Outrageous maintenance bill for over $28,000! Look, I show our 348 Brothers how to save money and keep their machines running great everyday...but in the meantime, someone's been bending our 355 Brothers over a chair. It doesn't have to be like this, people! Look at the itemized charges. $66 for a $12 fuel filter. $7k for catalytic converters! $5k for new exhaust headers! $289 for spark plugs! This is just *one* trip to a service station. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Ferrari-355-BERLINETTA-97-355-BERLINETTA-COUPE-6-SPEED-EURO-CAR_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ157044QQihZ018QQitemZ280179795242QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Odometer shows 40k, auction states 25k?? 06/01/2004 HOUSTON, TX Independent Emission Source PASSED EMISSION INSPECTION 06/04/2004 HOUSTON, TX Independent Emission Source PASSED EMISSION INSPECTION 08/31/2004 MISSION, TX Motor Vehicle Dept. REGISTRATION EVENT/RENEWAL 09/13/2004 HOUSTON, TX 20,175 Motor Vehicle Dept. TITLE (Title #:10162838228155030) (Lien Reported) 11/05/2004 MISSION, TX 20,177 Motor Vehicle Dept. TITLE (Title #:10830538285165255) (Lien Reported) 06/02/2006 MISSION, TX Motor Vehicle Dept. REGISTRATION EVENT/RENEWAL 06/01/2007 MISSION, TX Motor Vehicle Dept. REGISTRATION EVENT/RENEWAL
Here's how to minimize the $5k exhaust header hit: http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=178104
Here's how to minimize that $7,300 catalytic converter charge: http://www.ricambiamerica.com/product_info.php?cPath=175&products_id=209
Guys, That is nothing compared to what I have been through in Australia. I have written another thread about my bills and what I was charged. In summary before I bought my 355 the previous owner paid a total of 20K for an engine out job. I bought the car thinking no worries for the next few years. When you look at the invoice there are horrific costs for parts and labour. I did the engine out job again and spent another 10K so there you have it. Over 30K in two years!!!! I know now where to go so should be sorted but when I have a look at invoice like this one in this thread doesn't make me a verry happy Aussie!!
Wow, just amazing. You have to wonder, did the dealer feel just a little bit guilty handing that bill over? And for half the value of the car they couldn't give the valve covers a $20 powder coat??
Here's how to minimize that $1,500 kit bearing charge for the throwout release bearing: http://www.hill-engineering.co.uk/homemainferrari.htm That will also lower your bill on the cam tensioner bearings...
I see $12k in major parts overcharges, alone. Cut the labor and sales tax to correspond to erasing those overcharges and that should have been a $14,000 30K service...not a $28k+ service bill.
Only an idiot would pay that bill----I go into all maintenance problems with an idea at least of what stuff costs----that is someone who has NO clue as to what stuff costs and the mechanic knew it...
I had an acquantence wire the home stereo system for a famous pop star who now resides in the Middle East. The star's entourage wanted 3 quotes for the sound system, based on various options. Then they chose the lowest priced, least optioned version, agreed to it only if he would be willing to submit the higher invoice and refund the difference to the entourage. Pretty crappy way to make a livin'.
Haven't looked closely at all of this, but looks like one dealer paid another dealer for the work? It wouldn't surprise me if dealers on occasion work together to "pad" an invoice (not actual $ exchanged) to make the money spent look impressive to potential buyers (of course, that might also scare away some customers!). Not saying that happened here, though.... just hard to believe a dealer paid another dealer that kind of money.
It's been said time and again but "THANK GOD FOR THE 348/355 BROTHERHOOD". Reading scary stories like this one would make anyone leery of buying one of these fine automobiles, including me. I can honestly say that without this site I probably would not have purchased my Ferrari or even worse purchased one without any knowledge of what to look for or what I was getting into.
Daniel, I found something similar in the list on page one that you might have missed. I guess they did not have the KY Jelly in stock. Take a look: Image Unavailable, Please Login
What about making a spreadsheet with information like this and making it a sticky? There was another thread about high priced items and a lot of the brothers posted 3rd party equivalents that were much cheaper (like OEM gas cap versus a 3rd party). That information would be very useful in a spreadsheet/sticky. Steve
Yeah, he cares...especially since he was making payments on that car then. Look at the carfax that was posted!
The oddest thing about that eBay description was that posting pics of this invoice was supposed to make prospective buyers feel better about buying the car. Holy crap, what was he thinking? This is like a wall poster for anyone who wants to prove Ferraris will suck your bank account dry in a matter of days. If I was surfing eBay for a first Ferrari this would send me fleeing to the Porsche section. The second oddest thing is reading in this thread that "it should have been a $14K bill": isn't that still steep, seeing as it's almost 25% of the car's value?
$14k would have been on the high side for new cats, new headers, new exhaust ecus, new throwout bearing, and 30k service. That would have been $6,000 for labor and taxes and $8k in parts. 355's are known for that level of maintenance expenses, but even those costs can be reduced by the avid student of the marque (rather than by a mere check-writer). $28k for the above, however, is unconscionable. There are simply people and places that will take as much money as they can get away with taking from you, and in this instance the two extremes of give and take seem to have met face to face and kissed passionately.
They are NOT overcharges...unless you can show the exact factory part for a lot less. You are showing aftermarket ALTERNATIVES. Granted, some are much better than the factory part, but many folks do not know or have that knowledge, so they stick with the factory parts.
