dealer i recently discovered. I just bought tires from tire rack. I got the second highest rated tire in the class and size i needed for 160$ a peice. local tire shops wanted (averaged about) 200$ for the same tires. plus mount and balance cost. so even if you buy tires at the shop you have to pay the same installation costs as you would if you ordered 4 unmounted tires online. they have the same warranty too. blew my mind no one told me this before. ill never by tires from a shop again.
When I changed my e90 335i brake pads and rotors at 100k, OEM parts were like 400$ total. Got a full set front and back for 150$ online, I think it was Callahan? Anyway, still stopping the car at 130k, no problems, no loss in performance when driving a like a crazy person, never using my turn signals. ALWAYS buy online and if you can't turn your own wrenches, take those parts to a mechanic who will install your brought in parts.
This is a pretty good point from someone who worked at a dealership. They make most of their money from the service department or used vehicle sales. One of the better tricks was to buy OEM parts (mostly if you were still under warranty while doing your own service) from a sister dealership that sold a different brand or even ask for a "Fleet discount" at the parts department. If something crazy happened, and you had the receipt? It was covered with the paper trail. For example: I bought OEM Nissan parts from a Toyota dealership that got them sent over and charged me $2 over whatever original cost was as a delivery fee. I saved about $300 and the local parts store had Chinese junk that would have had to been modified to fit for the vehicle I was working on. Saving money is making money.
The domestic car dealers offer great prices on tires. Ford has a price match policy. The other dealers do charge a ton for tires... so Rob is right on that note.
needed driveshaft mounting bolts for my foxbody mustang. Ford dealer quoted me $16.99 each and 4 days to get them to the dealership, Late Model Restoration shipped me the same, 4 OE bolts to my door in 2 days for $14.99. Net savings on 4 bolts, $52.97. I can't justify doing anything but warranty work at a dealership.
OEM parts are only sold to dealerships, typical markup is 45%. If you're finding a part online for 1/3 the price online it cant be OEM or the dealership selling it is losing money. There are exceptions, some OEM's will give rebates for certain parts to dealerships allowing them to be sold below cost, but never at 1/3 of list price. Any part you're finding online for 1/3 the price is either aftermarket or "compatible" with the oem part#. It might be made by the same manufacturer, maybe even to the same standard, but its not the original part. This often happens with Oxygen sensors, brake pads and clutches where the manufacturer produces multiple parts that could fit the same application, and people sell them as compatible. It might even come in OEM packaging, but will rarely be the exact part# that fits per VIN.
If you buy from a dealership that wholesales OEM parts they often times will sell at cost or under because they get kick backs from the manufacturer for volume. So do some searching. Check out Gandrud Chevrolet, Dodge, Nissan if you need a fair price on OEM parts. 1 day shipping on most parts 😎
There is an exception to the rule. In the official Nissan part site, you and buy the part online and picked up from the dealership something cheaper or at the same cost as the aftermarket. I had replace the valve cover seal on my Altima, it was cheaper to get the seal and cover from the dealership through the method state above then buying it aftermarket. The same thing with the rear main seal on the pathfinder. I paid a few dollars more compare to the aftermarket, but I have oem parts. As mentioned in the video, doing your research is a big thing to saving money
This isn't always the case, best thing to do is cross shop always. For example, looking around for a GT500 rear bumper most places quoted about $500 before shipping or $400 for a fake, found a local dealer who was able to acquire a real one for $300 all in, albeit took a few weeks. I still take my car to the dealer to get oil changes and service since for me it worth it at $40 - $50 since they include the NYS inspection with that. So don't always discount checking a dealer, some are keen to the changing times.
I work at a dealer selling OE parts. Oh where do I start... First off if you're going to buy off the internet you for get you're going to get jacked on shipping, people forget this. Second, I hope this part fits or doesn't have to be programmed before use because that's where we're headed folks. The negotiating thing. Next time I go buy groceries and they give me the total I'm going to say "can you do me better than that?" or "is that MY price?" we'll see how well that goes!! Don't do that shit, either pay the price or don't buy the part. I will agree on one thing, NEVER buy tires at a dealership!! It's amazing the mentality some people have just because they bought the car at a dealer they HAVE to return to the selling dealer for service, parts, or anything else pertaining to the car.
One thing I learned back in the 80s is make sure you buy factory parts or the equivalent for jobs that are difficult, like the clutch, pressure plate and throwout bearings. I went on the cheap and bought them from a local parts store and the new clutch was slipping like mad. I didn't change the original parts because it was slipping, rather the throwout bearing noise that I didn't like hearing when it was idling in neutral. Since then I've learned chatter like that is very common. You should hear our diesel trucks! Anyway, so the moral of the story, don't cheap out on aftermarket parts for a job that you don't want to do twice. Back then, there was no internet, so you did a lot of learning as you go and the same thing goes for finding good parts. You either went to the dealer or your local auto parts store.
I had a window regulator go out on my BMW. I called the dealership and they wanted over $500 for the fix. I bought the part for $118 online (OEM), they thankfully price-matched it so I didn't have to wait for the part to ship, and I did the work myself in under 2 hours.
First off I love your work & content! You may be forgetting some essential items; that are very critical & dealer only. For example: 6.0l Powerstroke fuel filter (your Duramax may differ). There is a special one way water membrane on Ford filters (for the frame filter.) I have yet to see an aftermarket filter to have that membrane. That slight different may mean the difference between new injectors due to contamination and water in the injector. For the record I am running an '04 250 diesel that has served me well! I do majority of the maintenance; however, I know when I am over my head. I am not a mechanic; just owned diesels for 15yrs; not that this is diesel exclusive.
As someone who drives a BMW I am honestly shocked that BMW of Fairfax in Virginia has the best rates of ANY dealer I've gone to. They sell everything at list and not MSRP, so it's actually reasonable for their costs!
I checked withe Porsche dealer in Albuquerque about a repair I thought I needed, and got an estimate of right at $15,000. Went to a garage that only works on German cars, and got a quote of $7800.
The statement I am about to make is something I always told myself I wouldn't do but I guess I am weak and just couldn't hold my ground any longer. I am tired of people making statements like "dealerships are so expensive" and "all a dealership wants is to steal your money". The fact is that in the market I live in, which is a medium sized town, the labor rates are within 10 dollars an hour to either side, meaning some aftermarket shops actually charge more than dealers and some are a little less. Yes, parts are more expensive at dealers but if you think about the fact that the ball joints on your blazer made it 100k before they needed replaced but you had moog brand (which are great but not as good as o.e.) installed and 35k miles later they need replaced again where is your money better spent. the problem is that most aftermarket parts are serviceable and they do not get serviced. and when they do get greased people don't clean the grease fittings before they grease them and they send dirt and road grime right into the critical wear surfaces. Plus the dealer I go to has a PARTS and LABOR warranty. good luck finding that at an aftermarket shop Mr. Spaghetti.
Good video! I would recommend to always buy the OEM parts. I needed a new airflow sensor for my BMW a while back. I was careless enough to buy one made by magneti marelli (OEM is BOSCH). I installed the part and the part worked more or less, but i got horrible gas mileage because of it. Ordered the BOSCH part later, installed it and everything worked perfectly.
I sort of did the same thing when buying an adapter module that is a substitute for the Tech 2 diagnostic scan tool that I used at the GM dealership when I worked there for a FRACTION of the cost of that tech 2 scan tool but this adapter lets me load the software into my 32 bit Windows 8 smaller laptop and do all the same stuff to my GM vehicle , or Ford ,Or Chrysler depending on which module and software you buy.I buy my GM parts online for a fraction of the dealer cost also. About the only time I get stuff from the dealer is when I need NEW body parts . By the time I factor in the costs of oversized packages even through FedEx , in certain situations it IS actually better to buy certain things right from the dealership , not many though.
I disagree with the technician situation, as I work at a Toyota dealership. The new tech coming in to work isn't going to touch anything more then inspections, oil changes and tire rotations (lube tech). To move up the tech has to have the proper schooling for example we have e-learning's and training sites, we have to be certify in specific areas to do different work. Also on top of those certifications from Toyota, we have to have the corresponding ASE's to go along with the area of certification.
Rob I have to disagree that selling a car to a dealer is a 100% bad move. I sold my 2013 WRX to a dealer and was able to actually make money on the car. They had a buyer lined up, and wanted my car bad, and came up from a 15k appraisal, to buying it for 21k. Albeit it was a special situation, sometimes things work out and you have to play the situation!
Exactly. I sold my last car to a dealership for what I paid for it and I had put 17k miles on it, I didn’t lose money on and it and the car didn’t sit on the lot for 12 hours before it was sold.
+trueheads- The other thing that could be worth it is trading in a car, depending on which state you're in. In some/many(?) states you can use the trade-in value to lower the sales tax basis of the new car. So, instead of paying tax on the full sales price for your new car, you first get to take off the trade in value. So, even though you're likely going to get less for the trade-in than you would if you put in the effort to sell it privately, you could make it up in tax savings. But, this depends on your home state as not all states allow this.
Back in my younger days I needed a carburetor base gasket for my Pinto. No jobbers made it, so I had to get it from Ford. I was surprised that it was only $10 and they not only still made it, but had it in stock. No Internet in those days... Later in life I needed a hose for my PT Cruiser GT that no parts store could ID and I couldn't find online. Dealer found one for me at a dealer 6-8 hours south of me, flew it in for the next day. $6 for the hose. Sometimes they're not all bad.
Just goto a dealer service center and see what your options are. I am an advisor and I will tell you, where I work you can bring your own parts and sometimes haggle on labor quotes. Always ask what the dealership can do for you. Might be surprised at the response. 😱
I worked at a Ford garage in the mid 2000's and we had a discount tire shop right next door to the stealership, and an autozone across the street.... lol we bought a shit ton of tires and generic parts for customer cars from those places, we always tacked at least $75 to $100 on the bill and no one was the wiser...
Rob sometimes selling cars at the dealership makes you more money well in my case. I bought a $11,000 Ford F-250 and kbb cash offer is $14,515 and they sell around that. But also my Ford Expedition got a offer for $26,000 and it only sells for around $22,000 and it’s financed
The crazy thing is, when you buy factory parts on amazon/ebay the third party seller is very frequently actually a dealer somewhere around the country. Even "dealer only" parts are therefore available online, and much cheaper. I broke a stupid plastic fuel hose with special fittings on a 15 year old car. Dealer wanted $85 for 2 feet of plastic line with a plastic clip on the end. Found the EXACT same hose on eBay and it shipped from a dealership in another state for $30 and free shipping. Not only the same part, but actually FROM A DEALER, but because I bought it on eBay it was cheaper. They basically see anyone who walks in the side door of the dealer into service as a schmuck ready to be parted from his money. They're literally working both sides of the market. The only reason it wouldn't be considered competing against themselves, is because the kind of guy who would check eBay would never go to the dealer in the first place, and vice versa.
i had to get my keyfob for my ford focus replaced.. at the dealer they wanted €365 ex taxes. i went to a salvage yard and got one for 20. reprogrammed the key myself within 5 minutes and it still works great.
Once made the mistake to inquiry at an Audi dealership for window sliders as my passenger window no longer went up. He tried to sell me the entire window actuator/motor assembly for like €150. So far it cost me a few zip ties. If I want to splurge it'll be 10 bucks on AliExpress.
There are other benefits of buying parts from a dealer. For example you may get a 2 year part warranty on a part bought from the dealer which will include labor if installed at the dealer. Something to consider. Also on the techs I highly disagree with what you're saying. It's not the same guy working on your car no matter where you go, especially on high end brands. I think what's important is to know who is working on the car and what credentials they have if that's something that matters to you. Otherwise people will just go to what's cheapest, but remember you get what you pay for and service work is no exception.
I find that 2%-5% of the time a part from a dealer is very close in price to aftermarket parts. If I can buy a genuine OEM part for roughly the same price as an 3rd party aftermarket part you better believe that I'm buying the OEM part from a dealership. While I agree that the dealer is usually more expensive for parts, it's always worth to call them to find out what they charge. If you can get a OEM part within 10% of the cost of an aftermarket part, just buy the OEM part.
The problem with both Amazon and eBay is that you don't know if you're getting genuine parts, or counterfeit ones. Just because the parts are located in the USA does not guarantee they aren't Chinese knockoffs that were bought in bulk off AliExpress by a US based Amazon or eBay seller.
I had a Chevy S10 ZR2, and independent shops could not do an alignment on it to save their life. I always had to take it to a Chevy dealer for an alignment. There are times where the dealership does know what they are doing versus the independent, and it's worth paying the premium for some out of warranty work.
I remember when I had my Focus ST I needed 4 new lug nuts because the ones from the factory were this cheap 2 piece design where they have a smaller lug nut with a metal covering glued/welded on top to give it a shiny look. Those get dented and break over time when continously taking the wheels on and off. I went to the dealership and they sell them for around $12.50 a piece. Decided to go to a tire shop outside and they have these really nice lugnuts made from 1 solid piece (I think stainless steel) and these were around $50 for a whole set. Another thing that happened to me is that third gear started to grind. Took it to the dealership and they said it is $700 just to check it. A guy that works there told me to take it outside as if I allowed them to check it they would disassemble the transmission and give me a whole list of parts to replace that don't actually need replacing and I wouldn't walk out of there paying less than $5000. I ended up taking it to a mechanic outside that used to work in the ford dealership and he told me that he would fix it for less than $800. *not giving exact numbers as I'm converting to USD.
My Acura dealership does oil changes at a really low cost to get you in the door so they can try to up sell you on other service that's really expensive. Like charging $90 to replace the cabin air filter. I can buy the filter for $8 on Amazon and takes maybe 30 seconds to replace.
Some of the repair work they charge you an arm and leg for is also redicilously easy to do yourself. My old Volvo V70 needed new sparkplugs. Super easy to change them yourself.
Tell it to the guy who bought an aftermarket alternator from NAPA for his Porsche Boxster. Had a lifetime warranty on parts only, and 3 months and 4 alternators later he paid me more in labor than it would have cost him to buy the Porsche (Bosch, built to Porsche Spec) alternator. And if the Porsche alternator failed within 2 years, which is highly unlikely, both parts and labor would have been covered at any dealer in North America. I've also seen a Porsche spec Bosch unit next to an aftermarket Bosch unit and the internals are not the same. The aftermarket unit is clearly made with cheaper components. My point is, sometimes you can get away with aftermarket parts and independent shops. But that largely depends on what kind of car and what kind of repair it is. Yes, there are dealers that charge egregious prices and provide poor service. There are also dealers that provide great service at acceptable prices. And if you own a high end vehicle that requires many special tools and very specific training, finding an independent shop that has the right tools, the right training, and the right experience can be very difficult. Location plays a big factor in this. Larger cities likely have more reliable and reputable Indy shops. Smaller cities are harder to find someone that has the knowledge and expertise to do something like an internal engine repair on say, a 997 Turbo. But if your driving a five year old Honda/Chevy, anyone with minimal experience can handle most things. Guess the main thing is you might find an independent that you like, or you might find a dealer that you like. Neither one is necessary the wrong choice. It can just be tough to find either one sometimes.
When I had the Jeep Wrangler, Jeep wanted to charge me almost $800 for changing, balancing and mounting a set of new tires. What had me laughing out the door was when she said, “One was free”. They wanted to charge me almost $800 for 3 standard Goodyear Wrangler Tires. I bought them online for $400 and mounted and balanced for $20 a tire at a local shop.
I usually agree with you. Not today. I only go to the dealer. I get parts at cost and as far as tires they get them directly from the manufacture. And if your putting anything besides OEM on your vehicle is crazy!
I had to get the rack and pinion replaced on my car. Dealership said it would cost around $1500 for parts plus labor. Went to AutoZone, they had it for $450 with a core charge, got $100 back when returning the old part. Dealership spent from 9am until about 4pm working on it (they quoted 4 hours)...just to come back and let us know something was wrong with the part. They said we needed to purchase another one. That was bullshit, they just wanted us to buy THEIR part. The dealership gave us a bill and expected us to pay 8 hours worth of labor. I told them I shouldn't have to pay them a dime....they said they spent 7 hours working on the car and they could have been working on someone else's car. I told them "I hired you to do a job, you quoted 4 hours, you took 7 and I walked back there SEVERAL times to check progress and NO ONE was working on the car. You didn't even get the car lifted until NOON! Did it take you 3 HOURS to get the box open for the part?" They went to get the manager and I explained it to him. I told him I was quoted 4 hours, was getting charged for 8 hours, mechanic specifically said they only worked 7 hours, the job wasn't done, I had already paid for the part. Why should I pay for a repair when a repair wasn't performed? He said he'd take off $180 from the bill to match the 7 hours the mechanic said they worked. I still wasn't happy. I had a $450 part that wasn't on my car and they wanted me to pay labor for something that wasn't installed. I told him I would pay him when the part was installed. He then tried to counter offer and say "okay, i'll cut the bill in half". I said "i'm not paying anything...I expected your employees to put a part on a car and they couldn't do it". I was leaving and the manager told me if I didn't pay, he was going to call the police...I told him "Fine, call the cops. The part is in the box in the back seat of the car, i'm going to another shop". I ended up going home and about an hour later my phone rang. It was the manager at the dealership and he told me "bring the car back tomorrow with a new part, i'll have my mechanics give it another shot and I will not charge additional labor. All you have to pay is the bill for today". I took the car back the next day with a new part. They finished by noon. Yes, they ripped me off 4 hours worth of labor, but it was finished.
The box with the white and blue tape in the background by the second drill press is from RockAuto. If you are looking for the correct part for cheap (sometimes lower than my shops cost) with a good selection of brands I would highly recommend it
idk why but I can listen to rob talk about anything. Very intelligent hard working dude much respect
Dominick Head I used to not like him so much but lately I can't get enough. He has really hit his stride imo
Truth!
Did the same thing with my both of my E46's. Find the source and order from them. 'BMW' fuel pump, made by VDO. BMW price: $580, VDO price: $120. 'BMW' MAF sensor, made by Siemens. BMW price: $240, Siemens price: $80. 'BMW' water pump, made by Saleri. BMW price: $380, Saleri price: $60. It PAYS to research.
except dealers hire new guys straight outta tech school and pay them $15/hr while charging you $125/hr for someone with ZERO experience....
joeyf504327 they took the risk to build a dealership so that 125 is warranted. I don't like it either but let's be honest
@@robvenom1058 the dealership business is pretty rigged with laws that protect them from the manufacturer from selling to them directly and other competing dealerships with the same brand from setting up shop across the street.
Fortunately the internet has made them more honest, but until we can see these dumb dealership protection laws removed and we can order any car direct from the manufacturer like Tesla the industry just isn't going to be consumer friendly and I've got little sympathy for those running these shops.
Same in the trucking industry . Get rid of high mileage pay for new bottom dollar drivers. Now don't you feel safe on the roads since transport company's are saving money .
Today Mr. Spaghetti tells you how to save noodles when buying a new meatball.
haha
Loool
So you can get the same Ragu sauce in a different jar?
Some of the funniest shit I’ve ever read
Alex Morrison his last name kinda sounds like Spaghetti
usually in a 10 man dealership service shop 8 of them are 18-19 year olds making minimum wage or close. the other 2 babysit the 8 doing tire and oil changes.
It varies from shop to shop, i work at a high volume dealership (24 bay ~90-120 ros a day) and we have 6 express techs.
Yep...and most of them suck.
Great video. I've been a mechanic for 20 years and it's the same no matter where you go. For friends and relatives, I fix cars for just a bit over my cost, and generally save people atleast 60%
Yep! Dealer quoted me $3200 for a turbo replacement, so I bought one off eBay for $80 and installed it myself! Nothing is more satisfying than a smart financial decision
Poly-V drive belt. Mercedes Dealership: 125€, Bosch Part from local store: 22€
Rockauto is another great one. If you compare their prices to even AutoZone, it's not close.
Jay Gee I work at Autozone and they charge way too much for a lot of shit. Who the hell is gonna buy a Honda battery for 170 bucks
I love Rock Auto but if you order multiple things, the shipping from seperate warehouses kills any value saved. I try to keep my orders from them small.
My friends and I have had very bad experiences with rock auto.
99% of the time I use RockAuto to get the part number, and then order the part on Amazon or eBay for less... Evil, I know... but it's what you do when you have a budget.
Jean-Paul Gonzalez i bought a battery from auto zone because my battery died in thier parking lot... like couldn’t be jumped dead...
This is why I always shop for my parts or repairs. And 50% of the time, the dealership will align it's price with competition, because I usually end my search with them, going on place, and show them the other prices. I sometime agree going a little over the price... but I prefer to pay for a good service, and a place where I'm not charged 5 to 10$ per bolt the mecanic broke working on a brand new car.
I'm an ASE Master Certified Technician and I have worked for private auto shops and two dealerships. I can tell you this the guy at the private shop may know more about all brands of cars but they know considerably less than a decent Technician at a dealership. I have constant training that I have to have through general motors, I used to do limited work to vehicles like brakes, suspension and engines, I now know how to rebuild transmissions, diesel engines, rebuild rear differentials, inteior work like seats and carpeting, and I have access to a network of troubleshooters that I can call whenever I need them to help figure out some complex problems plus I can reprogram your cars computers without voiding warranty whenever I want. You just can't compare the two you simply get a better technican at a reputable dealer than at a reputable auto repair shop.
Well, in the instance you want the best of both worlds, you find a private auto shop that specializes in a certain auto manufacturer(s) that basically employs former dealer technicians, and so you get the specialized knowledge for specific vehicles and cheaper repair costs.
Buy online and save money for more spaghetti sauce.
Bruce Bruce 420 what
I dig your channel, but Rob, you couldn't be more wrong about dealerships. I am an ASE Certified GM parts Consultant working for GM for over 15 years. And I can assure you that we are not out to " get " anyone. If dealers were as bad as you say we are, we couldnt stay in business. I would challenge you, if you have a friend at a dealership, go hang out with them for a few days and get to know how it really is. If you are ever in or near Boise Idaho, stop in. I would love to show you what really happens in a dealer.
Keep up the great videos, but I would refrain from speaking on a subject you do not have much experience in.
ylfapus stfu I work at GM as a parts advisors for 8 years. We are told and praised to mark up items as high as we can. Our job at GM is to charge a premium for no real reason.
John N . Wow. Really!? You must not have a lot of customers if you have to matrix all your parts to make your margins. Maybe you are the dealer who is giving all of us bad names. Maybe if you would stay competitve, you could retain customers and not drive away customers and gain more.
Plus on the subject of tires, you know as well as I do that there is no money in them. Especially with the tire price guarantee. Making only 12 points or less on tires is not making money, its a tool to be a one stop shop for our customers.
You must have been a parts chaser for the first 7 1/2 years.
ylfapus Realy? I've called 3 Honda dealerships before looking for a part, they all wanted 250$ for it. Found the same thing online for 80. Rob is 100% correct here.
Agree. My dealership quoted a tonneau cover for my truck for $1884. Got the same brand for $1200.
Door visors $340. Got it for $95.00
I've bought a lot of BMW parts from the dealership either because it was the only place to get the part or because the OEM part they offered was very close to the price of the aftermarket part (or even lower). I think this may vary a lot by country.
Oem parts are usually the highest quality. Buy from an online oem dealer..
Tj C but usually OEM stuff are Bosch... and sometimes other companies
you pay more but it’s worth it better than those bootleg cheap japanese parts.
Bootleg Cheap != Japanese, think u meant chinese.
High quality? Yes. Highest quality? Normally no. Of course it varies by part and for what kind of car, maybe for a normal sedan OEM is best, but with more performance oriented cars there are almost always higher end side market options available.
Most O.E.M parts are outsourced and often rebranded parts. Rob stated this fact in this video, so I shouldn't need to reiterate that fact.
I've had all my tyres for my 7 and my M5 done at the BMW dealer. My local dealer will price match any dodgy backstreet tyre place, or even any online price. I've never found a price they can't match.
So on top of them being the cheapest, I can trust them not to scratch up my rims, I get a free car inspection, wash, wax and interior, and either as much (proper) coffee as I want, or alternatively, if I want to leave and come back later I can take any car for a "test drive". Finally any part you buy from BMW including wheels/tyres are covered by a BMW warranty. I can't think of a single reason to not get my tyres done at the dealer.
loss leading on generic consumables to keep you from shopping around
what he said, you are the exception, I bet you have spent $$$ BIG at this seemingly honest dealer, LMAO
By the look of you spelling it "tyre" you're not in the USA. So you are exempt from this.
bmw dealerships have also good prices for parts
wait, how does one spell tyre in the USA?
i’ve always went to a dealership where i bought my vehicle. they are all friendly and i’ve gone there for years. they do tip top work and never screw me. i’ve been to other repair shops with the exact same price and hasn’t gotten the job done right. i will forever and always go to the dealerships for service and parts.
You must be rich!
You failed at life lol
Lol
I can sort of understand, if you find a place where the work is done proper each time, that too is worth value
Dealership wanted $750 plus $200 for labor for an Nissan 2004 350z window motor ...I paid $45 on eBay
Raiden Narukami PREACH! I bought the window motor with the regulator (OEM) from amazon for about $100 with free two day shipping and replaced the parts in about 45 minutes on my 2005 350z.
They quoted me over 800+ for the door locks on the driver side. I fixed it for free no joke.
This is exactly why I'm thankful that my dad put tools in my hands when I was a kid and let me help him work on whatever he was messing with. I had dealership mechanic skills at 15-16. I've been in QC now for a while at a Manufacturer. But I would never let anyone work on any of my vehicles unless it's insurance work then I'm going to do everything I can to get a total. People are shady they wanna get something half ass done get paid and get you gone. Alot of people are seriously hurt everyday because of shitty mechanic work...In my area a kid took a car in for a fuel filter. Less than 6 miles later that kid burnt up in that vehicle.
I got my 06 Volvo S60 timing belt done at my Volvo dealer for $660, lowest quote in my area. And it’s a dealership. Service advisor was incredibly honest and upfront, even turned me away from doing additional service that I asked about.
Your video makes sense buddy and I love em all, but I'm a parts manager at a dealership in Texas and we price match all the time and with the tires... Any tire we sell we markup $20 no matter how much even if one tire is $400, i agree labor rate is going to be different but if someone is also in a price budget we will go aftermarket so we can save a customer time and money from having to wait for parts and we warranty all parts we sell as well, so it's up to a customer but paying a little more for the warranty with any part from a dealership is also worth it, it never hurts to ask a parts rep then to ask a service advisor.
As a dealer tech (BMW in my case) I can absolutely agree with much of what Rob is saying. In fact, most of my parts I buy for my Bimmer are from online retailers that have the exact same parts just without the fancy shmancy BMW stamp. (check out FCP Euro if you also drive unreliable European cars like me, they warranty everything they sell).
HOWEVER, like a few other commenters have pointed out, when you have Joe down the street in the (sometimes fantastic) Euro specialty shop do the work, there's a very large chance that work has no warranty behind it. And if something bad happens from said work, they may foot you with the bill.
At the (BMW) dealer, we warranty all of our work for two years for parts and workmanship. Plus, if something breaks while we work on it, more often than not we're just going to eat the cost of replacing what broke.
I could go on and on but this sort of debate will never end because there will be no end to shitty dealers who hose their customers for everything they've got and ridiculous parts mark-ups. So in the end, find the mechanic who will work best for you at the price you can afford and most importantly someone/someplace that won't rip you off of your hard earned money.
One thing he didn't mention is how bad dealerships are with shop supplies. I've been out of the game for a little while, but when I was, shop supplies were something crazy I remember like 7-10%. Have to watch out for that too.
The only time I ever go to the dealer for parts really is to get specific bolts that are hardened. For some reason where I live, they are very hard to find.
A word about buying parts at a dealership vs online. Not only is the price lower online, but the warranty might well be shorter also. Regarding Ford parts -- if you buy them at a dealership, you get a 2-year warranty, Buy the same Motorcraft part from Amazon though, and it's only a 1-year warranty. This bit me a while back (almost). I had an overheating issue with a 2007 Mustang. The symptoms led me to suspect the electric fan. I bought the replacement factory part from Amazon (saved a bunch over buying from the dealer), and everything seemed fine. The next hot summer, the car overheated again, and I brought it to the dealer. They thought the electric fan was bad and replaced it. I mentioned that I had just purchased the new OEM fan just over a year ago (1 year and 1 week), and they said since it was bought online, it only carried a 1-year warranty. Sure enough, when I checked the Amazon listing, the manufacturer's warranty was stated as 1-year. in the end, their diagnosis was wrong anyway, and I made them refund the new fan they installed.
I knew someone who had a job that:
1) Removed drive belt from Bando (the belt manufacturer) sleeve
2) Inserted belt into Nissan sleeve.
That's it. The belt wasn't made by Nissan. It was made by Bando. Oh, and of course, sometimes it's a different car make (e.g. Toyota).
Same thing with bearings. Most of the bearings were made by NSK.
That service part im 50/50 on. I’m a BMW tech and what you said about the guy working on a car on his first day is true that does happen and he can mess things up. However it’s different at higher end dealerships simply because of the tech the cars are equipped with. Example: you take a 135i to the a pep boys shop because you got an internal coolant leak and it’s mixing with oil in your engine. The pep boys shop will tell you that you need a new engine. That’s already several thousands of dollars. When in reality all you need is to flush both the coolant and oil systems and follow a very detailed procedure states by BMW Engineers on how to permanently fix the leak. No new engine is needed. With labor and parts costing less than a thousand dollars. So it’s a double edged sword honestly
When I had a Jeep Wrangler, they were always trying to sell me crap I knew I knew was overpriced and didn’t need. Like a set of $800 Wrangler Tires. And the kicker was, the 4th tire was free.
I declined their bogus offer and went online to buy my own tires. Saved $300. I took auto tech in high school and learned a few things that have saved me from falling for the dealership scams. And for that, I’m thankful.
I completely agree with you Rob. I have a great example. For my 02 911 Carrera C2. Coil Packs at a local repair shop. $57.99/each plus 2hrs labor at $105.00/hr.....Bosch coilpacks.....ebay price about $29.20/each and labor to do it myself $0.00......didnt even bother with trying at local Porsche Dealership! I actually went with a high performance coil packs for $33.33/each for better performance and smoothers firing.
I have worked in the aftermarket and dealerships. I would never take my car to an aftermarket shop. The dealership is much more knowledgeable about your vehicle and can fix it properly the first time. (well. usually) You wouldn't believe the amount of times a day I diagnose a car over the phone for another shop. Or they are calling wanting a price for a complete assembly, when in actuality you can buy a smaller component that will fix their problem. ($9 starter lever compared to a $400 starter. Or a TPS sensor instead of a whole throttle body, and on and on and on) Not to mention all the times we have to fix what the aftermarket screws up. Not to mention, having service advisors calling you asking if we can get an aftermarket part cheaper because the customer doesn't like the price of the OEM, and it ends up the aftermarket IS more expensive. This happens way more times than you would think. Especially on electrical components.
Not all dealerships gouge on everything. For the longest time I did oil chnages at mine even when I was past the warranty because they only charged like $10 more than if I did it myself. Now I do it myself just to save the drive/waiting time. Tires are the same. Maybe because she had a Jag but I've bought tires online (although the dealership quoted me like $20 per tire so not 100s) and they mounted/balanced for 17 a tire which is what everyone else is charging. Parts in general are definitely more expensive. Sometimes the gap isn't as large. If it's not a common part you're looking a 10% saving at the most some times but you do get the occasional part that is a third the price. I agree there, unless you're crunched for time then dont buy it at the dealership.
My aunt is 82 she has a Toyota Camry 2013 the dealership told her $800 for tires. I got her tires for $320 installed.She had a battery installed without my knowledge and it was $230 so the dealership definitely over charges.Good videos 👍🏻
Most places dont charge labor for battery installation if you buy from there
Very good information 👍I try to tell my customers the same thing but yet a lot of them only want to get the part from the dealer 🤣Their money😏
Hey Rob, I work for a parts store and I found that when I tell the dealer that I work for a store they give me the retail discount and usually the parts become cheaper. I got a Pcv valve for my works van for 13 bucks at the dealer vs the 60~ that they normally sell it for.
They've earned the moniker Stealer-ships for a reason. Great advice Rob!
Hey man you have a real world view of a lot of good stuff. Personally I can do 75% of work needed on my car. 2001 Miata. But there is always that bad transmission or rod know that I have to go track down a fair shop. I simply get on the phone and chat up mechanics and eventually I find a fair price and a skilled mechanic. It sure helps when I already know what needs to be done.
I have a pretty unique work history in that I worked for a dealer fresh out of school for a while, then worked for a part manufacturer for several years then finally worked in parts sales for a very long time so I have seen the good, the bad and the ugly in the automotive world. I began working on my friends and families cars way back in the day to help them out but began repairing vehicles full time when a friend was quoted a $3,000.00 bill to replace a control arm and cat back exhaust on a Mazda. I was able to do the repair for literally $100.00 because it only actually needed the intermediate pipe and a bushing replaced saving him $2,900.00. The markup on parts is amazing as well because when I actually produced these products we literally changed just the markings inside the mold when we were making different "brands" for different customers. The exact same internal components are in there most of the time but occasionally there is a slight difference in quality control so the less than perfect examples get sold as another brand even though there is no functionality difference at all. These were cases where they had a scuff on the housing or something that would not effect performance at all. Even worse many times there were known issues with the O.E.M. spec parts and a different process corrected the problem but the O.E.M. would still demand the bad design because they were contracted for a specific number of units or something so the "aftermarket" parts were superior. I could tell many stories like this and most people would be shocked to know the truth about what they are buying in reality.
Although I see your logic in not going to the dealership, I disagree with that. Always call the dealership to see how much the part costs, and then go online to advance auto parts (out of the 4-5 chain parts stores, they’re the cheapest, plus they do discount coupons).
1. I called Mercedes to see how much 6 spark plugs would cost. They’re Bosch platinum plugs. $162 for 6 plus. I went to advance auto parts, $38 for 6 NGK Iridium plugs. If you know anything about spark plugs, you know NGK has the top of the line plugs, and iridium is the top of the line, of the top of the line.
2. I called Homda for some coolant for my acura TL. $20. I went to pepboys to see how much coolant would cost. $18. I spent the extra $2 on the OEM coolant.
3. I called Acura for a window lock button piece. $5. I went on eBay, Amazon, etc. $30.
4. I picked up a full valve cover gasket kit for $50 from Acura. The aftermarket variant was $75-$90.
Sometimes the dealership is the same price, if not cheaper. Always call and see. Do research.
First one isn't comparable. The plugs you got quoted for are $12-15 a piece, in addition to them using a factory Mercedes torquing tool, disposal of old plugs etc. Also, buying iridium plugs is a complete waste of time if you're using pump gas, as all the additives and ethanol content in it mean your plugs should be replaced every third oil change anyway.
Sky Guy false. These are parts only quotes. No labor. I always buy parts myself and either do the work myself or get my mechanic to do it.
Obviously haven't seen the prices online. Pepboys etc. are marking up big time as well.
Dealers have caught on and are, at least in this area, fairly competitive on some services. Good example is my dad's old Honda Civic. Like all Hondas, it was due for a water pump and timing assembly. Local mechanic wanted $1200 to do it with Gates parts, $1450 for OEM Honda parts. Dad took it to the Honda dealer for a quote, they did it that day for $650 out the door with OEM Honda parts. I've also found my local Ford dealer beats Tasca's prices on parts in most cases.
Worked at Bosch Official Car Service in the 90s.
We'd get (avg) 50% at Bosch, but only 15% at Dealers for OEM parts.
Then along came good quality knock-offs.
No more 'Official Car Service' --- Straight-up quality service, less expensive.
Rob one exception to your don't trade your car in rule is if you live in a state like NY where they charge sales tax on the purchase price. Since the purchase price is the cost of the car minus any trade in it reduces the overall cost of the new vehicle. I know what my existing car is worth before walking into a dealership and if I come to an agreement on the new car price I see what they offer for the trade in, then it's a quick calculation to figure out which option will be less money for me out of pocket. The last two cars it's cost me less to go the trade in route. So even though you may get more money for the car by selling it yourself it may not be the best financial option.
I remember one time when some solenoids went bad in my mom's car... they were cheaper at my local Chevy dealer ship than anywhere online, and the clerk also gave me a $20 discount. Thanks, chevy, for only using the LE8 in the Chevy HHR's.
My uncle's Jaguar needed a tyre, dealer wanted 600, we got it for 90 including fitting and balancing. Good brand too.
I thought tyres were way more expensive than tires though?😂
@@bolerdweller Yeah because it's European 😂😂😂
My local Infiniti dealer said it would cost about $195 to buy a replacement key fob and have them cut the key and program it to my car.
The independent mechanic who does all of my work (also the guy who sold me the car) told me where to buy a brand new OEM key fob online for $75 and he programmed it and had the key cut for $20. It only took him about 45 minutes and it saved me $100. This happens all of the time. I get a quote from the dealer just to see what it is, I call and ask him about the work I need done and his price is always far lower. A lot of the time, he does the work for free and just charges me for the parts if he isn't particularly busy and it's not an intensive job just because I have a good relationship with him and I've been a good customer who always pays on time.
If you're going to your dealer all of the time and what you're getting isn't warranty work, I guarantee you can find someone who is just as good a mechanic if not a better one and you will save a lot of money. Establish a good relationship with an independent mechanic and things will go so much better.
Rob,
OEM parts from Audi, Mercedes or any car company are usually high quality. Yes there maybe some bad eggs such as bushing on the Mark 4 Jettas. But they are usually high quality and are designed for your car. Also there are people that enter their cars in car shows and the judges (like me) look for authentic parts. So for example if I am looking under the engine of a car and I see the owner has a Bosch belt, water pump or battery and it is not from the Mercedes or who ever makes the owners car, I will mark them down for it.
However, it is a good idea to see who makes the part for your car for a cheaper alternative.
As for going to the dealer for service, I strongly encourage people to go to the dealer. I say this because if you go to an independent shop for service and they screw up the service, the owner might not be covered for warranty work. Also, let's say you buy or lease a car and you bring it to the mechanic down the street for service and then all of the sudden you need warranty work or a recall, the dealership may have a few questions for you and they may not cover the work. Granted the burdon is on the dealership. Also, when you go to a dealer, the service advisor, the tech and the shop foreman are factory trained by the company. They will have the proper tools and equipment. Where as the independent shop may or may not have the techs trained on your particular car. Let alone the right tools. Also if you go to the dealership, you can get a loaner car upon request.
Sometimes the dealership is the better move. I was going to have service done on my car since i just got it, timing belt being the main thing. Every quote i got was about double the price of the dealer. Also the dealership i took it to does an inspection, which was important as i recently got the car and they might find potential issues. Your local auto shop is going to have experience in lots of brands of cars, while your dealership will be specialized in your car. The only reason i can think of for the auto shop being more expensive is either they do not work on many Subaru's, or they have had bad experience with them in the past.
Never say to the salesman: this is my dream car !! That will translate to a higher interest rate and higher MSRP.
Junito Punto Comm no I don’t think so you can always negotiate on price and interest rate is decided by your credit score idiot
Truth
You still need to negotiate on sale price whether you finance thru the dealership or not... but yes most dealerships will over inflate the interest rate
Igor Kolosha 8nterest rates are determined by alot of things, what they arent determined by is the dealer.
Why would they? Unless you're financing through the dealer then they wont see a dime of that. As far as MSRP, sure they can hike that up, but as long as you can read and you can count to ten it's incredibly easy to see when they do that, you should also know how much the car you're buying is worth before you even begin to drive to the dealer and you should know when you're overpaying and what price you should be paying...
it can't translate to a higher MSRP, MSRP is only one. MSRP means Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price, a salesman is not a manufacturer, he can't set MSRP.
Not all dealers are terrible for parts at least. Sure OEM genuine parts typically cost more. However, my old Mazda dealer used to give me 25% off on most parts for my RX7 just for being part of a car club as most of us bought parts from them. I ended up rebuilding my Trans with OEM Syncros, bearings, snap rings, seals ect. for about $150 cheaper than aftermarket parts.
I disagree on several of this points because they are only accurate for some vehicles. In example, I can't take my 2016 Jaguar just anywhere- I have to take it to Jaguar because literally no other shop in town will touch it. And not for lack of trying- I called every service shop in town and every service shop declined to work on it.
Also, you can negotiate cash offers on trading in cars. I always go on and get a cash offer to buy a car before even bringing my trade into the equation. Once I have the best possible price I can negotiate, then I bring in the trade so I can get a true cash offer on my trade. In example, just last week i did this to purchase a new Audi. At the end when I brought the trade into the equation, I got the dealer within 500 dollars of wholesale on my trade (I got several wholesale cash offers prior to shopping). While I did lose 500 on the trade, I did save $1,200 in taxes on the trade difference (my state only taxes on trade difference, and 30,000 in trade saves $1,200 in sales tax).
So while several of your points on right on, these points I listed above are wrong.
Quoted >$600 CAD at dealership for gas struts for my rear hatch, picked up a pair for ~$40 CAD online. However when looking for winter tires the dealership gave me a better price than I could get online or from dedicated tire shops. It always pays to shop around. I didn't get them to mount and balance the tires though their pricing for that was a joke.
I work for a auto parts retail and the same part over the counter can be sold to the right dealer garage account for almost HALF the price and still have its own warranty on it which most of the time they wont tell you about bc theyre the ones putting in the labor...yes sometimes you can get parts cheaper on your own, but dont be afraid to ask for what the dealer pays for the part and an itemized receipt.
I work at a dealership in Canada and all our prices are very competitive with what can be found online, however, when an OEM uses other brands like Bosch, NGK or AC Delco you can almost always save a massive amount of money buying online. A coworker I priced parts for would have saved $400 buying a. Alternator on Amazon using the exact same part number I got from calling GM but ended up going the cheap China route...we had to return the item twice because they kept burning up instantly.
If u own a BMW, ECS tuning is the okay to go. They got all the OEM parts plus after market options. You just gotta know what parts u need. They even offer parts diagrams for the popular cars
tires in general are significantly cheaper shipped to your door than they are from any tire dealer i recently discovered. I just bought tires from tire rack. I got the second highest rated tire in the class and size i needed for 160$ a peice. local tire shops wanted (averaged about) 200$ for the same tires. plus mount and balance cost. so even if you buy tires at the shop you have to pay the same installation costs as you would if you ordered 4 unmounted tires online. they have the same warranty too. blew my mind no one told me this before. ill never by tires from a shop again.
When I changed my e90 335i brake pads and rotors at 100k, OEM parts were like 400$ total. Got a full set front and back for 150$ online, I think it was Callahan? Anyway, still stopping the car at 130k, no problems, no loss in performance when driving a like a crazy person, never using my turn signals. ALWAYS buy online and if you can't turn your own wrenches, take those parts to a mechanic who will install your brought in parts.
This is a pretty good point from someone who worked at a dealership. They make most of their money from the service department or used vehicle sales. One of the better tricks was to buy OEM parts (mostly if you were still under warranty while doing your own service) from a sister dealership that sold a different brand or even ask for a "Fleet discount" at the parts department. If something crazy happened, and you had the receipt? It was covered with the paper trail. For example: I bought OEM Nissan parts from a Toyota dealership that got them sent over and charged me $2 over whatever original cost was as a delivery fee. I saved about $300 and the local parts store had Chinese junk that would have had to been modified to fit for the vehicle I was working on. Saving money is making money.
The domestic car dealers offer great prices on tires. Ford has a price match policy. The other dealers do charge a ton for tires... so Rob is right on that note.
needed driveshaft mounting bolts for my foxbody mustang. Ford dealer quoted me $16.99 each and 4 days to get them to the dealership, Late Model Restoration shipped me the same, 4 OE bolts to my door in 2 days for $14.99. Net savings on 4 bolts, $52.97. I can't justify doing anything but warranty work at a dealership.
OEM parts are only sold to dealerships, typical markup is 45%. If you're finding a part online for 1/3 the price online it cant be OEM or the dealership selling it is losing money. There are exceptions, some OEM's will give rebates for certain parts to dealerships allowing them to be sold below cost, but never at 1/3 of list price.
Any part you're finding online for 1/3 the price is either aftermarket or "compatible" with the oem part#. It might be made by the same manufacturer, maybe even to the same standard, but its not the original part. This often happens with Oxygen sensors, brake pads and clutches where the manufacturer produces multiple parts that could fit the same application, and people sell them as compatible. It might even come in OEM packaging, but will rarely be the exact part# that fits per VIN.
If you buy from a dealership that wholesales OEM parts they often times will sell at cost or under because they get kick backs from the manufacturer for volume. So do some searching. Check out Gandrud Chevrolet, Dodge, Nissan if you need a fair price on OEM parts. 1 day shipping on most parts 😎
There is an exception to the rule. In the official Nissan part site, you and buy the part online and picked up from the dealership something cheaper or at the same cost as the aftermarket. I had replace the valve cover seal on my Altima, it was cheaper to get the seal and cover from the dealership through the method state above then buying it aftermarket. The same thing with the rear main seal on the pathfinder. I paid a few dollars more compare to the aftermarket, but I have oem parts.
As mentioned in the video, doing your research is a big thing to saving money
Can rob even grow facial hair?
I bet he has a chest hair or two. :-)
Dollar shave club keeps him from growing any
It would look like joe dirt lol
Matt skeletor no
You know what's funny.. Half the time I don't even care about what Rob's ranting about, but for some reason it's just fun to listen to him rant.
This isn't always the case, best thing to do is cross shop always. For example, looking around for a GT500 rear bumper most places quoted about $500 before shipping or $400 for a fake, found a local dealer who was able to acquire a real one for $300 all in, albeit took a few weeks. I still take my car to the dealer to get oil changes and service since for me it worth it at $40 - $50 since they include the NYS inspection with that. So don't always discount checking a dealer, some are keen to the changing times.
I work at a dealer selling OE parts. Oh where do I start... First off if you're going to buy off the internet you for get you're going to get jacked on shipping, people forget this. Second, I hope this part fits or doesn't have to be programmed before use because that's where we're headed folks. The negotiating thing. Next time I go buy groceries and they give me the total I'm going to say "can you do me better than that?" or "is that MY price?" we'll see how well that goes!! Don't do that shit, either pay the price or don't buy the part. I will agree on one thing, NEVER buy tires at a dealership!! It's amazing the mentality some people have just because they bought the car at a dealer they HAVE to return to the selling dealer for service, parts, or anything else pertaining to the car.
One thing I learned back in the 80s is make sure you buy factory parts or the equivalent for jobs that are difficult, like the clutch, pressure plate and throwout bearings. I went on the cheap and bought them from a local parts store and the new clutch was slipping like mad. I didn't change the original parts because it was slipping, rather the throwout bearing noise that I didn't like hearing when it was idling in neutral. Since then I've learned chatter like that is very common. You should hear our diesel trucks! Anyway, so the moral of the story, don't cheap out on aftermarket parts for a job that you don't want to do twice. Back then, there was no internet, so you did a lot of learning as you go and the same thing goes for finding good parts. You either went to the dealer or your local auto parts store.
I had a window regulator go out on my BMW. I called the dealership and they wanted over $500 for the fix. I bought the part for $118 online (OEM), they thankfully price-matched it so I didn't have to wait for the part to ship, and I did the work myself in under 2 hours.
First off I love your work & content!
You may be forgetting some essential items; that are very critical & dealer only.
For example: 6.0l Powerstroke fuel filter (your Duramax may differ). There is a special one way water membrane on Ford filters (for the frame filter.)
I have yet to see an aftermarket filter to have that membrane.
That slight different may mean the difference between new injectors due to contamination and water in the injector.
For the record I am running an '04 250 diesel that has served me well!
I do majority of the maintenance; however, I know when I am over my head.
I am not a mechanic; just owned diesels for 15yrs; not that this is diesel exclusive.
As someone who drives a BMW I am honestly shocked that BMW of Fairfax in Virginia has the best rates of ANY dealer I've gone to. They sell everything at list and not MSRP, so it's actually reasonable for their costs!
I checked withe Porsche dealer in Albuquerque about a repair I thought I needed, and got an estimate of right at $15,000. Went to a garage that only works on German cars, and got a quote of $7800.
The statement I am about to make is something I always told myself I wouldn't do but I guess I am weak and just couldn't hold my ground any longer. I am tired of people making statements like "dealerships are so expensive" and "all a dealership wants is to steal your money". The fact is that in the market I live in, which is a medium sized town, the labor rates are within 10 dollars an hour to either side, meaning some aftermarket shops actually charge more than dealers and some are a little less. Yes, parts are more expensive at dealers but if you think about the fact that the ball joints on your blazer made it 100k before they needed replaced but you had moog brand (which are great but not as good as o.e.) installed and 35k miles later they need replaced again where is your money better spent. the problem is that most aftermarket parts are serviceable and they do not get serviced. and when they do get greased people don't clean the grease fittings before they grease them and they send dirt and road grime right into the critical wear surfaces. Plus the dealer I go to has a PARTS and LABOR warranty. good luck finding that at an aftermarket shop Mr. Spaghetti.
Makes sense... been doing this for a number of years to keep costs down when I repair vehicles.
Good video! I would recommend to always buy the OEM parts. I needed a new airflow sensor for my BMW a while back. I was careless enough to buy one made by magneti marelli (OEM is BOSCH). I installed the part and the part worked more or less, but i got horrible gas mileage because of it. Ordered the BOSCH part later, installed it and everything worked perfectly.
I sort of did the same thing when buying an adapter module that is a substitute for the Tech 2 diagnostic scan tool that I used at the GM dealership when I worked there for a FRACTION of the cost of that tech 2 scan tool but this adapter lets me load the software into my 32 bit Windows 8 smaller laptop and do all the same stuff to my GM vehicle , or Ford ,Or Chrysler depending on which module and software you buy.I buy my GM parts online for a fraction of the dealer cost also.
About the only time I get stuff from the dealer is when I need NEW body parts . By the time I factor in the costs of oversized packages even through FedEx , in certain situations it IS actually better to buy certain things right from the dealership , not many though.
Dealer parts depends, got a sensor for my Mazda, $20 online, $25 at autozone, $17 at the dealer. It’s worth shopping around.
I disagree with the technician situation, as I work at a Toyota dealership. The new tech coming in to work isn't going to touch anything more then inspections, oil changes and tire rotations (lube tech). To move up the tech has to have the proper schooling for example we have e-learning's and training sites, we have to be certify in specific areas to do different work. Also on top of those certifications from Toyota, we have to have the corresponding ASE's to go along with the area of certification.
Rob I have to disagree that selling a car to a dealer is a 100% bad move. I sold my 2013 WRX to a dealer and was able to actually make money on the car. They had a buyer lined up, and wanted my car bad, and came up from a 15k appraisal, to buying it for 21k. Albeit it was a special situation, sometimes things work out and you have to play the situation!
trueheads I agree
All the dealership was is a middleman, if you could have just found the buyer yourself you would have made a few hundred more.
Exactly. I sold my last car to a dealership for what I paid for it and I had put 17k miles on it, I didn’t lose money on and it and the car didn’t sit on the lot for 12 hours before it was sold.
James Briggs what car was that my old rs4 was on the lot for 3 day's
+trueheads- The other thing that could be worth it is trading in a car, depending on which state you're in. In some/many(?) states you can use the trade-in value to lower the sales tax basis of the new car. So, instead of paying tax on the full sales price for your new car, you first get to take off the trade in value. So, even though you're likely going to get less for the trade-in than you would if you put in the effort to sell it privately, you could make it up in tax savings. But, this depends on your home state as not all states allow this.
Back in my younger days I needed a carburetor base gasket for my Pinto. No jobbers made it, so I had to get it from Ford. I was surprised that it was only $10 and they not only still made it, but had it in stock. No Internet in those days...
Later in life I needed a hose for my PT Cruiser GT that no parts store could ID and I couldn't find online. Dealer found one for me at a dealer 6-8 hours south of me, flew it in for the next day. $6 for the hose.
Sometimes they're not all bad.
OEM gaskets are usually the way to go.
Not always better but sometimes.
Silicone gaskets (blue ones) are pretty good
Fel-Pro is the best
Ghanimonster Tell that to the Focus RS, lol.
Jack Tran silicone gaskets are the best*
Just goto a dealer service center and see what your options are. I am an advisor and I will tell you, where I work you can bring your own parts and sometimes haggle on labor quotes. Always ask what the dealership can do for you. Might be surprised at the response. 😱
I worked at a Ford garage in the mid 2000's and we had a discount tire shop right next door to the stealership, and an autozone across the street.... lol we bought a shit ton of tires and generic parts for customer cars from those places, we always tacked at least $75 to $100 on the bill and no one was the wiser...
Rob sometimes selling cars at the dealership makes you more money well in my case. I bought a $11,000 Ford F-250 and kbb cash offer is $14,515 and they sell around that. But also my Ford Expedition got a offer for $26,000 and it only sells for around $22,000 and it’s financed
The crazy thing is, when you buy factory parts on amazon/ebay the third party seller is very frequently actually a dealer somewhere around the country. Even "dealer only" parts are therefore available online, and much cheaper. I broke a stupid plastic fuel hose with special fittings on a 15 year old car. Dealer wanted $85 for 2 feet of plastic line with a plastic clip on the end. Found the EXACT same hose on eBay and it shipped from a dealership in another state for $30 and free shipping. Not only the same part, but actually FROM A DEALER, but because I bought it on eBay it was cheaper.
They basically see anyone who walks in the side door of the dealer into service as a schmuck ready to be parted from his money. They're literally working both sides of the market. The only reason it wouldn't be considered competing against themselves, is because the kind of guy who would check eBay would never go to the dealer in the first place, and vice versa.
i had to get my keyfob for my ford focus replaced.. at the dealer they wanted €365 ex taxes. i went to a salvage yard and got one for 20. reprogrammed the key myself within 5 minutes and it still works great.
Once made the mistake to inquiry at an Audi dealership for window sliders as my passenger window no longer went up. He tried to sell me the entire window actuator/motor assembly for like €150. So far it cost me a few zip ties. If I want to splurge it'll be 10 bucks on AliExpress.
There are other benefits of buying parts from a dealer. For example you may get a 2 year part warranty on a part bought from the dealer which will include labor if installed at the dealer. Something to consider. Also on the techs I highly disagree with what you're saying. It's not the same guy working on your car no matter where you go, especially on high end brands. I think what's important is to know who is working on the car and what credentials they have if that's something that matters to you. Otherwise people will just go to what's cheapest, but remember you get what you pay for and service work is no exception.
I find that 2%-5% of the time a part from a dealer is very close in price to aftermarket parts. If I can buy a genuine OEM part for roughly the same price as an 3rd party aftermarket part you better believe that I'm buying the OEM part from a dealership. While I agree that the dealer is usually more expensive for parts, it's always worth to call them to find out what they charge. If you can get a OEM part within 10% of the cost of an aftermarket part, just buy the OEM part.
Very true. Had a window regulator break. Dealer wanted $500 part and $500 labor. Got a $15 Part on line and fixed it myself.
The problem with both Amazon and eBay is that you don't know if you're getting genuine parts, or counterfeit ones. Just because the parts are located in the USA does not guarantee they aren't Chinese knockoffs that were bought in bulk off AliExpress by a US based Amazon or eBay seller.
I had a Chevy S10 ZR2, and independent shops could not do an alignment on it to save their life. I always had to take it to a Chevy dealer for an alignment. There are times where the dealership does know what they are doing versus the independent, and it's worth paying the premium for some out of warranty work.
I remember when I had my Focus ST I needed 4 new lug nuts because the ones from the factory were this cheap 2 piece design where they have a smaller lug nut with a metal covering glued/welded on top to give it a shiny look. Those get dented and break over time when continously taking the wheels on and off. I went to the dealership and they sell them for around $12.50 a piece. Decided to go to a tire shop outside and they have these really nice lugnuts made from 1 solid piece (I think stainless steel) and these were around $50 for a whole set.
Another thing that happened to me is that third gear started to grind. Took it to the dealership and they said it is $700 just to check it. A guy that works there told me to take it outside as if I allowed them to check it they would disassemble the transmission and give me a whole list of parts to replace that don't actually need replacing and I wouldn't walk out of there paying less than $5000. I ended up taking it to a mechanic outside that used to work in the ford dealership and he told me that he would fix it for less than $800.
*not giving exact numbers as I'm converting to USD.
My Acura dealership does oil changes at a really low cost to get you in the door so they can try to up sell you on other service that's really expensive. Like charging $90 to replace the cabin air filter. I can buy the filter for $8 on Amazon and takes maybe 30 seconds to replace.
Thanks, everybody. This helps.
Some of the repair work they charge you an arm and leg for is also redicilously easy to do yourself. My old Volvo V70 needed new sparkplugs. Super easy to change them yourself.
Tell it to the guy who bought an aftermarket alternator from NAPA for his Porsche Boxster. Had a lifetime warranty on parts only, and 3 months and 4 alternators later he paid me more in labor than it would have cost him to buy the Porsche (Bosch, built to Porsche Spec) alternator. And if the Porsche alternator failed within 2 years, which is highly unlikely, both parts and labor would have been covered at any dealer in North America. I've also seen a Porsche spec Bosch unit next to an aftermarket Bosch unit and the internals are not the same. The aftermarket unit is clearly made with cheaper components.
My point is, sometimes you can get away with aftermarket parts and independent shops. But that largely depends on what kind of car and what kind of repair it is. Yes, there are dealers that charge egregious prices and provide poor service. There are also dealers that provide great service at acceptable prices. And if you own a high end vehicle that requires many special tools and very specific training, finding an independent shop that has the right tools, the right training, and the right experience can be very difficult.
Location plays a big factor in this. Larger cities likely have more reliable and reputable Indy shops. Smaller cities are harder to find someone that has the knowledge and expertise to do something like an internal engine repair on say, a 997 Turbo. But if your driving a five year old Honda/Chevy, anyone with minimal experience can handle most things.
Guess the main thing is you might find an independent that you like, or you might find a dealer that you like. Neither one is necessary the wrong choice. It can just be tough to find either one sometimes.
When I had the Jeep Wrangler, Jeep wanted to charge me almost $800 for changing, balancing and mounting a set of new tires. What had me laughing out the door was when she said, “One was free”. They wanted to charge me almost $800 for 3 standard Goodyear Wrangler Tires. I bought them online for $400 and mounted and balanced for $20 a tire at a local shop.
Exhaust manifold studs for my 99 ford ranger at the dealership: $20 PER stud! Went to advanceauto and bought the whole set (12 studs) for $10.
I usually agree with you. Not today.
I only go to the dealer. I get parts at cost and as far as tires they get them directly from the manufacture.
And if your putting anything besides OEM on your vehicle is crazy!
I had to get the rack and pinion replaced on my car. Dealership said it would cost around $1500 for parts plus labor. Went to AutoZone, they had it for $450 with a core charge, got $100 back when returning the old part. Dealership spent from 9am until about 4pm working on it (they quoted 4 hours)...just to come back and let us know something was wrong with the part. They said we needed to purchase another one. That was bullshit, they just wanted us to buy THEIR part. The dealership gave us a bill and expected us to pay 8 hours worth of labor. I told them I shouldn't have to pay them a dime....they said they spent 7 hours working on the car and they could have been working on someone else's car. I told them "I hired you to do a job, you quoted 4 hours, you took 7 and I walked back there SEVERAL times to check progress and NO ONE was working on the car. You didn't even get the car lifted until NOON! Did it take you 3 HOURS to get the box open for the part?" They went to get the manager and I explained it to him. I told him I was quoted 4 hours, was getting charged for 8 hours, mechanic specifically said they only worked 7 hours, the job wasn't done, I had already paid for the part. Why should I pay for a repair when a repair wasn't performed? He said he'd take off $180 from the bill to match the 7 hours the mechanic said they worked. I still wasn't happy. I had a $450 part that wasn't on my car and they wanted me to pay labor for something that wasn't installed. I told him I would pay him when the part was installed. He then tried to counter offer and say "okay, i'll cut the bill in half". I said "i'm not paying anything...I expected your employees to put a part on a car and they couldn't do it". I was leaving and the manager told me if I didn't pay, he was going to call the police...I told him "Fine, call the cops. The part is in the box in the back seat of the car, i'm going to another shop". I ended up going home and about an hour later my phone rang. It was the manager at the dealership and he told me "bring the car back tomorrow with a new part, i'll have my mechanics give it another shot and I will not charge additional labor. All you have to pay is the bill for today". I took the car back the next day with a new part. They finished by noon. Yes, they ripped me off 4 hours worth of labor, but it was finished.
Today Mr. Spaghetti tells us that we don't need a fancy oven to cook our pasta.
The box with the white and blue tape in the background by the second drill press is from RockAuto. If you are looking for the correct part for cheap (sometimes lower than my shops cost) with a good selection of brands I would highly recommend it