I took my truck into a local dealership this past Friday to get done what I thought was going to be a simple alignment, well, that wasn't the case. Turns out that all 4 ball joints were completely shot and I mean shot. I'm suprised I couldn't feel anything while driving, I had no idea they were bad. Anyway, they quoted me almost $2,000 for the job which I in turn responded to them with a "hell no, I'll do it myself". That is what I did, got the new ball joints from Napa and had to go buy a couple of big sockets I needed plus replaced the camber bushings and still only have about $200 in the job. These new ball joints are much nicer than the factory ones because they are equipped with grease fittings. I guess the bad ball joints would explain my uneven tire wear on the inside tread. Before I replaced them my tires were angled in at the top, now with the new joints in place, the tires are back the way they should be, just slightly angled in at the bottom. It's back to the shop right now to get the alignment done so I'm curious to see how that turns out. Just thought I would share what I thought was a completely ridiculous price for service.

 

And this is new news in what way?

You can usually get more competent people and better prices going to a "regular" mechanic.

In this case, you do NOT get what you pay for ...

 

come on guys, not all dealerships and/or techs areall ripoffs.and yes ,some are. i'm sorry to hear that someone tryed to take you for a ride.places like that give techs like me a bad name.where i work the cust dosnt get anything but what thay "must have"and the work is done to the highest of my ability.so let me repeat, not all techs/dealerships are ripoffs.

 

"some" are? No, MOST are.

I've gone to the same dealership, same techs, different service manager every 6 months.

One guy was so overwhelmingly helpfull that I had parts changed that didn't need changing, just a little push from me. I bottomed out at 10K miles going into a parking lot and mentioned it to the service manager - BOOM - new springs - didn't completely solve the problem - BOOM - new shocks.

Others were so over-the-top conservative about warranty work that they got me angry trying to convince them my wheel bearing was loose on my '96 t-bird. And it was... The first time they "adjusted" a non-adjustable sealed unit. Second time, after tellilng them they BETTER change it this time, the did. Most people do not have the mechanical knowledge to force a dealer to do work they don't want to do. So I pity the person who doesn't.

Again, "some" doesn't cut it. I'd say "MOST" are ripoffs based on my own and other's experiences.

 

most is better than saying all.sound like the dealer that you go to is more concerned with makeing the all mighty dollar,than fixing the root problem.and yes the dealers are gettin bombarded by kids that are coming out of a trade school with the idea that thay are going to make $100k there first year , and they throw parts at it till they fix it.so you are right.i'd suggest you find another dealer that is more compatent/knowlagable on working on vehicles.

 

When I purchased my 06 F250 PSD Lariat SB CC Auto 3 months ago, I insisted the salesperson make me an appointment to meet the Service Manager.

Now when I go in to the dealership for service, it's Hi John, Hi Ron. Amazing the service I get from the staff.

 

I-m tech do you work at a Ford dealership. If so whatwould be the rate for this service he had done. Just curious. Sorry for being so nosy. Id like to get some prices before I head to the dealership if I ever have to perform this service.

 

i worked at a ford store for 11 years before Ford put the squeaz on the small dealer. i work at a linc/merc. store for the last 3 years. if you are talking about your f-250 the motor labor guide said 5.9 hours for upper and lower balljoints,plus parts,then the alignment,and pos. the cams to adjust cast/cam.

 

I think your locality has you at a disadvantage... they probably figure, the politicians that live all around you are thieves, what's one more...

 

I'm sure that there are some good service departments out there, somewhere, just not around me. I haven't found one I like yet or most importantly, one that does not try to rip you off. I actually felt insulted when this particular dealership quoted me the price they did. They must have thought that I didn't know a damn thing about the mechanics of a vehicle and therefore thought that they could get one over on me. It might have taken me a little longer than the dealership but I got it done myself and saved a boat load of money. I was actually surprised how easy these things were to change. Once you get the hang of it after doing one side, the other side goes quite quickly. It's a lot of disassembly and a little time consuming, but it is worth it in the end. It handles like a new truck again. I recommend to everyone out there that they check their ball joints because like me, you don't realize they are going bad until your tires are screwed up.