Wildguzzi.com
General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: willowstreetguzziguy on June 23, 2022, 10:38:08 AM
-
Last week the exhaust on my 04 VW Beetle severed at the bend between the engine and catalytic converter.
Stopped by the yellow and black muffler chain that begins with a M and ends with an E. After putting it up on the left, he called me over. He showed me where the exhaust pipe was severed at the bend. He said because where it broke at the bend the exhaust and cat both would need to be replaced together. cost…$1,700 - $2,400!
I asked “Can’t it be welded?”
“Nope. Because it’s severed at the bend, you’re not going to find anyone around here that can weld that!”
5 minutes later he presents me with a revised price. “I can do it for $1,430 next week if I order the cat today.” And I said , I’ll think about it.
“What’s keeping you from having us do it.” He asks. I said I want to shop around.
A few minutes later he hands me a print out and explains that the average price in the area for this repair and a new cat was $1,658-$1,696. I said I still want to check around.
My son highly recommended Red Run Exhaust in Reamstown, 35 minutes away. I call them and they said stop by.
I pull in to there brand new facility at 3:55pm and obviously the exhaust was LOUD. The guy comes out with a flashlight, lays on the ground and says “yep, it’s broken, I can weld it for $120.”
Trying to hold my joy in, I asked is there anyway you could weld it now? He said OK!
Keep in mind this was 4:05pm. A few minutes later I can see through the seating area window that my car is up on the lift and sparks from the welder are flying.
At 4:50pm my car arrives out front and he presents me with a bill for $110! And… it included a $20 “Rush Fee” which I was more than thrilled to pay..
$110 instead of $1,430 and it was finished! You can imagine how grateful and thrilled I was!
I’ve heard stories over the years on how some of the places rip you off. Now I have a story too!
-
Good job, I think they have your business from here, I myself would drive back to the other place and would say my business is going some where else :boozing:
-
Good job, I think they have your business from here, I myself would drive back to the other place and would say my business is going some where else :boozing:
I will but unfortunately the guy at the counter that day was a regional manager only there for the day so it looses some of the impact when I go back and present my case.
-
Bummer. Lol :boozing:
-
With the exception of "the crack of dawn and the hole in the moon" you just have to look to find the right welder.
-
Do a Yelp Review to help other not as knowledgeable. :thumb: "Crooks" like that need to be exposed. :tongue:
-
Plus I bet the Midas guy was going to sell your old cat. Google says they go for $50-500 as scrap.
-
Plus I bet the Midas guy was going to sell your old cat. Google says they go for $50-500 as scrap.
It was a Meineke shop.
-
We have a single female friend in the KC area. She had a Malibu that started the classic warped rotor wheel shake when braking. She first took it to two independent shops. Both said that they could not figure out what the problem was and that she needs to take it to a dealer. She then went to a Chevy dealer that said she needed $1,600 of front end work. We convinced her to come see us and have us take the car to a family run independent shop we had used for years. Yep, the rotors needed turning and nothing else was found. $90.
GliderJohn
-
I will but unfortunately the guy at the counter that day was a regional manager only there for the day so it looses some of the impact when I go back and present my case.
Most, not all are franchises. Your time may be better spent with a letter detailing your circumstances to Meineke Corporate. I would let them know you are sending a copy of the letter to your consumer advocate at the news station of your choice. At least it will be on record with them and it may get a positive reaction from them. My $.02
Paul B :boozing:
-
I had my own experience with somewhat shady business practices last November when I was away from home, visiting relatives.
My car's transmission (4L60) suddenly, without any previous symptoms, started staying in 1st until the car reached 45 mph. OK if the accelerator was WOT, but this was with light throttle.
Took it to a recommended transmission shop and they, without a test drive, estimated $3500.00 for an overhaul.
I said thanks, but I wanted to think about it; the car was almost 29 years old at the time.
I called my go-to transmission guy at home, and he suggested I try a few simple remedies, one of which was to stomp the accelerator pedal to the floor 3 or 4 times (engine off, of course) to see if the TV cable or valve was stuck. Apparently it worked, because I didn't have any further trouble.
When I got back home, I took the car to my guy and he did a routine fluid & filter service, paying particular attention to the TV cable and valve.
Cost me $170.00. Has worked fine ever since.
-
Even if Meineke said that they would weld it, I would never let a "welder" who works for what Meineke pays their employees touch my vehicle.
Jez sayin'...
Larry
-
I spent 25 years in a mazda/VW parts dept. One thing I will say that in most cases the one place I would never go to is the chain muffler/brake places! When you deal with a lot of different wholesale customers, and a there is a group of shops [chain muffler/brake shops] that order parts that NOONE else does.... you have a issue.
-
Car repair has always been a buyer beware situation. If you are not familiar with any aspect of a repair you run the risk of being taken advantage of. Finding a shop you can trust is always a good first step. A friends mom took her car in for an inspection and her muffler was shot. The shop told her son to take it to a muffler shop as that would be a cheaper repair. The muffler shop did the muffler and then sold her shocks and springs for an additional 1000 dollars. My friend went to the shop with his mechanic who just inspected the car. The shop cheerfully refunded the 1000 dollars and said keep the new springs and shocks on us.
-
Car repair has always been a buyer beware situation. If you are not familiar with any aspect of a repair you run the risk of being taken advantage of. Finding a shop you can trust is always a good first step. A friends mom took her car in for an inspection and her muffler was shot. The shop told her son to take it to a muffler shop as that would be a cheaper repair. The muffler shop did the muffler and then sold her shocks and springs for an additional 1000 dollars. My friend went to the shop with his mechanic who just inspected the car. The shop cheerfully refunded the 1000 dollars and said keep the new springs and shocks on us.
+1
This OP story is so similar to SO many instances in my life. Shop tells me it will be $500 to fix the gas gauge on my previous Volvo and that the $500 might not even fix it. My local, honest, and always behind mechanic looks at it, screws on a new gas cap for $30 and it’s repaired. Seriously, I won’t sit here and innumerate them all but suffice to say it’s real and the value of finding an honest mechanic and cultivating that relationship over time is so important. I don’t even greatly begrudge these other shops. I don’t even generally call them crooks. In my experience they are not so much crooks; rather, more often than not, they look at a car and immediately reach for what is a combination of what their own mechanics can do, what is the fastest thing they can do to get it done, and then yes, what also might be the most profitable for them. I don’t know if what I’ve encountered on the whole and what I’m describing here is necessarily crooked per se. It’s a business using the expertise they have (though it is possibly/likely limited) seeking out the fastest way to do something that will also possibly be the most profitable for them. Sure, they might know of a cheaper way to fix your vehicle but it oftentimes will take longer or involve things their own mechanic doesn’t even know how to do. The situation with the OP here is admittedly different as the shop is getting very tellingly too aggressive in attempting to get him to commit. Whather it’s a car dealer, car shop, motorcycle salesman, etc., etc. whenever anyone starts shit like that, please, get in/on your vehicle and immediately leave because that’s a big reveal right there.
And then on the backend, even if you find that person you truly trust for work, it will regularly become an issue of how much money can this person save you versus how much time/patience you have. Because if the person you have is really honest and really good, you will almost ALWAYS need at least 2-3 days wait cause other people know he’s honest and good too and everyone in the vicinity will have brought their vehicle to him to fix. And because he’s honest and good he probably is not making maximum profit and can’t hire as many people to help him as the local Pep Boys. So he is always invariably behind. I have even gone ahead and paid the $300-$500 more to the bad shop to do the deal and get the vehicle back to me that day or the following day versus waiting on my guy for 3 days or a week even.
-
This is a timely thread. My wife’s Toyota Solara, with the V6 engine, is in need of a timing belt. I call a few Indy shops, and 2 authorized dealers to get an estimate, to change the belt and water pump with new tensioners. The estimates run
from $500. To a whopping $2700. She decided to take it to the local Indy that we’ve supported for many years. His estimate came in at $1150.
-
Devil's Advocate:
First of all, I hope your repair lasts the life of the car and it may very well do so. In fact, I probably would have made the same choice. Now....
A shop like Meineke or name brand dealer can't weld it because of the potential liability. While it is unlikely that an exhaust falling off could hurt the driver of that car, it could still cause many problems for he and other drivers. Other repairs could be more problematic. As the owner of a business that may have several million dollars invested, they just can't take the chance. The guy showed you the numbers and what he said was not out of line for the work they proposed to do. My opinion, and my opinion alone is that such does not make it a "rip off", it makes it a business person proposing to do a job for a fee, nothing more. We have free will.
But, the good news is that is why the "independent" guys exist, to fill that need. That $110 probably meant more to his bottom line that the $1,400 would have meant to the Meineke shop, whether owned or corporate. The independent may be able and willing to make the repair for many reasons that we don't have access to.
My point is that each business can charge whatever they want, but the circumstances are very different and we can and do walk away.
My flame suit is now on.
-
So the lesson,
chain repairs stores are a rip off
VW makes crappy exhausts
Ford makes plastic door latches that break -sorry, just can't get over it.
:evil: :evil: :evil:
-
So the lesson,
chain repairs stores are a rip off
VW makes crappy exhausts
Ford makes plastic door latches that break -sorry, just can't get over it.
:evil: :evil: :evil:
and point #4: Time is Money.
:thumb:
-
To add to what bluguz said, the guy who said it couldn’t be welded might have meant he couldn’t weld it. Some guys can weld things others can’t. In his mind it was likely impossible because of his abilities or lack of them. People don’t seem as competent as used to be common. You were wise to take it elsewhere
-
I would simply vote with my feet and never darken their doors again. Good for you for shopping around! ...and good for finding an honest shop.
-
I worked in a NAPA store for a couple of years, so I got to see a lot of stuff. One Indy shop probably did most of the oil changes in town. They did the set low price, oil changes for 29.95 sort of thing. They got filters from us but they got the ProLine filters which are the lowest of the low in quality. I wouldn't sell one to any of my regular customers, I always recommended the Gold line which are made by Wix. I don’t know who makes the others which exist to pad the shop's bottom line. This way they could advertise a low price yet make decent profit.
kk
-
Chain repair shops and stealerships provide services for a certain segment of the public of which I refuse to be a part of.
-
This is a timely thread. My wife’s Toyota Solara, with the V6 engine, is in need of a timing belt. I call a few Indy shops, and 2 authorized dealers to get an estimate, to change the belt and water pump with new tensioners. The estimates run
from $500. To a whopping $2700. She decided to take it to the local Indy that we’ve supported for many years. His estimate came in at $1150.
I've replaced those V6 belts before. Just the materials can add up because you'll want to use Toyota parts vice aftermarket cheap stuff that won't last as long. You're not just replacing the belt. There are idlers that should be changed, the tensioner, servicing the coolant system you took apart to access the repair....... On my son's vehicle we did the valve cover gaskets, wires, injectors water pump and some other stuff while we were in there. Ran like a dream afterwards! I think he had over $1K in parts that we used. It was ready for another 200k miles.
-
My online regular parts supplier for filters for my Cummins Ram didn't have any in stock. I used Rock Auto in stead. They have a lot of options from el-cheapo to OEM at reasonable prices.
kk
-
IDK......but I believe $90K invested in the U.S. will gain one fast track to citizenship. An acquaintance is a " jerker ", what I call them. The authority to jerk franchises. And he does. e.g.: After paying for the franchise, one guy still did not have that corporate sign up a after over a year.. Another One, the business had a foreigner owner who bought in but did not know shit about the business. Muslim I believe, where the man could not speak English, so all business was conducted thru his wife/interpreter, who was not permitted to look another man in the eye. So the place was run by low paid yahoos in the back.
-
On another note, a friends brother was named manager of one of those auto oil change/muffler shops at 19 yrs old. Other guys mostly just stood around flicking cig butts on each other and jacking around. They were 35 years old. I wonder if they actualy replaced every filter.
-
Chain repair shops and stealerships provide services for a certain segment of the public of which I refuse to be a part of.
100%
If it's not warranty/dealer, I fix it myself. If I can't, then I will only go to a known expert with an honest and competent reputation.
I have on several occasions decided not to repair and just drive it in an imperfect state (if safe) or sell with full disclosure.
-
The pipe leading into the front of the cat on my Murano rusted out near the flange. A new cat was $1200 plus install. I bought an exhaust coupling from Canadian Tire for $10 and welded it in with my crappy flux core box. I was happy to save the money, but I feel bad for people who are stuck paying the big bucks for repairs. There's lots of young families where a $1200 plus, repair is incredibly painful.
Another time, I ruined the ABS sensors getting the front wheel bearings out. A new set of sensors was $400. I bought a set from Ebay for $30 delivered.
Something is not right about all of this.
-
I drive old lumps so over time they get exhaust issues... A pipe cracked by fatigue can be welded but it will sometimes break again right next to the weld..If possible, a split sleeve slipped over the pipe and welded will be longer lasting...Shops can be a pain in the ass but so are some customers...You tell them no guarantee but they will bitch if it breaks again and slam you with bad reviews..
-
I live in the same county as the OP.
Red Run is the "go to" shop for exhaust work around here. My pickup is going there this week. It broke several studs that hold the exhaust manifold to the head. My mechanic said "take it to Red Run, it'll cost less than if I do the work for you." (that's honesty)
I have several friends who have had work done by them and they have been pleased with the work and amazed by the cost. I'm hoping that I have the same experience.
Seems like they have a good business model.
-
I live in the same county as the OP.
Red Run is the "go to" shop for exhaust work around here. My pickup is going there this week. It broke several studs that hold the exhaust manifold to the head. My mechanic said "take it to Red Run, it'll cost less than if I do the work for you." (that's honesty)
I have several friends who have had work done by them and they have been pleased with the work and amazed by the cost. I'm hoping that I have the same experience.
Seems like they have a good business model.
And a brand new building.. Let us know how you make out
.
-
You can tell you are from Lancaster county. If you were from Franklin county the title would have read "Almost got tooken"
If you're from the SE area of PA, mainly Philly. It would be "Youse guys got took." The more literate ones would be "Youse guys got taken." :boozing:
-
This is a timely thread. My wife’s Toyota Solara, with the V6 engine, is in need of a timing belt. I call a few Indy shops, and 2 authorized dealers to get an estimate, to change the belt and water pump with new tensioners. The estimates run
from $500. To a whopping $2700. She decided to take it to the local Indy that we’ve supported for many years. His estimate came in at $1150.
What year is the Solara?
Toyota Solara Timing Belt Or Chain
Model Years Engine Option Timing Belt Or Chain Interference Or Non-Interference
2002 to 2008 2.4L 4 Cyl. timing chain interference
2004 to 2008 3.3L V6 timing belt non-interference
1999 to 2003 3.0L V6 timing belt non-interference
1999 to 2001 2.2L 4 Cyl. timing belt non-interference
-
Tom, it’s a 2008, with the V6.
What year is the Solara?
Toyota Solara Timing Belt Or Chain
Model Years Engine Option Timing Belt Or Chain Interference Or Non-Interference
2002 to 2008 2.4L 4 Cyl. timing chain interference
2004 to 2008 3.3L V6 timing belt non-interference
1999 to 2003 3.0L V6 timing belt non-interference
1999 to 2001 2.2L 4 Cyl. timing belt non-interference
-
Timing chain. Just change the engine oil. I have a 2005 Camry 4 cylinder with timing chain. Co-worker has a 2006 Camry w/4 cylinder. Timing chain. The other co-worker has a Honda CRV. She got told that she'd need the timing belt changed. I did some research and told her that she had a timing chain and the dealer was trying to mess with her.
-
I live in the same county as the OP.
Red Run is the "go to" shop for exhaust work around here. My pickup is going there this week. It broke several studs that hold the exhaust manifold to the head. My mechanic said "take it to Red Run, it'll cost less than if I do the work for you." (that's honesty)
I have several friends who have had work done by them and they have been pleased with the work and amazed by the cost. I'm hoping that I have the same experience.
Seems like they have a good business model.
Ugh!! exhaust studs! if I was your mechanic I would persuade you to go to another shop too! one of the most pain in the a$$ jobs there is!
-
Tom,
Thanks, but it’s a 2008 with the V6. Mine has the timing belt.
Timing chain. Just change the engine oil. I have a 2005 Camry 4 cylinder with timing chain. Co-worker has a 2006 Camry w/4 cylinder. Timing chain. The other co-worker has a Honda CRV. She got told that she'd need the timing belt changed. I did some research and told her that she had a timing chain and the dealer was trying to mess with her.
-
Reread the chart I posted. Y'ep on the belt. Ugh.
-
I got my truck back from Red Run Exhaust today. It appears that they did the job right and for a reasonable price. Their labor rate is about half what the dealers charge. I'll use them again if I need exhaust work.
:thumb:
-
I live in the same county as the OP.
Red Run is the "go to" shop for exhaust work around here. My pickup is going there this week. It broke several studs that hold the exhaust manifold to the head. My mechanic said "take it to Red Run, it'll cost less than if I do the work for you." (that's honesty)
I have several friends who have had work done by them and they have been pleased with the work and amazed by the cost. I'm hoping that I have the same experience.
Seems like they have a good business model.
I used to live by a shop that was like that. They did anywhere from great, ot good work depending on what you wanted. Ive gotten great systems made, and installed for a fair price, and Ive had old junk patched together for less then I could buy the parts for and do myself. I live 45min away now, and I still bring stuff there if I need some good "I got to get one more year out of this" work.