Dealer Clutch Replacement: Only $5328.24
 

Not that anyone on this forum would fall for it, but I just met someone who one of the local SoCal Honda dealers charged $5328.24 to replace her clutch. I couldn't believe it when I found out, as I've never heard of anyone getting ripped off that hard before. Set a new record for the stories I've heard. I still can't believe things like that aren't illegal. She ended up borrowing money to pay it and had to sell her car to pay off the loan. Something to keep in mind before going to any Honda dealerships.

Never heard of anything like this before. It mMakes me curious- what's the worst you've ever seen someone get ripped off by a dealer franchise?

http://semiarbitrage.com/images/s2k/clutch.png

god damn ridiculous.
darcy

I was quoted over $US3000 for a replacement catalytic converter for a K20A a few years ago. Fortunately they're not required here, so I just went with a custom 4-1 header instead. :P

That's straight bullshit. I'd seriously get a printed invoice from her and plaster that shit all over Facebook and various other media websites. Everyone knows dealers are more or less a rip-off, and even experienced people in a jam bite the bullet for jacked-up labor and parts cost; but that is straight up predatory upcharging on someone who probably doesn't know any better...Unless there were serious other issues attributed with the clutch replacement that's just ridiculous. Many a time posting badly about a dealership screwing you around gets almost immediate favorable results.

I remember one guy who left his brand new WRX at a Subaru dealership for service....Apparently one of the service techs was using the car to commute to his home & to school or something, because the kid hit a deer and ended up totaling the car, and the owner found college textbooks inside of the car when he went to inspect it at the dealership after they notified him. At first they weren't willing to compensate him at all for it and tried to get him to file it as an insurance claim or something of the sort, but after posting it on various forums and social media sites and it finally getting to Jalopnik and other online mags they quickly changed their tune and replaced the car with a brand new one; funny how that works huh?

Or that other girl that supposedly had a handshake deal for a brand new FK8 Civic Type R, for a set cost. Her car came in and the dealer tried to jerk her around and say they didn't agree on the original price they were trying to sell it for, or some shady bullshit regarding thousands of dollars in ADM...Long story short, same result: posted to various social media sites/forums, got an article on Jaolpnik & other online mags...guess who got their car for the price they agreed upon originally? Yup.

Wow, thanks for reinforcing why I never get work done at dealerships.

I love my local dealership's service dept and I trust them. Been going to them about 6 or 7 years now. Their prices are pretty reasonable and they only let one dude touch it, who also has an S2000. All of the work is warrantied which gives me peace of mind as well. Clearly not all dealerships are created equal, even though they all carry the Honda name. They specifiy their own prices and all have totally different management/staff/policies/prices. I think it's important to find someone you trust and has reasonable rates, whether it's a mechanic or a dealership.

Recently I had an Urge Unicorn header installed and valve cover replaced for like $600. (i supplied parts)

Their real money maker is the parts department, so I just go in there with the exact parts and have them do the labor. Majestic or Hondapartsnow has much better rates.

Dude I paid $300 for the following:

-Engine/trans mounts replaced
-Header/cat/catback to be installed

I know I could have found some other mechanic or local shop to do it for much cheaper, but I don't trust anyone in the area enough. I trust this dealership that has been servicing major components on the car for most of the time I've had it. I'm willing to pay a slight premium knowing its Honda and warrantied work. But I'm saying those numbers I provided aren't wildly inflated for the work involved. Lookup average header install costs. You just got a great deal. Obviously it just comes down to the hourly rate of the mechanic/shop. The hours involved shouldn't be that far off unless the guy is trying to overly pad his time... And that comes back to trust.

What's the name and phone number of this dealer? Someone may want to make a call. ;)

I have a copy of the invoice, but since it's her transaction and her business, I'm not getting into it. I did email Honda to see what their response is but haven't heard back.