shortlid Posted November 4, 2009 Share Posted November 4, 2009 (edited) My Mom just got back from William's Subaru in Lansing, Michigan. They charged her $85 to REPLACE one of the stupid heat shields on the exhaust of her '03 Legacy GT sedan. The same heat shields that roted off a rattled to no end within months of taking the car off the lot new lot. Is this a common practice of Subaru dealers to steal money from there loyal, older, Female customers for a frivolous part that is bound to rot of and rattle 1,000 miles after a Michigan winter??? Edited November 4, 2009 by shortlid Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairtax4me Posted November 4, 2009 Share Posted November 4, 2009 Parts and labor, doesn't sound too bad. Did you have it replaced under warranty back when it first started rattling? I would have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Durania Posted November 4, 2009 Share Posted November 4, 2009 Well, It is a six years old after all and you do live in the rust belt. Write your state legislature and ask them to quit using salt on the roads. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rooster2 Posted November 4, 2009 Share Posted November 4, 2009 The chances of your Mom driving off road, and parking in high dry weeds to start a fire seem very remote. Did the stealership pressure sell her to replace the heat shield in the name of "safety"? The safety angle is the best scare tactic to sell any car product to a woman. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted November 4, 2009 Share Posted November 4, 2009 actually $85 doesn't sound too bad to me for parts and labor. exhaust is annoying to work on. also - don't expect subaru to not replace it. it was designed and in place for a reason that way. they could just as easily get sued for not replacing it by some people (trust me, it happens), so i'd avoid that angle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortlid Posted November 4, 2009 Author Share Posted November 4, 2009 Just seems like a very shady way to bring in extra income for unnecessary work when they see out of state plates on a vehicle with a older female owner. She went in for a $39 oil change with a coupon and came out with a $800 bill!! They gave her this list of things that needed to be done for SAFETY. front brake pads and rotors- $470!!!! (I replaced all four pads and rotors 10,000 miles ago) v-belt-$115 (Yes they called it a V-belt) replace heat shield-$85 wheel alignment-$120. This will likely be the last Subaru at this rate. Mainly due to dealers service departments and issues we have had this this Subaru on A/C system loosing charge, and head gasket issues. Sad really because my family has owned at least one Subaru since 1975! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted November 4, 2009 Share Posted November 4, 2009 That is not a bad price at all. I have seen shops quote alot more then that, a hell of a lot more for heat shields. Considering most dealerships get over 100.00 an hour for labor she got a really good price. nipper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortlid Posted November 4, 2009 Author Share Posted November 4, 2009 What about $470 for JUST the front pads and rotors, no fluid change??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted November 4, 2009 Share Posted November 4, 2009 What about $470 for JUST the front pads and rotors, no fluid change??? Front Rotors are MSRP 94.95 1st subaru price 68.36 Rear Rotors are 94.95 68.86 Front pads are 94,95 63.36 Rear Pads are 94.95 63.86 So thats 70X4=280.00 Rotors 64x2= 128.00 Pads Normal labor is 1 hour per axle i think, maybe 1.5 hours. Any time a car goes on a lift usually it is a 1 hr charge. minimum Expensive brake work is avoidable if you dont let the pads get that low as to grind. The car did not have to go to the dealer for this service, so maybe you could have saved 100 bucks. nipper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted November 4, 2009 Share Posted November 4, 2009 PS the V belt (yes they call it that as I just ordered some for Blu) is high. I would question them on that one, or they shifted some of the labor charges around, which is not uncommon. nipper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortlid Posted November 4, 2009 Author Share Posted November 4, 2009 Nipper, they could not have been that worn down I replaced the rotors and pads front AND rear 10,000 miles ago! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subaru360 Posted November 4, 2009 Share Posted November 4, 2009 Just seems like a very shady way to bring in extra income for unnecessary work when they see out of state plates on a vehicle with a older female owner. She went in for a $39 oil change with a coupon and came out with a $800 bill!! They gave her this list of things that needed to be done for SAFETY. front brake pads and rotors- $470!!!! (I replaced all four pads and rotors 10,000 miles ago) v-belt-$115 (Yes they called it a V-belt) replace heat shield-$85 wheel alignment-$120. This will likely be the last Subaru at this rate. Mainly due to dealers service departments and issues we have had this this Subaru on A/C system loosing charge, and head gasket issues. Sad really because my family has owned at least one Subaru since 1975! Those are typical dealership prices for any brand car really. Dealerships are in business to make as much money as possible. Doesn't mean Subaru builds a bad car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortlid Posted November 4, 2009 Author Share Posted November 4, 2009 (edited) The reasons this will likely be our last Subaru are more to do with the head gasket issues and A/C system issues. I think this Subaru just had too many GM influenced parts. Alternator issues, says Delco on it, etc. Hopefully Toyotas share has helped FHI with quality. This '03 is not anywhere near what the '97 Legacy EJ22 powered "tank" we had before was, even with three times the amount of miles on it. The older legacy never gave us any issues. Edited November 4, 2009 by shortlid Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bgambino Posted November 4, 2009 Share Posted November 4, 2009 The reasons this will likely be our last Subaru are more to do with the head gasket issues and A/C system issues. I think this Subaru just had too many GM influenced parts. Alternator issues, says Delco on it, etc. Hopefully Toyotas share has helped FHI with quality. This '03 is not anywhere near what the '97 Legacy EJ22 powered "tank" we had before was, even with three times the amount of miles on it. The older legacy naver gave us any issues. *********** Hey Joel No question about it, their prices are sky high...a drive belt for $115???? What parts did they replace on the brakes? Your mom should never have moved...I would have done the work for her Say the word and I'll fly out and take the thing off her hands! Wish she never moved:banghead: Tell her to postpone her next vacation for a little and get that toyota she wanted Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bheinen74 Posted November 4, 2009 Share Posted November 4, 2009 shes lucky she didn't go to the dealership in DM iowa. They probably would have talked her into payments on a new car as well after she dropped to the floor on their pricing for those services. Your dealer is CHEAP compared to the one here- i will never go to the dealer i am referring to, hope they read this board. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted November 4, 2009 Share Posted November 4, 2009 If the sliders were not dissassembled and lubricated when the brakes were last done i can see them wiping out. Next time ask for the old parts back. nipper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted November 4, 2009 Share Posted November 4, 2009 ah ha - this really doesn't have anything to do with heat shields. taking it in for an oil change and coming out with that would totally flip my lid now that you tell the entire story. yes, they hosed her. welcome to - greed. it's everywhere, to think that's just a "subaru" trait is comical. read all the articles and stats on automotive dealers - there's been a huge change in their profit margins in the past 10-20 years. they make money on service, not new cars. they hire professionally trained "service managers" that are trained to sell services because of that. every manufacture has design glitches, i wouldn't go ruling out a manufacturer over a couple issues, you could essentially rule out every vehicle ever made if you get "a bad one" so to speak. i think i'd be having a peak at the stuff to make sure they actually DID the work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bheinen74 Posted November 4, 2009 Share Posted November 4, 2009 I know of really good stealership sales places that sold someone new brakes a few years ago. when i inspected their work a few months later, there were definitely no new brakes on the car. that place also couldnt figure out out to reboot an axle, and forced the person to buy a new axle. that place also did not install a battery correctly, the hold down hooks weren't in place correctly. that place was not familiar with a Subaru....most places around here are the same when it comes to Subarus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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