Auto Dealership mechanic work.. a license to steal.

[David2012]

Went out to start my 98 GM PU this morning and discovered the fuel pump was out. Made a initial call to the dealership and was quoted $550 to replace the fuel pump & gas filter + $80 towing. I could live with that so I called AAA and had it towed for no charge. 3 hours later the stealership lets me know that it was gonna be $900 to replace the fuel pump... not the $550.

So I contacted the towing company that does the tow work for AAA [who also does repair work in a ratty looking older 4 bay shop] and asked what they would do the fuel pump repair for. They quoted me $498 out the door with a lifetime warranty on the fuel pump-- I think the part was going to come from NAPA. This truck is never gonna be out of town so all warranty work would be done locally. And they only charged me $40 to tow my truck back from the dealership to their shop. Hope I didn't make a mistake by going to the little repair shop.... but the $300+ more seemed like robbery. As it stands right now, the cost to me is gonna be the $498 for the repair, $40 for the tow from the dealership to their shop... and $48 to the dealership for diagnosing the problem= approx. $596... not the $900 that the dealership wanted.

Anybody out there do this kind of repair work? Is $500 parts & labor pretty close to what a fuel pump repair in a 98 GM P/U 2 wheel drive, short bed should run?

 

[NikatKimber]

I'd still feel raped if I paid almost $600 for a fuel pump repair on a pickup.

Check the 12v sockets on a Toyota. They are non-standard, and are $50/ea per part. And you can't get them anywhere else. For a $2.39 12v socket!

 

[beast1989]

I don't know about your car but I thought my fuel pump was going out about 7 moths ago so I checked online and it was pretty much a DIY job for my car. I believe the pump was about $100~ and 10 minutes of work.

 

[M_Ridgeway]

Those pumps used to be expensive, the sending unit and pump are one unit. theyre not to bad, price the pump and I think you'll see your not coming out to bad.

 

[David2012]

This was the same dealership family that told me I needed a new compressor on my '05 Grand Marquis... that it would cost between $900-$1,200 for the repair. I drove it for 3 yrs without air because I couldn't afford the repair. Then a guy at a little auto supply store in town wanted to look at it and made the repair + charged the system with coolant for approx. $85. Turned out it was a 'O' ring and a $2 valve leaking. That was many months ago and it is still blowing 39 degree air on a 100+ day.

It should be a heads up to get a second opinion on a repair when the head of the service department you are talking to is driving a 2013 F-150 Platinum Edition truck w/ auto retracting step rails and all the bells & whistles that cost well over $50,000 at his discount.... you know he is making his bonus money off of the repair work he schedules.

The pump through NAPA is going to cost around $350... Dealership wanted $490 originally.. but when I told them I had found another place to do the work for $498 out the door.. suddenly they decided they could get another pump that would only cost $380 with a life time warranty. But said I'd need a $180 fuel tank flush.. drain a full tank of gas and flush the system of any crude.. but they were gonna put the same gas back in the tank afterwards, so I didn't see where that was a real preventative measure. Both places were planning on dropping the fuel tank and then installing the pump.. versus just raising the bed to get to it.

 

[SMS]

Not a license to steal, but they also know that when you come to them they have you over a barrel. $500 to replace a $125-$150 part is steep, but you aren't just paying for parts and labor. The guy has a shop to run; Rent, mortgage, utilities, insurance etc...Sort of like our gun dealers. Everyone expects internet prices from a brick and mortar shop.

Most late model vehicles can be difficult to work on, but it definately pays to have a go at basic problems on your own if you have the time, tools, and space.

 

[Preacherman]

The thing is that the fuel pump is in the tank and so they must drop the tank for the repair. The parts are going to run around $150ish. Short version.

 

[sklfco]

Horse hockey! I helped a coworker put one in his truck in his driveway. Took us all of 2.5 hours and that included having a beer break. Its really not that difficult.

 

[Lurkerinthewoods]

Anyone who takes a car to a dealership for anything other than warranty work, is asking to get butthurt..

 

[nighttrain]

I have done so many these fuel pumps. Don't go cheap on the pump ! Other than that about $500 isn't bad.