Rant: My car mechanic tried to charge me $400 for a sensor that only cost $35 online

I caught it when I looked up the part number on my phone right there in the shop in Dallas, then asked him why the markup was so insane, and he just shrugged - has anyone else had a mechanic try to pull this on you?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_beth23h ago

Used to think mechanics were just honest hardworking people. But this changed my mind completely. Saw a buddy get charged $200 for a simple battery swap once. Part was $50 at AutoZone. Wrenching is fine but the lying? That's what gets me. Now I always check prices before I walk into a shop. Saves me money and headaches. Trust but verify, you know?

kelly.keith22h ago

Yeah but did they actually swap it or just test it? Bet they charged for testing too.

willow67223h ago

Wait, $200 for a battery swap? That's actually insane, I can't believe they charged that much for a five minute job.