i dont think the mechanic overprice the repair job indead is fair and the car feels great , one thing i will take into consideration next time and getting into the fact and reality that this car is getting expensinve in maintance is to advice about a top price for repairs , i guess my mistake was that and the mechanic mistake was to not call me first when the bill was raising for my usual $150 bill still this time he advise me about the damage on the hub bearings in that way i can prepare myself for the next $600 repair job i hope with that the car will not need any more repairs on it otherwise it will be a pain
jorge:
you need to realize that YOU need to tell the mechanic BEFORE the work is started: “NO more than $XXX.XX dollars.”
If you don’t tell the mechanic and he isn’t told first, you can’t argue later.
Let him know how much you will spend from the start.
Let the mechanic know that you want a call with an explanation BEFORE any extra work is done; or you won’t pay for the extra work.
good luck
$600 sounds about right for a timing belt and water pump replacement at the deaelrship
so you got all that, plus a wash’n’wax for $600, I’d almost say you were the one stealing from him, not the other way around.
Are you hearing a low roar from the rear on smooth roads? That might indicate that the rear bearings are showing signs of wear.
All in all I don’t think you got taken on this repair job. Keep the Echo and the mechanic.
Is this whole post a scam? is JorgeT a oldtimer on this forum? JorgeT answers a post “Hydro 4000” uses good grammer says we been seeing the same old questions. Then JorgeT answers a post in “Do you want ABS” good grammer,good sentence structure and replies personally to “Craig” (Craig 58?). Then JorgeT answers a post about “replacement windshields” also uses good grammer and sentence structure. Then a post bt JorgeT about $600.00 maintiance, uses really poor English poor sentence structure and very hard to understand. Not at all like the previous posts by a JorgeT. The storj in “$600.00 Maintiance” is pretty hard to believe. All these observations are just from today. Do you guys know JorgeT? do you know JorgeT Craig58 and was this all just a joke? It caught my eye,and things didnt add up.no harm pretty funny. Or all coincidence
never thought about it until you said something!!??
If you were surprised by many of these items, that means you aren’t reading your owner’s manual and you have no idea when your maintenance is supposed to be done. For the sake of your car (and your wallet), I suggest you start reading it.
Even if every service turned out to be $600 from now on, do you seriously believe $1200 a year is more expensive than getting a new car?
like most others - i agree that the work done does not sound unreasonable considering the miliage of the car. with the exception of the interior and exterior work. however you didn’t say if your cars paint was in fact faded. if so while not nessisary when it comes to resale value that was probably a good idea too. my major concern is the “sticker shock” the customer should never be that supprised by the bill. they should have called you to verify all the work prior to comensement. you sound like a reasonable person and i suspect you would have had the work done anyway and gone away as a happy customer. also as far as buying a new car i wouldn’t (unless you really just want that new car smell) $600 is a lot less than a down payment, probably larger payments and increast insurance. good luck
It’s still cheaper than buying a new car. This was all regular maintenance, except for the paint. But why in the world would you use scouring pads on your car’s paint finish???
It wasnt the timing belt it was the belt for the alternator and the A/C dont know the exact name for those ones
no is not a scam post is just me having a bad time with my grammar and sentence structure.
let me introduce myself i am from El Salvador Central america (english is not my native language so i have to doublecheck my grammar before i submit and sometimes i am at work) i have been reading post on this forum very frequently since last month i like it very much.
by the way $600 in maintance where i am is like $1500-$2000 on the US just for you to have and idea a mechanic charges you $50 to change a complete clutch kit (you purchase the parts)
thanks to all and hope i can ask more confusing questions when they come to my mind =)
Frankly, I think you got a bargain. You should not only keep this car, you can’t get this gas mileage in anything offered today except in a hybrid, and you should keep this mechanic.
Most of your regular PM will still be in the $100-150 range but occasionally a high cost one will come into play. If you choose to trade this one in on a new car, you monthly payments will far exceed the cost of maintaining this one, and you will probably get worse gas mileage too. But, you should get a good trade in price for it as these are really in demand as the price of gas keeps going up. Heck, you could probably trade straight across for a nearly new SUV, but then you would pay $100-150 just to fill the gas tank.
All things considered, I think the consensus is that the repairs were done reasonably, and at a reasonable cost. If I have an on going rapport with a mechanic who can short circuit the back and forth communication and authorization, but do an honest job at a fair price, I’d be happy that I didn’t have to come back in a month or two to have the CV joint replaced. I think JorgeT has himself / herself a nice mechanic / shop.
WOW!! THAT’S CHEAP!! ALL OF THAT, YOU GOT A DEAL! If it’s running good than it is definately worth it. Again, consider the cost of buying a new car.