I have a question about shocks and struts

Very interesting.

The same service writer has pulled similar stunts before. She's a pro, I tell ya'.

A few years ago, she wanted $1,600 to change all the engine gaskets on my S-10. Pretty much the same song and dance, about how "the firewall is wet" and the leaking oil could start a fire.

You should have been there for that conversation. She acted as if it were the only vehicle ever to have leaking oil gaskets, and not have them repaired.

My old truck is a beater that I picked up cheap and clean up.

She kept saying "I can't believe you aren't going to repair this leaking oil. It is a safety hazard."

FWIW, I think it has lost, maybe, a 1/4 of a quart since then.

The service writer should try her hand on Broadway. She is really good, and might be able to make a go of it in Hollywood.

some dealerships have a program with the service writers where they get a % of $ on all service sold which to me is an incentive to rip people off.
the last dealership (GM) I worked at did not do it this way but the tech's all the down the oil change guy was trained to spot actual problems and then honestly sell them.
it was a family run dealership run by 2 brothers,one ran sales and cleanup and the other ran body shop and service and dad ran it all.
there basic motto is we will make 10,000 $ of a customer but we have to do it a 100 bucks at a time,,which means they would rather have have the customer for a lifetime than gouge them once ,too bad more dealers weren't like them.

P.S> if I were you i may look into another dealership or at the very least have a face to face talk with the service manager or business manager or even the owner if he is availablre to customers about the business practices,,unfortunatly the attitude sometimes starts at the top.

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I think it would take struts, not shocks, right? Shocks might go $300 all around, and struts perhaps $800. Of course at a dealer, $800 can become $1200. If it has no bounce and does not rock when you do a swerve or fast corner, I certainly would not replace struts.
Other things can cause the noise - for example, a front CV joint when you take a turn. Check to make sure the boot is not ripped allowing dirt in. I had this on a car once. But that is about $500 at the most I think.

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Unfortunately, I think that the selling of services comes from the top owner or manager.

They, as a family, own 13 new car dealerships, not to mention all the other related businesses, like the used car dealerships, collision repair shops, detail centers, car washes, etc. It is like an empire.

You her stories of them selling service, real or imagined, all of the time. I just figured they were pulling it on little old ladies, and not a guy wearing a worn Carhartt with grease under his nails.

I just use them for the 19.99 oil changes, which includes a free wash at their Kinda Klean car wash. It includes an AC Delco filter and Valvoline. I know a guy in the back shop, and he swears it really is Valvoline. I can't change the oil for that price.

try buying the oil in 55 gallon drums and see if you can get down to that price,
if you can't, then they are doing the oil changes at a loss in order to get people use to going there so that other repairs are done there as well.

or they are buying the oil off the truck in bulk 500 gallons at a time which is cheaper yet than 55 gallon drums,
even better yet most if not all GM vehicles made after 2011 use Dexos oil which is a synthetic blend or a full synthetic and it is pricey.
I would use them for 19.99 oil changes too,the place I worked it was 24.99 but then again we didn't intentionaly screw anyone over.

__________________
Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.
Henry David Thoreau

Can we even find a filter and 4 or 5 quarts for less than 19.99? Even at 24.99, it's not a bad deal, considering they give a ticket for their car wash.

I suspect it is a loss leader. Walm#t is $31, I think for their el-cheapo change. I'm guessing that the dealer is using it to sell big service.

This is the same dealership that is pestering me about the GM warranty work that needs to be done, but I am going to drive 50 minutes, one way, to an honest dealer that treats everyone right.

Isn't it funny that you see almost as many cars in our area from the honest dealership located 50 minutes away as you do from our local dealership?????

Husky,

I am curious: generally speaking, do the dealerships want the recall warranty work that is out there???

Do they want the general warranty work on new cars, like when a problem occurs while it is still under warranty?

I would take that car to several other mechanics, and without telling them who it was, tell them the story about what they were told and then find an attorney set up some type of a grab there tails in the middle of plan out stealing money from an older man, because that is exactly what they were going to do.
Company's like that need to be burned down, IMHO.

Godspeed

Ranger

not really,the dealership pretty lose money on recall because of the labor rate system,lets use the ignition switch recall on your Cobalt for a quick example.
GM pays the dealer an hour to do it but the job actually takes 2 hours,you do 4 a day you've tied up your service dept for 8 hours but are only getting paid for 4,,add that to a week,etc etc,,the tech comes out even worse but some recalls are better than others some pay more than the job takes or the tech finds a shortcut ,,I hope that makes a little sense to ya

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Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.
Henry David Thoreau

Do this and you can make a few bucks while getting the inlaws off your back.... Take their car to "your shop", let it set there for a week, when you take it back tell them you had to replace hard to find suspension parts and charge them 500 bucks. Their minds will now be at ease and you pick up some spending money.

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