timing belt

Just had Subaru (Heritage Owings Mills) change my timing belt. Cost was $866.00 including a new water pump. What iritates me is that Subaru Towson wanted to charge $1,200 just for the timing belt. Has any heard of anyone charging this kind of money to get this done? The mechanic at Heritage said (my car has 62,000 miles) due to the age of the car (1992) he recommends getting this done now instead of waiting

[dcarrb]

Honestly, you probably cound have found a competent, independent mechanic to do the work less than half what you paid, including parts. In most instances, there's no reason to take your SVX to a Subaru dealership for service. Examples of pricing such as yours serve as a compelling reason to do business elsewhere.

dcb

[Sonar]

Honestly.....I can buy a airplane ticket to US, buy a timingbelt and change it, and travel back to Sweden, and charge you LESS than that!

-Would be cool though

/Sonny

Originally posted by Paul
Just had Subaru (Heritage Owings Mills) change my timing belt. Cost was $866.00 including a new water pump. What iritates me is that Subaru Towson wanted to charge $1,200 just for the timing belt. Has any heard of anyone charging this kind of money to get this done? The mechanic at Heritage said (my car has 62,000 miles) due to the age of the car (1992) he recommends getting this done now instead of waiting

You may just have experienced the "we don't want to touch that thing" syndrome. I know of local garages that will quote high prices on jobs because they don't really want to do them. Unfortunately for us, few mechanics are skilled SVX mechanics. So when they see one coming their way they try to get rid of it by quoting high prices....hoping that you'll get the hint and go elsewhere.


Dave

[dcarrb]

The thing is, any mechanic (even the shadetree variety) who can change a timing belt and water pump on anything can tackle the job on an SVX. It doesn't require a degree. It's all the more insulting that a dealer service department would charge an "exotic" premium for routine servicing of an SVX.

Everyone, it's JUST A CAR.

Find a mechanic who knows what he or she is doing, charges reasonable rates, and most importantly, is happy to have your business. If you luck into that individual at a Subaru dealership, more power to you.

dcb

[SVXer95]

I had the same job plus oil pump, crank and cam seals done for $630 at a Subaru Dealership. You got hosed my friend.

[msvx95]

Well, since I just purchased my used 95 svx, it has about 120K miles on it and really no record of maintenance. I asked for the 120K service and my Subaru Dealer in Cleveland gave me a price of $989.00 (timing belt included with change of fluids, filters, etc.)
I told them to forget it, I don't have that kind of money, especially not after having all 3 O2 sensors replaced for $500.00.

So I'd say you are in the ball park with some prices, but just for the dealer to replace timing belt only for $1200......that's ridiculous!

[Beav]

Funny how they would shy from an SVX coming in for service - dealership mechanics take a 40% hit when they do warranty work, something that I doubt any SVX falls into, considering their age. Currently the sweet spot age for any car is the 7-8 year old range.

Are you sure there weren't any additional parts required, such as a tensioner or idler pulleys? They will run the price up very quickly at $120 or so each.

[SVX-FF]

Originally posted by Paul
Just had Subaru (Heritage Owings Mills) change my timing belt. Cost was $866.00 including a new water pump. What iritates me is that Subaru Towson wanted to charge $1,200 just for the timing belt. Has any heard of anyone charging this kind of money to get this done? The mechanic at Heritage said (my car has 62,000 miles) due to the age of the car (1992) he recommends getting this done now instead of waiting

Hey Paul are you talking Valley Motor Subaru? If so who gave you the quote? They have been doing that to people to get there money from the fire two years ago. I a guy up in Cockysville that will not do you wrong. He is an honest guy.

Steve.

P.S. I grew up in Timonium, Towson, Cockysville, and Hunt Valley.

[dcarrb]

This issue continued to rattle around in my brain after I got home last night, prompting me to dig into the receipt file.

Last April, my guys at Automotive Specialties replaced the timing belt, water pump, thermostat and bypass hose, and cam and crank seals in my SVX. The impetus for having this work performed at 109,550 miles was a leaking seal. Here's the breakdown:

Total Parts: $235.82
Total Labor: $208.00
Shipping, environmental fee, shop supplies, tax, and assorted illegible invoice entries: $39.76

GRAND TOTAL: $483.58

(We all know folks whose monthly car payment is higher than that.)

I made an appointment and asked them to get the parts perhaps a week in advance, then dropped-off the car in the morning and picked it up that afternoon. I did not ask for a quote. Understand, these boys aren't just a couple of bumpkins who work on the cheap in a rickety shed in the holler up behind the house; rather, their shop occupies a prime, downtown corner. What's more -- and this is significant -- mine is the only SVX they've ever seen. I've noticed one other Suby (a Forester) at their shop in over four years, and I drive within sight of the joint every morning on the way to work. They also replaced my rear wheel bearings some 15,000 miles ago; so far, so good.

I'm not posting this to chide anyone for paying more or brag about what a great deal I got. But I do want to drive home a couple of important conclusions:

1) Any skilled mechanic can work on your SVX with good results.

2) There's no excuse for any shop, anywhere, to charge significantly more for comparable work. Even if you add, say, 25% to the above figures for regional cost differences and other variables, the total still comes in at just over six hundred bucks. Shop around.

dcb

[msvx95]

I know most of you do not live in Ohio, but anyone know of a place other than subaru dealerships that can do the same quality of work, but at a cheaper cost of course in my state??

Originally posted by dcarrb


1) Any skilled mechanic can work on your SVX with good results.

2) There's no excuse for any shop, anywhere, to charge significantly more for comparable work. Even if you add, say, 25% to the above figures for regional cost differences and other variables, the total still comes in at just over six hundred bucks. Shop around.

dcb

Keep in mind Darrell that some of the difference in quotes is due to higher labor costs.......some of these shops might be quoting the same amount of hours but charging WAY more per hour, and hence a higher quote. You will also notice a big difference if you find a shop that quotes you based on aftermarket parts versus genuine Subaru parts. There are lots of reasons for different quotes.

Dave

[dcarrb]

You're right, Dave; I do realize that one must expect to pay more in, say, downtown Philadelphia than downtown Deep Step, but reckoned that plus 25% (or minus, for that matter) seemed a fairly generous allowance.

dcb

[SilverSpear]

Originally posted by Paul
Just had Subaru (Heritage Owings Mills) change my timing belt. Cost was $866.00 including a new water pump. What iritates me is that Subaru Towson wanted to charge $1,200 just for the timing belt. Has any heard of anyone charging this kind of money to get this done? The mechanic at Heritage said (my car has 62,000 miles) due to the age of the car (1992) he recommends getting this done now instead of waiting

Man !!!! they are buying a whole SVX for 400 $ !!! changing the timing belt for 866 $$ ??? the timing belt cost is $ 50, what leaves the mechanic with ? $ 814 ?? hehe that's robbery !!!!

Originally posted by dcarrb
You're right, Dave; I do realize that one must expect to pay more in, say, downtown Philadelphia than downtown Deep Step, but reckoned that plus 25% (or minus, for that matter) seemed a fairly generous allowance.

dcb

I completely agree. But one doesn't have to look far to see examples of huge price differences in other types of retail environments. For example, why can Starbucks get away with charging $5.00 for a cup of flavored coffee? Why is pair of GAP jeans $80? Why can NIKE sell a pair of sneakers for $115.00? I'm all for cheap prices and good customer service, but as long as people are willing to pay a premium for what they believe to be a premium product or sevice you are going to see extraordinary prices on otherwise ordinary items.

Dave