Good Grief, who's Karmic wheaties did I pee in? long

[masraum]

A few months back there was a bad scuff on the bottom front corner of my car. Someone had pulled too closely to a curb. It wasn't horrible, but it wasn't good either. We have no idea when/who/how it happened and it doesn't really matter.

So she wanted to get it fixed. At the same time, I suggested that we get the front end and hood painted to fix various rock chips, and had a few other small things fixed or touched up. It was a few grand, but looked great when we got it back.

Then the A/C exploded and it needed its 40k mile maintenance anyway. I was assuming it shouldn't be much more than an oil/filter change and the A/C fix (I used to do maintenance and many/most repairs myself, but we moved into an apt so I'm stuck paying to have them done). I had noticed that one of the CV boots had a small crack, and we had some squeaks from the suspension. I told them to give the car a full check to let me know if they find anything that needs to be done. We went with the full shebang. The A/C fix was really cheap, but the squeaks were all four of the strut top mounts (read lot$$ of labor) and the CV boot ended up being a full half shaft replacement. Then there were the plugs and coil packs. That maintenance was almost double the cost of the paint work. We were shocked at putting out that much money for the car (11 years old, but only 44k miles), but the work was preventative instead of reactive. OK, this is the cost of maintaining a car so it has minimal chance of breaking down.

Less than a week after picking up the car, I noticed that it had a slow leak in one tire (about .5 psi / day). There was a nail or something in the middle of the tread. It took me about a week to setup the appt to get that fixed. The shop found a nail in the shoulder so they couldn't fix the leak (I'm cynical so find myself wondering if that was sabotage or the other alternative is that I picked the nail up on the way to their shop). I didn't have them replace the tires because they'd have had to order them and I now had doubts about them. After that appt, my leak was more like 1.5 psi / day. Due to the ages of the tires and availability etc..., I went with 4 new tires from a vendor used by several folks on the local PCA.

About a month later, we ended up spending $2500 on surgery for our dogs teeth.

Last Fri, on the way to a long weekend getaway, 2 hours into a 3 hour trip, I started having clutch problems. When the clutch was engaging at anything other than an idle, there was a major shudder. I spent the next 4 days ~350 miles idling away from stops with no gas if possible and using no clutch while underway.

I got estimates from both shops (previous work and tires). The shop that did the previous work was about 25% more expensive than the other shop. The other shop's parts prices (where the difference was) were about the same as if I was ordering the parts from Pelican Parts myself. I decided to give the less expensive shop a shot. It's nice to have options, right?

I dropped the car off at the shop that had done the tires as soon as we got back for a full clutch job (clutch, pp, TO bearing, pilot bearing, rear main seal, input shaft seal, dual mass flywheel, clutch release arm, etc...).

Here's where it gets weird. I got a call today, "they noticed that the rear ball joints need to be replaced. That's another $1150."

My thoughts are immediately, "why didn't the last group that replaced a drive shaft and the strut top mounts notice the ball joints and what are the odds that the ball joints are bad with only 45k miles?"

I don't want to think badly of the new shop, but I'm also a little cynical and have seen too many unscrupulous shops for that to not be my first thought.

I called the previous shop and asked them about the ball joints. The guy said "it's possible that we could have missed it but VERY unlikely." He suggested that I tell them not to do the ball joints, then when I get the car back, take the car back to them and they'll check out the ball joints. If they are worn, then they missed them, and they'll do them at cost (not sure I feel right letting them do that, but that's a bridge we'll cross when we get to it).

The good news is that I have a good job and good credit, and we'll be able to pay this stuff off. But good grief, this has been a ton of money spent over a 2-3 month period. The good news is that the car should be pretty solid for quite a while. (which is what we thought a month or two ago after the last work).

We could have darn near bought another nice boxster for what we've spent on this one this year.

[sammyg2]

A small crack on a CV boot turned into a half-shaft replacement on a car with 44k miles?
$2500 fer tooth surgery for a dog?
That's a lot.

I agree on the rear ball joints, get a second opinion or have them show you. Never take their word for it.
That's like handing them a blank check.

[pmax]

Originally Posted by sammyg2

A small crack on a CV boot turned into a half-shaft replacement on a car with 44k miles?

How is your ride ? Industry trend is to turn CV boot into half shaft replacement.

[sammyg2]

My ride is fine, thanks for asking.
And if the industry trend is to rip off customers, that's a shame.
A small crack in a CV boot can go years, decades without causing any problems.

It looks like pelican sells half shafts for around $130.
I'm betting that shop charged quite a bit more than that, not including the half hour of labor.
Maybe a grand? More, less?
For something that might be questionable.
Steve, did you actually see the crack and could you tell us if it was a small crack as described or was it torn and flinging grease?

[Baz]

Whew......very sorry to hear of all these repair/maintenance expenses. But a HUGE thank you for taking care of the puppy's teeth!

Makes me relieved I didn't pull the trigger on that Boxster S I posted in Can'tDrive55's thread!

[masraum]

Originally Posted by sammyg2

A small crack on a CV boot turned into a half-shaft replacement on a car with 44k miles?
$2500 fer tooth surgery for a dog?
That's a lot.

I asked about "why not just replace the boot?"

The explanation that I got seemed reasonable.

We can replace the boot, completely clean the joint, then repack it, then install the new boot. That's a fair amount of labor. Then you're installing an old boot on the other end. We could removed both old boots and clean and repack both joints, install the new boots and then install the axle. All of the labor to get two new boots has then made the whole bill about the same as just installing a new axle where everything is new and factory.

Yeah, he's had teeth removed before and lost 12 this time and is down to only 12 teeth left out of 42 (he's 14). He had a couple of abscesses. They removed 12 teeth, and a small bump that turned out to be mildly malignant but should only have been local (no metastices(sp)) and had a biopsy of the bump and some bone and gum tissue. It required a general anesthetic. I've been brushing his teeth since the last time we spent a ton to have teeth removed. He's just got bad genetics for teeth. My mom had his brother who never had a tooth problem.

This is a dog that we're going to spend what we have to spend to keep him healthy and comfortable.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by sammyg2

My ride is fine, thanks for asking.
And if the industry trend is to rip off customers, that's a shame.
A small crack in a CV boot can go years, decades without causing any problems.

It looks like pelican sells half shafts for around $130.
I'm betting that shop charged quite a bit more than that, not including the half hour of labor.
Maybe a grand? More, less?
For something that might be questionable.
Steve, did you actually see the crack and could you tell us if it was a small crack as described or was it torn and flinging grease?

I saw the crack before I took the car in and told them about it ahead of time. It was a small crack/tear (1/4-1/2") with a thin ring of grease being flung out.

I think you're looking in the wrong spot for axles for my car on Pelican Parts.

[masraum]

What REALLY set me off about the ball joints from the new place (besides that the other place didn't mention them) is that when I told them "just do the clutch" they said "ok, that's fine, I understand, but we'll have to get you to sign a waiver that you understand that it's a safety issue when you pick up your car."

Sign a waiver? Sound like hard sell tactics to me. They had a great price on tires, but I don't think I'll ever go back.

"How much will the ball joints be?"
Well, the uppers are $300, the lowers are $550
OK, so $850?
Yeah, and then the labor is $300.
OK, so $1150
Yeah, and then a lifetime alignment would be $299.
so the total would be $1450?

And now I feel like borderline crooks are working on my car and I'm wondering what they might do to it to try to drum up future business before they give it back to me.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by Baz

Whew......very sorry to hear of all these repair/maintenance expenses. But a HUGE thank you for taking care of the puppy's teeth!

He's my wife's baby (and mine as well, especially since our other pup passed 2 weeks ago). He's had $3500 surgery on his back when he was much younger. (dachshunds are known for back/bone issues)

He's had plenty of money spent on his teeth before too. I've been brushing his teeth since the last tooth issue that he had (trying to prevent future issues)

Now we're trying "Oravet" on the few teeth that he has left, and I'll be monitoring his teeth like a hawk. We may go to more frequent cleanings too.

And their mouths are super important to their health. If they get infections, they can lead to other health issues.

[Sooner or later]

Originally Posted by masraum

We could have darn near bought another nice boxster for what we've spent on this one this year.

And then the new Boxster would need paint, a/c, tires, coil packs, half shaft, ball joints, clutch, and then the surgery on your teeth due to all the gnashing...

[wdfifteen]

Sorry to hear about your string of bad luck. Things have to smooth not now, right?

[fastfredracing]

Yep the axle thing is just how it is now a days. Call Advance Auto Parts tomorrow and ask them for a cv boot for your silverado/honda/volkswagen . They will only have some el cheapo glue together universal pos for it . They will have to order the boot,and it will be $25.00 but they will have an axle in stock for $69.95. with a lifetime guarantee .
I used to do a ton of cv boots, and replacing the inner and outer joints . I liked that work, I rarely do them now .
i would re boot a rear drive Porsche or BMW axle in the right situation however .

[Jims5543]

Originally Posted by masraum

What REALLY set me off about the ball joints from the new place (besides that the other place didn't mention them) is that when I told them "just do the clutch" they said "ok, that's fine, I understand, but we'll have to get you to sign a waiver that you understand that it's a safety issue when you pick up your car."

Sign a waiver? Sound like hard sell tactics to me. They had a great price on tires, but I don't think I'll ever go back.

"How much will the ball joints be?"
Well, the uppers are $300, the lowers are $550
OK, so $850?
Yeah, and then the labor is $300.
OK, so $1150
Yeah, and then a lifetime alignment would be $299.
so the total would be $1450?

And now I feel like borderline crooks are working on my car and I'm wondering what they might do to it to try to drum up future business before they give it back to me.

I want to know if the ball joints are indeed bad.

I had this issue with a Toyota Stealership I took my first FJ Cruiser to.

Every damn time I went there for my oil changes (I purchased a service package) they told me my tires we wearing wrong and I needed an alignment, I kept telling them next time.

I put that FJ up for sale, it was sold with a deposit, I told them I would take it in for one last oil change before they took delivery.

This time I felt obligated to fix the alignment. I told them I wanted a print out to give to the buyer.

When I got the print out, my toe on one front tire was out of spec 0.01°. Everything else was within spec.

I stood there looking at the print out blinking and trying to not lose my temper.

I asked them how they could see abnormal wear on my tires when only one component of the alignment was out of spec such a small amount that it was immeasurable and probably could be fixed with a proper hammer strike?

I got an non answer.

I never went there again, well I sold the FJ but I purchased another one a year later and now it needs some service beyond my pay scale (I think it needs rear wheel bearings) so I am looking for an indy shop. I will never go back to that stealership again. I had a good run, 180K miles without a major problem this is my first, this truck owes me nothing.

Pleas let us know how this plays out I am truly curious.

[mattdavis11]

Same one I did, I guess.

The wife's car hasn't even been looked at by an adjuster and it's totaled. Send pictures, or decide if we should total it. Uninsured motorist claim. 1 month behind because of the "process" to find out whether the at fault driver was insured.

Son was rear ended as well, 3 days later, it's gone, but drive-able.

My DD is under going trans replacement surgery now , but come to find the dismantler cut the kick down cable/ throttle cable. Pan off, tubes removed.

I'll get to it shortly. It is what it is, and it's no fun sometimes.

[masraum]

Oh yeah, I'll let you guys know what happens. I waver back and forth between just pick up the car and never go back or pick up the car and explode on them (OK, I don't really have a temper and my explode would probably be more of a fizzle).

many, many years ago, I lived in an apt, and didn't have any of my tools and couldn't do any major work myself due to space and availability. I took my car to a Pep Boys thinking "at least they'll have a 1-800 number to corp that I can call and complain which will get me some relief if there's a problem." (that was a bad assumption).

My car lost a timing belt. Only car, had to get fixed quick, etc.... Took it to pep boys. They gave me an estimate, parts would be $50, etc.... I can't remember what the total was, but let's say it was $300. They call the day that I'm supposed to pick up the car "the car's running really bad, you should get a full tune up for $300." Me - "what's that include?" Them - "plugs, wires, air, oil, fuel filter." "Me - "No way. The car ran perfectly, and that's not more than $45 worth of parts. Just put it together, I'll come get it."

So I get there and they reiterate that there's a problem. Not only that, but the parts were $80 instead of $50 and then they charged me something silly like $5 for a single spark plug. I didn't want to deal with it so I paid and drove off in the car. It does almost immediately start running like ass. I see that the AC is on, so I turn it off. The car immediately smoothes out. I turn it back on and bam, vibration. So I turn it off and drive home with no issues. I get home and see that the mounting bolts for the AC compressor are so loose that I can see 1/4" - 1/2" of threads between the head and where the head should be. I tighten the bolts up (I had a few tools) and by that point, I'm fuming. THe car now runs perfectly, no vibration. I had to fix their crap and felt like I was getting royally screwed. I drive back up there and ask for the manager. I tell him that I need a refund. I try to live by the "catch more flies with honey than vinegar." I explain to the manager that I used to work in a retail parts place (we didn't do repairs, just sold parts). I told him that I'd love to give him the benefit of a doubt and that it could have been an honest mistake, but it was seeming really, really unlikely and far more likely that they were intentionally trying to defraud me. I explained that they tried to charge me $300 for something that I fixed by finishing the repair that they'd done (tightening the bolts). I told him that I'd paid the bill because I just wanted to get out of there, but that the ONLY way that they'd have had to charge me for a spark plug was if their guy had broken the plug while they were working on my car, and it's not my problem and I'm not paying for their problem. I also felt like the price difference in the timing belt parts had also been their problem in light of the other intentional fraud and I wasn't going to pay for that either.

They did refund me the cost of the plug and a few bucks off of the cost of the other parts (I think that probably was a mistake due to incompetence, not malfeasance). I never went back.

[UncleRay]

Sorry to hear of all the issues of things going wrong or breaking. I went through a recent string of bad luck. Fortunately for me it has ended. You've heard of the Midas touch where everything you touch turns to gold. Well, I had a bad case of the barnyard touch where everything I touched turned to $hit.....

[masraum]

Originally Posted by UncleRay

Sorry to hear of all the issues of things going wrong or breaking. I went through a recent string of bad luck. Fortunately for me it has ended. You've heard of the Midas touch where everything you touch turns to gold. Well, I had a bad case of the barnyard touch where everything I touched turned to $hit.....

Yeah, I think I've caught a case of that. I'm hoping what this means is that when this is done, I'll be prepaid for the next 10 years.

[speeder]

Rein, (decent German brand), sells just the boots for the rear axle. Price from my place is around $8.00 each. Part # is 996 3322 93 00.

There is no way I’d replace perfectly good rear Porsche axles for $1K each if one has a small tear in boot. That’s bananas. With old Mercedes, it gets a little less clear cut because replacement axles are around $100 each. Of course, they are made in someone’s bathtub in Tijuana but still, $100 each.

[fintstone]

Bad luck. Yep...me too. Just closed on an expensive house in the state where my daughter lives (since she was sure she would never move closer). We planned to move there when I retired next year. A week later (last week) she found out she would have to move to the other side of the country for work next summer. Before we would even move in.

[mattdavis11]

We can't end it here.

My DD has had 2 driver side axles fail, no history of the transactions, no receipt, no warranty, same store I purchased from. I still have the box on the newest purchase.

Ground was broken today! Had a great person, "Kathy" at Advance Auto Parts pulls off the unthinkable. She found the sale, but it took time, maybe 30 minutes. No less than 4 store Mgrs, and 1 corporate officer tried, but failed. She did it, and I spoke with her superior afterwards in high praise.

Moving in a better direction now.