I know a woman who owns a Volvo XC-60, and while she was out-of-state, she discovered that her gas cap had gone missing. She went to the nearest Volvo dealership, and was charged $118.60 (including tax) for an OEM gas cap! It appears that the same OEM item can be sourced from Amazon for $30-something dollars.
I have to wonder if all Volvo dealerships take advantage of their customers to the same extent that this one did.
Ya think?
https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/volvo,2010,xc60,3.2l+l6,1446554,fuel+&+air,fuel+tank+cap,5900
Tester
Yes, but she bought an OEM gas cap from the dealership!
Perhaps that entitled her to a free go-around at their luncheon Smorgasbord.
Of course, if you need one Right Now and have no other options, you have to pay for the one in front of you.
I had a relative with a Volvo. I swear it cost $500 just to get it in the mechanic’s door. And it was in the shop a lot.
I think all dealers do. It does cost a lot to keep items in stock, though. They have to charge someone for the big stockroom they need to service customer’s needs. I don’t know when it becomes excessive, but this price seems to be.
There’s no such thing as a Volvo OEM gas cap.
Volvo purchases the gas /radiator caps from a vendor for their vehicles.
They just put the Volvo name on the box, and charge up the whazoo for the part.
Tester
That doesn’t sound like an over-the-counter sale, the MSRP for the fuel cap is $36.15.
Did she buy a fuel cap from the parts department or did she take the vehicle to the service department for the check engine light?
Yes, of course.
But, just for comparison, I phoned my local Subaru dealership and asked for their price for an “OEM” gas cap for my 2011 Outback. No matter who manufactured their “OEM” gas cap, the fact remains that the Subaru dealership’s over-the-counter price was $20- something, or ~ $100 less than the Volvo dealership charged her.
I won’t tell my friend that her wallet was “raped” by that Volvo dealership, but–without question–it was.
I’m not sure about that detail.
Just in case she went to the service department, do you think it is okay for a dealership to charge over $80 for the 30 seconds or so that it might take for them to “install” a gas cap?
Maybe it included a charge for installation. 1/2 hour min charge?
$80-something to “install” a gas cap?
I can’t be the only person who has received gratis help from a dealership, including things like touch-up paint that they didn’t even charge me for. For sure, she will never return to that particular Volvo dealership when she is in that state.
Handling fee, transfer fee, installation fee, waste disposal fee.
It could!
Tester
Possible. Got that plastic dongle to deal with ya know. Not sure where, but some places $160 an hour would not surprise me.
… in rural PA???
I would like to see the actual receipt . If that cap was all that she paid for I would call or write Volvo headquarters .
If you own a Volvo then you are going to pay for it just like you would if you own something like a Mercedes or BMW . These are things you should know when you are going to buy a vehicle like that .
She assured me that the receipt showed only the cost of that gold-plated gas cap, and the appropriate sales tax. I did not see the receipt.
Yeah sure, dealers are going to charge a premium. But then when you need the parts . . . I remember I had some hail dings repaired with the paintless guys. Some time after that I tried my windshield washers and didn’t work. Those little plastic nozzles in the hood were broken off I assume when they were finessing the dents out. So I went to the dealer and I think the cost was something like $50 for two little plastic nozzles. Probably cost $4 each with shipping and handling and carrying costs. Hey I needed them but I was careful putting the new ones in so I didn’t break them.
Then why didn’t she go next door to Amazon and buy the $30 gas cap?
OK, that was a smart-ass answer but the sentiment behind it remains the same. Amazon or Rockauto prices really have nothing to do with prices at the dealership or your local repair shop. If the guy standing in front of you has what you need at the time you need it, the price will be whatever the traffic will bear. Your friend probably could have visited a few parts stores in the area and found a fuel cap for much less, but she went to the dealer where they had the right part the first time with no waiting.
Perhaps also a valuable lesson to remember to replace the fuel cap after filling the tank.
It does seem expensive if all they did was buy a replacement gas cap at the Volvo parts department. I’m guessing there was a service fee for something in the service department too, even if it was just looking if all that was needed was a gas cap and installing it. Many shops have a minimum service fee of 1/2 billing hour or similar.