I feel like my wife got taken advantage of by the dealer for a remove and replace of an unnecessary part.

Her 2015 Fit wouldn't start, I thought it was the starter for how it was acting before. Dealer said it was the battery and the terminal was corroded and needed to be replaced. I was skeptical as you generally can wire brush the corrosion away.

They charged her about $120 in parts for the terminal piece and cable, which is about average (about 45 more than online OEM parts from Majestic), but they charged her 225 in labor for what is about 9 simple bolts.

She brought home the part and it makes me think that they really could have just brushed it off. None of the fuses are blown. The metal isn't in that bad of condition.

Do I just eat it and not go back to the dealership, or should I go complain on her behalf?

 

That's a ripoff!!!

 

live and learn. i would let it go.

 

I would go the Service Manager at the deaership and ask (calmly) why it couldn’t be cleaned and had to be replaced. I would also ask what the Honda book time for the repair is and see if that lines up with the labour charge.

 

I'd be in there the next morning. I had blue fuzz building up on mine. Cleaned it; gooped on some of the battery terminal jelly, and the corrosion has not returned in over 6 months. I'm not sure what causes the buildup in the first place. I always thought it was from minor leaks around the posts. Nonetheless, yes, they were taking advantage of her. Don't let them get away with it.

 

I'm going to go against the flow here. Like it or not repair shops almost never clean something off and put it back. Standard procedure is to replace it with a new part. An air filter is a good example of that. If it's dirty they don't take a compressor and blow it out and then put it back into your car, good for a couple more years. They will always replace it. Sadly, replacing parts is a big profit generator for service departments and as unfair as that might often be to the customer, it is what it is. That's become standard practice virtually everywhere.

You shouldn't blame the dealer for what happened, you should blame yourself. The corrosion on the terminal should have been easily caught by you on a visual inspection. It didn't happen over night. If you had noticed it or bothered to do something about it then this whole issue could have been avoided and the dealer wouldn't have had the opportunity to make a bunch of money for themselves (with their inflated labor rates and inflated parts prices they'll probably be able to justify what they charged - keeping in mind that they had to spend time finding where the problem was to begin with so even if they had gone the route of cleaning the part off instead of replacing it I'm not sure it would have made much difference in the end cost to you).

I've cleaned off and greased a lot of battery terminals on my cars in my time. I've even replaced the odd one that was too far corroded. I can't recall ever having to pay a car mechanic for doing what I consider to be my responsibility in basic car maintenance.

 

tuff luv woof

 

Tough maybe, but I agree with woof. Mine is a 2018, but I assume the battery is in the same position in earlier year models. Those terminals are like a zit on your forehead, you can't miss seeing it.

 

 

haha cant work on his wife car but too good for the dealer. wtf.

 

I disagree that it is like an air filter. An air filter is a disposable item and isn't meant to be cleaned(in most cases). A battery terminal is metal, corrosion builds up and it can be cleaned off and still work the same. They sell wire brushes specifically for battery terminals, it's a normal thing to clean it off.

It would be like going to a dentist and getting a tooth replaced because you had some plaque on a tooth instead of the dentist performing a cleaning. It's not a case of well it's your fault for not brushing your teeth, it's an unnecessary procedure.

They basically replaced it because it's an easy sell to an unsuspecting person.

That being said, I am just going to let it go because what is done is done.

 

yep good call. live and learn.

 

I work with this kid and he was telling me that a couple of weeks ago he paid Honda $1200~ for an oil change, brakes, filter, fluids, radiator flush, and to remove his summer tires and mount his snow tires on the same set of wheels. I showed him some of those things he can do on his own and to buy some cheap steelies so he doesn't have to keep paying for mounting tires every season.

Mechanics know a sucker when they see one. I myself has been one never again. 2-3 years ago I was having issued with bad vibrations after installing new front struts. They said my passenger side axle is leaking and needs to be replaced. Charged me over $2k with labor. Still didn't fix anything. I went to Pep Boys and it turned out to be the driver's side axle. Bought an aftermarket axle for $80 and labor was $300. No problem since.

Live and learn.

 

What's also important is finding an honest independent mechanic, they do exist. I turned my friend to the one I used to use when I lived near him. He recently got quoted a ridiculous amount to replace a wheel bearing on his Infiniti. The place I recommended beat that price by $400 with a phone quote. When they finally did it, it actually came in cheaper as the part ended up being cheaper than they estimated. He's a loyal customer now.

He's over an hour from me, but I've driven that far to get work done because I know the work is done right and it's inexpensive compared to the shops near me.

 

First off they're going to charge list price for the part, not match what someone will discount the OEM part.

Secondly, they charge book time not the actual time to replace the part. Not knowing what the labor per hour is at that particular dealership I'm guessing it's correct?

As far as complaining to the dealership; I'm sure the gave your wife an explanation of what was wrong, gave and estimate of the part and labor and received her OK before replacing the part? The labor rate is usually somewhere visible inside the dealership service department. I'm not sure what you think you have the right to complain about? They're not going to clean or fix a part because if you were to have the same issue again the average person would complain about double labor and the part not being replaced the first time. She knew the labor rate and OK'd the part replacement and it's labor. I guess you could question the book time or ask to see it, but I'm guessing the charged you the correct amount of time?

 

Live & learn. Best keep an eye on that terminal corrosion. Sure seems like a lot of crud build up over 2 years. Baking soda & warm water will clean that off. Also a wire brush is your friend. It doesn't surprise me the dealer replaced the terminal.

 

Talk to service advisor and voice your concerns. If not satisfied as for service manager. If still not satisfied ask to speak to the GM

This is how most service shops make their money, off people who don’t know better and get overcharged

 

I disagree. If they said here are your options:
We clean it, which takes ten minutes and costs thirty dollars, or we replace it for over $300.

Then I imagine if it happened again in a year she might say Well, I got a year out of $30, now I'll spend the money.

I've had battery terminals have corrosion but usually not for several years. Maybe Honda didn't tighten it enough at the factory?

 

also grease it up real well. helps. i forget which brand i use but it's those electronic contact terminal greases.

 

I think it depends somewhat on the climate where you live. If you're in a warn humid location then corrosion in general will be much higher than for someone in a cooler dryer area.