Is annoying, but had a coolant leak a few years ago and they ran an entire pressure test on the system to look for leaks (I told them I'd tightened the upper hose but it was still leaking) they found the radiator cap and a lower hose clamp needing replacement. Fixed the problem. So, I mean, you gotta pay for the person checking things out and also replacing after they check things out.
Critique this estimate from the Ford dealer
- Thread starter dishdude
- Start date
Yeah when Ray Charles could have diagnosed it.... It should not be an extra charge.
A dumb dealership in my home county charged my lady a stupid $90 diagnosis fee and she told them mental midgets it obviously needed a new water pump.
I call them mental midgets because " supposedly" they found $900 more of " supposed" repairs needed to her 2001 Pontiac Sunfire...
None of them happened... And were "needed".
They were just idiots who were trying to spook her into buying a unnecessary new car..
This all happened in 2008 by the way... We drove that car and it did quite, quite well until we sold it in 2014.
We had the car towed to another guy's place and he did what we asked for... Replaced the darn water pump.
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But they often check the entire system when there are leaks. At least places I've been to. Last time they were up front they would charge a diagnostic fee that included a full cooling system check, pressure check, testing of fluids specific gravity, etc. And, to be honest, I could've been annoyed, but I would've been more annoyed had they just tightened the clamps and not replaced the radiator cap and I would've continued having issues and had to return multiple times. Pick your poison, I guess.
I was a little concerned with how these Transits and the little Connects would hold up as we started replacing the old Express and Econoline vans, but they've done really well. The Express vans were the best, they never broke. The Econolines were very reliable but would eject a plug and a tie rod or ball joint would fail around 150k but they were very solid machines.
Dealer is in Maryland.
However...
In this circumstance... Was it not exceptionally obvious ???
I'm just saying... .
Ahh.... Yeah it was. .
Call 1-800- Ray- Help
Though I understand what you are saying in a circumstance different than this... I agree with you on that.
My question is the same regardless of location. All my bills are itemized and list cost of parts and labor for each repair/service item.
If you been to a dealership there really isn't such a thing .05 labor. By your own admission you are not familiar enough with the motor/vehicle to make an educated guess.
But that's the way threads go some time-pontification based on non familiarity.
I have multiple examples where it was what I thought plus they found other things. And examples like this that were the result of a $100 diagnostic fee a few years back. Rear brakes kept sticking and overheating randomly. Figured it was a stuck caliper. Told them to replace rear calipers. They refused before mechanic diagnosed it for a fee. I got half ticked but whatever... I'd had decent work at this dealer in the past. Got a call a few hours later and it was the proportioning valve. Cheaper than calipers by hundreds. Was happy they forced me to pay a diagnostic fee
I have multiple examples where it was what I thought plus they found other things. And examples like this that were the result of a $100 diagnostic fee a few years back. Rear brakes kept sticking and overheating randomly. Figured it was a stuck caliper. Told them to replace rear calipers. They refused before mechanic diagnosed it for a fee. I got half ticked but whatever... I'd had decent work at this dealer in the past. Got a call a few hours later and it was the proportioning valve. Cheaper than calipers by hundreds. Was happy they forced me to pay a diagnostic fee
However...
I don't need a darn diagnosis fee... When something is exceptionally obvious...
Like a leaking water pump... Like the Sunfire.
And those idiots " finding supposedly" $900 worth of nonsense " repairs"... That did not have to be done. Ever. And those $900 repairs were not related to the darn water pump.
And yes... I routinely have people who have done work for me with .... You guessed it....
No stupid diagnosis fee.
Because I know what the problem is. And they arent trying to charge me for something that is unnecessary.
And IF they find something else wrong.. they let me know... And let me decide what to do. I do trust them a whole lot.
I don't believe I have paid a diagnostic fee in over 20 plus years.
There's a reason for that.
And I think that's where smaller shops vs. larger shops might differ. If you go to a larger more corporate feeling "independent" or a dealer, they're going to often follow similar procedures and check overs for insurance purposes, warranty purposes, etc. At least that's what I've found. Not saying one is better than the other, but it's like finding a doctor or therapist. You've got to be on a similar page and trust them. I get annoyed with the blinker fluid upsells like everyone. But I don't mind paying a diagnostic fee on something that's a major component if I trust they're not just pocketing the cash and they're actually checking all possibilities. An independent I use sends pictures of everything he checks via text message with what he found. So throughout the day you get texts as he goes through whatever he's working on. I don't mind paying for a thorough check so I'm less likely to have to deal with drop offs, loaner cars, car seats, etc. for a problem that could've been fixed. But that's not for everyone. And if I thought it was just a pad your pocket fee and didn't see value or something being done, I'd be annoyed, too. I'm just saying it's not always a sham.
But charge it on a $2,700 ticket? A good mechanic can check out a vehicle quickly, Especially if he works on one Marque. Pressure testing probably wasn't involved if the leak was obvious.
If the customer declines the work....Different scenario!
A whole lot of speculation and very few facts to be had here.
First, over $1000 of this is tires. If anyone has shopped tires lately, getting all 4 done for that price seems reasonable.
Second, the estimate only mentions the vehicle is overheating. Not from where, or what is leaking. Others have jumped in and stated well duh it obviously this or that... after seeing that the estimate is for the upper radiator hose replacement. We have no way of knowing was it that easy? Or did they have to run a pressure test, etc... to diagnose. That being said, most shops I have used charge the diagnostic if I don't do the follow on repair, which is fair. In this case, its 5% of the bill....
It would be nice to see a parts and labor breakdown to see where the dollars are going...
All in all for whats being done, the dollar amount isnt that surprising.
First, over $1000 of this is tires. If anyone has shopped tires lately, getting all 4 done for that price seems reasonable.
Second, the estimate only mentions the vehicle is overheating. Not from where, or what is leaking. Others have jumped in and stated well duh it obviously this or that... after seeing that the estimate is for the upper radiator hose replacement. We have no way of knowing was it that easy? Or did they have to run a pressure test, etc... to diagnose. That being said, most shops I have used charge the diagnostic if I don't do the follow on repair, which is fair. In this case, its 5% of the bill....
It would be nice to see a parts and labor breakdown to see where the dollars are going...
All in all for whats being done, the dollar amount isnt that surprising.
Yeah, some shops put the diagnostic fee towards the work and only charge those that have it diagnosed and then take it elsewhere or do it themselves. Which is a fair compromise in most cases probably. If I'm paying my employees per hour, it'd be tough to have them spend an hour looking things over and find it and then not charge for that hour. That's a lot of money. I see it like musicians...people love music but don't want to pay for it. Weddings, events, whatever. They adore your ability but think it should be free.
that doesn’t seem too bad, Transits seem like they’re cramped and no doghouse unlike the Econolines. What tires are you getting?
The alignment fee is on-par with those crooks at Firestone or Big O/Midas/NTB(same ish, all TBC chains owned by Sumitomo America).
The alignment fee is on-par with those crooks at Firestone or Big O/Midas/NTB(same ish, all TBC chains owned by Sumitomo America).
Can a overheat diagnosis be done with a obvious coolant leak??
I think of it this way - the estimate states the vehicle is overheating and coolant is leaking. It doesn't say where its leaking, how much its leaking, etc... It doesn't state "obvious coolant leak".
I've had vehicles that leak coolant. You could smell it, and note it was disappearing over time. Yet it never dripped on the ground. And yes, it started to exhibit overheating. Where the leak was was the mystery... And ended up being diagnosed with a pressure test and trailing the leak back that evaporated off of hot components otherwise...
Sure, in this case replacement of the upper hose is the fix. How big the issue was, and where it was, I can't assume from the writeup. Looking through some other postings, leaks in a few other places are common on these too... so I wouldn't assume much... Pretty vague description.
