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I was charged $1700 for two Water Pumps

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Mtns2Sea, Jun 24, 2021.

  1. Mtns2Sea

    Mtns2Sea New Member

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    New Friends, I need advice.

    My 2004 Prius with 114K miles threw error code P0A93: Inverter "A" Cooling System Performance.
    Local shop (Bucky's in Shoreline, WA) said I needed TWO water pumps replaced.
    Here is the bill I was just handed:

    12874 - Water Pump - Tank $ 547.31
    Labor 2.00 hrs $ 240.00 ($787.31 subtotal)
    Coolant $ 66.64
    97166 - Water Pump - Inverter $ 518.89
    Labor 1.60 hrs $ 192.00 ($777.53 subtotal)
    Tax $ 161.18
    Total: $ 1726.02

    Going online I cannot find any stories or charges that come anywhere close to this experience.

    What would you do? And, should I be posting this question in a different area of the Forum?

    Thanks,

    Thomas in Shoreline
     
  2. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    I suggest you never go back to that shop again.

    P0A93 is the inverter pump failure. Retail price for this pump at the dealer parts department is about $100-$150. To completely fix the problem, the service department will charge around $500-$600 with labor included.

    These guys replaced another water pump too (maybe they didn't know how to diagnose the problem and decided to replace both parts). But what's really bad is they seem to be over inflating the parts prices by huge amounts 300 to 400 percent more than dealer retail. Not sure if there are laws against that but some bad publicity is definitely needed for this place.
     
    #2 JC91006, Jun 24, 2021
    Last edited: Jun 24, 2021
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  3. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    And there’s pumps without the Toyota badge (Aisin?) that ARE the same pump, and 30~40% cheaper?
     
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  4. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    welcome!
    what would i do? hmm... i guess that depends on whether i was handed a bill for work performed, or an estimate for work to be performed.

    in case #1, i would complain and try to get it reduced, but pay in the end since i gave the go ahead without sking the cost.

    in case #2, i would call around for estimates, and search for a good private mech
     
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  5. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    I recently got a real punch-in-the-gut bill when picking up a sushi order. What can you do… chalk it up to experience; go elsewhere next time. And do some research beforehand, if you’ve got the luxury of time.
     
  6. Valiant V

    Valiant V Member

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    I would agree with this assessment.

    Sounds like the "mechanics" shotgunned the problem: "Replace everything that might be the problem".

    Sounds like they also made up for money they lost on another job by charging you extra-high markups and extra labor hours.

    "Dealer retail" is bad enough - shops can usually get better prices at the parts counter than the guy off the street can - so these guys are probably marking up the parts twice.

    I'd certainly never go back to that shop - as well as telling my friends the same.

    You may be able to get a little back, but if the work is already done, you're at a decided disadvantage. :(
     
  7. Georgina Rudkus

    Georgina Rudkus Senior Member

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    In another thread, I mentioned that the guy was taken by a dealer.

    Instead of admitting it, he and one other claimed that I "flamed" him, defended the dealer and demanded an apology.

    At least this man is smart enough and admit that he was taken.
     
  8. Valiant V

    Valiant V Member

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    Anybody can get "taken" by anybody. IF they don't know how to shop and select and/or don't do the due diligence to know how much they should be paying.

    Though people love to rag on dealerships, I've found that the uninformed consumer can just as easily be taken by independent shops or chains like Firestone, etc.

    If you drive in and say "Fix it!" - you can pretty much count on paying more than you would if you shop around for estimates, do some research into the likely problem and remedy (as we do here) and push back a little if they try to sell you something you don't really need.

    If you're in a hurry, and "too busy" to do the research and legwork, you'll pay for that in dollars.

    You shouldn't blindly trust a mechanic any more than you should blindly trust a doctor, dentist, builder, plumber, etc.

    You have to be an active participant whenever hiring an "expert" to fix or do something for you.
     
  9. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    Well I'm sure he's getting to that point of admitting it after validation from this post. He wasn't sure he was taken, but surely suspected $1700 was a very high repair bill.
     
  10. Georgina Rudkus

    Georgina Rudkus Senior Member

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    At least he is not so self righteous in believing that he never makes mistakes and defends his choice and the shop.

    I recall one person who told me that he had his riding lawn mower placed on a trailer and taken to the shop to repair a flat tire.

    He got mad at me, because I told him that all he had to do was to pry off the little plastic center cap and the circlip that holds the wheel to the axle.

    He got madder and called me "the answer lady" and labeled me a "know-it-all."
     
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  11. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    Mechanic repair shops are very similar to Body Shops, they vary on skill level and how much they charge for service. I think the Dealer prices should be a baseline for what the "maximum" repair cost should be, for a competent repair. Indy shops can charge anything they want, but upcharging 300%+ on parts is a no no. 30% maybe but that's about it. His taxes came out to more than the price of the actual part cost.
     
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  12. Mtns2Sea

    Mtns2Sea New Member

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    Thanks, friends. I appreciate your generosity in speculating about my circumstance. Given that I did not take the time to shop around (I was trusting a friend who was a lifelong customer of this place) I put myself in a poor position. And now, you have given me some of the information I need to go back and request some accountability. I will get another estimate from the shop I had previously used, who ironically have a reputation for being a bit pricey, and a third, to bolster my argument. Also, strangely, they gave me a "free" oil change in exchange for an honest review. I will of course now write up that review and show it to the owner as leverage for a renegotiation.
    I just moved to Seattle and did not know how much more expensive parts and labor might be out here, which is one of the reasons I wanted to get input from others before going back to the shop.

    The shop is Bucky's Auto in Shoreline, WA. I will follow up to let you all know how they responded.

    Thanks again.
     
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  13. Valiant V

    Valiant V Member

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    A competent mechanic who charges a decent amount for his time (skill) can actually save you money.

    Better to have a guy who is good and charges $100 for diagnostic time, than a guy who is a parts-replacer but "only" charges $50 an hour.

    The first will charge you $50 or $75 to figure out which part needs to be replaced.
    The second will replace 2 or three parts and still send you out the door with an issue.
     
  14. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Looked up on Amayama:

    Engine coolant pump:

    Water pump for Toyota Prius 2 generation 09.2003 - 10.2005 - Toyota Car & Auto Spare Parts - Genuine Online Car Parts Catalogue - Amayama

    ^ Original parts out-of-production, but several alternates offered, reasonable price/shipping

    Inverter coolant pump:

    Buy Genuine Toyota G9020-47030 (G902047030) Pump Assy, Water W/motor & Bracket for Toyota Prius. Prices, fast shipping, photos, weight - Amayama:

    ^ Only OEM offered, and best be sitting down when you look...
     
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  15. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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  16. Valiant V

    Valiant V Member

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    Not neccessarily...

    I've owned two cars that had age-old "campaigns" (GM-speak for "Recall that the gov't lets us call something less than recall") or out-and-out recalls (Ford, in this case) that were on vehicles I purchased well-used and were 10-20 years old. BOTH of those recalls were serious (as in lose your brakes and/or the vehicle would catch fire.) and none of the previous owners ever took them in to have the recall attended to.

    My 2000 Ranger with 344,000 miles on it just had a recall performed a year ago(!)

    If the vehicle in question is one of the ones identified to have the problem, it may have just taken longer to manifest itself. Perhaps the car wasn't driven a lot previously and/or the PO's never "got around to" taking it in to be serviced.

    Worth looking into...
     
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  17. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    If the car went to the dealer for any reason after the recall had been issued, the recall would have been completed. Some states would actually not allow you to register your car until a safety recall is completed.

    In this case, the pumps usually last about 100k miles, so there is a chance it might not have been done. The OPs car has only 114k miles so there is a slim chance it's original. You can easily check by providing a local dealer service department the VIN number to your car to see if the recall had been completed.

    This would just rub salt to the wound if you find out the pump would have been replaced for free. However I believe Toyota has a reimbursement policy where you can get your money back for the repair.
     
  18. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    thanks everyone!
     
  19. Georgina Rudkus

    Georgina Rudkus Senior Member

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    All of us who responded gave you an honest opinion. You are congratulated for coming to us for honest answers and not just validation that you made a decision that might not have been in your favor.

    Unfortunately, there are those who only want their ego stroked and validated. If they don't like honest opinions that are valid, they should go somewhere else.