There is no world where replacing a starter for an old japanese car costs $600. Let's agree on that premise.
When my wife's car broke down, she called AAA and asked the driver for a AAA approved auto shop. That's the first mistake, you have to ask the dispatcher on the phone. The driver sent her here, which is not approved. This was Friday. Saturday she gets a call quoting $360 to fix the starter, including a $200 part. When I tried to ask about the cost of this part for a 2003 eclipse, I got pushback about the integrity of an $100 part and decided to back out off my wife's business. I estimated this job should have been about $100 for the part and $200 in labor, so $360 wasn't so bad and hey maybe AAA approved shops are a little more for a guaranteed job.
Tuesday I drive her to work to pick the car up at 8am. We're informed by Cedric that there is a secondary issue with oil dropping onto the starter which is what shorted out the first one and caused this problem in the first place. I found it interesting that we didn't hear about the problem before this work was done, because although I can understand the argument for a more reliable part, installing it with known danger and a prior cause seems at best STUPID and at worst, a built in reason to charge double for labor to open the car up again at a later date. We were warned to get that fixed pronto and quoted $400 for the repair.
Cedric then spent a good 15 minutes at the computer working up a bill for us. My wife was late for work and there was another delivery man who was waiting on Cedric to finish messing with the numbers until we got our bill. Cedric was very proud to tell us that we got $40 AAA discount plus $100 off. I'm not sure I've ever waited this long to just pick up a car and have someone get me a bill. Now, I realize we got taken for a ride (pun intended) and Cedric was fudging our bill.
The bill lists we paid $218 for a remanufactured starter, and the only other listed charge was for "car will not turn over" no hourly labor breakdown, but I'd say two hours at $100 is reasonable.
All in all, the bill came to $460 with 'generous' discounts of $140 which means this car cost $600 to replace with a remanufactured starter and the problem that broke the first starter is still present.
In the history books of mechanic scams and taking advantage of women who may be in a hurry to get to work and in a jam to get their car fixed, this takes the cake. I called AAA immediately, at which point they told me this shop wasn't on their list...
So, I'm my book, any mechanic I've never dealt with has more credibility than this one. Congratulations on taking advantage. The other reviewers here must have dealt with someone else or maybe they were purchased reviews. This one is real. read more