We all complain about parts for cars, and how much they cost, especially if you take the car to a dealership to have work done. My car failed inspection because both the high and low beams on the drivers side had water in them, so they had to be replaced. Of course, I called the dealer first, to get an idea of parts and labor costs (i had never before changed out a headlamp on my car before). I was not very surprised to find that the lamps were $75 a piece. Thats right, $75 for the high beam headlamp, and $75 for the low beam.
Thats $150 in parts. I went to autozone, and got replacements for less than $20. It didnt take very long to replace them, I was surprised, because the last time I did change out a headlamp, it was very expensive, and a major pain in the butt (F150 pickup).
How is it that dealerships can charge so much for those types of parts? $75 for a part that is $9.88??? I mean, I can see a minor markup on stuff, as a dealer is running a business, but that is a somewhere on the order of 650% markup.
[ 07. January 2004, 06:53 PM: Message edited by: FireChicken ]
Posted by Mike2001SS (Member # 2088) on :
True and I will give you another example. I ask the local dealer how much to change the gear oil in my auburn rear end and they said $127.00 and remember a auburn takes gear oil not synthetic. I went to a good shop up the street from where I work and they charged me $20.00 plus the price of gear oil which is not much. So tell me ??????
Posted by CamaroSCG (Member # 1591) on :
That's a huge mark-up! Labor rates are $72/hr at the dealers around here, even for changing the oil! (I do my own.)
Posted by LT14SHOW (Member # 2187) on :
Dealers are a total ripoff! They jack you on the price of the cars then the insurance companies rams it to you after that! Posted by WestZ28 (Member # 2177) on :
Yeah it is. My friend busted the plastic peice that held his volkswagons headlight in. He called the dealer and they said he needed to buy the $365 entire headlight assembly! After looking around for a while he found the part online for $13.00, put it in and just like new! Posted by biSScuit (Member # 2030) on :
I paid $6 after tax for ONE little plastic lugnut cover for my SS wheels. $6 isn't a lot of money, but for a $.05 piece of plastic it's a ripoff!
Posted by 2002Z4CSS (Member # 1393) on :
How else can the average dealer owner be a millionaire? That is one reason I do all of my own work.
Posted by 2002 SLP SS (Member # 1893) on :
Don't forget the dealer uses union techs,which require pension payments,plus good hospitalization plans,overhead is high,insurance is expensive! That is why I try aftermarket first but sometimes they say "Dealer only item", and your left to buy from dealership!
Posted by SS Derek (Member # 1720) on :
OMG! The SS on the sides, back and grill are 19.00 bucks a pair. That's 76.00 bucks for 8 little peices of plastic. It's a SCAM!
Posted by 2002Z4CSS (Member # 1393) on :
quote:Originally posted by 2002 SLP SS: Don't forget the dealer uses union techs,which require pension payments,plus good hospitalization plans,overhead is high,insurance is expensive! That is why I try aftermarket first but sometimes they say "Dealer only item", and your left to buy from dealership!
Which dealers use union techs? I would have loved to work for one of those when I was at a dealer for many years. Posted by poSSum (Member # 119) on :
quote:Originally posted by 2002Z4CSS: How else can the average dealer owner be a millionaire? That is one reason I do all of my own work.
The other reason you do, and we don't, is you know how! Posted by Steve da Wrench (Member # 1301) on :
quote:Originally posted by 2002 SLP SS: Don't forget the dealer uses union techs,which require pension payments,plus good hospitalization plans,overhead is high,insurance is expensive! That is why I try aftermarket first but sometimes they say "Dealer only item", and your left to buy from dealership!
There is no union for dealerships or the automotive techician trade, or a pension plan, or anything like that........just so you know!
There is a long, drawn out story as to PART of the reason the parts are so spendy, but I dont feel like going into it right now
I do agree with you though, it can get a little too pricey
[ 12. January 2004, 09:50 AM: Message edited by: Steve da Wrench ]
Posted by twobrats (Member # 2180) on :
Reminds me of Joe Pesci in Lethal Weapon 2 (I believe) when they're leaving the drive thru..."They (EXPLICATIVE) you at the drive thru!" Same concept, only they "bleep" you at the dealerships...
Posted by RIP67-02 (Member # 2156) on :
i will have to say local dealership here you bring own oil and filter and they will change for $11.00 i thought was a deal
Posted by ss_rs_z (Member # 1888) on :
quote:Originally posted by 2002Z4CSS: How else can the average dealer owner be a millionaire? That is one reason I do all of my own work.
DITTO !!!!
Posted by ss_rs_z (Member # 1888) on :
quote:Originally posted by 2002Z4CSS:
quote:Originally posted by 2002 SLP SS: Don't forget the dealer uses union techs,which require pension payments,plus good hospitalization plans,overhead is high,insurance is expensive! That is why I try aftermarket first but sometimes they say "Dealer only item", and your left to buy from dealership!
Which dealers use union techs? I would have loved to work for one of those when I was at a dealer for many years.
ME TOO !!!! Posted by ws6wu6 (Member # 2134) on :
My G/F just ran into this issue too. The first two blower speeds went out on her 2001 Grand Am (it is out of warranty due to mileage) She needed to take it into the dealer for a campaign item anyway and decided to have them take care of that too. Well she called me and told me they wanted $75 to do it. I told her not to have it done I would take care of it because I was sure it was just the resistor pack that was out. She told the dealer this and they tried to explain to her it was a dealer only part and I would not be able to get the part to do it. She then explained to them that I work at the GM tech center and I could get the part. I guess he just said "OH" and let her go with that. My cost on the part was $11.76 There are a lot of legitimate factors that go into the cost of dealer parts (and a lot of markups) If auto manufactures are serious about getting some of the aftermarket business that is out there they are going to have to find someway to be more competative on price.
Posted by MM (Member # 1247) on :
quote: There is no union for dealerships or the automotive techician trade, or a pension plan, or anything like that........just so you know!
Some parts of the country have union shops.... I know Michigan for one has them... it seems to be bigger on the east coast and not so much out west....
Posted by Stealth Performance (Member # 1072) on :
quote: There is no union for dealerships or the automotive techician trade, or a pension plan, or anything like that........just so you know!
Some parts of the country have union shops.... I know Michigan for one has them... it seems to be bigger on the east coast and not so much out west....
I will have to check into that as I have never seen nor heard of unionized mechanics in Dealerships. I could be wrong.
Posted by FireChicken (Member # 2067) on :
I do not like union shops, of any kind. In my kind of business, unionized machine shops are much more expensive, and it takes much longer to get work done. In our field, if you want parts made correctly, made quickly, and made at a good price, you go to a small, non-union shop. The big ones are just a waste of time.
Of course, I understand that unions are supposed to provide safe and fair work environments, and Im all for that, but like everything else, it can be taken to an extreme.
Posted by MM (Member # 1247) on :
quote:Originally posted by ss_rs_z:
quote:Originally posted by MM:
quote: There is no union for dealerships or the automotive techician trade, or a pension plan, or anything like that........just so you know!
Some parts of the country have union shops.... I know Michigan for one has them... it seems to be bigger on the east coast and not so much out west....
I will have to check into that as I have never seen nor heard of unionized mechanics in Dealerships. I could be wrong.
When I lived in clarkston I know JB chev was... and I know of other stores in the Metro area that are...... you gotta remember mo town is like the the mother land for unions... they have them for practically everything there which explains why nothing gets done.... Posted by ss_rs_z (Member # 1888) on :
Well FC I myself am a union member and all the rhetoric saying that everything is more expensive because of this is totally false. I know I will get alot of flack from people who are against unions but if it weren't for them alot of laws, rights, and other benefits have been given to people union and non union alike.
I am not going start a free for all of what is better and what isn't. Everyone has the right to believe what they want. But instead of looking and blaming unions for all the problems out there, try looking at CEO's and other heads of corporations who don't deserve the big fat paychecks and benefits given to them. Now that is ABSURD.
Now with jobs going overseas for cheaper "labor" costs, just look at the prices of the materials being shipped back here. Still the same price and who is benefiting from it..........the BIG CATS. The "labor" is making pennies on the dollar and the Fat Cat is walking away with a fat smile on his faceand laughing at you and me. Some day White Collar workers are finally going to see as it will hit them like its hitting the Blue Collar workforce. Then who will they blame. Unions Again? Yeah Right.
And you can also blame the government on this as well. I know I am going to heat alot of people up on this and will probably get kicked around but come on people open ypur eyes and stop blaming the working people who may be union. We do deserve a slice of the pie as well as you do.
Now if you feel you must ban me because of what I said, so be it. But I am tired of us "Union People" Getting slapped around and spit on and blamed for all the BS going on in this country. This is LUDICROUS !!!!!!!!
Also not all Union People are "lazy good for nothings" that I see getting posted here. Sure some are but smost aren't. So don't say and son't lump us all together because some are a bad apples. Most of us do work.
[ 12. January 2004, 05:35 PM: Message edited by: ss_rs_z ]
Posted by MM (Member # 1247) on :
I don't want to start a union bash-o-rama but I have worked in places with unions and the stuff I saw that went on would never happen at other places (non union ie real world).... I feel that everyone has had a hand in why the system is broken today from companies giving in... to labor taking advantage of things....
Posted by ss_rs_z (Member # 1888) on :
Now I can agree with you on this MM. Unfortunately things have been done in work environments that are Union but also in Non-Union environments as well.
I for one have been non-union and see good and bad points in it. Some places that are non union and trat their people well then I say good for them and am happy they are happy. 2. I have been Management and know what mangement can do to antagonize people into doing questionable things. 3. I am union now and have been for almost 11 years and where I work we need it.
All I am saying is for people to please not bash a union man or woman for the problems going on in this country. Union membership is about 1/3 of the workforce now. In the 70's it was almost 50%. I don't condone what has been done on either side but we do have the right to fight for what is right. Not all of us are "good for nothings". Sure there are some bad apples in unions but also there are bad apples in non-union work environments as well as salaried. We just want to make a decent living for us and our kids and have a nice work environment. I don't think that is asking for much.
I respect all opinions from wherever they come from but I will stand up and speak my mind when I see a wrong. And labeling all people who do work hard such as myself as people who don't do anything is wrong. Posted by Diggler's HMS (Member # 1067) on :
quote:Originally posted by 2002 SLP SS: Don't forget the dealer uses union techs,which require pension payments,plus good hospitalization plans,overhead is high,insurance is expensive! That is why I try aftermarket first but sometimes they say "Dealer only item", and your left to buy from dealership!
Never seen, nor heard of a unionized dealership. Someone commented that it was an "east coast" thing. Here I am, never heard of it.
As far as griping about the dealers being expensive....well that has always and will always be the case. I thought everyone knew that? I dont see the discrepancy from a $75 part to a $9 part thought. More than likely you either got priced the wrong part.......thats just a little too big of a gap for me to see as "normal".
Posted by FireChicken (Member # 2067) on :
well, Ken, i certainly hope i didnt offend you. I was speaking specifically of people in my industry, that is R&D prototype manufacturing, mold design and production.
I can say this for a face because Ive seen the bids for equal jobs that we have placed against union shops on the east coast. Our bids have a healthy profit margin (50% or so), and our prices are around half of what union-run shops that compete against us are. In addition, some of these shops have bid time-frames of 18 months minimum for delivery of sophisticated mechanical parts, our delivery time is 8 weeks.
It may also be that the business I work for is just better than most, so from my biased perspective all other shops (union and non-union alike) are poor in quality. I also work for a small, family owned business that takes care of its employees, and goes well beyond what is expected by union rules.
Of course, my business is somewhat specific. mold makers and good R&D prototypers are very hard to find, and a very exclusive group.
I dont mean to offend all union people, I even mentioned in my post that unions have done a lot of good. However, I do think unions can take things too far, and that is evidenced by the part quality, delivery time, and price bids that have been given by the union competitors that work in our one little business. I certainly hope I didnt offend you, but I also hope you can see I wasnt trying to make blanket statements that unions are bad, like others.
Posted by ss_rs_z (Member # 1888) on :
No offence taken bud. I understand and respect all peoples feelings when it comes to their right to their say.
I just don't want anyone to put all the blame on unionized people thats all. Sure as I said there are bad apples when it comes to working, and doing the job that they are suppose to do. Everyone including unionized people should know that quality and quantity are very important especially nowadays.
You said you work for a small family owned business that really takes care of its people better that a unionized place. I think that is teriffic my friend and I am happy for you and your co-workers.
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