My first Oil Change on the Merci

is $489.00 average going price for an oil change on the Merci. Just got back from picking up my car yet didn't anticipate this high of a bill.


David Kassir

 

$489? $100-$150 is more appropriate.

 

Did they just do the oil or did they do a full fluid change?

 

Sounds like a full yearly fluid service at that price. Who did it and what does the invoice say ?

 

Labor for 2 hours $211.75
Oil Filter $61.99
AGIP Oil (16) $180.64 11.29 per quart

so all together with tax of 12.13 and their misc charge of 22.72

total $489.23


PLEASE tell me if this is right. I mean I look under the rear end of the Lambo and I see the oil filter right there in plain view. So whats the difficulty. Question could this be done at another garage outside Ferrari of Washington?

thanks


David Kassir

 

Yes that is high.....other high end exotic shops can do it.....

Should run no more than $250.00

I have no idea where they get two hours labor, unless they are including walking to the local auto shop to get the oil?

 

What dealership charged you that? That is outrageous and I will call them out on it ! I just checked my last service invoice and Lamborghini of Atlanta charged me $660 and that was a complete yearly service. Which they changed every and all fluids in the car. Agip Oil ,all factory filters, front and rear differentials, gearbox, ETC . and that also included a new BMW to drive for two or three days until it was finished. If they charged you that for just an oil change that was BS !

 

How often do you have to change the oil?

 

That's about what I paid for a engine oil only change at Ferrari of Beverly Hills for my 308 in March

 

If they went around and checked all the fluid levels that would take an hour or two easy.

Just the same I change my own oil and use Red Line at a cost of $9 a quart plus the filter. Changing all the fluids is easy. The most important thing is that you use the appropriate lift points.

aehaas

 

Thats crazy. Id dispute that based on the feedback I just read. If the filter is in plain site, how do they justify 2.0hr labor?

There has to be some kind of published flat rate hour book for Lamborghini models. Just about every other model car in the US has one.

Didnt they give you a price before you left it with them? Did you ask?

 

I know I know I asked the same thing and the Service Manager for the dealership stated "if you think we're going to turn this car around in 30 minutes you can forget it. We take our time to ensure this highdollar vehicle gets the attention it deserves." He called the Lambo Dealerships in OC & Atlanta and they both charge around $500 for an Oil Change as well. You're kinda stuck by where I live cuz there's no one whom works on Exotics in Northern VA -DC other than Ferrari of Washington.

David Kassir

 

I just can't imagine what in the world they do in 2 hours? I can do my BMW myself in 30 minutes (and I am not a mechanic). Pop the plug, drain it, take off the filter, put a new filter on, fill it with oil. So in an 8 hour day they only do 4 oil changes? Sad that they can take advantage of people like this...

 

To check all the fluids:
A panel has to be unscrewed in the front trunk to expose the brake fluid reservoir. A side panel has to be removed in the engine compartment to expose the power steering tank.

The oil filter is fully exposed but a panel has to be removed underneath to get to the bottom of the oil tank reservoir. The engine is drained trough two separate plugs. Although all this is not difficult to do it does take time. It takes me 15 minutes to get the car on the lift as the lift points are very exact and critical.

aehaas

 

why didn't you just ask how much it was first?

 

If he told you he called Atlanta then he is full of it. I have the invoice in my hand from a few months ago and my complete yearly service which included ALL FLUIDS and filters were done was only $660. On my invoice from LOA the oil was $8.50 per and used 14 units. Total was $119 . The filter $59.80 and 1 hour labor which is the minimum for pulling the car in at about $100 per hour. So the total on an oil change at LOA would have cost you about $275. Tell whoever "supposedly" called LOA that he is full of crap ! To do the whole system LOA only charged me for 3 hours and that was for every mechanical piece on the car that held fluid.

 

David,
It's amazing what you can do when you're the only game in town!

Regards,
Chris

 

I have never changed the oil in a Lamborghini, but I SERIOUSLY doubt that it takes 2 hours, especially if they have done these things before.

Hate to tell you this but, you got burned.

 

Does the owners manual have a service section, I dont know with lambo but other cars the service section at the back of owners manual or in another small book will have, e.g Oil Change (0.3 hrs), Oil Filter (0.1 hrs), and so on.
Does the Lambo manual have this??

 

I'll check more thoroughly through the manual. Dropped it off at the dealership for warrant work all the while I requested an oil change going on assumption that it's as much or slightly more than my oil change for my 360 Spider which is $236.00.

Grant it I realize its more engine thus more oil however do I only need to use AGIP products or could one use other products like Mobile 1, etc etc. Bulk of the cost is in the product it self

David Kassir

 

If they flushed out the old oil with a liter or two of new when the sump plug was out and let it properly drain, then I imagine it might take 2 hours.
Then again, I have a vived imagination.

Why didn't you do it yourself?
Does it void the warranty?

Excellent observation

 

call the dealer and tell them you want to see the flat rate hour book stating the technician should be flagged 2.0hrs labor for an oil and filter change in the Murcie. If they cant produce it, then explain to them you have no choice but to call your credit card company to dispute the charge and your state's consumer affairs.

I can almost guarantee results.

 

Sounds like a very prudent next step to me as well... In terms of using a brand of oil other than AGIP (Mobil-1, et al), PM AEHaas (who posted in this thread) about that. He's our resident motoroil expert.

Aaron

 

It does sound on the high side of things. An hour labor is tops for this job. The price of the oil also seems to be a bit higher then normal retail.

 

Why is everyone so shocked by the price?

Looking at my invoice from Ferrari of Beverly Hills, for my 308, The breakdown is as follows.

2/21/06
Labor $270.00 (2 hours)

Oil Filter $33.73
Oil 10 Qt's @ 14.87 Total $148.70
MTL/PLSTC Parts CLE $8.75 (dunno what that is for)
Washer $2.64
Total parts $193.82

Haz waste $9.81


Total $473.63

I knew that going in.