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dealers hourly rates?

Joined
11 October 2001
Messages
1,085
Location
Clearwater, Fl
just trying to see if $73.00 an hour is a fair price to pay for work on my nsx. i have a good realationship with the dealer and their work is always good but after spending over $15,000 there i figured they would of gave me a break by now, but after speaking to the service manager he said there normal hourly rate for nsx's is $85.
just curious to see what you guys are paying a hour at the dealerships
 
I think my dealership was charging me as little as 50/hour and then cut the times off of all of the work.
For example alignment is 1.5 hours of work, but they charge me 1.0 hours.
I think they installed my entire coil over suspension for something like 175.00 or so.
 
The Acura dealer charges 65 dollars an hour plus 10 percent shop fees. The tax is another 14 percent.

Changed to real rates.

[This message has been edited by rcarlos (edited 09 January 2002).]
 
$76/hour at my Chicago-area dealer, same rate for all cars (NSX and Integra).

They often run coupon specials, though, like 10 percent off scheduled maintenance.
 
hmm.... i guess down here in Florida they charge more..... anybody from the Florida area have any rates from local acura dealerships

just trying to see if i can bargain with them a little
 
Why don't you just call a few dealers yourself? You'll have accurate, up to date information.

You can look up the dealer phone numbers here.

Don't forget, if you're a member of the NSX Club of America, you get dealer discounts of 15% on parts and service at the following locations:

Don Mealey Acura, Orlando
Fountain Acura, Orlando
Ferman Acura, Tampa
Crown Acura, Clearwater
Miami Acura, Miami
Rick Case Acura, Ft. Lauderdale (10% parts only at this time)
 
the problem is that crown tell me there hourly rate is $85- and that $73- was "my special rate" but calling other dealers none charge $85 and hour
but yet everytime i go to crown there are at least 3 nsx's there but no other dealer around here have any nsx being serviced

[This message has been edited by smoore (edited 09 January 2002).]
 
So they're giving you the special discounted rate they give club members. Sounds good to me!

If I had to choose between a dealer which does a lot of work on NSX's and whose hourly rate (after any discounts) is a little more, vs a dealer which does very little work on NSX's and whose hourly rate is a few bucks less, I would pay the few extra bucks, and be happy to do so.
 
Originally posted by smoore:
yeah i guess your right!!!!!!!!

Remember to check "the rest of the story"
Hourly rates alone do not a good deal make.
How many hours you are charged is just as important, if not more so. If a dealer sticks to the flat rate manual, NO MATTER WHAT, then that should be your first, financial consideration. If the dealer says he uses the guide for 'most' things, be very wary. Techs like to try to convince service mgrs why some times in the book are unfair. Well guess what- that goes both ways. yeah, there may be a few times in the books that are a bit 'thin', but there are just as many that are like Christmas time all year round.
You have to take the good with the bad, so our policy is flat rate guide, PERIOD.

The best thing to do is write down four or five of the jobs you are most likely to do in a year, and call for all four estimates at one time to each of your prospective dealer choices, like brake pads, thermostat, clutch, t-belt, and a/c service. Ask for the parts and labor break down on all four or five jobs and see how the differences stack up. It will be a real eye opener, GAURENTEED.

Good Luck,
working for 66.00/ hr
Mark 'flat rate' Basch
 
Originally posted by NSXTech:
... working for 66.00/ hr
Mark 'flat rate' Basch


Mark, your rate is too cheap, except that I suspect you beat the book more often than not. Would you share with us some of the most common tasks and how the book time stacks up to your typical time spent? (realizing that unanticipated glitches can sometimes cause delays)


Thanks!

BTW, at least one BMW shop I know uses more than one book from different sources with sometimes significantly different figures. Is this true with Acura dealerships?
 
The best thing to do is write down four or five of the jobs you are most likely to do in a year

<snip>

However, I would suggest that the estimates you get should be common repairs


This is good advice.

If I were going to call up for estimates, here are the services I would ask for prices on:

- oil change and filter
- front brake pad replacement
- 30K mile service
- OEM clutch replacement
- timing belt and water pump replacement

working for 66.00/ hr
Mark 'flat rate' Basch


As a general rule, dealer service departments will generally be slightly higher than independent mechanics. My dealer's $76/hour is typical of dealers in the Chicago area. Independents here charge anywhere from $50 to $68 per hour.

I am comfortable having any competent independent shop do routine services like oil changes and brake pad replacements. But for anything more complicated, I prefer to take my NSX to a shop where they work on NSX's all the time and know what problems to look for. Unless you live in the Southwest (Mark's area), this means an Acura dealer, since there are few (if any?) independent shops elsewhere that have much NSXpertise.
 
Here in Connecticut the rates for any brand run between $75 & $85 per hour. I just found a good independant shop to take my Chevy 4x4 to and was happy to pay the $80.00 per hour. They knew what they were doing and the truck's running like new ( it's a '95 ). I've been too disappointed by the service I get from the dealerships, nothing is ever quite right, or some other problem always pops up. Haven't had the NSX long enough to need anything major done except for the Tbelt,and I made the mistake of going to the lower quoted dealership. My car came back with a whole lot of scratches on the paint that I'm still working to get out. The higher priced dealership works on NSX's all the time, and I know I wouldn't have had a problem. Live and learn.
Smoore, why would you expect a break just because you already spent a considerable amount of money at the place that did a good job? You got what you paid for, I hope. No offense, but this really bugs me because I'm self-employed in a service business and a lot of my work is hourly rate. I make my living by giving my time and talent to the customer, and they get more than their money's worth.So when they ask me to"throw something in", I ask them if the grocery store throws in a few steaks when they're at the register, just because they spent some money there last week. Does the doctor repair a hernia for free just because you paid him last week to set your kid's broken leg? Be thankful you've found a good mechanic that you can trust. Mark Basch, we need you in CT!
 
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