May.19.2009 at 12:08 pm | joshua
10,000 miles, one month, sick car
let me preface this post by saying two things; i *heart* this car, and i trust our service center.
we bought our prius twenty months ago, and in that time have put 37,000 miles on it. granted, 10,000 of those have been within the last month, but suffice it to say we really dig this car. in the time we’ve had it, we’ve only taken it to one place to get the oil changed, and that’s at the same dealership we bought it from. yes, i know that usually this is a bad idea. but, we know people there, have a relationship with them, and we feel that the prices have been very fair ($25 for an oil change is cheaper than most places i know.)
ok, so on to the point.
today i took the prius in for the second oil change in five days, and asked for the service department to do a thorough once-over on the car to see what kind of maintanence it might need. i expected that the muffler would have to be replaced (this has been an issue for the past month), and perhaps the tires would need replaced, as well as general 90-100k mile maintanence items. well… here’s the list:
90k mile maintanence :: 459.96 +tax
- lubricate and inspect front suspension
- inspect all belts, hoses, cables, filters
- oil change/filter
- clean and inspect brake system
- rotate tires
- inspect steering system
- repack wheel bearings
- check and adjust engine idle speed
- adjust belts
- inspect tires
- transmission service (replace fluid/gasket, clean filter)
- replace air cleaner
- inspect electrical system
- inspect fuel system
- add KREX oil & fuel additive
- clean and adjust throttle system and body
- replace antifreeze
- replace wipers
- wheel balance
- alignment
- check and replace A/C filter
- road force variance balance
leaking water pump replacement :: $342.99 +tax
cracked serpentine belt replacement :: $123.49 +tax
replace muffler :: $423.98 +tax
replace tires (if needed) :: $150-$200-ish
total: $1550.42 +tax
so uhm, hey… anyone want to buy some art prints? or a kidney?
dude, get a second opinion. i really like toledo auto care on monroe near secor. also, not all this stuff may be immediately necessary.
Yikes!
The biggest issue with all of that is not the parts, but the labor. The dealer will KILL you on labor. If you can find a mom and pop shop that will do this for you, you will save cash.
But, at least it will be ready for the emissions test when you get to Oregon :)
Yikes. I feel your pain on the car repairs.
My wife’s car is currently hanging out in the shop getting about $300 worth of repairs done to it.
My new outlook on life. It could have been worse. Be thankful.
Yeah, if nothing else, get that water pump taken care of. If that goes out while you’re going down the road at 70mph, you’ll have a whole domino effect of problems afterward. Running an engine with no water circulating, even for a few seconds, will cause you much pain and misery.
Dude. I feel your pain! But you’ll still save money on the long term by taking care of your car.