am I wrong here?

My 2003 VUE went in for inspection, with 50K miles on it. I 25,000
miles/year. I asked the manager to do his best to make sure I didn't see him
for the next 25K. I also told him the front brakes felt like the rotors were
warped, but only at turnpike speeds.
He called and said the rotors were very badly warped. I said, "replace
please."
He said the tires would pass but they were not going to get another 25K. I
said replace them.
He said the tranny fluid should be drained and replaced at 50K, with
Saturn's special fluid, for $100; I said, "do it."
He recommended the alignment, and I didn't argure.
Here's the bill:
State Inspection $ 81.05
Front Rotors $ 324.36
Front tires $ 271.70
Wheel Alignment $ 105.79
Transmission Fluid Replaced $ 98.44
Rear Wiper refill and nut cap $ 21.67
plus State tax: $54

So I get the nealry $1,000 bill and say, "you replace the front brake pads?"
He says, "because they had 5/32" left, and passed inspection".
So now the mechanics are going home for the day, I have just used up a
precious personal day to get all this done and won't have a chance to get
the car in again for months. And now, I'm pissed off.
So the same pads that have been getting beat up by badly warped rotors are
still in my car, even though I explicitly and repeatedly told them to
replace anything close to kaput. I never argured or questioned the money.
My conclusion is this: SATURN SERVICE IS OVERPRICED, AND NO ONE GIVES A CRAP
ABOUT WHAT'S IN THE CUSTOMER'S BEST INTEREST.

I'm guessing George Costanza was right, "take my car to a dealer? why don't
I just flush my money down the toilet!"
Scout

 

So I get the nearly $1,000 bill and say, "did you replace the front brake
pads?"
He says, "no ,because they had 5/32" left, and passed inspection".

 

Ummm...Yes George was right.

If you can't/won't/don't want to do the repairs yourself,
find a good local independent guy and get him to do it. He will find good
aftermarket parts, much cheaper than OEM, and his labour rate will probably
be 20% lower at least.

Just my $0.02 worth.

R.

 

Yeah, you're right. I have the extended warranty though, and didn't want to
do anything to upset it.
$1000 dollars for an inspection on a 2 year old - in warranty car seems
high, and ironic. Still, I don't even mind paying when I believe the people
I'm paying are looking out for me and doing quality work.
Plus, since the VUE is being recalled, I had hoped they would do the work
then. Of course, that would have been too easy, they don't have the parts
they need yet for the recall work.
After I picked up the car, and the bill, I realized that the labor charges
were about $600 for 3-4 hours of labor, pretty steep. It made me think about
the inefficiency of their service dept. When I walked in, 1 woman was
sitting and knitting at the billing counter with nothing to do, the service
writer was toying with his computer, the parts counter guy was chewing on a
pencil. The only guy working was the mechanic, and he wasn't able to imagine
new rotors might be a good time to replace brake pads. So 4 people got paid
and still couldn't get it right.
Scout

 

Sorry about your experience. It (the hassle) would have probably been
lessened if your schedule wasn't so tight. I have to use personal time too
to get errands done and it's a bummer when something goes wrong. I'm in a
large city and nothing is too far, it's just the time I'm always short of.

And I used to do the same thing; get whatever the car needed and just pay
the price. Honestly I think the service at my Saturn dealer was better than
today. Today they seem a little leaner in their efforts - still nice folks,
but nothing that says they're going 110%. Maybe it's just perception on my
part.

Since labor rates are about the same at the dealer and at a private shop,
parts can be an area for savings. I did experiment with some aftermarket
parts on my 97 SL2 with some good results. When I just now looked at some
sport rotors for your Vue, they were only $219 pair - and about half that
price for vanilla rotors from something like carparts.com.

It was my experience if I just told the dealer "Ok" it felt like they didn't
think I knew anything, and my visit there was just adding to their revenue
stream. So I had to shift from passive mode to assertive mode and put in my
two cents. I didn't have to argue, I just had to get involved (exactly the
opposite of what I initially expected or wanted to do - now I sorta like
it). I also took in parts purchased elsewhere and had them installed when I
didn't want the OEM. It wasn't uncommon for me to have 4 new tires I bought
from tirerack.com in the back seat, and then drive to the dealer for
installation.

Personally I always do pad/rotors together and I have warped my fair share.
I don't care how much pad is left, they're cheap and I liked to try new or
different formulations too. Typically you can swap or turn rotors and use
the old pads, or get new pads and not turn or swap the rotors.

Sorry for the long thread - basically no service type experience (from car
repairs to vacation cruises) will get it right, the first time, all the time
and every time. And all of them require specific input from the customer if
you want specific results. You may even have to ask they repeat back to you
what they think they heard you say or request. And if your radar goes up,
start asking questions.

 

Thanks for your input. All good points. I guess it's a learning experience.
I've done my own brakes and rotors in the past, but my situation these days
doesn't lend itself well to tearing my car apart. I put both rotors and pads
on my 97 SL2 for $155 (my labor). When he quoted me $324, I figured pads
were an automatic. I paid $75 for both rotors 2 years ago, and even if I
figure their cost at $100, that still leaves $224 for about an hours worth
of labor.
Ah well, I hope they spend the $$ well, it's the last they'll get from me.
Scout

 

You're 2003 Vue (A SUV) is not going to have the same rotors as your 97
SL2 (A small car). OEM rotors for a Vue are around a $150 bucks EACH.
Saturn dealers do not buy aftermarket rotors. Pads should have been
replaced with rotors yes. Why in the world would they think that is an
acceptable practise is beyond me. Improper wear on brake pads means
improper wear on a new rotors.
You can buy aftermarket rotors for $20-$25 bucks each and American made
semi-metalic brake pads for about $30 from Wearever. Anymore OEM rotors
arent worth the hassle. Just buy china made ones and pitch them when you
need new brakes again. Dealerships have to much overhead to price things
fairly anymore. Middle men are the ones killing this country IMO. They
want to get rich selling parts, not making parts. I know OEM brake pads
from Delphi are sold at 4 dollars a pair to GM. Where they get the $80
dollar price tag from stupefies me...

 

....yes, I priced them (front rotors) for his VUE. $219 a PAIR for the
Stillen's and $100 a PAIR for the Bendix.

 

wow, that's an eye opener (parts prices).~

 

No since in spending so much on a wear item. Check rockauto.com
I cant find anyone else with Vue brakes yet.

 

I had some luck at www.spswebpage.com (for the Stillen's) and
www.carparts.com (for the vanilla brands - about 3 if I remember).

I keep meaning to stop by the dealer and look under the hood of the V6 -
just curious to see the Honda engine.

 

I'll save you some trouble

http://www.saturnfans.com/photos/showphoto.php/photo/6535

http://www.saturnfans.com/photos/showphoto.php/photo/6541

Lots of clutter...

 

Thanks... looks like a couple of V6's - The LX9 with the alternator up top
is I'm guessing the Honda, versus the L66 with the mid mounted alternator
and what looks like timing belt covers.

 

Oh I just noticed the other 3.5L engine. I didnt know they were going
to be using that in Saturns. The LX9 (3500) isnt the Honda engine.
(timing "belt" like covers = Honda) The 3500 is based on GM's 2.8L 3.1L
and 3.4L 60 degree engines. Neither the L66 or the LX9 are anything to
cheer about... Anytime you see a engine liter size with the decebal
moved back 3 spaces it likely has direct GM roots. 2.8's are 2800, 3.1's
are 3100, then 3400, 3500, 3800, 5300, 5700 etc etc...

 

Sounds like you need to go and find another dealership or a private mechanic
who knows how to work on Saturns.

marx404
saturn of stuart