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Dealer vs. Independent Mechanic

Discussion in '360/430' started by Boulder Rosso, Aug 9, 2014.

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  1. Boulder Rosso

    Boulder Rosso Rookie

    Feb 28, 2010
    11
    #1 Boulder Rosso, Aug 9, 2014
    I own a 2005 430 which I recently took in for it's 15K service to Ferrari of Denver (FOD). Never had any issues in the past with this dealer. I had driven the car 2k miles since it's prior service there and it has never been tracked. The car was stalling off the line and when you backed it up.

    FOD stated the reason the car was stalling was due to an obvious bad throw out bearing and between the clutch kit and other misc parts that needed to be replaced including the water/oil pump, wheel bearing, and misc. the estimate came to 24K. A good friend called Scuderia Rampante in Boulder, CO on my behalf and they asked to see the car. The stalling issue was solved in 5 min by simply using software to reset the ECU. The throw out bearing had some small seepage, but the system is teflon sealed and seals itself the more you drive the car and this one had been siiting-so normal. The water/oil pump had no issues-they couldn't even find residue. The wheel bearing was off by 2/1,000s of an inch, almost within the tolerances of the bearing so they did not recommend replacing. Between the misc parts they recommended replacing with OEM, the total bill came to $2,800!

    First, while FOD is very nice and efficient, I wanted everyone to get a sense of what happened (draw your own conclusions). Second, I can't thank Dave and his crew enough (he was the lead tech at the Denver dealer until 10 years ago), as they took me from being afraid to drive my car for fear of the big service/repair bill to loving the car again. It drives like new now!
     
  2. Labman

    Labman F1 Rookie
    Silver Subscribed

    Jun 25, 2010
    3,801
    Long Island, NY
    Full Name:
    Steve
    #2 Labman, Aug 9, 2014

    You are very lucky to have the likes of Dave Helms in your area. Glad it all worked out for a bit more that 10% of the original estimate :)
     
  3. PVEferrari

    PVEferrari Formula Junior

    Mar 9, 2013
    641
    PLS VRDS EST, CA USA
    #3 PVEferrari, Aug 9, 2014
    Always get a second opinion if you can. Dealership=Stealership
    Glad it worked out for you nicely, now go out and put more miles. :)
     
  4. billswim

    billswim Rookie

    Jan 31, 2014
    48
    Oakland ca
    Full Name:
    Bill
    #4 billswim, Aug 9, 2014
    IMHO a good independent shop will beat the dealership for quality of service and cost 99% of the time. Where the dealer has the advantage is access to the factory only service bullitens and software. They keep access to that stuff pretty limited while the cars are still under warranty. Other than that I can't see a reason to get ones vehicle serviced at the dealership.
     
  5. 360Tom

    360Tom Formula 3

    May 9, 2013
    1,396
    Burbank, CA
    Full Name:
    Tom
    #5 360Tom, Aug 9, 2014
    Not only that. They won't make you or tell you to replace parts that don't necessarily need to be replaced. The Dealer will try and sell you everything they can. Having a good, honest mechanic is priceless. And the piece of mind you get allows you to drive your car like it should be driven.
     
  6. Ron328

    Ron328 F1 Rookie
    Silver Subscribed

    Mar 10, 2003
    2,627
    Willamette Valley, Oregon
    Full Name:
    Ron
    #6 Ron328, Aug 9, 2014
    That was outrageous. But good it worked out for you. FOD is a sponsor here. It would be good for them to know.
     
  7. Boulder Rosso

    Boulder Rosso Rookie

    Feb 28, 2010
    11
    #7 Boulder Rosso, Aug 9, 2014
    I'll write their service department and let them know I've posted here so they can respond.
     
  8. 2NA

    2NA F1 World Champ
    Consultant Owner Professional Ferrari Technician

    Dec 29, 2006
    18,221
    Twin Cities
    Full Name:
    Tim Keseluk
    #8 2NA, Aug 9, 2014
    A big sign on the building doesn't guarantee you won't get screwed.
     

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