oddjob142

So i decided to get the timing belt done on my recent purchase...99 GS400. She has 110k and I was told from the dealer that it had not been done. So they referred me to the toyota dealership b/c it would be much cheaper. I took it there and they ended up breaking the thermostat housing when they tried to take off the radiator hose. They are going to pay for the labor and they put me in a new corolla rental (sucks but better than nothing). They also found the timing belt had already been replaced recently. sure is a waste of 600 bucks....

but i guess its better safe than sorry. it just sucks b/c things are tight right now...

JeffTsai

iTrader: (1)

So, they found out that the timing belt was already changed and still decided to charge you $600 for it?? They broke the thermostat housing and that should be on them, not making you pay for it.

tuddy

you shouldnt have to pay for something that doesnt need to be replaced..

usermel

They got over with that. The one messed up thing about liking cars, or two things are dealers and mechanics. Dont get mad mechanics and dealers reading this. Not all are bad but the number of honest ones is slim. We the consumer feel helpless in situations like what this guy dealt with. Clearly man you shouldnt have had to pay for that. Maybe some labor, about $100-$200 for there time. $600 was to much, were did they get that number! (GOD IS GOD!)

Dx3

iTrader: (13)

As soon as they removed the timing belt cover they should have noticed that it was done and stopped right there. That is pretty shady of them to charge you.

Jonny

oddjob142

i meant they are paying for the part they broke. they said that they couldnt tell if it had been done or not without taking off everything. is it easy to tell or something? thanks for the help guys...

Kharizma

iTrader: (6)

like dx3 said, that's really shady, I don't know how easy it is to check if the belt had been replaced or not, but you shouldn't of had to pay for a new timing belt + install if you already had a new one... I would've stopped them right there and if they worked on it without notifyin you first I would've told them to take that ***** out lol

djjt

sooo.... they charged you for something you didn't need to replace... why didn't they just tell you don't need to replace you... like call you and ask you... jeez... dealerships... i guess its good thing i got two friends that work/own car repair shops and another friend that does modding

find a friend who does car stuff and always go to them.. they even give you discounts like $10 oil changes... sometimes even free =)

jt

blacksc400

iTrader: (4)

The timing belt can be checked without moving a lot of parts... probabaly a 15 min job, and they broke something and charged you 600??? CRAZY!

But anyway, at least now you have a peace of mind...

Dx3

iTrader: (13)

For trained mechanics they can't look at a belt and check if the teeth are worn or there are any other signs of wear I would find a new dealership!

Jonny

JeffTsai

iTrader: (1)

Yep, its not very hard to tell if the belt is worn or not. As Dx3 said, the teeth will worn and also the belt will start to have cracks in it. In some bad scenarios the belt maybe missing a few teeth!

blacksc400

iTrader: (4)

and you know what, if the belt has been changed, the previous mechanic will have mark in there too!!!!

gserep1

I did my own timing belt recently. It is EASY to tell if a belt has been changed in 110,000 miles. Though my original belt was worn somwehat, and could have gone a while more, a new belt is easy to identify.

Since I replaced the belt with a factory belt, I placed the maintenance sticker on the timing belt cover to notify another owner that the belt had been changed on time.

THIS SUCKS my friend!
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