Dealer asking for $3500 after performing multipoint inspection

Great! sounds like you found a good mechanic.

I agree. Sincere best.

My son’s 2003 Camry was leaking a little oil and the mechanic quoted $450 to fix it. I started using Valvoline High Mileage oil and the leak has pretty much stopped. I have to admit I was surprised at how effective the change was but I am happy with the results. If it buys us a year or two then it is worth it.

OP, you need to keep in mind that independent shops and chain shops also work on commission.
Commission is not proprietary to dealers only.

I have read on many forums that valvoline max life is good at stopping minor leaks .

I use valvoline maxlife myself…

one of the posters said “Dealership mechanics like to make small issues seem like the end of the world. I’m willing to bet the independent mechanic will look at the car and strike about half of the issues off the list. Considering the evidence you saw for yourself, maybe 90% of it. I had a dealer mechanic try to convince me that the bushings on my truck were cracked and going bad and take a couple thousand dollars to fix. I declined and took it to my trusted suspension man. He told me that rubber bushings will dry and crack at the visible ends, but the bushings were solid and tight, no need to replace. That was years ago, and they are still tight.”

This is pretty much exactly what happened. the independent garage re-iterated this that they were dried and cracked at the visible ends, but were solid, and looked like everything was solid, no need to be replaced.

ok4450 made a fair enough point that they also work on commission, however that still in my mind doesn’t account for them saying i need 3500$ in repairs and on the paper that “customer reminded these repairs need to be addressed immediately, as they are safety related” - and then pass inspection.

My state also has yearly state inspection . Anything that’s safety related should keep the vehicle from passing state inspection . If I’m understanding correctly , the same dealership that stressed the safety issues also passed the vehicle’s state inspection .

Sloepoke, yes you are understanding it perfectly

it says so on the sheet that the concerns they voiced which i declined were “SAFETY related”

If you live in the east, drive on wet roads and your ball joints are leaking grease the count down has begun. The ball joints may last two years, they may last five years but you should be aware that they leak. It is up to you if you want to address these things or leave them until they are worn and cause tire wear or break. Leaking ball joint boots are not an safety hazard buy they are safety related.

@texases, returning to the same dealer is just another excuse for them to recommend a lot more stuff you don’t need.

I know this is contrary to what I posted before, but just because a car passes a safety inspection does not mean that there are things that might need to be addressed in the near future. Now this varies by state, but I have seen many cases where for example the state inspector may pass the brakes when the pads are almost at the minimum. The brakes may start gouging the rotors 3 month later, but at the time of the inspection, they were above the minimum so they passed.

But remember, I almost always recommend a second opinion, so I feel comfortable in my contrariness. A second opinion and several quotes are just good business practices.

@Nevada_545 - this is what perplexed me - the 2nd independent mechanic said the concerns about ball joints leaking grease/control arm bushings separating, rear swaybar links and bushings worn was bogus

the independent mechanic also pointed out something that the dealer didn’t in their 3500$ assessment is that the heat shield should be replaced which isn’t a costly item.

@Sloepoke

depends on the type of leak, and how severe

That oil you mentioned might cause a worn out rear main seal to swell up and substantially cut down on the severity of the leak. Might even stop it completely

But if some seal is split . . . no high mileage oil is going to fix that. Only replacing the seal will take care of that

Sounds like you have it under control, and get to keep most of your money in your wallet too. Good for you. Suggest to remind your new inde mechanic to check those other suspension issues on a regular basis, as you return for routine maintenance from time to time. Hopefully it will be quite some time before they need addressing.

the inde mechanic said that the likely scenario for why the dealership mentioned the suspension problems is “spring sales.” as he re-iterated nothing wrong w/ ball joints/etc.

Ah, “spring sales”! Yup, that sounds like a spot-on diagnosis.
Congratulations. Happy motoring.