# An independent mechanic experience



## MyJessicaLS430 (May 29, 2018)

Good afternoon everyone. In April, my car was inspected by 2 different dealers; each with different diagnosis. I have created a thread (with link below) and I do value everyone's input.
https://uberpeople.net/threads/upper-control-arms-front-struts.394140/
Long story short, there are some occasional cracking noises when making turns. One dealer recommended the replacement of upper front control arms while the other recommended replacing the front struts. At that time, I was not too convinced but the noise frequency had increased recently which prompted me to seek a tertiary opinion from a mechanic referred by my friend. The shop is owned by an Indian family with only 3 mechanics, including the owner. The upfront diagnostic fee of $50 will be deducted from the repairs, for which I agree.

Half an hour later, he told me that it was the front struts that caused the noise when making turns. There were also some cracks in the control arms but he thinks they do not deserve immediate attention. I was quoted $340 for struts (aftermarket) on both sides and 3 hours of labour. He gave me a big laugh when I insisted on using factory parts saying that his customers never returned for issues related to aftermarket parts. Personally, money is not a determining factor when it comes to repairs but I really need to get the job done right.

This morning the owner gave me an update. He said that the noise problem had attenuated significantly but it would also require the replacement of the control arms to get rid of the noise completely. I bet the 2 dealers did not make up the repairs since both diagnoses were confirmed by a third party. He asked how much I wanted to spend in the parts. I understand that he wanted to help me saving money but I do not really feel comfortable to install some random parts to my car. He said that I was probably one of the most stubborn customers that he had even seen &#128517;, after I also declined the use of Toyota parts ( $140 VS Lexus $390 on each side). There must be a reason for such a remarkable price difference for the exactly same part.

With the struts and upper front control arms replaced, here is the break down of the cost.
Struts - parts $250 x 2 + labour $90 x 3 = $770
Upper front control arms - parts $390 x 2 + labour $90 x 2 = $ 960
Alignment - $80
Discount - $20
With tax, the total cost will be ~$1900 which sounds like a great deal to me (The same jobs done by the dealer would have costed $3400).

This is my first time for not serving my car at the dealer. I know it still sounds ridiculous to invest $2k in a 16-year old car.


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## Fusion_LUser (Jan 3, 2020)

You can save on parts... there will be no difference on the Toyota vs Lexus UCA's!

There is nothing wrong with wanting to spend some money for the car you still enjoy driving however there is no reason to spend so much since it's an old car. Save the extra $500 and buy the Toyota UCA's!


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## TomTheAnt (Jan 1, 2019)

Sounds about right for an independent shop doing the job with aftermarket parts.

Now... Since you said it yourself, money is not a deciding factor, why not just let the dealer do it, then? That way you at least should know things are done right. Not saying the small shop couldn't do things right, but I guess that would maybe give you some piece of mind when you're 1500 miles away from the shop that did it. And if done by Lexus, maybe a local dealer in Philly will be able to at least warranty the Lexus parts if something is needed.

Yes, it is a lot of money to spend in an old car, but why start skimping on the care now since it's the car you love and plan to keep?


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## MyJessicaLS430 (May 29, 2018)

What accounts for the price difference? Actually,I am already satisfied with the $1k saved from dealership labour.

All parts are ordered from a local Lexus dealership. I would expect the parts to function at 100% of their capacity because of their exceptionally high cost! Had my friend had a horrible experience from the shop, she would not have recommended it. I have never heard of a single annoying noise again since I picked up the car yesterday. Yeah!

Anyway, the genuine parts have a 1 year / 12k miles warranty. Lexus dealerships should honour replacement should the parts fail. However, when it comes to engine and electronics, I definitely will stick to dealerships. The first and only time for such service is the 90k-mile maintenance performed 3 years ago which includes the replacement of timing belt and water pump.


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## KevinJohnson (Mar 23, 2020)

When the car is 16 years old aftermarket parts are the best option.


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## TomTheAnt (Jan 1, 2019)

MyJessicaLS430 said:


> What accounts for the price difference?


No brand makes enough money by selling cars to keep up with the enormous glass palaces.

Good to hear you got the car all taken care of. :thumbup: Maybe next time you'll search for another independent shop up in Philly to take care of the car. I'm sure there are some over there, too. As you saw, you don't always have to use the dealer. Not even for the timing belt/water pump.


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## Uberguyken (May 10, 2020)

Wow, you just paid 3 times more for the same part with a Lexus logo on it... Ummm nope...


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## amazinghl (Oct 31, 2018)

I think you found a gem. You got the a job well done and know the mechanic will try to save you money.
Next time though, get the Toyota part.


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## Fusion_LUser (Jan 3, 2020)

MyJessicaLS430 said:


> What accounts for the price difference? Actually,I am already satisfied with the $1k saved from dealership labour.


In the end that is all that really matters. It's your money and you are happy with the results. Plus now you have a indie mechanic that does the job correctly, so there may be trust between you and him. If so, in the future if he suggests a Toyota part at substantial savings take it... chances are he's correct and honest about it.


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## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

MyJessicaLS430 said:


> Good afternoon everyone. In April, my car was inspected by 2 different dealers; each with different diagnosis. I have created a thread (with link below) and I do value everyone's input.
> https://uberpeople.net/threads/upper-control-arms-front-struts.394140/
> Long story short, there are some occasional cracking noises when making turns. One dealer recommended the replacement of upper front control arms while the other recommended replacing the front struts. At that time, I was not too convinced but the noise frequency had increased recently which prompted me to seek a tertiary opinion from a mechanic referred by my friend. The shop is owned by an Indian family with only 3 mechanics, including the owner. The upfront diagnostic fee of $50 will be deducted from the repairs, for which I agree.
> 
> ...


Pay Cash.
Avoid " TAX".

If he charges " Tax" on a cash job
He is not a true " Independant" mechanic.


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## Lute Byrt (Feb 20, 2020)

I would recommend replacing control arms if they are cracked. This should solve the problem. Aftermarket control arms are just fine. Replace both sides. You might not need upper and lower control arms, just the ones that are cracked. You will then need a new alignment job ($99) I have found the Hispanics tend to do awesome, inexpensive work. Especially if you pay in cash. The strut tower will make a popping noise when you are going over a bump, even if you are driving straight. If it is the struts replace both sides. Do the entire tower prestuffed. Aftermarket parts are always fine to use. How much mileage do you have on the car? There could perhaps be an issue with blown out bushings...Drop pictures here so we can take a look. You should not have to pay for a diagnosis. Hope that helps. Let us know...That labor rate is high, should be about $65. Especially in Houston. I don't think you need all the parts on that list. Look up the book hours for time on replacement. (ask Auto Zone or dealership for book hours) Check out youtube for more info so you get a better idea of what is being recommended. Price check parts at auto zone or Advanced Auto parts. Many times Auto Zone will know people that are great mechanics as well or just wait for one to walk in. You will know what it looks like...

*Overall it does not sound accurate, if you can't see a crack in the control arms then there is no crack

I will check with a buddy and see if he knows somebody in H town

The more oil and grease type shops with no waiting room tend to be pretty good, just do some homework...

*Once it is fixed, NO MORE RIDESHARING! Not even in medical area nor Rice Village.


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## MyJessicaLS430 (May 29, 2018)

tohunt4me said:


> If he charges " Tax" on a cash job
> He is not a true " Independant" mechanic.


Can you elaborate please?

@Lute Byrt

I do appreciate your informative reply. All the repairs were completed and I am very satisfied with what I spent. The labour rate is about half of what Lexus would have charged. I have found myself a magic formula - genuine Lexus parts + trustworthy mechanic = happy ending. Here are some photos that the shop owner sent me as a proof that he has actually performed the job.










It seems like you are a fellow driver in Houston. I only have about ~1000 trips after 2 years of driving and do mostly Select / Lux and X during surge. For those who tip, they tip really well; hence I can have some "take-home money" each time without too much effort. As funny as it may sound, I do enjoy driving. The neighbourhood where I live has a shuttle service to the medical centre. Missing the shuttle is the only occasion that I drive to work. What can be a better option to get paid for driving my car around ?

As a side note, my 2004 has already aged out. The reason why I still have an active account is because of my another car.


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## TomTheAnt (Jan 1, 2019)

MyJessicaLS430 said:


> Can you elaborate please?


He is probably referring to the guys that are usually called "shade-tree mechanics" that fix people's cars on their customer's driveway etc. and don't necessarily have an actual shop building to work out of. Hence, they don't have any business license etc. to formalize their business which usually comes with the obligation to also collect tax on taxable items.

In other words, people who do things on the side and take payments under the table. Usually you have no recourse with those people if something happens since any warranty expires pretty much as soon as they have disappeared around the corner.


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## Lute Byrt (Feb 20, 2020)

Taxes are report independently, it is not my obligation to report another business's taxes.


I know "Shade Tree Mechanics " that are ASE certified mechanics that work at dealerships during the day....I will deal with my "Shade Tree Mechanics " all day long...

Did you end up needing upper and lower control arms?

*I lived in Houston for a few years

Your strut towers were bad...


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## NOXDriver (Aug 12, 2018)

If you lived in the rust belt you would have had a vastly different opinion.

Factory parts are seriously overrated. Yes, there are some chinese junk out there, but hit up a model specific forum and you;ll quickly learn what brands have a good rep.

As for putting parts into an old car... consider the monthly payments vs a one time cost, I'll take a used/repairable car in a heart beat.


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## Lute Byrt (Feb 20, 2020)

NOXDriver said:


> If you lived in the rust belt you would have had a vastly different opinion.
> 
> Factory parts are seriously overrated. Yes, there are some chinese junk out there, but hit up a model specific forum and you;ll quickly learn what brands have a good rep.
> 
> As for putting parts into an old car... consider the monthly payments vs a one time cost, I'll take a used/repairable car in a heart beat.


There are also many great aftermarket manufacturers...Borla, Edelbrock, MSD, ARB, etc...


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## brentb31 (May 23, 2018)

MyJessicaLS430 said:


> Anyway, the genuine parts have a 1 year / 12k miles warranty. Lexus dealerships should honour replacement should the parts fail.


Since repairs were done at shop that didn't have Lexus trainer and certified tech, Lexus will only honor price of part on warranty. You will be on the hook for labor required to make the repair.


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## mbd (Aug 27, 2018)

Buy Denso parts, it is partly owned by Toyota . Good mechanics will try to go Denso way on Toyota vehicles.


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## Lute Byrt (Feb 20, 2020)

brentb31 said:


> Since repairs were done at shop that didn't have Lexus trainer and certified tech, Lexus will only honor price of part on warranty. You will be on the hook for labor required to make the repair.


My "shade tree mechanics " will offer warranty on labor and since the parts are high quality I only replace them once. They are then done until it needs to be replaced again...I use literally the same mechanics as the dealerships...



MyJessicaLS430 said:


> Can you elaborate please?
> 
> @Lute Byrt
> 
> ...


What was wrong with the control arms? Needed new bushing repressed into them? Or what was the deal? Please let me know...


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## brentb31 (May 23, 2018)

Lute Byrt said:


> My "shade tree mechanics " will offer warranty on labor and since the parts are high quality I only replace them once. They are then done until it needs to be replaced again...I use literally the same mechanics as the dealerships...


Those kind of techs are the best ones to have. I work in forklift world and can typically get any repair done that is above my capabilites for a case of beer and a 1" ribeye.

I was giving OP a heads up, that it the part fails after the relocation of 1500 miles. I doubt Lexus will warranty the labor. OP will have to pay that bill.


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## MyJessicaLS430 (May 29, 2018)

TomTheAnt said:


> He is probably referring to the guys that are usually called "shade-tree mechanics" that fix people's cars on their customer's driveway etc. and don't necessarily have an actual shop building to work out of. Hence, they don't have any business license etc. to formalize their business which usually comes with the obligation to also collect tax on taxable items.
> 
> In other words, people who do things on the side and take payments under the table. Usually you have no recourse with those people if something happens since any warranty expires pretty much as soon as they have disappeared around the corner.


How can those mechanics fix a car by accepting "house calls"? At the very least, they would need to jack up the car to a height such that the parts at the bottom can be inspected, right? Besides, how do they know what to bring before examining the car?

I bet house calls are common since it is completely voluntary to whether documenting all the records for tax purpose and the cost of operation is minimal without owning a shop. No wonder they prefer cash payment. The shop owner asked me if I would pay cash too but I don't feel comfortable to carry $2k cash around.



Lute Byrt said:


> What was wrong with the control arms? Needed new bushing repressed into them? Or what was the deal? Please let me know...


According to the service history, the first owner has replaced the lower control arms at ~55k miles. Perhaps this is why they are still strong today. The upper control arms however, are the original parts in 2004. While I have no idea how often should they be replaced, a life of ~120k miles for a mechanical part sounds pretty reliable to me already. The owner said the balls were lose with a few cracks on the control arms. The unit was replaced as a whole because you cannot just buy the bush or balls from Lexus (at least this is what he said).



brentb31 said:


> Since repairs were done at shop that didn't have Lexus trainer and certified tech, Lexus will only honor price of part on warranty. You will be on the hook for labor required to make the repair.


Thank you for the information. I don't think the parts will fail... given that I paid almost triple the cost to get them from a Lexus dealer.


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## Tony73 (Oct 12, 2016)

I never go to dealer, their mechanics don’t want to work and never find the problem. Always use the clean mechanic shop few towns away. Always put original parts. Still cheaper and faster than going to dealer.


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## Lute Byrt (Feb 20, 2020)

MyJessicaLS430 said:


> How can those mechanics fix a car by accepting "house calls"? At the very least, they would need to jack up the car to a height such that the parts at the bottom can be inspected, right? Besides, how do they know what to bring before examining the car?
> 
> I bet house calls are common since it is completely voluntary to whether documenting all the records for tax purpose and the cost of operation is minimal without owning a shop. No wonder they prefer cash payment. The shop owner asked me if I would pay cash too but I don't feel comfortable to carry $2k cash around.
> 
> ...


Mechanics that come to you have Jack's, car stands, engine cranes, torque wrench, etc...Not everytime does a car need to go on a lift for inspection. When you are familiar with what you are dealing with, typically one calls the mechanic and says I need a "new water pump or timing belt or blew a head gasket or oil pan seal, whatever it is" that way the mechanic knows what equipment they will need. Rarely does a car absolutely have to go on a lift. Try watching how a tractor is fixed in a field or think about how to use a slope to your advantage to do an oil change. Just some comments...Have to heard of mobile welders same principle...Typically people can get a discount for paying in cash...Sounds like I was somewhat correct on not needing upper and lower controls arms...It sounds like you just needed the lower control arms prestuffed. I glad your deal worked out...BTW bushing can be repressed with a hydraulic press, that is not a welded part...Even welded parts can be fixed depending, sometimes not worth it, just ask a welder...Also, I am curious how does your lexus qualify for lux or select in Houston?


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## TomTheAnt (Jan 1, 2019)

Lute Byrt said:


> Also, I am curious how does your lexus qualify for lux or select in Houston?


She also has a newer ES350, which still qualifies.


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## ANT 7 (Oct 14, 2018)

I just dropped $961 last week getting my car ready to go back driving FT. My overall bill was $350 cheaper than the dealership estimate.

Found an excellent shop that specializes in Uber drivers. Been using him for a year now.


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## MyJessicaLS430 (May 29, 2018)

Lute Byrt said:


> Mechanics that come to you have Jack's, car stands, engine cranes, torque wrench, etc...Not everytime does a car need to go on a lift for inspection. When you are familiar with what you are dealing with, typically one calls the mechanic and says I need a "new water pump or timing belt or blew a head gasket or oil pan seal, whatever it is" that way the mechanic knows what equipment they will need. Rarely does a car absolutely have to go on a lift. Try watching how a tractor is fixed in a field or think about how to use a slope to your advantage to do an oil change. Just some comments...Have to heard of mobile welders same principle...Typically people can get a discount for paying in cash...Sounds like I was somewhat correct on not needing upper and lower controls arms...It sounds like you just needed the lower control arms prestuffed. I glad your deal worked out...BTW bushing can be repressed with a hydraulic press, that is not a welded part...Even welded parts can be fixed depending, sometimes not worth it, just ask a welder...Also, I am curious how does your lexus qualify for lux or select in Houston?





TomTheAnt said:


> She also has a newer ES350, which still qualifies.


I have actually asked the shop owner whether the lower arms should be replaced too but he said they could still endure another ~30k miles at minimum. They should be fine even I do a few round trips between Houston and Philadelphia &#128518;.

When I signed up for Uber, my 2004 was also approved for Select to my surprise. It should have exceeded the age limit of the Select platform. My guess is that there were system errors such that certain information were shared between the cars. My other car is a LS 460L. The ES 350 mentioned in other threads is my sister's car.


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## TomTheAnt (Jan 1, 2019)

MyJessicaLS430 said:


> My other car is a LS 460L. The ES 350 mentioned in other threads is my sister's car.


D'oh!!! Always keep forgetting about the LS460L... &#129318;‍♂


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## SinTaxERROR (Jul 23, 2019)

I’m not going to try and burst your bubble on you thinking you got a great deal on these parts... but if you had checked partsgeek.com I’m sure you will realize your good deal is not so good after all... 🤷‍♂️

By the way, most after market part manufacturers are indeed most likely the OEM manufacturer for the original parts in most vehicles. They just stamp a different part number is all. Parts Geek will indicate OEM as well.


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## Amos69 (May 17, 2019)

Aftermarket parts are often far superior to OEM parts. This is especially true with reputable performance parts. There is a submarket of cheap crap and often times suspension parts are included. Your best bet if you do not want to research parts manufacturers is to go OEM which I think you did. 

The only difference between the Toyota part and the Lexus part besides price might be a Lexus stamp on the part. Always buy the Toyota part when possible. You gain nothing by paying more for the Lexus part.


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## ANT 7 (Oct 14, 2018)

I once owned a 1992 Lamborghini Diablo. Window switches and some dash hardware was direct from a 90's era Chrysler product.

My Ferrari 308 could be repaired with numerous brake and mechanical components from Fiats of the same vintage.

A lot of high end as well as low end car parts are totally interchangeable. Porsche and VW switches from the 80's and 90's.......same for Rolls Royce and GM parts from the same era. Or, RR and BMW today.

Only a handful of companies make the same parts for many manufacturer's.

I once walked into a Chevy dealer and bought a starter heat shield for a 454 engined PU truck. It actually was going on my 1974 454 engined Corvette for 1/3 the price.


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## MyJessicaLS430 (May 29, 2018)

SinTaxERROR said:


> I'm not going to try and burst your bubble on you thinking you got a great deal on these parts... but if you had checked partsgeek.com I'm sure you will realize your good deal is not so good after all... &#129335;‍♂
> 
> By the way, most after market part manufacturers are indeed most likely the OEM manufacturer for the original parts in most vehicles. They just stamp a different part number is all. Parts Geek will indicate OEM as well.


After reading your reply, I have the following question in my mind. Does Lexus assemble a car using parts from different manufacturers? If this is the case, then I have overpaid for 'lego cars'. How can they not make their own parts but to put different blocks that fit and overcharge the buyers? This is so unethical.

In fact, I am very satisfied with the $1000 I saved from dealership labour while the job is done right. What is a reasonable price in your mind to replace both front upper control arms and struts? Thank you.


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## ANT 7 (Oct 14, 2018)

MyJessicaLS430 said:


> Does Lexus assemble a car using parts from different manufacturers? If this is the case, then I have overpaid for 'lego cars'. How can they not make their own parts but to put different blocks that fit and overcharge the buyers? This is so unethical.


Almost every manufacturer does this. Is some cases there are only 2-3 suppliers for major component such as Borg Warner or ZF for transmissions, Bosch for electronics, etc.

The automatic transmission for a Ferrari 456 is $40K from the authorized dealer.......HOWEVER, it is about $5K from GM as it is basically a Turbohydramatic 400 assembly. Just another example of many. Lexus is not a premium vehicle, it is a mainly a marketing exercise with automotive rebadging and styling as it's core components. Not saying it is a bad vehicle, it's just a rebadged Toyota with some subtle differences they a charge a lot more for.


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## SinTaxERROR (Jul 23, 2019)

MyJessicaLS430 said:


> After reading your reply, I have the following question in my mind. Does Lexus assemble a car using parts from different manufacturers? If this is the case, then I have overpaid for 'lego cars'. How can they not make their own parts but to put different blocks that fit and overcharge the buyers? This is so unethical.
> 
> In fact, I am very satisfied with the $1000 I saved from dealership labour while the job is done right. What is a reasonable price in your mind to replace both front upper control arms and struts? Thank you.


Just about every part for most vehicles is manufactured by Johnson Controls, Standard, Monroe, Dorman, TRW, BOSCH, Walker, ACDelco and a host of others... They may sell these replacement parts stamped under a WorldPac # through 3rd party websites or parts distribution.

Auto manufacturers are in the business of ASSEMBLING vehicles, and may manufacture certain things such as engines or stamp body panels. Most do not even build there own frames, and such frames may be built by Fisher, etc.

Just like @ANT 7 was trying to explain many parts are standardized. Many Fords back in the day used GM drive train parts. Needed a drive shaft for a Lincoln, it's built by GM.

The reasoning for this, is if a particular company has the production capacity and the tooling to produce specific parts, no need for multiple manufacturers to build plants for the same exact thing even if you are direct competitors with each other. It's about saving $$$ in the end.

This is not only done with vehicles, it's also done with just about everything you buy even food. Notice how many times a package of food states "manufactured for" on the label. Same thing with washing machines. GE builds some of whirlpool machines. Cause it's cheaper when they are already tooled for this.

As for your car, just check partsgeek.com for the pricing of the parts replaced. See how much on the parts you could have saved compared to what you were charged by the mechanic. I would say his labor charges were about right, as struts are not always easy to install. Many mechanics will allow you to supply your own parts as well. You just need to shop around.

BTW, In no way am I criticizing you for your decision to have this mechanic fix your vehicle. &#128522; He saves you a lot of money, I'm just saying you could have saved more. &#128077;



ANT 7 said:


> Almost every manufacturer does this. Is some cases there are only 2-3 suppliers for major component such as Borg Warner or ZF for transmissions, Bosch for electronics, etc.
> 
> The automatic transmission for a Ferrari 456 is $40K from the authorized dealer.......HOWEVER, it is about $5K from GM as it is basically a Turbohydramatic 400 assembly. Just another example of many. Lexus is not a premium vehicle, it is a mainly a marketing exercise with automotive rebadging and styling as it's core components. Not saying it is a bad vehicle, it's just a rebadged Toyota with some subtle differences they a charge a lot more for.


I am willing to bet a lot of people sure would give you a blank stare mentioning ZF, even though they are the largest manufacturer of transmissions in the world... :roflmao:


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## Lute Byrt (Feb 20, 2020)

MyJessicaLS430 said:


> After reading your reply, I have the following question in my mind. Does Lexus assemble a car using parts from different manufacturers? If this is the case, then I have overpaid for 'lego cars'. How can they not make their own parts but to put different blocks that fit and overcharge the buyers? This is so unethical.
> 
> In fact, I am very satisfied with the $1000 I saved from dealership labour while the job is done right. What is a reasonable price in your mind to replace both front upper control arms and struts? Thank you.


Yes!


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## z_z_z_ (Aug 17, 2019)

MyJessicaLS430 said:


> There must be a reason for such a remarkable price difference for the exactly same part.





MyJessicaLS430 said:


> What accounts for the price difference?


It's purely branding and mark-up, just like a designer pair of jeans.


MyJessicaLS430 said:


> Can you elaborate please?


Here he is talking about tax evasion pure and simple. Doesn't have to be outside of a shop either, if you pay cash anywhere the business owner can choose to not report that income and destroy any evidence of the transaction in their records to avoid paying tax. Theoretically they can pass some of the savings onto you, if you want to leverage such a deal.



MyJessicaLS430 said:


> How can they not make their own parts but to put different blocks that fit and overcharge the buyers? This is so unethical.


As others have said this is common "business practice". Many common business practices in many industries are completely misleading or unethical. Unfortunately (in America) you can't even trust your doctor to make ethical medical decisions when either he/she or they hospital they work for is profiting off your treatment. Colleges force you to take classes you don't need to increase their tuition revenues, etc. etc...

Even the most trusted professions and institutions are commonly taking advantage of people for financial profit, so when you have something like car dealerships which are infamously known to be very dishonest you can only imagine what they are doing behind the scenes.

TLDR many people who want your money are willing to do unethical things to get more of it, and when it becomes "common practice" they don't even think they are doing anything wrong.


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## Mole (Mar 9, 2017)

MyJessicaLS430 said:


> Good afternoon everyone. In April, my car was inspected by 2 different dealers; each with different diagnosis. I have created a thread (with link below) and I do value everyone's input.
> https://uberpeople.net/threads/upper-control-arms-front-struts.394140/
> Long story short, there are some occasional cracking noises when making turns. One dealer recommended the replacement of upper front control arms while the other recommended replacing the front struts. At that time, I was not too convinced but the noise frequency had increased recently which prompted me to seek a tertiary opinion from a mechanic referred by my friend. The shop is owned by an Indian family with only 3 mechanics, including the owner. The upfront diagnostic fee of $50 will be deducted from the repairs, for which I agree.
> 
> ...


I read the first 12 words and you have a dysfunctional half shaft. it is a small driveshaft your vehicle has two of the one left one right they have large bearings and the sometimes crack so when toy turn and apply pressure on the bearing it starts crackling.









Never us factory replacement parts unless it is electrical or body parts. Aftermarket shocks and struts are good quality.


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