Dealership Cost... What do you think?
- Thread starter HowAboutThis
- Start date
Subaru 4 cylinder plugs are worth paying someone else to do
Thats alot of money for very little work involved. It shouldn't have cost half of that. If you bought tires from them the balance and rotation should've been free. What year and make of Subaru? The pcv is what a $10-$15 part tops.I like our local Subaru dealership. They seem honest and do good work. Just scheduled all the work below for $1470.
Brake fluid flush, tire rotation, coolant exchange, spark plugs, PCV replacement, transmission fluid drain and fill, differential drain and fill.
I still haven't found an independent shop that charges less and the dealer uses OE parts and fluids
It seems reasonable in today's world. I am sure there is plenty of fluff, but you will get that everywhere now. Its why we all DIY.
No idea on plugs with that one, depends on the vehicle. Plugs can be one hour or 3, so you could look into that? I presume the Trans fill and spill is a CVT so they get most all of it out?
If you have had good luck with them, I wouldn't change even to save a couple hundred bucks.
And no tire rotations are not free unless its some sort of contract or their luring you in to spend on other stuff. The only thing I ever paid for at the Toyota dealer was a tire rotation and fluids "check" - there are 3 to check, you don't have to open anything. I think it was $55. It was my second to last "scheduled maintenance" and the rest had been free so I took it one last time in case I had any warranty needs in the last 6 months. I did not and have never been back.
Labor isn't cheap.
No idea on plugs with that one, depends on the vehicle. Plugs can be one hour or 3, so you could look into that? I presume the Trans fill and spill is a CVT so they get most all of it out?
If you have had good luck with them, I wouldn't change even to save a couple hundred bucks.
And no tire rotations are not free unless its some sort of contract or their luring you in to spend on other stuff. The only thing I ever paid for at the Toyota dealer was a tire rotation and fluids "check" - there are 3 to check, you don't have to open anything. I think it was $55. It was my second to last "scheduled maintenance" and the rest had been free so I took it one last time in case I had any warranty needs in the last 6 months. I did not and have never been back.
Labor isn't cheap.
- Joined
- Jul 10, 2022
- Messages
- 5,920
The price initially struck me as being high, but what's unknown here is the cost of the spark plug job. It's acutally quite expensive on many transverse mounted engines, but I would think almost all Subarus are 4 cyl?
So here's my guesstimate: Brake Fluid $80, tire rotation unnecessary but $30, coolant $120, plugs unknown, PCV unknown but maybe $50, trans $130, diff $70.
Adding this up it's $480, subtracting from $1470 that leaves $990 for the plugs. Sounds very high. I don't doubt that's what they charge but I'd shop around.
I have found this--ALL SHOPS CHARGE OVER LIST PRICE FOR PARTS IN 2025. Even my trusty Japanese indie of 9 years. I had always believed that list price was the upper bound, it's not. In 2016, a Lexus dealer gave me a discount on some parts over the counter. When I got home, I saw the price they started with was over list. This was 2016!
My trusted Japanese indie: They have it posted on the wall but did not do it at least to me--the labor rate is now higher if you supply parts. I think this is a survival thing, honestly. My trusted indie for domestic cars seems to charge same as a dealer today, so I'd go to the dealer even though I don't fully trust dealers. This shop installed Bilstein B6 on our 2011 Enclave for $400 labor in 2021. I was able to get all OE GM mounts boots sway bar links and Moog stabilizer bar bushings, B6 front and rear, all in the car for just under $900, less than Midas would charge for front quick struts installed. Today I bet the price is more than double. So indie vs. dealer, probably the dealer has more resources and as OP says use OE parts.
net net the price sounds really high, but it wouldn't surprise me if another dealer is the same. That leaves a trusty indie--if they allow for customer parts, that's where you can save some.
Good luck.
So here's my guesstimate: Brake Fluid $80, tire rotation unnecessary but $30, coolant $120, plugs unknown, PCV unknown but maybe $50, trans $130, diff $70.
Adding this up it's $480, subtracting from $1470 that leaves $990 for the plugs. Sounds very high. I don't doubt that's what they charge but I'd shop around.
I have found this--ALL SHOPS CHARGE OVER LIST PRICE FOR PARTS IN 2025. Even my trusty Japanese indie of 9 years. I had always believed that list price was the upper bound, it's not. In 2016, a Lexus dealer gave me a discount on some parts over the counter. When I got home, I saw the price they started with was over list. This was 2016!
My trusted Japanese indie: They have it posted on the wall but did not do it at least to me--the labor rate is now higher if you supply parts. I think this is a survival thing, honestly. My trusted indie for domestic cars seems to charge same as a dealer today, so I'd go to the dealer even though I don't fully trust dealers. This shop installed Bilstein B6 on our 2011 Enclave for $400 labor in 2021. I was able to get all OE GM mounts boots sway bar links and Moog stabilizer bar bushings, B6 front and rear, all in the car for just under $900, less than Midas would charge for front quick struts installed. Today I bet the price is more than double. So indie vs. dealer, probably the dealer has more resources and as OP says use OE parts.
net net the price sounds really high, but it wouldn't surprise me if another dealer is the same. That leaves a trusty indie--if they allow for customer parts, that's where you can save some.
Good luck.
Plenty will do it for less, BUT will they be as knowledgeable? Some may be, but whenever I look for one I feel like Diogenes with his lamp looking for an honest man!I like our local Subaru dealership. They seem honest and do good work. Just scheduled all the work below for $1470.
Brake fluid flush, tire rotation, coolant exchange, spark plugs, PCV replacement, transmission fluid drain and fill, differential drain and fill.
I still haven't found an independent shop that charges less and the dealer uses OE parts and fluids
See, these are the responses I'm questioning. I call independent places and they have the same book hours and about the same labor rates. So where do I find these utopian shops that will do all this work for $100, or whatever is "reasonable"?
I ran into that when the rear wheel bearings started making noise a few months back. Called some independents and asked what brand bearings they used. One used a brand (can't remember which) that is probably good. The other mentioned whatever was in stock and matched at their supplier...uh...ok...They didn't quote me the backing plates either. Dealer was $250 more but included new backing plates and online forums and the advisor mentioned recommendations on the new plates being better and sometimes warping with the original ones and that causing premature bearing failure. When I brought up the TSB to the Indy shops one kind of scoffed at replacing the plates, too. The Subaru tech I chatted with said it's part of their process on the year I had because there's a TSB and they should hopefully last longer now. So...the extra $250 was because they were doing more work, at least according to the book hours.
- Joined
- May 31, 2024
- Messages
- 509
Keep in mind that you have come to a place where many think all dealers are the same, and all Indies are the same.
That's where I don't understand the comments about paying half and such. Where are those shops? I'm seriously asking. It's fine if these people use a mechanic working in a parking lot of a big box store so they have no overhead, but where are the shops with signs and buildings with lifts that would charge me $500-700 for probably 6-8 book hours of work?I think it's fair although I don't want to pay for it
VW does plugs every 40k and the crappy Bosch die at 20K...
You seem happy about your dealer and that's a good thing.
If I followed the instructions I've found and did the CVT fluid myself, it's about $90 in fluid. And then you need a scan tool to check the temp to level it, run it through it's learning process or whatever.... it'd take me hours probably as I was meticulously making sure I followed the process. Probably takes a tech with a lift keeping the car level an hour. I think it's in the upper $300's or low $400's from my phone call. The same dealer wanted around $150 for my Toyotas plugs. They're $400 for the Subaru. I did Subaru plugs once years ago on a different car and they're not an easy, reachable process. The plugs alone were $75 for my Toyota I believe. Brake fluid is low $100's...nearly identical to multiple independent shops I've called. They charge for the fluid and just under an hour of labor I believe at most places. But labor is hundreds per hour now. Upper hundreds I believe at the dealer now and most indys I've called.
I have noticed in my area the difference between dealer prices and independents is shrinking. Of course in small town America you can probably still get work for less.I like our local Subaru dealership. They seem honest and do good work. Just scheduled all the work below for $1470.
Brake fluid flush, tire rotation, coolant exchange, spark plugs, PCV replacement, transmission fluid drain and fill, differential drain and fill.
I still haven't found an independent shop that charges less and the dealer uses OE parts and fluids
That appears as an O.M. error or a dealer service "gimme". Our Subaru has this service listed also. Car spec's the most expensive and advanced ruthenium plugs.
Maybe they don't expect the micro ground electrode extension to hold up. Any I have inspected at 70K looked brand new. Subaru PZEV digging into your pocketbook, IMO.
...
or maybe they are looking for the dreaded spark plug well oil leak!
Here's what I came up with using Google AI info, using their computed average info
:
coolant 358 to 418
CVT fluid exch 317-645
Diff oil exch 170-340
PCV 60-170
Brake fluid repl 100-200
Tire rotate 30 (My dealer price)
Low total 1492.
Does not necessarily include shop fees, taxes and any other billing add-ons.
My conclusion is that dealer is in the ball park, on the lower side.
:
coolant 358 to 418
CVT fluid exch 317-645
Diff oil exch 170-340
PCV 60-170
Brake fluid repl 100-200
Tire rotate 30 (My dealer price)
Low total 1492.
Does not necessarily include shop fees, taxes and any other billing add-ons.
My conclusion is that dealer is in the ball park, on the lower side.
Even at 115k my Corolla's didn't look too bad. Probably could've gone for another 40k. But once every 8 years, top of engine access, literally 15 minutes to change. The same dealer (they have multiple brands) wanted $150-ish for Toyota plugs. But the Subaru is $400+. From my experience, the time to do Subaru plugs is accurate. Bottom of the engine, removing stuff to get to them, needing the right extensions and angled stuff, or experience and knowledge I don't have because I don't do it every day. A typical 4-cyl: take cool plastic engine cover off, unbolt 4 coils and remove, straight extension and ratchet, 15 minutes later new plugs! I think they said for my Toyota they book 1/2 hour of labor and $80 for the plugs. Which is reasonable. But they're so easy I did myself. I was worried about potential seizing but someone on here I tend to trust said it's rare they seize. They came out easy.
If I remember from the call, coolant was about $225 and he mentioned Subarus needing some extra steps for draining and bleeding compared to my Corolla, for instance. I can't remember exactly what he said, but transmission process was like 8qts of fluid (he said the techs get about 75% of the fluid out and have me the capacity of the system) for $425, plugs were around $400, PCV was $90, brake fluid was about $130, diffs $90 each.
Okay. You did ask a question in the title of your post.
And after reading through the replies, especially yours, I will answer the question.
“Go to your Subaru dealer.”
Seriously. I believe you will sleep much better knowing the work performed by the dealership was done right and to your standards.
And since sleep is an invaluable commodity, the price quoted is worth it.
And as an aside, that breakdown of prices provided by the dealership is consistent with what one of the local Subaru dealerships in my area charge.
Maybe in your area the cost is just higher. I'm seeing at Subaru dealerships near me in Colorado, $120-$170 for brake fluid flush which is highway robbery. Oil changes for $70 $25 for tire balance and rotation (which is free with Big O, Discount Tire etc.) I'm seeing online quotes for spark plugs at Subaru Dealers and some Indy shops at $275-600 for just plugs! This isn't a McLaren 670LT. One guy was quoted $106 for plugs (Really?) And $308 for labor charges. A Subaru dealer mechanic should have this down fairly quickly. I know that some dealerships have really stepped up the pay for mechanics making their wages somewhat livable. The new mechanics seem to get oil changes and low dollar jobs so they'll fix stuff on the side.
The rear diff drain and fill is easier than an oil change and takes about a 1/2 hour in the driveway on a bad day. Remember take the fill plug out first! Parts 10 bucks.
Do it yourself. The Walmart Supertec semi-synthetic gear oil is fine and dandy.
Do it yourself. The Walmart Supertec semi-synthetic gear oil is fine and dandy.
Similar threads
