I was charged $1700 for two Water Pumps

So, for a P0A93 -Inverter water cooling performance code, there are 2 subcodes, one of which points toward a fan problem and one that points to a pump problem. 90%+ of the time, it's the pump, which is located directly behind the driverside headlight and takes about 1 to 1.5 hours to replace if you have limited experience and do it by removing the headlight and clamping off the hoses so you lose only an ounce or two of fluid. Fairly common job. I keep 2 of these pumps on the shelf at all times because I seem to always have 6 or 7 Gen 2's to take care of. They are available online for less than $100. This complete job, performed at a TOYOTA dealer is in the $550 range, the last time I checked. That's with them supplying an OEM Toyota pump and labor, along with draining and refilling the coolant, per their procedure. I do it at 1/3 that cost.

Here's a link to a Toyota parts website that offers the pump for $110. There are other deals out there.
This 47031 is the latest revision and supersedes the 47030.

G9020-47031 Genuine Toyota Water Pump Assembly W/Motor Bracket

It sounds like your shop also replaced the coolant heat storage tank pump, which is also located near that area, but has NOTHING to do with the inverter. If you only had a P0A93 code, there was NO reason for them to swap that pump. It's not even in the same cooling circuit as the inverter. It's part of the engine cooling circuit. Those two circuits are 100% independent from each other.. It would be like them installing new taillights because you have a headlight burned out.

I believe this is the second pump they replaced, for the heat storage tank. All this pump does is move hot coolant into a big thermos located in your fender to keep the coolant hot while the car is off, then transfer it back to the engine when started to help it warm up faster.
16290-21011 Genuine Toyota Water Pump Assembly W/Motor Bracket

 

Not in my experience.

My 2000 Ranger had been to the Ford dealer multiple times and they never proactively performed the recall. I had to bring in the post card from FMC to show them. This might be a common case with older vehicles that a recall years ago.

There was even an expose' on auto dealers that had a Toyota dealer in Canada not tell (not know?) a customer that her had a recall until the owner told them about it.

Texas apparently isn't one of those states. The Ranger had annual state "safety inspections" for years - all computerized these days - and never a hiccup with renewing the registration.

Probably one for the "Trust, but verify" file. It's great if the dealer does their job perfectly, but failing that, the owner needs to do their homework and tell the dealer what they need to be doing.

 

I think I paid about $300 to fix my inverter water pump, and I personally bought the replacement pump from Amazon.

The engine water pump was something most owners replaced at 80-100k miles due to leaks ("pretty" pink salts as evidence). Many Gen2 owners had extended warranty (from PriusChat) to replace the orig water pump.

I was one of the few who kept the orig water pump. I did have coolant leaks at 80K but I refilled coolant found it stopped leaking, and then it just kept going no problem to 195k miles and 14 years. I did not have the extended warranty, so I was in less hurry to fix the leak.

But if he saw the pink salts hanging near the fan belt pulley, the standard answer was to replace the pump ASAP.

 

From O(riginal) P(ost) at top of thread:

12874 - Water Pump - Tank $ 547.31
Labor 2.00 hrs $ 240.00 ($787.31 subtotal)
Coolant $ 66.64

This is what leads me to believe they replaced the Coolant Heat Storage Tank pump.

 

what op?

 

clarification provided

 

MIA

 

If a dishonest or poorly trained dealership charges X, shouldn't an independent shop that is honest and knows what they're doing charge/cost more?

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

I don’t think so. The dealer will charge even higher if they are dishonest. Indy shops should definitely not charge more than a dealer, especially if they’re well trained and know what they are doing. They finish in half the time

 

The P0A93 can only be caused by one pump, the inverter water pump. The other three water pumps are part of the engine cooling system and have nothing to do with a P0A93.

You might want to see if there is a government agency that can help you. Either way, leave an honest review for the shop. Maybe give them a chance to make it right first?

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

So, they shouldn't be rewarded for their honesty and the time they spent on training?

(I'm currently in a training class on a Sunday which I paid $290 to attend.)

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

Yes they get rewarded by having return business, recommendations to other friends and family. Not by charging more than a dealer.

Dealers have much higher overhead costs than Indy shops. They have shuttle service to take you home and pick you up. They offer donuts and coffee etc. Their higher prices pay for that stuff. So Indy shops definitely should not be higher

 

Should a tomato grown by a local farmer cost less that one bought at the supermarket?

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

Tomato? There are different grades of tomatoes and varieties. Supermarkets like Bristol Farms, Gelsons often sell high quality tomatoes at much higher prices than local farmers. But smaller supermarkets sell their lower quality, less flavorful tomatoes at lower prices than local farmers.

So I guess the comparison in car repair would be for example, an oil change. Dealer charges $79.99 for an oil change. Do you feel as a more experienced independent shop, you should charge more?

Or a different example, P0A93 inverter pump replacement. Dealers often charge $500 - $600 for this. Do you feel an independent shop should charge more?

I think $500 - $600 is quite high for this repair. $150 for the parts and 3 hours of labor at $150 per hour. I'm not sure an Indy shop should be charging more than that as it takes less than an hour to complete this repair.

 

Does the farmer who supplies the supermarket not have more overhead?

Last week, I saw Culver city Toyota quote $799.95 for an inverter water pump. I doubt they are quoting that if no one is paying it. If people are willing to pay that, why shouldn't an independent shop be able to make the same? If an inverter water pump installed by a recent graduate of UTI with little experience is worth $799.95, shouldn't one installed by a technician with years of experience cost more?

Especially if the dealer technician pinches of the hoses and doesn't replace the coolant, even if the invoice says they do, and the independent technician does?

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

$799.95 for an inverter pump replacement is very high. I'm thinking no customer should pay that amount for such an easy repair. Yes people will pay, as the OP here paid a similar amount. But as he stated in his OP, he has trouble finding another example of the outrages price he paid, so he came here for information.

This repair could be completed by a recent UTI graduate, it could even be completed by a DIY enthusiast from this forum. There is no proof that the dealership did not change the coolant, although it's probably 95% chance that they didn't. But the higher likelihood is the person that changed the pump for $799.95 was really experienced and have done this 100 times, thus knowing all the shortcuts that can finish this job in 30 minutes while charging 4-5 hours of labor to the customer. So for an Indy shop to charge more for this repair, it would be outrageous (in the example of the OP)

 

The dealer didn't do the repair, I did. I charged her $795. And, she is getting an amazing deal that she probably wouldn't get at any of my competitors.

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

Wow, you beat the OPs price of $777. He was charged $518 for the part and 1.6 hours of labor. What was your breakdown for parts and labor?

 

of course, everyone is welcome to charge what they want. i like going to my local mech because he knows what he is doing, he listens to me, he explains things well, and he lets me watch if i want to.
and he is a nice easy going fella. i don't think he is cheaper than a dealer, except that he is willing to use aftermarket or salvage parts in certain situations that he feels are safe and economical.

 

Wouldn't you agree that all those things add significant value?

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.