Loading…
4
That Tuesday when a single broken fan belt cost me 6 hours and $340 at a TA in Ohio
I pulled into a TA near Columbus last week for a quick fuel stop and noticed my alternator light flickering. Turned out the fan belt had a crack running through it, and the shop wanted $340 for the belt and labor because they had to order the part from the next town over. What got me thinking is whether paying that premium for on-site service is worth it compared to having a spare belt in the cab and doing it yourself on the shoulder. Has anyone else been stuck paying triple for roadside repairs when you could have fixed it for $30 with a little planning?
3 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In3 Comments
sean_green442mo ago
$340 for a fan belt that costs thirty bucks at AutoZone?
4
blair_nguyen2mo ago
Right, that thirty dollar markup is pure dealership tax for doing almost nothing.
7
gavin4692mo ago
Man, tell me about it! My buddy Jake took his old Civic in for a simple serpentine belt swap, and the dealer tried to hit him with a $275 labor charge on top of a $60 belt. He walked out and did it himself in his driveway with a YouTube video and a socket wrench in like 45 minutes. The markup felt like they were just hoping he'd be too scared to ask questions or get his hands dirty.
4