My son just had a Toyota dealer replace the timing chain and water pump on his '90 22re truck. They removed and reinstalled the badlands bumper to do it. They charged $1431.00 for this job. I feel that this is a bit excessive. The dealer said it took 12 hours ??? What do you all think about this - is this normal.

 

Rip off. It should take a Toyota mechanic 4-6 hours to do it. I can do it 4 hours. I am not sure what the dealer rate is but 12 hours is way over priced. They removed the bumper to make it easier to reach over the front. I would not take a vehical to a dealer for service. IMHO.

 

sure. 12 hours = start working on it. clock out, go home, go to bed, go back to work, finish
definitely a rip off. there is no need to remove the bumper to replace a TC.

 

This is what I thought also. The question is now what possible recourse one would have other than just arguing with the service manager about how long it should have taken. These people always take the position that they know everything and that your opinion isn't worth spit. I will voice my opinion but with these people I start having visions of putting my fist through their face the longer I listen to - we are right - you are wrong - shut up and pay or you won't get your truck back. This crap is everywhere and it makes me have a really bad attitude about people in general. I have never cheated anyone in my life, but now I wonder if I am just abnormal.

 

Toyota recently gave me an estimate of $1400 to replace a head gasket. Needless to say, I did it myself for a fraction of that.

Someone who knows the 22re inside and out (like a tech) can do it in 4 hours. The thing is, they gotta charge you book--which is prolly 12 hours. I don't think there's any arguing about it.

 

Yea I recieved a 1300$ for labor alone estimate from abajins (local dealer here). Then got an other from a local mechanics shop 600$ everything, NO wonder the little local shops stay in business...

My advice is call around next time and then find the cheepest place, or be like me and have a friend that will show you so you can do it/ show someone else.

 

NEVER take your car/truck to a stealership. They don't make much on selling cars so they have to make money somehow, screwing you! Take it to a good shop or do it yourself.

 

i've heard book time is 8 hours on a timing chain.

 

I just finished the last bit of prep work before I reassemble my 22re. The mission - head gasket replacement. Of course I learned alot getting this far. Thing is, I plan to sell the truck once fixed, after I drive it a few hundred miles just to verify the oil stays oil and the water stays water. But, one exh valve has small edge tear and drivers side timing damper is gone. I think I can replace the timing damper without taking off the timing cover. The valve, I might replace.

But the engine only has 100K on it. I feel like I ought to tear into timing chain replacement and pull off the oil pan and really clean up the internal block, and manifolds etc. before I reassemble.

But this is alot of work for someone else's benefit.

any thoughts?

I only broke one head bolt and one rear head cover bolt getting the thing apart. hooray. Now if I can just get everything back together....

I'm a toyo truck guy, but I hate to fix em...love to drive em
Have had 97 and 99 tacoma, 01,02,04 and 05 tundras. Never hit 60K on any of them, so never had a problem. This 22re was my son's first car.

Oh yeah....the shop wanted $1700 to start the job, plus parts

 

X2

of course, its a bit late for this advice in your case. I doubt you can get any money back, but its worth a try.

 

The dealership is ALWAYS a ripoff. In this case they will charge you for doing a H/G plus all the timing cover item. Yes...it is expensive..yes they charged you a bit more than they should have. If it's something you can't do yourself, you're gonna hafta pay. It sucks I know. As far as removing the bumper, I would do the exact same thing. I work on these trucks and runners day in and day out and one of the things I hate the most is trying to work on a truck with a big f'n bumper on the front. It's difficult to do any job but especially a job like that with a bumper in the way so it's a justifiable removal. Just as long as they put it back on just the way it came off

 

Plus with labor rates now at dealerships. I think the labor rate here at the dealer nearest me is $125/hr. Major rip off. My shops is $90

 

Sort of a "catch-22" - but I pay rates like that to a shop that I trust (i.e. one that does the work the way I would do it if I had the time to do it).

Keyfactor is that
a) I do know how to do the repair job myself
b) they know that I know
c) they keep me appraised of the project as it moves along
d) I get calls on what else to fix as they get into things

The major problem with a dalership is that they CHARGE book rates but often do not TAKE book time to do the work.

THe shop I use may take book time but the also arent sitting around billing time either. Usually its the LITTLE things that they do (that I would do) like when they R&R the lower A arms and welded up the gouges on the lower brackets from my previosu sawzall removal - and hit it with a quick coat of paint)