ok i was having an issue with my 2011 KIA Sorento with 3.5l AWD (oh with 33,000 miles) sounded just like a power steering issue or tranny issue.but the steering was fine the level was fine and noise didnt decrease or increase when moving left/right. so i thought maybe the pump in the tranny?? so since you cant really check these easily i decided to take it to the dealership. ok got to them this am. before i started he said the diagnosis is $139 ?!?!? AT KIA!!!! i expressed my displeasure at that and he said that was what they charged for 1 hr labor. ok so i just went along... and they checked it out about 2 hrs later they come back. he said it ended up being the idler pulley and $440 to fix. WTF!!! then they recommend the rear brakes for $289 (which i have at home and purchased, rotors/pads, not long ago for less than $120) and they were resurfacing the rotors!!! then brake fluid service(flush) for $159 and EFI service for $159,i asked what a seafoam job he says EXACTLY(what is that like $20-50???) after all said and done they wanted over $1000 to do all this.

really dont they get this is why they lose customers?? $440?? i purchased the idler and & tensioner pulley for $36 from rock. it is a job that shouldnt even be an hour.

i understand they have to make $$ but make it more realistic and they would get more business. i get they have 'master techs' that cost $. but why do they gouge like this?

guess what i did?

 

Bought another HHR!

 

nope not that drastic!!! LOL

i just took the car home and decided to do it myself!! but not a bad guess!!! LOL

 

So you paid $278 for a 2 hr diagnostic ? Honestly, I really don't see why people got to the dealer unless it's warranty work or to buy dealer only parts,
There's just too many independent shops that can do the same work.......probably for a whole lot less money too.

 

AGREED!! no i was only charged 1 hr labor. $139 plus tax so it ended up costing about $150. THANKS NEW YORK STATE!!!

with my KIA i had 3yrs complete warranty and 10yrs for mechanical and if it was the tranny i was covered. have them try to tell me i went over the mileage for the warranty!!! as i said above i have 33,000 miles on a 2011.

 

Stealerships will do this till they can no longer get away with it..

 

If one looks at their owners manual and the recommended service schedule that the manufacturer recommends, one will find that there are certain items that are recommended at specific time intervals, as well as at mileage marks.
Most maintenance items specify an item be attended to in say, 1 year or 12,000 miles (whichever comes first).

So one will likely find that items such as brake flushes, EFI services, transmission fluid changes etc. etc. are recommended service items at a low mileage due to the time in service - ie: 33,000 miles on a 8 year old vehicle. What is the recommended distance/time for a brake flush on the 2011 Kia?

Re: idler pulley - parts acquired from dealerships are often pricier than items purchased otherwise - so that would explain part of the rather expensive cost. It's a service an owner can pay for, or find an alternative way of the repair.

 

well did this work on thursday. really wasnt difficult. a little thought for the belt but solved relatively quickly. replaced tensioner and idler pulleys. noise gone!! then i continued to do the power steering fluid. the inlet was too small for a baster so i drained it dry. worked the steering wheel back and forth, noise gone. then the master inlet was too small but couldnt be removed and draind like the power steering so used my phoenix system to drain it. added more DOT 3. then decided to do the rear brakes. no issue there cut and dry.

all of maybe 3 hours labor saved me over $600. so charged $150 to diagnose the issue. quoted $440 for just just the idler pulley , i did both for tensioner/idler for $36 and got to check the belt(which is fine). the brakes were quoted as $298 as resurfacing but i fully replaced rotors/pads $120. flush of brakes they said $179 i did it for the cost of DOT 3.grant it it isnt flushing the full system, but i will do that in spring. i did the power steering not in quote and skipped the seafoam, the kia has 33,000 so doubt i need it. so my wallet is still intact!!!

and i like the way the brakes feel and as i said NO NOISE!!!

 

My local dealer (the one that said a power steering flush was required) uses a check off sheet for every car that comes in. At the top of the sheet it is clearly headed "BG Products". They lead you to believe this is what GM recommends in reality it is what a fluid and machine vendor recommends for POS (PointOfService) revenue enhancement. It's called "marketing".