incredibly high repair bill

[wango tango]

I bought a Case/Farmall 75a new in 2022. It currently has 289 hours on it. The clutch was acting funny so I took it in to the dealer I bought from for a repair. They said it had a broken clutch cable also said that Case wouldnt do anything to help in spite of it having so low of hours.

The part was $70 but the labor to fix this was $2500+. When the dealer told me this I about fell out of my chair, this seems crazy high. I pushed back some and they said they had to take the tire off and fuel tank out.

The went home and the more I thought about it the more it bugged me. I called another dealer and they quoted me $570 for the same job. I plan on calling another as well. I get there could be some differences but this is insanely high. Just wondering what others think of this - I cant see it being ~ 5x more expensive at another Case dealer. I’m not unreasonable but this is without a doubt absolutely crazy.

Would love to get other peoples thoughts on this!!!!

 

[Hay Dude]

$2,500 total- $70 for parts is $2,430.
For discussions sake, lets say they charge about $150/hour.
$2,430 / ~$150/hr = about 16 hours labor. That’s 2 full days.

Look at your invoice-it should say how many hours it took.

 

[Carl_NH]

For just the clutch cable Assembly - max a few $100 no more. Case IH FARMALL 75A - 4 CYL TRACTOR(06/10 - 04/11) Parts Diagrams

Now if they needed to split the tractor and replace the clutch itself then $2500 is understood.

 

[RayIN]

So, did you authorize the repairs, or still contemplating hauling the tractor the the cheaper priced dealer?
If the repair is already complete your only recourse is to call Case customer service directly, ask questions and plead for financial help.

 

[wango tango]

The last I knew is, they were ordering the part. I never authorized anything. Never got any indication of Price at all. I also never dreamed it would be this much money.

 

[Hay Dude]

The last I knew is, they were ordering the part. I never authorized anything. Never got any indication of Price at all. I also never dreamed it would be this much money.

Oh, I thought it was done when you said “…..was $2,500”.
In that case, stop the work and take to another dealer.

 

[zzvyb6]

Was 1 estimate to replace the cable and the other one was to put in a new clutch ?

 

[wango tango]

To be clear, the work is done. I just meant that I never authorized or got a quote for anything. I talked to the dealer Tuesday and they said they were ordering a part. Then when I called Friday, they said the work was done.

 

[wango tango]

Was 1 estimate to replace the cable and the other one was to put in a new clutch ?

No. Both to replace clutch cable.

 

[Lineman North Florida]

The outfit that you are dealing with might have got me this once, but you could rest assured that I would let them know that they would never under any circumstances get me again, I might would even consider after I got my tractor loaded on the trailer calling the bank and stopping payment on the check until we could get a company rep or regional rep to meet with me at the dealership to discuss the robbery that has taken place.

 

[Hay Dude]

To be clear, the work is done. I just meant that I never authorized or got a quote for anything. I talked to the dealer Tuesday and they said they were ordering a part. Then when I called Friday, they said the work was done.

Well, that changes things a bit. Did you authorize them to get started, or only order the parts?
Sounds like they got a little out over their skis and took you for a little ride.

 

[RayIN]

The outfit that you are dealing with might have got me this once, but you could rest assured that I would let them know that they would never under any circumstances get me again, I might would even consider after I got my tractor loaded on the trailer calling the bank and stopping payment on the check until we could get a company rep or regional rep to meet with me at the dealership to discuss the robbery that has taken place.

No basis; he got the tractor repaired with no quote in writing. If he stops check pmt now it might be construed as theft of services, and the ensuing legal battle will cost him even more.

 

[spruce Deere]

I think the Deere and caterpillar dealers here are in the $170-180 per hour.

If you need the shop truck for remote services, that rate starts when the shop truck leaves the dealer....

 

[Lineman North Florida]

No basis; he got the tractor repaired with no quote in writing. If he stops check pmt now it might be construed as theft of services, and the ensuing legal battle will cost him even more.

I haven't read where he authorized anything , they told him they were ordering a part and nothing more. While I do agree he probably should have been asking more questions, but I have to question the legitimacy of the charge if another dealer quoted doing the job for $500+. So it MIGHT be construed as theft of services or it MIGHT be construed of theft of his hard earned money and possibly shady business practices, you would really have to hear both sides of the story to say for sure.

 

[wango tango]

Thanks everyone. Going to get another quote from a third dealership and talked to the service manager or something. Like I said, I’m not unreasonable but dang….5x more insane.

 

[gsganzer]

When they say they're ordering the part and you don't stop them, that sort of implies you've authorized the work, in the loosey-goosey world, IMO. In the correct scenario, they should have presented you an estimate that you sign to authorize the commencement of the repair, which would include ordering the parts and completing the labor.

It sounds like the dealer needs to tighten up their process, so everyone knows what's happening with proper documentation.

 

[lman]

When I have any work done. The first thing I ask them is how much will that be and if it seems excessive, I tell them to wait and I will call them back. Usually that informs them that they need to be competitive to get the business.