Did I pay too much ?

[playadude]

Front Shocks - $492 parts, $342 labor
Replace spark plugs and wires $224 parts $189 labor
Replace rear shocks $296 parts $119 labor
Replace Lower Ball Joints $296 parts $594 labor

I think I paid high retail for the service.

The shop is excellent and the Tahoe drives like new.

(2011 127k miles)

Not much I can do about it at this point.

Thank you

 

[Big Mama]

There’s a markup on the parts of usually around 70-100% the labor rate looks to be about $100 per hour. They have a time guide for each job say the front shocks is 1.5 hours times their rate the one that’s a little fishy is the ball joints and shocks as they’d do those together but they billed separately but if you’re happy with the work I wouldn’t worry about that. Piece of mind is priceless

 

[intheburbs]

If you're happy with the shop, that's the most important thing. But those prices do seem a tad high.

I bought 4 new Bilstein 4600s for my Suburban online, and paid a shop $150 (Firestone) to install them.
And I just bought 4 new shocks for my Denali for $216 shipped, and installed them myself. Casual pace, took about three hours. $85 for an alignment at the local tire shop and I was done.
I also had a Goodyear replace three of my four ball joints on the Denali, and it was $500 for parts and labor. While I was under the front end doing the shocks, I inspected the ball joints, and they look good.

 

[08HoeCD]

I continue to be amazed at the rates shops get for completing simple jobs. Yes, I've paid them, and more than once.

On the other hand, I've done some things on my own and was surprised at how easily some low-tech jobs are to complete. I'm no mechanic, but if I can by swaybar end links for peanuts and install them in my garage, laying on my back without a lift, then how in the world can a shop charge $300 to do the same job with a lift and with impact wrenches? It must take them more time to raise and lower the vehicle on the lift than to swap the end links.

I remember that a Ford dealer wanted $775 to replace my radiator cooling fan assembly. That did not sound right to me, so I bought the part from RockAuto.com for under $230 including expedited shipping, received it in two days, and installed it in my office parking lot using only a crescent wrench (as I recall) and made the swap in less than 30 minutes. lol

I'm all for a service provider making a profit, but the huge dollars put people off.

 

[adventurenali92]

Parts and labor on the rear shocks so about right. Not too bad on that. Other things seem pretty high. But like they said above piece of mind is priceless! If the work is done and you have it checked off the list and don’t need to worry about it, that’s worth it.

 

[Derick]

Ouch.
I cant speak specifically to the Tahoe parts but I paid the following for suspension parts recently. I bought premium parts and did the labor myself.

Shocks all the way around were 66 bucks each. Two bolts each to replace. Fronts were stupid easy, rear wasnt hard just needed an extension. Billsteins.

Lower balls are about 30 bucks for the HD Mevotech TTX joints.

Plugs and wires are about 50 bucks for ac Delco plugs. And about 60 for the new wire set.

So, in my opinion, that's all highway robbery. However you're paying for the convenience factor. How much is it worth to you NOT to have to do your own work? That's subjective.. From my perspective, I'll save the cash and do it myself. Alternatively buy your parts at rock auto and carry them to the mechanic. Save some coin that way.

 

[Tonyrodz]

I continue to be amazed at the rates shops get for completing simple jobs. Yes, I've paid them, and more than once.

On the other hand, I've done some things on my own and was surprised at how easily some low-tech jobs are to complete. I'm no mechanic, but if I can by swaybar end links for peanuts and install them in my garage, laying on my back without a lift, then how in the world can a shop charge $300 to do the same job with a lift and with impact wrenches? It must take them more time to raise and lower the vehicle on the lift than to swap the end links.

I remember that a Ford dealer wanted $775 to replace my radiator cooling fan assembly. That did not sound right to me, so I bought the part from RockAuto.com for under $230 including expedited shipping, received it in two days, and installed it in my office parking lot using only a crescent wrench (as I recall) and made the swap in less than 30 minutes. lol

I'm all for a service provider making a profit, but the huge dollars put people off.

That's why they're called "Stealerships".

Ouch.
I cant speak specifically to the Tahoe parts but I paid the following for suspension parts recently. I bought premium parts and did the labor myself.

Shocks all the way around were 66 bucks each. Two bolts each to replace. Fronts were stupid easy, rear wasnt hard just needed an extension. Billsteins.

Lower balls are about 30 bucks for the HD Mevotech TTX joints.

Plugs and wires are about 50 bucks for ac Delco plugs. And about 60 for the new wire set.

So, in my opinion, that's all highway robbery. However you're paying for the convenience factor. How much is it worth to you NOT to have to do your own work? That's subjective.. From my perspective, I'll save the cash and do it myself. Alternatively buy your parts at rock auto and carry them to the mechanic. Save some coin that way.

Alot of mechanics won't install owner supplied parts.

 

[Derick]

Alot of mechanics won't install owner supplied parts.

Time to find a new one at that point. My mechanic has never had an issue with it. Less he has to deal with from a warranty perspective in the future. My angle is, hey make your labor sure I get it. But don't eff me twice on both parts AND labor.

 

[Kee Fuller]

They basically look at the mechanics book and see how many hours it says and charge you that. Even if they job takes way less time.

 

[Kee Fuller]

Also good to talk to techs and mechanics who work at these dealerships. Most times they don't mind doing side jobs.

 

[Spoolin]

^^^^
That’s the truth. I have a mechanic at the local GMC dealership on the payroll and needed some work done to my 2000 Yimmy: both front wheel bearings, upper ball joints, and all four shocks. He used to be able to do random side jobs at the dealership, but since it changed owners, he said it had to have a ticket to be on the rack. He said come in and pay the $99 for a brake job and I’ll put the rest on for $80. Told me to get the stuff from rock auto and figured I’d also grab some new rotors too. Had it all in the back along with a envelope stuffed full of Jackson’s. Well.......four of them, but I had them folded so it looked thick!



And shhhhhh don’t tell the ladies my secret. Haha

 

[Derick]

^^^^
That’s the truth. I have a mechanic at the local GMC dealership on the payroll and needed some work done to my 2000 Yimmy: both front wheel bearings, upper ball joints, and all four shocks. He used to be able to do random side jobs at the dealership, but since it changed owners, he said it had to have a ticket to be on the rack. He said come in and pay the $99 for a brake job and I’ll put the rest on for $80. Told me to get the stuff from rock auto and figured I’d also grab some new rotors too. Had it all in the back along with a envelope stuffed full of Jackson’s. Well.......four of them, but I had them folded so it looked thick!



And shhhhhh don’t tell the ladies my secret. Haha

Wow, that's brilliant. I generally dont get a chance to see the techs when I go to a stealership....they usually have those baffoon 'service advisors' as a buffer. I assume to prevent stuff. exactly. like. this. haha

 

[Spoolin]

Well I worked at a local car audio shop and he and another tech would come in and hang out and shop and stuff and I got to know him pretty well. We’ve kept in touch for going on 20 years now. I knew the old service advisor as well and he was cool. He’d always “find” one of them $39.99 27 point inspection, oil change and tire rotation coupons that the dealership would mail out when he rang me up for the Yimmy and my ‘06 Tahoe Z-71. Sadly, He’s no longer there and the new guy is not hip to program yet. Hopefully he’ll come around and i can see some of them cheap oil changes again. But I found that they have some coupons on the website.

 

[BG1988]

Front Shocks - $492 parts, $342 labor
Replace spark plugs and wires $224 parts $189 labor
Replace rear shocks $296 parts $119 labor
Replace Lower Ball Joints $296 parts $594 labor

I think I paid high retail for the service.

The shop is excellent and the Tahoe drives like new.

(2011 127k miles)

Not much I can do about it at this point.

Thank you

you should ask said questions before buying I have a good service shop i take my car to

I would have paid way less then that labor wise $90 hour and he combos everything together = paying less


so say if it actually takes 3 hours for all the items i only pay $270 labor ....

he knows i don't have a lot of money so i get a super fair deal.

 

[Derick]

Yeah that's a good point. If you have the time, also, make them allow you to observe. It would be very hard for them to explain $1000 in labor for a job that took 3 hours while you were monitoring them.

I mean, as an amateur doing it on my garage floor, yeah it takes a good amount of time. With guys who have experience, it takes like 20 minutes to replace a joint. I watch a lot of the south main auto guy, and yeah I know its edited sometimes, but a lot of times when hes pulling this stuff off, it's all real time. Again, hard to say with experience and the right tools that it should take any more than half an hour to replace a ball joint.