Where Do You Get Your Car Fixed?

[bad64chevelle]

Only reason I go to the dealer (mainly when I need something done and I dont have the time to do it) is because my buddy works there, and I get great deals. Alot of times I pay for parts, leave the vehicle and buy him a beer or something after work and it pays for itself. Other times (like 2 weeks ago) I put floor pans in his blazer for him...which will cover something I eventually screw up

[ShitOnWheels]

Originally Posted by Tsar

Well I dunno how much Hyundai techs charge per hour, but most likely its nothing close to 60 bucks an hour, or do they? I've never been there. From my dealership experiences, they (dealers) usually charge 85 - 100 bucks an hour, seems high to me, so I go elsewhere.

I buy all the parts from summit racing, they are routinely cheaper than parts from the dealer. But hey of you are happy with the work, and you have the money than who am I to tell you where to go.

I think it was $70 an hour for labor, but not positive. Which, when you consider how long it would take James (regardless of whether he had help from more knowledgeable people), and how much I"d be spending on renting a car and paying for extra parts when he messes up, it's actually cheaper for us. My feeling is we're lucky with this dealer, but I"m happy with them.

Obviously if this were a race car or something I probably wouldn't be going to the dealer. But it's a Hyundai.

That's really only for major work though. The minor stuff James can do (brakes, PCV valve, EGR module, replacing exhaust, spark plugs/wires etc), the maintenance stuff he does or I take to the local lube and car wash place (I do know how to change my own oil, I just find it easier to take it in and I get a free car wash as well). Tires we get installed RS Strauss cause it's pretty close to the house. Like I said, it's really just the major/time consuming/complex/electrical type stuff that I go to the dealer for. And occasionally we have purchased parts (spark plugs and wires...the generics we bought that were supposed to work for my car didn't work, so for about the same price we bought 'em through the dealer...egr module and pcv valve have also been purchased through the dealer) for about the same price we could have gotten 'em online or from the local chain store.

[BigAls87Z28]

Most dealers are in the 90-130 range per hour. Very very very few are below 75. If you found a dealer that is about 75 or less an hour...I guess stick with it.

Geine, you have an Elantra right? I looked up an 03 Elantra timing belt replacement, and it was about 2.8 hrs of total labor.

[JL8Jeff]

I added the dealer as an option to the poll since I'm sure there are a few people who do go to their local dealer. I'm not used to owning anything new enough to have a warranty or want to go to a dealer for work.

i do everything myself, unless i dont have the tools or the knowledge in which case i call a friend or take it to JSPerformance

[12secondv6]

Various benz's..... we just get new ones every year

As for her 2002 elantra with 135,000 miles..... I have never changed a timing belt.... for $385, parts and labor through the dealer, it was well worth the money in my opinion. It didn't need it.... just preventative maintenance. I searched online and most dealers charge $550-600 for this....$385 was a steal for us.

As for heater core....she showed up at my work and it had busted a leak... coolant into the passenger cabin. I've had heater cores out in the bird and chevelle and it is a PITA. For $800, well worth the money to have the dealer do it. Since I work long hours.....and do not have a garage.... the dealer was WAY more convenient.

The hyundai dealer we go to is DIRT cheap for labor per hour.... if they weren't, then we would go elsewhere.

Being in the car business for 8+ yrs..... this dealer has blown me away.... I am MORE than happy to spend our money there... I suspect that, due to their impressive service, we will buy a car from them soon.

After building this rapport with the dealer they replacement the exhaust manifolt/ catalytic converter on a 135,000 mile car for free.... yes, free.



Tires - local shop for mounting and balancing.... I don't have a tire mounter or balance machine

I'll do regular maintenance, basic upgrades to the cars, brakes, suspension yada yada yada.

I can't weld..... if you know me.... you would NOT want me to play with fire.... NUFF said!!!!


I also factor in what my time is worth. When I was younger I did more as I was poor...but as I am older....I make more $$$$... my free time is less and less. Taking her elantra to the jiffy lube for $25-30 (with a free car wash) is WAY better for me than doing the oil change at home and disposing the oil. Or the dealer for CHEAP and quality work.... well worth it in my opinion.

Again, since I work in the automotive industry for a luxury brnad.... I am EXTREMELY critical of dealers/ speed shops.

The bird and T/A stick to ECS (in the past) and stage 1

[GP99GT]

on the saturn, i do easy stuff like oil changes, filters, etc...stereo work too. anything more than something simple usually goes to my uncles shop, like when i needed an alternator and a belt tensioner...if youve ever seen the accessory end of a saturn youll know why i brought it there

[String]

Back in the day when i had time I fixed it myself. I still try too but can never get enough free time to do so, so i take it to the local "richmond speedshop" in Pt beach. (sweetbmxrider's shop of horrors) thanks for everything.

[79CamaroDiva]

I do my own oil changes, plug changes, etc. my dad and I typically do routine and not so routine repairs (from brakes up through engine/transmission replacement/repairs). Anything we don't have tools or time for (tires, windshield replacement are the most recent ones i can think of) we take to a local shop less than a mile from the track. Most performance related upgrades that he hasn't tackled before go to his friend that owns a shop in garfield. Diesel truck repairs go to a local truck place. The only time I've used a dealer was to get dealer specific parts, and I only used a chain store when Al made me buy new tires before I drove to VA last fall.

[SteveR]

I do most of my own stuff. For tires on the daily car I have now, I take it to Sears, they have good prices on them. For the few nice cars I had, I took them to a dealer. I wasn't familiar with them myself, and I wanted to make sure it was done right. For major stuff, I always went to my friends shop in Belmar.

[Savage_Messiah]

Everything gets done in my driveway except for tire mounting/balancing and alignments off the top of my head... or anything else id need some fancy tool for that I don't have

[Stevoone]

I do most of the stuff on my cars. Except tires and alignment I usually send over to Steinmans in Burlington City. Also had them weld in the sub-frame in the Trans Am and the owner does pin striping on the side so I had him Pin my truck.

The dealership I work at is up to $97 and hour. Seems like customers only come here if the stuff is warranty or when the last shop they took it to couldn't fix it.

[CamaroGirlie]

The Charger is under full warranty and my first 4 oil changes are free....but after the first 4 oil changes Martin will do it for me.

[Pampered-Z]

Originally Posted by BigAls87Z28

I didnt think anyone went to dealers unless it was for warranty work...

As long as the car has a warranty I take it to the dealer for all service, oil change, tire rotation etc. This way if I ever have a problem I can prove all the maintenance etc. was done by them! I had problems with my 2000 blazer and when the dealer needed to call the factory rep they had everything concerning how the car was taken care of down to every oil change and even down to having a tail light bulb replaced. When we invoked the Lemon Law I had zero problems and they even credited my for all the maintenance done to the car. After driving the car for 19 months I received full credit for everything I had paid on the 2000 minus $500 wear~n~tear.

Parts like oil, filters, small stuff I buy from auto stores, larger items I buy from the dealer: alternators, sensors etc. having 5 GM cars I get to know the parts man quickly and I get almost everything at their prices now. When I call for a part I give them the part number and they'll order it without me needing to go pay for it first.

I do most of the work myself, unless it requires special tools, like working on the AC, trans rebuilds, other then that I do almost everything myself. What I can't do goes to a local Mechanic, and if he doesn't do it he'll actually direct me someone that he trust.

I tend to keep cars for long times and drive them until the wheels fall off, My last 3 D.D. all had near 200,000 on them, Currently my DD is a 99 GMC Z71 and has 164K on it, I'm probably going to add something to the fleet with better gas mileage and keep the PU for towing the camaro and such.

My wife tends to get tired of her cars and change cars every 3-4 years.

My daughter’s just total then every few year.

[79CamaroDiva]

Originally Posted by Pampered-Z

My daughter’s just total then every few year.

[jims69camaro]

Originally Posted by WildBillyT

I do my own fluids, tires, brakes, plugs+wires; and any repairs that aren't

super difficult (like a steering rack or transmission - even though fear does not drive my motivation (it's all about being able to drive it tomorrow)).

When I do take it somewhere I take it to a private shop, V&P Automotive, Route 9 Bayville, ask for Victor and tell him Jim sent you.

i've had my '69 on his lift, when i was trying to nail down the ignition problem a while back.