Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire $54.95 to change brake light bulb!

Had the oil changed on my Frontier the other day. The stealership texts me saying that my driver side brake light is out and that they could replace it for $54.95...........had to pass on that deal. Stopped by O'Reillys bought 2 for $8. Dropped the tail gate, took out 2 bolts, removed the tail light assembly, replaced bulb. Took all of 5 minutes. Makes me wonder how many would have them do it?

Add on sales, it's a thing.

Women. And millenials.

Shop rate is probably 125 dollars or a bit more.


You think they should do it for free?

Stealerships have been doing that for as long as I can remember. That said, they do have their purpose. I call the parts dept anytime I need a part number to cross reference and buy somewhere else.

Sheesh.

Yep, they hand the keys to the Walmart service department and go shopping. Have no idea what goes in their vehicle, what kind of filter or even if the oil and filter were changed. With my state truck I caught different dealers and oil change places doing things like just getting the oil over the add mark, missing grease fittings, just outright lying. No telling what viscosity or brand of oil comes out of those bulk tanks. Only the cheapest no name filters or a name you've never heard of.

buys boots from Cabela's , wears them for a hunt then returns them.....bob

If you didnt know about, a least thank em for not letting you get a ticket or a trip to the judge to prove repair.
Gawd imagine a tail light being a gateway for Porky’s brother the sheriff to bust out the rest of your lights. 💀

But…I bet someone like partsman would take a bite on something like that. And people who over use the ignore feature. 😱

This - along with 1/4 hour minimum charge - yeah, 54 bucks makes sense. Not for me but how they got to the number.

JIm: That's rather steep for oil changing, greasing, light bulb replacement. Our JiffyLube was using work release prisoners and they actually were the best at getting things right. The minimum wage per hour oil changers were screw ups.

Be thankful you’re able to do it yourself. Many can’t so have to pay.

Another question is who goes to a dealer for an oil change? I don’t do it myself anymore, but I sure as Hell don’t let a dealership anywhere near my vehicle except at gunpoint.

They got the number from the flat rate book.

Fortunately, due to some will power and acquired skills, we have never been subject to dealer shop charges or even most mechanic services. But, that world is real - the businesses exist to make the profit, and to maximize that when they can.

If you don't need or care for caviar - don't buy it. If you can't shine your shoes or don't wish to do so, wear them scruffy or pay someone to shine them. But, why knock the guy who has formed the business to do what others will not or cannot?

I think capitalism is in there somewhere.

The Ford 460 gas engine in the F-350 I just bought got a Walmart oil change before I picked it up in Cincinnati- - - - -15.6 quarts of the wrong oil! That's what a Powerstroke Diesel gets for the same year and chassis. Then they checked and adjusted the tire pressure- - - - -34 PSI in tires designed for 60.

2 yrs ago Jeep wanted $600 to change a headlight bulb.

Appreciate the heads up on the bulb being out but damn, $50 for a 5 minute repair is more like $600/hr..........

......as far as being sympathetic and making excuses for a car dealership - well, that's just not going to happen.

Then don't biotch about $50 aspirin in a hospital?

Our Toyota Highlanders have adaptive headlights that swivel to look around corners at night. VERY nice feature, but it means that only the dealer can replace headlight bulbs (fortunately they're LED) and I'm told it runs upwards of $500. For one.

Have you stopped to take a look at what the labor rate is? Most shops around here are north of $150 these days. The shop I run is $180. Chit isnt cheap anymore

Makes sense on some jeeps. They blow to change out and flat rate books show 2-4 hrs depending on model

They probably forgot to add disposal fee too.

And I bet the book tells the tech to disconnect the battery before doing such "electrical" work.

I'd never pay it but I get how they got to 54 bucks. Flat rate's prob 3/10 of an hour, so that's 18 mins, 48 in labor, 6 bucks for the bulb. (local powersports dealer is 160 an hour so I think 160 is prob the neighborhood the shop rate is)

They take advantage of the ignorant and the old.

It's fine to complain if that is needed, or if it helps you feel better. But, when you put yourself into a system, you deal with the systemic. The entire med care/insurance scheme is beyond ridiculous and far from capitalistic- a condition that our society has enabled and supported - so far. It will take more than complaining to correct that one.

And women, and girly men.

seeing how mechanics around here are $200 an hour just to look at the car, does not surprise me at all

centershot;
Top of the morning to you sir, I hope your part of Idaho is getting a mild winter so far too and you're all well.

When I read the title to the thread, I was reminded of a couple instances from when I was in charge of maintaining the equipment and vehicle fleet for a mid sized local construction company.

The boss' wife drove a Mercedes SUV - a diesel so maybe a 450? I want to say it was a 2016-2018 model maybe?

Anyways, she brought it to me one day to see if I could look into a burned out taillight bulb on the passenger side.

When I took a look initially, I couldn't figure out how they'd managed to hold the taillight assembly in.

If memory serves I had to go in through the back and remove an access cover in the storage area at the back, but when I got that cover off I saw what looked like a medium sized computer which was directly in front of the bulb holding assembly.

Since I had no idea what would happen if I disconnected the computer and had no way of re-flashing or rebooting the thing, I put the cover back on, informed the lady and then called a local shop which specialized in German cars.

They did the job alright, but charged here something close to $1500 because of the labour to do the computer removal and reboot, etc.

The second instance was the first time one fine but chilly BC winter day the dash on our '03 Dodge pickup informed me that I needed to replace a taillight bulb.

Easy enough I thought, but since the pickup doesn't fit into our car garage at home I had to work at it outside. When the taillight assembly screws came out and nothing moved - at all - I had to resort to reading the owner's manual.

In there they informed the gentle reader that one "should not and could not" remove the taillight assembly if the ambient temperatures were even close to freezing as one risked breaking the plastic pins which were what was holding the silly thing so firmly in place.

For the life of me I can't recall exactly how it was I warmed it up enough to pull that assembly very carefully straight out, but I do recall complaining loud and long to my wife afterwards how some engineer somewhere - likely in Mexico where the truck was assembled - built something that couldn't be worked on outside for half the year.

Now if we started a thread on changing headlight bulbs, I'd have another story about that same truck and might admit to how many hours it took me to find that one hidden screw which nobody in the YouTube videos I watched managed to mention...

Not that I'm bitter mind you, not much...

All the best to you all this Christmas Season.

Dwayne

Doctors have it easy- - - - -only two models to work on, and no changes for at least a thousand years. They also get to bury their mistakes. If you want to bitch about what a mechanic charges, do your own repairs. Don't bitch about farmers with your mouth full, and crawl under your house and unclog that schiddy sewer pipe while you're at it!

Women.

Stealership…. Lol

As reported by several people above, fixing things on cars today is no longer a screwdriver and wrench deal. Cars are intricate and require specialized training to do what seems like simple things. Or stuff gets broken, and then you can be really deep in parts and labor. It is better and cheaper in the long run to let the experts do it - even if it seems like a simple job but turns out not to be.

On many FWD vehicles now, you have to drop the engine to change the spark plugs. That's just one example.

And I'll call you out as a first class A-hole.

I used to love when a customer would come back and complain that I didn't grease their front end during a LOF and then gladly show them how retarded they are because their vehicle doesn't have zerk fittings. Or the [bleep] that insisted in looking over your shoulder while you worked. "Accidently" dropping the oil filter into the roll around drain pan would throw oil onto their clean shirt.

Why?

Why do you think it's ok to make a parts guy look up all the part number for you when you have no intention of buying them? They're usually on commission and you're taking time away from them that they could be doing a job that actually pays.
I don't begrudge anyone for wanting to save money, but if that's your goal, then do your own dam work and figure out what you need yourself. Would you call a lawyer and expect him to give you free advice so you could represent yourself in your own trial? Or call a realtor to look over your house sale that you're doing yourself and not expect to pay them?

You guys are forgetting the charge for "shop supplies", you know the two disposable shop towels for the mechanic to wipe his hand on = $50.00 thank you so much.

Imagine that......a repair shop that wants to charge a customer to repair something. And to make matter worse they actually quoted a price to do it in advance.
Shocking I tell you, absolutely shocking.

I wonder how many parts people I've put into the welfare system calling and talking to them for 5-10 minutes every few years. 🤣😂

got $300 to change a fuse once... felt like a Doctor for a day...

Some folks believe anything mechanical or electrical is pure magic and think the dealership is the only place to get it repaired.

I could have built my own house, but preferred to earn the money doing something I actually knew more about and paying a professional with that money.

Life is full of options. Personally, I prefer to work on our vehicles myself, but can understand why many people don’t.

Shop supplies is usually calculated as a % of the labor unless they use the entire thing, like a whole tube of RTV - that's itemized on the parts bill. Covers the small consumables you can't charge for - like a squirt of PB Blaster or a couple zip ties.

That. I change oil myself, then I know exactly what kind of oil goes in it.. And I sure wouldn't take it to any such place as a 'Jiffy Lube'... Way too many horror stories re: JL...

Opposite for me.

I like working on houses.

Can't stand working on vehicles

Will gladly take my Ford to the dealership for the works package, oil change, tires rotated, etc. Hell yes, if there are bulbs out, go ahead and change them too.

Can I change oil? Yup.

Would I prefer to pay to have it done? Fugg yes

Sure sign of a democrat. Wanting something for nothing.

Never got any free advice? Here's some, gfy.

Did you add in the hourly rate for the trip you made to the parts store and time home again. Nope. Didn’t think so. A reputable dealer is good for everybody.
Like one guy said. Two bears and a cop stop and you could easily pay the dealership to change the bulb. Edk

To the smart guys in here bicthing about what it costs to fix a modern vehicle, i would love to see some of you diag and repair and actual issue on there cars. These things are so far above what the far majority of the public can do. The country has a serious shortage in folks who still wish to turn wrenches and things have become very specialized. Hey im always hiring good techs where i work if any of yall want to put your money where you mouth is lol

We do NOT give out part numbers to the public. You would get nowhere here

Wanted 39.95 to Clean (wash) the top of my battery last time I had it in for service.

As long as a guy had 2 bear tags I wouldn't think he'd get a fine.

Get a ladder, you’re on a high horse.

We’re not talking about splicing the wiring harness here, we’re changing a lightbulb. Changing oil. You know, stuff you learn n high school shop class. If you’re using the same guy to do oil changes as diagnosing an engine bus diagnostic, you’re doing it wrong.

All this gee whiz stuff costs tons of money to fix if it breaks. Chevy still has problem with lights I suppose. Dealers are expensive.

You should give the dealership a tip since they had to tell you your light was out. Wonder how many people can’t figure that out on their own.

When I was in parts, we'd occasionally swap the last 2 digits of the part number around for the freeloaders on the phone.....accidentally of course.

People here are funny…

Griping about the charge for a lightbulb replacement like it exists in a vacuum.

Did he not have to purchase tools do do this repair? $$

Did he not have a shop to perform this repair? $$

Does he not pay rent/insurance/maintenance etc for this shop?$$

Is it ok if the mechanic actually makes any money to support his family?

HAHA, thats actually pretty awesome!

Like everything else, a few crooked dealers and repair shops make everybody look bad and make customers question even legit repair charges.

Guess it's human nature. Ever get shorted at the butcher?

I had a vehicle with 40,000 miles. I performed all the manufacturer recommended oil changes, eng, tranny, transfer, axles, bearings, lube, filters, and changed something electrical that I dont' recall, but the computer needed reset.

Took it to the dealer, got reset after 2 hrs they present me with this compiled list that my vehicle needs for only $1000. Everything on the list I had just completed.

No high horse here, its called reality. I understand what the worth is of a great technician. Im not talking changing light bulbs. Too many people bitch and moan on a daily basis about what this stuff costs. Its tiresome. Like I said, if its so easy, we wouldnt be scheduling out 2 months in our busy season

I do it daily. But I usually juggle the numbers up even more so even I couldn't figure out what they want if they called me back.

Had the 24 month service on our 2022 Sienna done 3 weeks ago... Oil change, inspection, tire rotation...

$311

No charge for us... but for the average Joe/Jane it is damn expensive.

Quite a thread - revealing of modern vehicles, maintenance/repair practices and human nature.

Vehicles and maintenance/repair practices sure have changed a bunch since 1955, and so have the percentages of those who do their own.

Human nature - very little change.

I've always been grateful for my father and all those years he spent teaching us about everything from how to diagnose and repair our power toys and vehicles to how to build your own home.

Every time I drive by a auto repair shop and see a brake job advertised as being a bargain at a price that just staggers me I feel for those less fortunate than I that are out there saving up money so they can eventually get the brakes repaired on their car.

It's not that I think the costs are unjust, I've just never been down that road having to pay someone else to fix my stuff.

I'm not a pro mechanic by far but even at my advanced age I can still drop the transmission outta my truck and replace the clutch the pilot bearing and rebuild the hydraulic clutch assist.

Brakes, bearings and oil changes are easy stuff that should just consume a part of your morning.

A guy should be able to change his oil in less than 30 minutes.

Even for those that didn't have a father that was as talented as mine in those trades we have the internet to research and learn what we don't know.

Everything is YouTube, the right and the wrong ways to do things, if you choose to use it for that instead of just sitting around on your ass being social media addicts and complaining about how much you have to pay because your a lazy fu_cker and don't do your own work.

I gotta neighbor nearby that's a Polio victim and wheelchair bound yet I see him out with his hammer and skilsaw doing carpentry work around his property.

I have a retired preacher friend that's in his early 90s call me not long ago and asked me to stop by when I could he needed help.
He wanted to do some brush hog work and he couldn't lift the 5 gallon can of diesel he'd bought up to the filler cap on his tractor.

By the time I got there he was doing the brush hog work, he told me he couldn't lift the fiver but had no problem lifting two 2 1/2 gallon cans...

You just gotta keep the inspiration and not get frustrated with your possible short comings.

When I was a teen ager in 1969 my tail light in my 58 Chev went out.
I started troubleshooting at the brake pedal worked my way through the whole car back to the tail light.
Then I remembered telling myself, "start at the tail light".
I flicked the bulb with my finger and the bulb turned on, indicating it was just oxidation on the contacts.

54 years later, I can still feel the tail light stupidity.

Aa someone that worked as a master mechanic for far too long, heed my advice here.

I've worked all of the places, dealerships, corporate places and privately owned. I've seen the horrors and watched how they operate.

I understand that people take their car to the dealer that corresponds with the manufacturer of their vehicle but thats the worst damn thing you can do. You have guys working flat-rate that are rushing through jobs to get to the next one and many times that tech is the one that brought coffee and donuts to the service writers. Expect higher prices and subpar work.

Then you have the corporate places where the guys work on commission and the managers are pressing the guys to sell so that corporate sees they're making their "numbers." These are hit or miss.

Find a private shop that's know and established where the guys typically get paid hourly. They're not inclined to ràpe you..

Five stars for this post. Experienced all of the above - and sometimes use the 2.5 gallon cans these days. Same kind of grateful. Thanks again, Dad.

Experienced and solid advice - some communities still have such shops, often passed through the family. In the big city areas, I don't know.

Glad to hear someone say what I want to everyday but I don't want to blow my own horn to loudly, just keep wheeling!

.

Bingo. Before I moved to another state, I went to an independent who was a master Toyota mechanic for 25 years, quit the dealership when the new owner screwed employees and customers alike. Very fair prices, didn't oversell, kept his overhead low.

I generally avoid places that advertise on TV. Any idea what TV ads cost? Guess who pays in the end.