$$$ Surprisingly expensive car parts $$$

The previous owner of my car (a 1993 Toyota Corolla LE) had once repainted the vehicle but didn't bother to tape over the windshield washer nozzles so they were clogged with paint. I tried to clear them out to no avail with a needle and while trying to remove them so I could soak them in a solvent; I accidentally broke the base off the passenger side nozzle. So I just replaced the Y fitting with a straight through connector from my drip irrigation parts kit and only ran the driver's side.

Well, after driving around with only one functioning nozzle and this rain we've been having; I decided to head out to a Toyota dealer today and see if I could get a new set. Well, the part's counter guy looked it up and said they don't keep any in stock but could order them. I asked them to quote a price.

So what did that little thing cost ? Probably not more than 5 dollars judging by it's size and appearance.

The dealer quoted me $21 Dollars for that one nozzle


I ended up finding a "U pick your part" place nearby (you know, bring your own tool kit, pay $2 for admission, then go find a vehicle in the junkyard with the part you want and remove it yourself) Not including the $2 I paid to get in; they let me have a set of nozzles plus an air freshener I saw on the dash of a junked Supra for free.

Also a toyota....

The radio volume knob fell off, and was probably sucked up by a vacuum at the car wash. It's just a plain, dark blue cast plastic knob the size of a dime.

The local dealer had one in stock. Only $12. Plus tax.

Wiper arm 83 Olds Delta 88, $35 + tax. Just the part that hooks under the cowl to the wiper blade. Fixed my streaking problem though.

LOL, some of the obscure parts are $$ relative to how easily manufactured they are in bulk.

Toyota Type IV tranny fluid. At the Toyota dealer the least $$ I've paid is $4.71/bottle, at the Lexus dealer $6.95-7.95 or more. Crazy. Some of the electronics are also $$$. Replacement key, dealer $125. That auction site and dealer to cut it, $12.

'88 Audi 5000 Quattro, $1,100 for a clutch set, $900 and some for a flywheel. (Repeat to self 10,000 times: "I will not launch the car aggressively 15 times per day.")

However, I was pleasantly surprised at the dealer price for a replacement windshield in my current Audi A4 Quattro, only $97.

Compare that to my '91 Civic. When it was new, the dealer wanted over $600 for a windshield.

That's why you don't go to dealership for parts, they don't get called stealership for no reason.

You want an outrageous price, I went to jeep dealer for the TC 4WD sensor, which is a switch with a ball that get pushed in to make contact, they want $60 for it. And get this, $8 for the penny sized rubber o ring.

Windshields are crazy. The dealer was ~$ 950 and although I wanted it to have "Toyota" imprinted on the corner I couldn't take the price. Had a PPG installed for 2 bills and it's very nice glass. While dealer parts aren't always worth the price, enough on the secondary market have been a gamble. Since then I tend to buy factory through discount vendors. That has made me happy for the most part.

Scott.cr, I hear you about the clutch work. I shudder to think what any part of a new DSG system would cost to replace or fix.

Scott, you sure they didn't leave a "0" off the windshield price?

Windshields ! ! !


My Ford Explorer needed a new one, so i go to my Dealership.


Guy quotes me 899 Bucks !


I replied: "Nine Hundred Bucks for a Windshield ? ? ?"



At that moment, one of the Ford mechanics taps me on the shoulder . . . .


Pulls me aside, and hands me a business card.

"Give these guys a call", he sez.


So i call them . . . .


By late that afternoon, they'd finished installing my New replacement windshield.


Total cost was just 400 bucks !


And now, more than 10 years later,

it still hasn't leaked a DROP ! :twothumbs


Buyer beware !

_

I remember having to pay over $150 for a single Toyota Tercel headlight back in the mid 90's.
:green:

Sometimes they really get ya.

in the process of fixing some coolant leaks under the intake manifold on my isuzu, I ran into a little miniature T-junction rubber tube job that routes a small flow of coolant from the highest point in the heads to aid in getting air out of the system after it has been drained and re-filled. $60 for a little plastic "T" and a few inches of rubber line from the dealer.... hmm....

scott.cr said:

However, I was pleasantly surprised at the dealer price for a replacement windshield in my current Audi A4 Quattro, only $97.

Compare that to my '91 Civic. When it was new, the dealer wanted over $600 for a windshield.

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Yeah, scott - $97 sounds like they actually went through your insurance in one way or another

$140 for a starter for a 91 Explorer, what a F%&^%$#ing ripoff! I remember when you could buy brushes, bearings, drive and a solenoid for $20. Of course now you need "special" tools to even get the dumb thing apart. :scowl: :shakehead

Remember when you could replace/repack wheel bearings?

When the right front of my '03 Ram 2500 started howling, with a deal through a customer at the parts store it was almost 3 bills for a bearing/hub assembly!

Upper radiator hose wasn't even available aftermarket, but wasn't outrageous at the Dodge dealer in Cleveland.

Yep or when you could rebuild fuel pumps, starters, generators etc? The 100k spark plug changes? Yep if you can get em out, I bet the dealers have sold a few heads! I could go on and on but you get the idea. Shoot even 2 gallons of Dexcool was $24. :sick2:

MARNAV1 said:

Shoot even 2 gallons of Dexcool was $24. :sick2:

Click to expand...

Eh, that's what I pay for prestone here right now, in parts store! :sick2::sigh:

I don't like aluminum engine parts either, especially heads. If any of my friends ask me to change plugs I tell em if the threads strip getting them out its not my fault. I couldn't imagine what a dealer would charge for a overhead or dual overhead cam head today. jzmtl, what are you paying for Dexcool up there?

Double post!