I believe I am being bent over (radiator replacement)

[Flying Biker]

So I drove my beloved 4runner from Colorado to Texas and just as I was pulling into town with just over 200000 miles, I noticed my temperature gauge started to fluctuate going almost to the high mark but then back to normal. It did this about 4 or 5 times before I got to my destination. I thought maybe I had a thermostat issue. So this morning I took it to the local Toyota stealership since I am no where near any tools to deal with this myself. They just called me a little bit ago telling me that the radiator was leaking. Well, okay... How much he is this going to cost me? She gave me a dollar amount that just sounds way out of the normal. $860.00....

I did some quick searching and on Rockauto I see that the radiator is around $120.00 and it should take around 2 hours of labor. Is this correct? Oh and they also wanted to sell me a radiator flush for another $300.00. Now I thought they were changing out the radiator? Maybe flushing what is left in the engine is in order, but it feels like I am being take advantage of since I am out of town and I really have no other options.

 

[KOTOC-79]

They are attempting to:boink:you side ways!! That price is insane...The radiator is relatively cheap and swapping it out is pretty easy.
Radiator flush for $300!??! HA!!

 

[toyotatech84]

this is where as a member/friend i am torn. Id be asking if it is a toyota radiator, a rebuilt radiator, new hoses? thermostat? From a dealership stand point i would charge you the 2 hours labor ($250) plus our coolant service of $75. plus the cost of the radiator.
This is also where it can get tricky, yes you can find a radiator online cheaper but are you taking into consideration shipping time and cost. Is it worth waiting for 1-2 days to ship a radiator that may or may not fit your truck to save a few bucks or to work with the dealership and their pricing for what I'm assuming a full day of work to be on the road a lot quicker.
Ask the dealer if they are willing to source out a radiator locally aftermarket like Lee auto or Napa. We (where i work) don't like doing it but if the customer requests then we'll do the best to help out customers. ESPECIALLY if they are fellow 4runner owners.

 

[Flying Biker]

this is where as a member/friend i am torn. Id be asking if it is a toyota radiator, a rebuilt radiator, new hoses? thermostat? From a dealership stand point i would charge you the 2 hours labor ($250) plus our coolant service of $75. plus the cost of the radiator.
This is also where it can get tricky, yes you can find a radiator online cheaper but are you taking into consideration shipping time and cost. Is it worth waiting for 1-2 days to ship a radiator that may or may not fit your truck to save a few bucks or to work with the dealership and their pricing for what I'm assuming a full day of work to be on the road a lot quicker.
Ask the dealer if they are willing to source out a radiator locally aftermarket like Lee auto or Napa. We (where i work) don't like doing it but if the customer requests then we'll do the best to help out customers. ESPECIALLY if they are fellow 4runner owners.

I did ask for the OEM radiator as they did warn me about how a 3rd party radiator may not fit properly. So even with let's say X2 times the cost difference between the OEM and the 3rd party part, I am still trying to come up with the other 400.00 dollars. Even if they changed out all the hoses and tstat, I can't get it that high!

 

[toyotatech84]

I'm at home already so i don't have access to pricing for OEM hoses, thermostat and radiator. But if i had to guess i would imagine he is replacing the hoses/clamps/radiator. Are they maybe trying to squeeze in some sort of trans service since "you know, we are already in there might as well do it" mentality?
Shit if all else fails call other local dealers and ask for a price quote and see if they can either price match or look on their website for coupons.

 

[Flying Biker]

I'm at home already so i don't have access to pricing for OEM hoses, thermostat and radiator. But if i had to guess i would imagine he is replacing the hoses/clamps/radiator. Are they maybe trying to squeeze in some sort of trans service since "you know, we are already in there might as well do it" mentality?
Shit if all else fails call other local dealers and ask for a price quote and see if they can either price match or look on their website for coupons.

If they were doing the transmission service, that would make me feel better. It does need it a it is now due, but I was afraid to ask them to do anything else. I don't think I could sell a kidney that fast to pay for it.

 

[ChaosStarter]

That is the legit price that Toyota has the dealers sell it for. Most people don't know this, but Toyota dictates what we sell parts for and the markup. It's up to the dealer how much over cost they are willing to part with it though.

 

[MONTYMTB]

So I drove my beloved 4runner from Colorado to Texas and just as I was pulling into town with just over 200000 miles, I noticed my temperature gauge started to fluctuate going almost to the high mark but then back to normal. It did this about 4 or 5 times before I got to my destination. I thought maybe I had a thermostat issue. So this morning I took it to the local Toyota stealership since I am no where near any tools to deal with this myself. They just called me a little bit ago telling me that the radiator was leaking. Well, okay... How much he is this going to cost me? She gave me a dollar amount that just sounds way out of the normal. $860.00....

I did some quick searching and on Rockauto I see that the radiator is around $120.00 and it should take around 2 hours of labor. Is this correct? Oh and they also wanted to sell me a radiator flush for another $300.00. Now I thought they were changing out the radiator? Maybe flushing what is left in the engine is in order, but it feels like I am being take advantage of since I am out of town and I really have no other options.

Look online for a locally owned radiator shop, and call them in the morning for a quote. I had my radiator replaced last year at a local shop, and I was out the door for around 300 bucks. I have a 3rd gen, but I doubt there would be much of a price difference between the two.

 

[bpowa]

Sounds about right for a radiator oem. 2 hours work. Coolant hoses and tstat.

You chose to drive into the dealership. And not a independent shop.

 

[Ruski]

That sounds absolutely ridiculous!! At the local shop I used to work at I did a radiator on a 2011 SR5 after a stone kicked up and punctured a hole in it. It was 400 out the door... 2 hours labor, coolant, and a radiator from Napa Auto Parts

 

[Flying Biker]

Sounds about right for a radiator oem. 2 hours work. Coolant hoses and tstat.

You chose to drive into the dealership. And not a independent shop.

What choice? I don't know anything about anyplace where I am. If I were home and not 600 miles away, I would have had the thing yanked out already and hopefully back in if I could have found one locally, but I am not home and stuck in this town with no tools or a place I can work on it and nothing to base a decision on. Going to an independent could have been this or worse. If all your going to do is roll the dice and hope for the best a stealership is just as good... Or worse as any place else. At lease going to a stealership in a strange town gives me a little piece of mind knowing they have a little bit a skin in the game and if something is wrong later, I do have a little bit of recourse back home. I just found that the price was about 50% more than what I was expecting and I am still in sticker shock.

I will be going in tomorrow to speak with the service manager to have him go line by line and see exactly what I am paying for.

 

[V8Man]

What choice? I don't know anything about anyplace where I am. If I were home and not 600 miles away, I would have had the thing yanked out already and hopefully back in if I could have found one locally, but I am not home and stuck in this town with no tools or a place I can work on it and nothing to base a decision on. Going to an independent could have been this or worse. If all your going to do is roll the dice and hope for the best a stealership is just as good... Or worse as any place else. At lease going to a stealership in a strange town gives me a little piece of mind knowing they have a little bit a skin in the game and if something is wrong later, I do have a little bit of recourse back home. I just found that the price was about 50% more than what I was expecting and I am still in sticker shock.

I will be going in tomorrow to speak with the service manager to have him go line by line and see exactly what I am paying for.

First off I would like to say sorry for all your troubles. I like to do all my work myself including rebuilding/engines and transmissions so I know how your feeling. The one good thing about having an out of town dealer do the work, the work including parts should be warranted by your local hometown dealer.
Or you could be like the Griswolds "how much will this cost?" Mechanic: "how much have you got?" My son's alternator went out east of Amarillo Texas on Friday afternoon in July. I advised him to take it to the dealer. The wrecker driver "called" ahead to the dealership and was told they were too busy. Not to worry the driver had a buddy. The buddy charged 2 hours labor, I removed and reinstalled the alternator in 15 minutes. Charged double for the remanufactured alternator, wouldn't take a credit card. My son had to ride with him to get a cash advance from a bank. He did get a 90 day warrantee for the part, if he goes back to Amarillo 4 hours away.
So the price is high now, make sure the warrantee and parts and labor is nationwide at any dealer. Do the due diligence and make sure they are just changing parts you can change or replace later and get home.

 

[cpark_12]

Just a thought...

If you do most of your own work on your vehicle, couldn't you go to an auto parts store (NAPA, Advanced, O'reilly's) and get them to get you a radiator in and just get the tools from them and change it in a parking lot somewhere in town? It'd be way cheaper that way and you'll have a warranty at any of those stores nationwide?? I always have my tools in my truck, but if I were in your situation, that's what I'd do!

 

[Flighht2k]

Makes me laugh when people go to the dealer, any dealer no matter what brand it is and expect it to be cheap. Then they cry about the price. Go to another shop. They charge less and move on with your life.

 

[KidVermicious]

Away from home, I think I'd buy a set of Harbor Freight sockets and wrenches, buy whatever radiator NAPA had on the shelf and one of their 5 gallon buckets for the old coolant, and get it done in the parking lot. Might take you more than two hours, but it'll run you a lot less than $860, and when you're done you'll have a set of tools to leave in the 4Runner. :flipoff:

 

[Flying Biker]

Makes me laugh when people go to the dealer, any dealer no matter what brand it is and expect it to be cheap. Then they cry about the price. Go to another shop. They charge less and move on with your life.

Keep laughing. Not crying here! Was asking for those that can be serious if that is the going rate for a radiator to be installed be a dealer. Now move along since you have nothing constructive to add.

 

[RunnerAK]

Just a thought...

If you do most of your own work on your vehicle, couldn't you go to an auto parts store (NAPA, Advanced, O'reilly's) and get them to get you a radiator in and just get the tools from them and change it in a parking lot somewhere in town? It'd be way cheaper that way and you'll have a warranty at any of those stores nationwide?? I always have my tools in my truck, but if I were in your situation, that's what I'd do!

Away from home, I think I'd buy a set of Harbor Freight sockets and wrenches, buy whatever radiator NAPA had on the shelf and one of their 5 gallon buckets for the old coolant, and get it done in the parking lot. Might take you more than two hours, but it'll run you a lot less than $860, and when you're done you'll have a set of tools to leave in the 4Runner. :flipoff:

This. I replaced the radiator on our V6 for less than $200 including all parts and coolant. It is really simple and could easily be done in a parking lot, all you need are a pair of pliers, a socket set, and one of the FSMs or writeups found on the internet.

 

[GHARP57]

Toyota has 2 radiators available. One is the true factory one, it retails for 502.87 the second one is a Toyota that costs less. it retails for 289.32. They are both Toyota radiators just think of it as Toyota making a better quality value priced one to compete with after market.

 

[willbgood]

So I drove my beloved 4runner from Colorado to Texas and just as I was pulling into town with just over 200000 miles, I noticed my temperature gauge started to fluctuate going almost to the high mark but then back to normal. It did this about 4 or 5 times before I got to my destination. I thought maybe I had a thermostat issue. So this morning I took it to the local Toyota stealership since I am no where near any tools to deal with this myself. They just called me a little bit ago telling me that the radiator was leaking. Well, okay... How much he is this going to cost me? She gave me a dollar amount that just sounds way out of the normal. $860.00....

I did some quick searching and on Rockauto I see that the radiator is around $120.00 and it should take around 2 hours of labor. Is this correct? Oh and they also wanted to sell me a radiator flush for another $300.00. Now I thought they were changing out the radiator? Maybe flushing what is left in the engine is in order, but it feels like I am being take advantage of since I am out of town and I really have no other options.

Buy a radiator, go to Lowes and by a simple tool set for 50 bucks, and change it out there in the parking lot. I have done several emergency repair in their lot, and they never say a thing. On one all evening, into all night trailer repair, the manager brought me a Starbucks in the morning...I had the trailer in the air with all 4 wheels off and was replacing the brakes that a dealer told me were fine when we got our spring pre-trip service...they weren't even close. Home depot is the same.

 

[bpowa]

Buy a radiator, go to Lowes and by a simple tool set for 50 bucks, and change it out there in the parking lot. I have done several emergency repair in their lot, and they never say a thing. On one all evening, into all night trailer repair, the manager brought me a Starbucks in the morning...I had the trailer in the air with all 4 wheels off and was replacing the brakes that a dealer told me were fine when we got our spring pre-trip service...they weren't even close. Home depot is the same.

This is great advice since OP said he is capable of his own repairs. 15 dollar socket set and channel pliers.

I can come up with a whole breakdown off the top of my head and should put you at about 200 bucks with a couple hours time if that.
You would have to pay 120 or so for the dealer to release the truck for diagnostic fee.

It does not sound like OP is asking for options. Since people provide inputs and he gets offensive. All he want to know is if he is getting bent over/overpaid or not.

I don't want to sound rude.
Sound like he can answer his own question with a breakdown of repair with a Service Manager or Advisor. So he pretty much created this post to rant?:wtf: