Was I Overcharged For Repairs?

I needed an alternator for a '96 Saturn SL2 and asked a local mechanic a
price. Well, anyway he said the alternator was about $140 and about $40-50
to install. But after leaving my car there he calls and say the alternator
(rebuilt) is $190 and the labour would be for 21/2 hours. The bill with tax
was over $400!
Now a Saturn is a common car and he should have known the amount of time to
replace an alternator.

Was I overcharged? I left the car with him because I know he's reputable ( I
think but now wonder) and an estimate I got from another place (chain store)
was $300. I thought I would save $100 but ended up spending $100 more!

 

You got robbed!!!!!!!!

 

I think you can get a rebuilt alternator, with a core trade-in, for
something like $60. Labor might be 2.5 hours. I'm a simple shade-tree
mechanic and I could do it in less than that. Still, if the alternator was
$190 (which it shouldn't be)...then the labor was $85/hour...which is more
than my dentist charges! That's insane.

Call your local auto parts store and price an alternator. Then go back to
the shop and state your case. If this guy wants your business, he'll work
with you. The last alternator I had a shop replace for me cost $140...5
years ago.

Barry

 

My alternator blew out and I found a bulletin that it was a flaw with my 96
SL1,I only paid for the installation.

I wish I had the service bulletin number handy to give you.

 

Yes, it's an overcharge. I called Saturn and they said $350 with a rebuilt
alternator from Saturn with a 3 year warrenty..

I called an auto parts store and they said the alternator was $118 with the
core turned in to them.

As far as labour I called AAMCO who told me that labour is $83 an hour and
the time involved is 1.1 hours. They have a book which states the labour
time for repairs. Even if it takes 11/2 hrs. they charge the book time
which is 1.1 hours.
So the alternator should have been about $120 and labour $83x1.1=$92
Total=$212. which is 1/2 what I was charged.
I haven't paid for this yet so I'll certainly object to the price.

 

"Hello"

I forget what the job " pays" . I think warranty time was about 0.8 hr ( 8
tenths) . They could be done in about 15-20 minutes on a lift .

 

I replaced an alternator on my '96 SL2 almost exactly a year ago, work done
by my Saturn dealer. The damage was $291 CDN for the alternator and $90 CDN
for installation. Seeing as your quote was in US dollars I think it was
high. Did you try the dealer?

 

That's $285 US but remember that the dealer always charges more, a place
like Midas Muffler would probably charge under $200.

Yes, I said in my original post that the Saturn dealer wanted $350. I called
a few places and the labour was about $90. Most places were at least $100
less for the whole job and gave a 2 year warranty. So I was overcharged. I
even called some part stores and got a price of $120 for the alternator and
anothe place sold it for $99 with a 3 year warranty.

 

They probably would charge less. I know I don't like places like Midas,
they're always trolling for business, telling you the shocks need replacing
or something like that.

I don't know, maybe a local mechanic has different suppliers so the
economics are different for him and if he's never done a Saturn alternator
he throws in a "fudge factor" for labour? I guess we'll never know.


Sorry, so you did.