Stealerships and cabin filters

[Joenpb]

This new generation, the App generation, can't do squat including think, unless there's an App or Facebook instruction page. The Dealer's time is coming, in the next 10 years being a dealer with a full service dept will be like having a gold mine on its lot. lol

 

[CHARLIEBRONSON21]

Most cabin filters I replace take maybe about 2 minutes at most unless they were really bad, then I vacuum the area. If it's just time to change, around a minute.

 

[Excel]

Acura took me all of 9 bucks and 60 seconds (filter is in glove box )

Dealer wanted 80 dollars

 

[Eddie]

When I was young, dealerships would change filters as a courtesy, but, expect a TIP. Now dealers charge for everything. No one can change any filter in less than ~ 20+ minutes at a service dept. Get the vehicle from the owner, get keys and move vehicle to stall. Remove old filter and check. Go to parts department and ask for filter for .... vehicle and get filter. Go back to vehicle and install new filter. Go to service person and fill out paperwork and get car owner to sign off and pay. People who say they can change a filter in 5 minutes are very, very poor time keepers. I must spend my time and fuel to go to AP and look up filter number and stand in line to purchase filter and drive home. That IS one part of how long it takes me to change a filter. I don't expect anyone making a living to do this, in 5 or 50 minutes for free as some think. Ed

 

[cmhj]

Originally Posted By: Eddie
When I was young, dealerships would change filters as a courtesy, but, expect a TIP. Now dealers charge for everything. No one can change any filter in less than ~ 20+ minutes at a service dept. Get the vehicle from the owner, get keys and move vehicle to stall. Remove old filter and check. Go to parts department and ask for filter for .... vehicle and get filter. Go back to vehicle and install new filter. Go to service person and fill out paperwork and get car owner to sign off and pay. People who say they can change a filter in 5 minutes are very, very poor time keepers. I must spend my time and fuel to go to AP and look up filter number and stand in line to purchase filter and drive home. That IS one part of how long it takes me to change a filter. I don't expect anyone making a living to do this, in 5 or 50 minutes for free as some think. Ed


Finally some common sense

 

[HerrStig]

Originally Posted By: cmhj
Originally Posted By: Eddie
When I was young, dealerships would change filters as a courtesy, but, expect a TIP. Now dealers charge for everything. No one can change any filter in less than ~ 20+ minutes at a service dept. Get the vehicle from the owner, get keys and move vehicle to stall. Remove old filter and check. Go to parts department and ask for filter for .... vehicle and get filter. Go back to vehicle and install new filter. Go to service person and fill out paperwork and get car owner to sign off and pay. People who say they can change a filter in 5 minutes are very, very poor time keepers. I must spend my time and fuel to go to AP and look up filter number and stand in line to purchase filter and drive home. That IS one part of how long it takes me to change a filter. I don't expect anyone making a living to do this, in 5 or 50 minutes for free as some think. Ed


Finally some common sense
Some get their filters from Amazon, delivered right to the house. No need to drive to AP.

 

[HerrStig]

Originally Posted By: hattaresguy
Dealers need to make a profit, their time isn't free.
And they charge so little for OEM parts that no one is inclined to look anywhere else.

 

[HerrStig]

Originally Posted By: marine65
2006 Sentra-cabin filter cost $17.00-time to change it-20 minutes
Stealership wanted $80.00 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
2010 Elantra-cabin filter cost $20.00-time to change it 10 minutes
Stealership wanted $90.00 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So it cost me 30 minutes and $37.00 versus $170 at the stealer.
I took my Sentra in for the airbag recall and when I went to pick it up the stealer told me that my belts were cracked and dry rotted and they could replace them for $170.
The belts have no dry rot or cracks.
What a bunch of bozos they are.
In the auto service trade mags they call such things "profit centers".

 

[HerrStig]

As I have mentioned, a relative had her Camry (with just 25 K on the clock) inspected before shipping it to Florida last year, by a Toyota dealer which provided a written report of all OK. She went into a Florida Toyota dealer because her AC didn't work...(didn't push the AC button) and that honest crew told her she needed a grand worth of "work". THEN they tried to sell her a new car. They "need" to make a profit all right.

 

[Cubey]

Originally Posted By: Eddie
PS-not all dealers are stealerships amd my Mazda dealer is great. Ed


Smaller towns sometimes have better dealers in terms of prices and service. They have to be more competitive in terms of getting customers since they don't do as much business.

Where I used to live, there are two Ford dealers about 15 miles apart. They were priced DRASTICALLY different back in 2009 for OEM transponder keys. The larger dealer in the bigger city wanted $125 PLUS programming. (I only had 1 key with the car when I bought it, so I needed dealer programming). The smaller dealer charged me $50 including programming. It was a genuine Ford logo key I got too, not a knockoff. I had them cut a door only key also for $5 more. It was worth the 30 mile round trip drive to save over $75+programming!

I had used them previously for a recall on another Ford vehicle I had. The larger dealer stuck me on hold and left me there. I hung up and called the smaller dealer and I had an appointment in less time than I had spent on hold to the larger one.

..although the opposite may be true too. A friend bought a new Honda Accord coupe in 2010 and a LARGER dealer was nicer to her than the smaller one. She went to the local (smaller) one and inquired about paint options while shopping for a car and they said 'we have black or white, take it or leave it' so, she left it and drive 70 miles away to another dealer where they gave her free gift certificates to the Mexican restaurant next door while they were doing paperwork on the car she ended up buying, in dark grey.

 

[Cubey]

Originally Posted By: mjoekingz28
What happened to oil & LUBE? It seems the greasing of body hinges and zerks are not included anymore. Are they even checked anymore?


Maybe luxury brand dealers do while it's under warranty. My 03 Pontiac Vibe's manual tells you what to use for hinges and even the weatherstripping. The problem is, 2% of people (tops!) actually read the manual. Plus about 95% of people think WD40 is a lubricant. *sigh*

 

[Pepsibottle1]

Former Ford certified Service Advisor chiming in. Yep, I used to work the Quick Lane for a major area stealership. Avoid the dealership service department at all costs unless it's a warranty or recall repair.

Seriously, it's horrendous. Yes, there are quotas, yes, there are "belt" and "flush" perks and yes, we are expected to sell EVERY customer. And unless it's a brand new vehicle, yes the techs are clueless. I was ridiculed for talking about older vehicles and was told "just sell them"

 

[kohnen]

A few years ago, I changed the engine air filter for a lady from our church. Whenever I change a filter, I write the date and mileage on the filter with a sharpie.

About a month later, she went to Jippy Lube for an oil change. The oil changing dweeb walked up to her holding the almost new filter saying it was old and needed replacement. The date and mileage I wrote was facing the lady, so she simply turned the filter so dweeb could read it. He walked off without saying another word.

 

[HerrStig]

Originally Posted By: cmhj
Originally Posted By: Eddie
When I was young, dealerships would change filters as a courtesy, but, expect a TIP. Now dealers charge for everything. No one can change any filter in less than ~ 20+ minutes at a service dept. Get the vehicle from the owner, get keys and move vehicle to stall. Remove old filter and check. Go to parts department and ask for filter for .... vehicle and get filter. Go back to vehicle and install new filter. Go to service person and fill out paperwork and get car owner to sign off and pay. People who say they can change a filter in 5 minutes are very, very poor time keepers. I must spend my time and fuel to go to AP and look up filter number and stand in line to purchase filter and drive home. That IS one part of how long it takes me to change a filter. I don't expect anyone making a living to do this, in 5 or 50 minutes for free as some think. Ed


Finally some common sense
Amazon sends me filters for my 08 Camry for 9 bucks, delivered. So much for standing in line.

 

[maximus]

Originally Posted By: Eddie
When I was young, dealerships would change filters as a courtesy, but, expect a TIP. Now dealers charge for everything. No one can change any filter in less than ~ 20+ minutes at a service dept. Get the vehicle from the owner, get keys and move vehicle to stall. Remove old filter and check. Go to parts department and ask for filter for .... vehicle and get filter. Go back to vehicle and install new filter. Go to service person and fill out paperwork and get car owner to sign off and pay. People who say they can change a filter in 5 minutes are very, very poor time keepers. I must spend my time and fuel to go to AP and look up filter number and stand in line to purchase filter and drive home. That IS one part of how long it takes me to change a filter. I don't expect anyone making a living to do this, in 5 or 50 minutes for free as some think. Ed


Why not stop at the parts house on your way home from work or from doing errands? Swap the filter out in the parking lot. Done. Wait in line ? The alternative is to wait in the waiting room and get hassled with upsells.
There's no way to justify paying criminal prices for these simple services and supporting a dealer's racket.

A CAF shouldn't cost more than an oil change, which is far more labor intensive.

Maybe if all dealers were fair and honest, they'd get more business and make more money.

 

[mjoekingz28]

Customers can be crooks too!







May be off topic, but ever see what gets returned to a typical WalMart everyday.

 

[funflyer]

I only take my vehicles to the Stealerships for warranty work or recalls only. I tell the service writer to add a note that I do not want anything else touched or even looked at on the vehicle. I keep all filters at the ready in the garage and change them as required except the cabin air filter, they're a waste of money to replace. I just clean the leaves and debris out of it and reuse.

 

[UG_Passat]

Originally Posted By: marine65
2006 Sentra-cabin filter cost $17.00-time to change it-20 minutes
Stealership wanted $80.00 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
2010 Elantra-cabin filter cost $20.00-time to change it 10 minutes
Stealership wanted $90.00 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So it cost me 30 minutes and $37.00 versus $170 at the stealer.
I took my Sentra in for the airbag recall and when I went to pick it up the stealer told me that my belts were cracked and dry rotted and they could replace them for $170.
The belts have no dry rot or cracks.
What a bunch of bozos they are.


What's the labor rate at the 2 dealerships?

Your labor rate is $0/hr. Dealerships & independent mechanics cannot match that.

 

[marine65]

update.
I went on Rock Auto and ordered 2 filters. I got the cheapest ones they had.
Cost was $16.00 with shipping for both.
They were rather light weight compared to the Fram and Purolator filters I have used in the past.
But I change them out every June. So I figure they are good enough for a year.

 

[Hootbro]

Originally Posted By: HerrStig
Amazon sends me filters for my 08 Camry for 9 bucks, delivered. So much for standing in line.


Zoomed right over your head and missed the point. Any Johnny homeowner shade tree mechanic can conceptualize something being so simple when he does not have the overhead a dealership has.