Outrageous price for bulbs at dealership

[JimKIII]

I was at the dealers getting an oil change (I'll let them do it until warranty is over) and I needed two taillight bulbs for the truck, 7443.

A quick walk to the parts dept, the parts fella looked up the part number and mumbled something I thought was, "that'll be $7." Not quite understanding him, I asked, "$7? For each or both?" And he replied, "No, that'll be $70 for both."

I just about crapped my pants and blurted out, "Seventy bucks!!!! That's insane! For two little 12v bulbs?" "Yes sir," he said with not a trace of shame or attitude that the price was out of line.

Obviously, I walked away from the parts counter, drove to O'Reillys and bought a pair of Sylvania 7443s for the cost of a double-shot iced latte.

Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep/Ram is sure proud of their platinum-priced bulbs.

 

[CdnHO]

I was at the dealers getting an oil change (I'll let them do it until warranty is over) and I needed two taillight bulbs for the truck, 7443.

A quick walk to the parts dept, the parts fella looked up the part number and mumbled something I thought was, "that'll be $7." Not quite understanding him, I asked, "$7? For each or both?" And he replied, "No, that'll be $70 for both."

I just about crapped my pants and blurted out, "Seventy bucks!!!! That's insane! For two little 12v bulbs?" "Yes sir," he said with not a trace of shame or attitude that the price was out of line.

Obviously, I walked away from the parts counter, drove to O'Reillys and bought a pair of Sylvania 7443s for the cost of a double-shot iced latte.

Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep/Ram is sure proud of their platinum-priced bulbs.

Way back when I owned my '97 12 valve I had to buy new O rings for the individual valve covers when I did valve adjustments. The dealer in Canada wanted over 150 dollars for six. Ummm. Nope. Before 9/11 we camped in Michigan every weekend so stopped by a Cummins shop on my way home and paid 3 dollars and change for each. Asked the dealer to justify his price and said that is what the book says. Just insane what the dealers get away with.

 

[SolidAxleorBust]

I get it, they have to make money. Sometimes I pay a little more for the convenience, and frankly the mark up is not all that bad. Then you go in for something like this.........And that is how they earn the reputation and send potential customers elsewhere. I hate going to a dealer so bad. I have to take a Ford Transit in next week for service and a loose door lock under warranty they did not fix the first time. They told me with an appointment 24-48hrs to DIAGNOSE. WTF? a loose door lock.....Not sure I will even price buying my next truck locally. Not worth the grief. Probably just fly to Mark Dodge and call it a day.

 

[DrTron]

Back in the day we were riding our motorcycles in the Swiss Alps, when my headlight went out. Rather simple single-filament halogen bulb, but not too mainstream. The only dealer we found that had one was a Ducati dealer. I don't remember the price, but it was equally outrageous.
Luckily my bike used the same bulbs for the single headlight and the dual high beams, so I just swapped one bulb of the high beams to the headlight and replaced it when we got back home.

 

[poorman_pw]

Sometimes it’s not too bad of a mark up, other times it doesn’t make any damn sense at all like this.

 

[popeye2002]

I get it, they have to make money. Sometimes I pay a little more for the convenience, and frankly the mark up is not all that bad. Then you go in for something like this.........And that is how they earn the reputation and send potential customers elsewhere. I hate going to a dealer so bad. I have to take a Ford Transit in next week for service and a loose door lock under warranty they did not fix the first time. They told me with an appointment 24-48hrs to DIAGNOSE. WTF? a loose door lock.....Not sure I will even price buying my next truck locally. Not worth the grief. Probably just fly to Mark Dodge and call it a day.

I got told the same crap about 24-48 hrs to diagnose a faulty tow mirror and the soonest appointment was 8 weeks out..... drove 40 miles away to another dealer got it looked at on the spot and parts ordered then installed new tow mirror soon as it came in 10 days later. My local dealer SUX. I consider the dealer 40 miles away to be my service dealer even though my local dealer is only 5 miles away.

 

[JimKIII]

Then you have the other type of folks - again, back in the day - who actually did outstanding favors for those of us who didn't have much of a pot to piss in then. Two examples:

1. 1972 - My first engine rebuild was the 390ci V8 in my dad's 1964 Ford Country Squire station wagon. I walked into the local Kings Auto Parts to buy a gasket set for a full rebuild. The owner said the price would be $78. I showed him that I only had $40, two twenties. He could tell I was new at this and young. He reached over the counter and took my two twenties and said, "this'll be just fine. Good luck with your project." I never forgot that.

2. Later in in the early '80s I got a 1948 Ford pickup with a flat-head 6-cylinder. The timing belt gear on the crank sheared a couple of teeth (it was made out of pressed material). I went to a local shop named Vintage Auto Parts and asked if they had such a part. The owner went in the back, rummaged around, and came out with a new one still in the oil paper wrap. He blew the dust off, matched it up with my ruined one and said, "that'll be $3." I was stunned thinking that I was going to have to fork over lots of money. Another good guy and another one I never forgot.