Results 1 to 20 of 20

Thread: $23000 Repair Bill

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Location
    Phoenix
    Posts
    180
    My Cars
    840ci/540i/540i Touring

    $23000 Repair Bill

    So my much treasured and beloved '97 840ci (I've owned it for 8 months so I am still in the honeymoon phase) needed a new windshield so I took it to my local BMW dealership to get it replaced. While I was there, I decided to have them do a complete "purchase inspection" of the car. They needed to keep the car for several days and offered me a loaner. It cost $350 for the inspection but the loaner car was a 2018 M4 with 139 miles on it. I figured it was a fair trade Below is all the items that need to be addressed. I already knew most of the issues and have been buying parts over the last 6 months as my budget allows. Whatcha think? Reasonable?

    1) Oil Pan Gasket (replace) $940.55 + 55.37 Misc.
    2) Front Transmission Seal (Replace) $3408.73 + 55.37 Misc.
    3) Water Pump (replace) $1206.12 + 55.37 Misc.
    4) 4 Wheel Alignment $241.87 + 29.39 Misc.
    5) Replace Real Upper Control Arms $2424.35 + 55.37 Misc.
    6) Replace Rear Lower Control Arms $1304.48
    7) Replace Both Rear Shock Absorber ASSY W/Mounts $4691.25 + 55.37 Misc.
    8) Replace Front Lower Control Arms $1885.90 + 55.37 Misc.
    9) Replace Both Engine Mounts $1291.61 + 55.37 Misc.
    10) Replace Hood Shock/Struts $660.72 +19.04 Misc
    11) Replace Rear Training Arms $4853.88 +55.37 Misc

    The estimate didn't explain the $55.37 "Misc" charges.
    I think I'll start paying for those first

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Aug 2016
    Location
    Mclean, VA
    Posts
    324
    My Cars
    1992 850i, 2015 M5
    I'm sure others have more insight into this but this seems well, like you are being robbed. Engine mounts for example takes less than 2 hours. Water pump, same thing. Where r they getting these prices?

    Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Mt. Dora, Florida
    Posts
    2,844
    My Cars
    CSi#18, Tesla S85
    How good are you at wrenching? Many of those items are straight forward to do. Check with Scott at Gault BMW for discounts on OEM parts.
    CSi #18 - Car & Driver Magazine 1994 actual test car
    -- Hellrot/Black-Gray (1 of 1 NA CSi color combination)
    BMWCCA E31 Chapter International Clubs Liaison
    North America Representative, 8er.or Board of Directors




  4. #4
    Join Date
    Nov 2013
    Location
    Whitney, TX
    Posts
    1,238
    My Cars
    97 850CI
    BMW dealers are proud of their service departments, no question. If I couldn't do my own work, you wouldn't be able to give me a BMW, Porsche, Mercedes, etc.
    Desecrator of all things Sacred

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Liberal Loontown, CA
    Posts
    2,658
    My Cars
    Cool Volvo, Ugly BMW
    Is that quote for the upper or lower oil pan gasket? If lower, then outrageous imo.
    What "thumbs up" really means




  6. #6
    Join Date
    Oct 2016
    Location
    Shoreview MN
    Posts
    977
    My Cars
    Had a 1991 BMW 850

    Ripped off

    1) Oil Pan Gasket Upper Gasket is a Stone Cold Bitch Lower Gasket is Easy
    2) Front Transmission Seal Remove and replace Trans 10 Hours Shop Time
    3) Water Pump (replace) $150 for Pump 3-4 Hours
    4) 4 Wheel Alignment $241.87 + 29.39 Misc About double what I would pay
    8) Replace Front Lower Control Arms Pretty Easy but you need to Align
    9) Replace Both Engine Mounts $100 in parts, I had to cut one nut apart with dremel
    10) Replace Hood Shock/Struts 12YO daughter did it in about 10 minutes

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    Cave Creek, AZ
    Posts
    1,117
    My Cars
    1993 850ci 2001 M5 / Z3M
    Time for another wrenchfest in AZ...
    Regards,

    Brian
    Cave Creek, AZ

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Santa Barbara
    Posts
    3,462
    My Cars
    91 Dinan860 & 91 850 6sp
    Bring it to Santa Barbara and I'll do all that work and more for 1/2 that price.
    '91 Dinan 860 Stage III (new 6L engine)
    '91 Dinan 850 TT stage III (brand new engine) 21st Century Tech meets 18th Century Dinan...
    '91 850i 6sp (mint) (sold)
    '90 Dinan 750iL TT stage III (Guido - The Beast)
    '94 850 CSi The Detroit Auto Show car (restored to factory perfect) (sold)
    '96 850Ci, The George Carlin car
    ''73 3.0 csi, '08 535i, '03 X5 4.6is
    ...and a few other non BMW cars

  9. #9
    Join Date
    May 2017
    Location
    Brisbane, QLD, Australia
    Posts
    23
    My Cars
    2011 Benz W212 E350
    And I thought "we was robbed" was local to Australia. Skip the dealer. Most of the parts you need (even OEM & genuine BMW) are readily available form ECS & FCP Euro at a fraction of the price. See Wokke for the rebuilt rear wishbone. Its handy if you have a local mechanic who is a BMW fanatic. Once you have the suspension done you will be amazed at how much better it handles.
    Regards,

    Philip
    Brisbane, Australia.
    The other side of the planet, south of the Equator

    1969 BMW 2000 Mountain Green - Long gone in the 80's
    1976 BMW E12 520i Blue - Long gone in the early 90's
    1995 BMW E31 840ci Fjord Grey - Gone Thankfully (2018)
    2011 Mercedes W212 E350 Calcite White (The "armchair")

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Indianapolis, IN
    Posts
    2,364
    My Cars
    93 850Ci, 09 Caddy SRX
    Quote Originally Posted by bdiefAZ View Post
    Time for another wrenchfest in AZ...
    What he said! I've seen Brian & another 8 owner "R/R" an entire suspension in a few hours at Wrenchfest.
    1993 850Ci.....18 years & 165,000 miles and counting!

  11. #11
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    Los Angeles
    Posts
    817
    My Cars
    94 Euro BMW 850CSi 892
    Rule number 1
    Never take an 8 to a dealer.

    Rule number 2
    Always remember rule number 1
    Board Member of SoCalEights (Marketing, Web Development & Social Media), Vice President: BMWCCA/E31 Chapter, www.cartiologyfilms.com
    Current E31s:
    1997 BMW 840Ci Black on Beige. CSI 62, 107 and 16. Euro-CSi #892.
    Client Represented E31s (Cartiology Films)
    1994 BMW 850CSi #11 USA, 1994 BMW 850CSi #31 USA, 1994 BMW 850CSi #58 USA
    93-850Ci - manual 6 speed. 97-850Ci - M73 Steptronic. 94-CSi 125, 95-CSi 162 Daytona Violet, CSi 198 White on Red
    Past E31s:
    1991 BMW 850i. Calypso Red on Beige Nappa and 1995 BMW 840Ci. Bright Red on Beige Nappa
    1997 BMW 840Ci. Black On Black Nappa, but changed to Dakar Yellow on Black Nappa and 1994 BMW 850CSi #27. Red On light Silver.
    1991 BMW 850i. Automatic. Red On Black and 1996 BMW 850Ci. Automatic. Midnight Blue on Gray.
    1994 BMW 850CSi. Black On Blak #107, Black/Black 97-840. White/White CSi. Silver/Silver 97-840

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Jun 2012
    Location
    Woodstock, GA
    Posts
    566
    My Cars
    2001 BMW 540i6
    $700 for hood shocks Lololol. You can buy OEM Sachs ones for $30 for the pair and have em on and off in 5 minutes. What a joke.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Location
    Phoenix
    Posts
    180
    My Cars
    840ci/540i/540i Touring
    Thanks for all the fun posts and advice. I've already purchased most of the parts I need over the past 6 months. I really had no intention of having the dealership do that much work and certainly not for that amount. Two different independent BMW shops around me have quoted around 5K for the same work. Again, I will be doing much of the work myself. I've also met some really nice people locally who have offered their assistance with the repairs. For that, I am grateful! The GOOD thing about this inspection is that I now know what my car needs. Also, it was a blast driving an M4 for 2 days!

    Oh, I almost forgot! This very morning I received an email from that BMW dealership offering a 15% discount on any services!

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Location
    netherlands
    Posts
    302
    My Cars
    850 CSI
    Quote Originally Posted by Alec Cartio View Post
    Rule number 1
    Never take an 8 to a dealer.

    Rule number 2
    Always remember rule number 1
    +10
    BMW 850 CSI march 1994 (EU spec), SOLD. https://www.classiccars-forsale.com/...94-bmw-850csi/
    BMW 850 CSI november 1994 (EU spec)

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    So Cal Ca
    Posts
    96
    My Cars
    BMW 850i
    I call it the Stealership, cause they are taking your money.

  16. #16
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Location
    SF Bay Area
    Posts
    3,774
    My Cars
    Supercharged 850ci
    Holy crap, crazy prices. Even more insane some people just pay it.

  17. #17
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Location
    Kirkland, WA
    Posts
    7,285
    My Cars
    2006 Toyota Tundra
    I get a feeling that was one of those repair bills where the shop foreman probably told the person who was putting together the estimate this "I really don't want to to work on this old 8 series but if you make the repair bills extremely high it will probably scare him off. If it doesn't well they we will make a ton of money"

  18. #18
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Location
    La Costa, California
    Posts
    1,836
    My Cars
    1994 850CSi #125
    Now I know how I'm going to retire early.

    Geesh - what a rip. I've done most all of that, some alone, some with the help of the Eight Community.
    Except for the upper oil pan gasket and tranny seal, this stuff is easy peasy.
    Taylor in Carlsbad

    P=(p x v3 x Cd x A)/2

  19. #19
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    Tampa, FL
    Posts
    1,179
    My Cars
    '93 850Ci, '07 X5 4.8
    Sad but it seems dealers like to up their margins in the range of 500%. As i recall few years ago had a dealer quote me $3k and 4 weeks for a drive shaft shipped in from BMW Munich. Got the exact same part from the same source for $941 I want to say in 4 days but it was likely a week.

  20. #20
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    Fayetteville, GA, United
    Posts
    409
    My Cars
    '95 840Ci/6, F36, E89
    I did everything you listed myself, other than the alignment. Thanks to the awesome tutorials guys post on this forum, it cost me a fraction of what those scoundrels quoted you. And I used the good stuff like Wokke's suspension parts where I could. Get motivated, learning to wrench an 8 is a rewarding hobby.

Similar Threads

  1. My first repair bill
    By DavidR2PA in forum 1996 - 2003 (E39)
    Replies: 22
    Last Post: 08-14-2008, 10:22 PM
  2. BMW Dealership Repair Bill
    By lampskin in forum General BMW and Automotive Discussion sponsored by Intercity Lines
    Replies: 10
    Last Post: 09-30-2007, 12:02 PM
  3. Replies: 14
    Last Post: 12-28-2006, 09:07 AM
  4. Replies: 17
    Last Post: 05-13-2004, 11:11 AM
  5. Repair Bill?
    By Mister X in forum Car Audio & Electronics sponsored by Bavsound
    Replies: 0
    Last Post: 03-06-2004, 07:23 PM

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •