$1,350 battery replacement?

[Stan H]

Let this be a lesson to everyone - don't trust Jeep dealers.
Glenn E. Thomas Jeep in Long Beach, CA just charged me the following to repair a non-op ESS system that left me stranded:

Fuse - $99
Battery x1 - $454
Battery x1 - $240
Push Pin x4 - $31.80
Rivet x4 - $51.20
Labor - $375

I needed it fixed and was in a hurry. Yes, I'm an impatient fool for agreeing to this. Regretting it now. Hey, @JeepCares, does this sound excessive to you?
At this point I feel like there's no other option but public shaming.

What I went to my local Chrysler garage showed what came out we tried to put em back couldn't get them to take the guy Gave me clips and hex head screws .. makes the job soooo, much quicker

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[ShadowsPapa]

What I went to my local Chrysler garage showed what came out we tried to put em back couldn't get them to take the guy Gave me clips and hex head screws .. makes the job soooo, much quicker

If he looks up the list price of things like POM rivets, clips, screws and so on - it's just what they are. That's one reason for hardware, clips and so on, I find equivalents and buy them half of those prices.
But it is what it is.
It's not a matter of "don't trust the dealer" - that's dealer prices.
When I was looking for the proper factory type bolts for my knock-off bumper - well, let's just say I got similar for 1/3 the price on Amazon.
For fender liner retainers, POM rivets, the dealer - ANY dealer - is easily triple online.
Of course we've become spoiled by cheap Amazon prices because most of the hardware there is direct from China. We did that.
An expensive education for sure, but it is not extraordinary.

 

[Stan H]

Some do it by simply turning the wheels, some lift it to drop the wheel down, some pull the fender flare, some don't, some pull the liner, some only pull the rear half of the liner down.............

I do the rear half of the liner because it folds easily at the cut out . But I do take the wheel off just cause I am sorta big and lanky and it is just easier.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I do the rear half of the liner because it folds easily at the cut out . But I do take the wheel off just cause I am sorta big and lanky and it is just easier.

That's my thing - I'm not as small, spry and agile as I once was............... But that takes only a couple of minutes.

 

[Stan H]

If he looks up the list price of things like POM rivets, clips, screws and so on - it's just what they are. That's one reason for hardware, clips and so on, I find equivalents and buy them half of those prices.
But it is what it is.
It's not a matter of "don't trust the dealer" - that's dealer prices.
When I was looking for the proper factory type bolts for my knock-off bumper - well, let's just say I got similar for 1/3 the price on Amazon.
For fender liner retainers, POM rivets, the dealer - ANY dealer - is easily triple online.
Of course we've become spoiled by cheap Amazon prices because most of the hardware there is direct from China. We did that.
An expensive education for sure, but it is not extraordinary.

I think your right because ,( I hate to admit this ) when my waterpump went out the dealership didn't have one and I also called every smaller parts house I knew no-one had one . I reluctantly called O'Reillys Auto Parts . They yep we have one in Washington D.C. (I'm in WV)
They said if you order it now we can have it there by 7AM In the morning.
I said for reals !!! They said yep I said what will that cost me ? They said nothing . And this is the part I hate to admit the pump Looked exactly like the original same rubber and metal gasket etc.. but was ½ the price the dealer quoted and said couldn't get for a week . This happened on a Friday at 10am ordered @12:00 had it that next morning in my hands with a new serpentine belt new thermostat housing and temp sensor and money left in my pocket. I had to be at work Monday couldn't wait 7 days for parts. I work outta my Jeep. I will add the impeller was even identical.

 

[wadewolf]

Um, I did both batteries, on both my JTs, and didn’t think it was labor intensive at all. I guess it’s all relative.

it was by no means hours, more like 1 hour. Even if I had used manual ratchets, I don’t think I would have been beyond 90 minutes. In a pinch, I would just head to the local parts store, buy the batteries, buy a socket set and screwdriver set, and just do the work in the parking lot for under $600. There would even be extra to hit the local watering hole on the way home.

I love everything about this post.

 

[Hootbro]

And this is the part I hate to admit the pump Looked exactly like the original same rubber and metal gasket etc.. but was ½ the price the dealer quoted and said couldn't get for a week . T

May or may not have been the same OEM who made that pump but not unheard for OEM makers to supply the aftermarket off label.

As to the dealership, that is a different supply chain channel with it's own lead times and I would not necessarily judge O'Reillys availability of the part as a negative against to what the dealership could source.

 

[JonMN]

Looking at the invoice, I was not surprised at the labor--seemed kind of reasonable. But the part prices seemed a little, for lack of a better word, crazy. I know there is typically a large markup, but really!

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Looking at the invoice, I was not surprised at the labor--seemed kind of reasonable. But the part prices seemed a little, for lack of a better word, crazy. I know there is typically a large markup, but really!

Look online or ask Benny for fastener prices. Those are very typical prices. I'd bet they are right out of the book

 

[RiverMtnBeach]

Looking at the invoice, I was not surprised at the labor--seemed kind of reasonable. But the part prices seemed a little, for lack of a better word, crazy. I know there is typically a large markup, but really!

It's the MSRP that gets ya. Mopar doesn't even sell parts at that price; it's literally just so the part dept can say "oh, that's just how much they are!"

 

[RiverMtnBeach]

It's not a matter of "don't trust the dealer" - that's dealer prices.

I've worked with them before, and they have given me a deal when they knew I could just come by and take the truck elsewhere. What changed? "Oh, gee, tough luck it's not running... We'll charge you full MSRP this time." It's this opportunistic bullsh*t that pisses people off, and they deserve the hate for it. Sorry, not sorry.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I've worked with them before, and they have given me a deal when they knew I could just come by and take the truck elsewhere. What changed? "Oh, gee, tough luck it's not running... We'll charge you full MSRP this time." It's this opportunistic bullsh*t that pisses people off, and they deserve the hate for it. Sorry, not sorry.

You are trying to compare your special situation to what about 99.9% of all other vehicle owners experience.
It's not a dealer ripoff thing. They are finally treating you like any other customer and it appears to anger you that you no longer get "special treatment".
You can't compare.

the only issue I see here is you lost your special status at a dealership and you are mad about being treated like every other customer who has to WAIT IN LINE while you get special treatment and pricing.

You were lucky - and your luck ran out and now you are being told - you are like all of our other customers, no more, no less, special.

I'd be pissed if I saw you getting bumped to the front of the line and given special treatment and pricing - that's where I'd come out griping and tossing their name around.
Welcome to the rest of us.

 

[Jrgunn5150]

You needed a service completed you couldn't or wouldn't perform yourself.

They performed the service promised at the price quoted.

No one was ripped off here.

 

[Zachanadandy]

May or may not have been the same OEM who made that pump but not unheard for OEM makers to supply the aftermarket off label.

As to the dealership, that is a different supply chain channel with it's own lead times and I would not necessarily judge O'Reillys availability of the part as a negative against to what the dealership could source.

I understand what you're saying, but it's still a knock on the dealer network when we can get equivalent parts from any parts house in 1/10th the time and at half the price. It's one thing to price gouge when you're the only place in town with the parts in stock. Dealers barely stock anything and then they still overcharge and use the slowest shipping known to man. Many of these parts I can order same day from Amazon even cheaper than the auto parts house. All from my phone while at work. The weird misconception that you're getting better parts from the dealer is the only thing keeping their parts counters in business in my opinion.

 

[Stan H]

I understand what you're saying, but it's still a knock on the dealer network when we can get equivalent parts from any parts house in 1/10th the time and at half the price. It's one thing to price gouge when you're the only place in town with the parts in stock. Dealers barely stock anything and then they still overcharge and use the slowest shipping known to man. Many of these parts I can order same day from Amazon even cheaper than the auto parts house. All from my phone while at work. The weird misconception that you're getting better parts from the dealer is the only thing keeping their parts counters in business in my opinion.

I wished I could recall the brand name . But everything about it and the seal was identical.

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