Anyone notice Indy mechanics are now the same price or more than dealer?

bender rodriguez · 01-16-2015, 02:05 PM

I started to notice the prices are no longer that far apart. Yeah some things are cheaper with an indy but I notice BMW dealer is same price or less for a good amount of items now.

The dealer here does oil changes cheaper than anyone in town even firestone or some crap. I notice control arms were pretty cheap or the same price as most indies in town.. One dealer about 100 miles away will do control arms for 340.0.. The quote from my indy was at least 399. Might have been 499.

Dealer break specials seem pretty cheap if you can get them to do it without changing the rotor. Not sure if they will or not but they list pad only service. I have seen these at 99 and 129 at some dealers.

Wonder what else the dealer is better for?

paco89 · 01-16-2015, 02:10 PM

i think that might just be it, oil changes maybe, and maybe scanning the car? idk..

E92 M2530Z · 01-16-2015, 02:13 PM

Which dealers are you comparing to in CA? I've noticed in SoCal that oil changes at dealers on special can be very competitive or beat independents

paco89 · 01-16-2015, 02:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by E92 M2530Z

Which dealers are you comparing to in CA? I've noticed in SoCal that oil changes at dealers on special can be very competitive or beat independents

CA? i wish! , im in MN man! haha

Blackhawk36 · 01-16-2015, 02:34 PM

I have a friend in MD and his water pump and thermostat was done by and indy. It was $1,500. About $100 more than a dealer. So yes, I have noticed.

AllBlackBimmer · 01-16-2015, 02:34 PM

There are different levels of indy's...

a "ma' and pa' garage" doing work on 'any' car will obviously be way cheaper...

However, I have 2 indy's around me that are "BMW Certified" and promote their shop with BMW and M logos, and want to be known as a BMW garage first and foremost, even if they work on other cars - MB, Audi, Porsche, etc.

I have found that these shops are sometimes just a little cheaper than the dealer, and or the same price.

this is probably because they KNOW what a BMW dealer will charge, and if they can knock $200 off a $2,000 repair bill, it seems worth it to many people... especially those that are "badge whores" who struggled to truly maintain a BMW.

My indy quotes me $500 for my OFH gasket, which is the same price as the dealer.
My indy quotes me $600 for the Valve cover gasket, where the dealer quotes $950.

After talking to my SA at the dealer though, they "got the price down" to match my indy. ... dealer is $1100 for both OFH and VC gaskets, which is way more than DIY, but a good price from a garage, let a lone a reputable BMW dealer. So I took them up on their offer and am taking my car there next week.

It will really depend on what you are getting done, but I've found in my local area, my "certified BMW indy's" are only a little cheaper, if not the same price... but the dealer will give me a better part's warranty after install, and give me a free loaner which make things more convenient.

Indy prices go up as the cost to work on these cars increase... all the electronics, tools, and training need... that stuff really adds up for a smaller garage.

Just my personal experience after owning my e90 4 years, so I agree with the OP.

Maybe it's due to BMW practically leading the world in Luxury Auto sales the last few years...
Or maybe, it's because every 335i owner is dropping $1,000's monthly and they are making a killing

kidding... well, only half kidding.

bender rodriguez · 01-16-2015, 02:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AllBlackBimmer

There are different levels of indy's...

a "ma' and pa' garage" doing work on 'any' car will obviously be way cheaper...

However, I have 2 indy's around me that are "BMW Certified" and promote their shop with BMW and M logos, and want to be known as a BMW garage first and foremost, even if they work on other cars - MB, Audi, Porsche, etc.

I have found that these shops are sometimes just a little cheaper than the dealer, and or the same price.

this is probably because they KNOW what a BMW dealer will charge, and if they can knock $200 off a $2,000 repair bill, it seems worth it to many people... especially those that are "badge whores" who struggled to truly maintain a BMW.

My indy quotes me $500 for my OFH gasket, which is the same price as the dealer.
My indy quotes me $600 for the Valve cover gasket, where the dealer quotes $950.

After talking to my SA at the dealer though, they "got the price down" to match my indy. ... dealer is $1100 for both OFH and VC gaskets, which is way more than DIY, but a good price from a garage, let a lone a reputable BMW dealer. So I took them up on their offer and am taking my car there next week.

It will really depend on what you are getting done, but I've found in my local area, my "certified BMW indy's" are only a little cheaper, if not the same price... but the dealer will give me a better part's warranty after install, and give me a free loaner which make things more convenient.

Indy prices go up as the cost to work on these cars increase... all the electronics, tools, and training need... that stuff really adds up for a smaller garage.

Just my personal experience after owning my e90 4 years, so I agree with the OP.

Maybe it's due to BMW practically leading the world in Luxury Auto sales the last few years...
Or maybe, it's because every 335i owner is dropping $1,000's monthly and they are making a killing

kidding... well, only half kidding.

Yes the warranty, experience and the fact they give me a loaner car if the work is over an hour I believe? Might be 2. Will make me dealer over inday every time

fazman · 01-16-2015, 02:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bender rodriguez

Yes the warranty, experience and the fact they give me a loaner car if the work is over an hour I believe? Might be 2. Will make me dealer over inday every time

All the above posters are correct, which is part of the reason i've personally made the choice to learn and invest in some basic tools. Get friendly with others in this community who can teach me how to take care of my own car. My labor rate is cheaper and i know the parts are not that expensive... Most things can be done with the car on the ground (if i need to lift the car up on more than one corner... I'll just have a trusted Indy do that work for me). But at least if i know whats involved in the DIY i can talk shop with the indy and they usually give me better prices (plus i know when someone is ripping me off and to avoid them in the future).

Nothing wrong with paying a dealer or indy for work... Just trying to keep more of my pennies in my pocket is all in this value aware age.

Welcome to NBA Jam · 01-16-2015, 02:59 PM

I got quoted $200 for an alignment.

The dealer was $129. The choice was obvious.

That's the only reason I ever bring my car into the dealer outside of warranty/maintenance - for an alignment. Everything else is a ripoff, so I DIY.

bender rodriguez · 01-16-2015, 03:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fazman

All the above posters are correct, which is part of the reason i've personally made the choice to learn and invest in some basic tools. Get friendly with others in this community who can teach me how to take care of my own car. My labor rate is cheaper and i know the parts are not that expensive... Most things can be done with the car on the ground (if i need to lift the car up on more than one corner... I'll just have a trusted Indy do that work for me). But at least if i know whats involved in the DIY i can talk shop with the indy and they usually give me better prices (plus i know when someone is ripping me off and to avoid them in the future).

Nothing wrong with paying a dealer or indy for work... Just trying to keep more of my pennies in my pocket is all in this value aware age.

Oh no.. I DIY too on pretty much everything. Just saying if I have to pay someone it will be the dealer if they are the same price.

Porando · 01-16-2015, 03:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by E92 M2530Z

Which dealers are you comparing to in CA? I've noticed in SoCal that oil changes at dealers on special can be very competitive or beat independents

Which dealer is that?
I have not seen one yet to be even close to good independents. I know few independent bozzos who clam they worked for a dealer and now opened their own shop and charge prices similar do dealer but these are easy to spot.

On the other hand - doing cheap oil changes should be a good business to dealers - once client comes in it is easy to keep car in the shop for other areas if you point problem to them or scare'm

PTinVT · 01-16-2015, 03:45 PM

I consider myself extremely fortunate... I have an indy within walking distance from my house who is a BMW specialist (and enthusiast himself) - not certified with the logos etc. but he earned my trust with my E46 and E92, and I couldn't have an 850 without him. He only charges $64/hour ($75 if I get the parts) and he's never let me down or steered me wrong.

My dealer is not conveniently located, doesn't give me loaners, and they're up to like $110/hour. I don't care what they charge for an oil change, I'm happy to give my indy that business. The only time I take my car to the dealer is when it requires a computer operation for which he doesn't have the software.

John 070 · 01-16-2015, 07:50 PM

Friend got robbed by indie....$586 for passat 4 motion front brakes and city bus or $49 rental car, $4xx at dealer with loaner. Live and learn.

John 070 · 01-16-2015, 07:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PTinVT

I consider myself extremely fortunate... I have an indy within walking distance from my house who is a BMW specialist (and enthusiast himself) - not certified with the logos etc. but he earned my trust with my E46 and E92, and I couldn't have an 850 without him. He only charges $64/hour ($75 if I get the parts) and he's never let me down or steered me wrong.

My dealer is not conveniently located, doesn't give me loaners, and they're up to like $110/hour. I don't care what they charge for an oil change, I'm happy to give my indy that business. The only time I take my car to the dealer is when it requires a computer operation for which he doesn't have the software.

$110/hr? That's cheap. You're in VT which explains.

bender rodriguez · 01-16-2015, 07:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John 070

Friend got robbed by indie....$586 for passat 4 motion front brakes and city bus or $49 rental car, $4xx at dealer with loaner. Live and learn.

They couldn't do the front brakes fast enough so they would not have to have a loaner car? Should only take them about an hour.

bender rodriguez · 01-16-2015, 07:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John 070

$110/hr? That's cheap. You're in VT which explains.

110 is cheap? Doesn't a lawyer make around 200 dollars an hour. Can someone explain why we pay more for a freaking guy that turns a wrench that requires no real education as much as someone who spends 6 years in college?

rick100 · 01-16-2015, 08:20 PM

it really depends at what indy you go to

Someone who specializes in bmw and its familiar with changing parts and troubleshooting would be cheaper than the dealer because he can do it in less time

If you take it to a general car indy shop and he does not know how long it would take to change the part or he is not familiar with it or maybe its the first time he is changing the part then sure it will cost you more. Plus most of these general indy shops see BMW and automatically charge you a premium

The dealer is somewhere in the middle , however they usually have a standard rate , so if a experience mechanic takes 2 hours to change brakes and an apprentice takes 4 , they ll probably charge you 3. While an experience mechanic at an indy shop may even charge you 1.5 for doing it

One thing I dont like about the dealers is that they may have 2-3 experienced mechanics that get paid well and 6-7 apprentices. If you are lucky the experience mechanic may work on your car but most of the time the apprentices are working on it. They have too much overhead so they cant afford to have all experience mechanics, while a specialized bmw indy has 2-3 mechanics and they are all usually pretty experience on the car...

01-16-2015, 02:05 PM	#1
bender rodriguez Banned 149 Rep 1,995 Posts Drives: Audi Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: CA iTrader: (1)	Anyone notice Indy mechanics are now the same price or more than dealer? I started to notice the prices are no longer that far apart. Yeah some things are cheaper with an indy but I notice BMW dealer is same price or less for a good amount of items now. The dealer here does oil changes cheaper than anyone in town even firestone or some crap. I notice control arms were pretty cheap or the same price as most indies in town.. One dealer about 100 miles away will do control arms for 340.0.. The quote from my indy was at least 399. Might have been 499. Dealer break specials seem pretty cheap if you can get them to do it without changing the rotor. Not sure if they will or not but they list pad only service. I have seen these at 99 and 129 at some dealers. Wonder what else the dealer is better for? Last edited by bender rodriguez; 01-16-2015 at 02:13 PM..
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01-16-2015, 02:10 PM	#2
paco89 Captain 142 Rep 726 Posts Drives: 2006 325xi Arktis Metallic Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Minnesota iTrader: (0)	i think that might just be it, oil changes maybe, and maybe scanning the car? idk.. __________________ 2006 Bmw 325xi VMR V715/OE lip/Redlines/Zsp Springs 1999 Eclipse Spyder Gst 16g/264cams/550cc/255lph/corbeau seats/Comp Stage 4 Clutch/ECUflash etc...
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01-16-2015, 02:13 PM	#3
E92 M2530Z Private 12 Rep 91 Posts Drives: E92 2008 335i Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: SoCal iTrader: (0)	Which dealers are you comparing to in CA? I've noticed in SoCal that oil changes at dealers on special can be very competitive or beat independents
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01-16-2015, 02:34 PM	#5
Blackhawk36 Captain 30 Rep 644 Posts Drives: 2007 335i 6MT No iDrive Join Date: May 2009 Location: MD iTrader: (0)	I have a friend in MD and his water pump and thermostat was done by and indy. It was $1,500. About $100 more than a dealer. So yes, I have noticed.
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01-16-2015, 02:34 PM	#6
AllBlackBimmer Colonel 818 Rep 2,869 Posts Drives: 2019 X3 m40i Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: USA iTrader: (-1)	There are different levels of indy's... a "ma' and pa' garage" doing work on 'any' car will obviously be way cheaper... However, I have 2 indy's around me that are "BMW Certified" and promote their shop with BMW and M logos, and want to be known as a BMW garage first and foremost, even if they work on other cars - MB, Audi, Porsche, etc. I have found that these shops are sometimes just a little cheaper than the dealer, and or the same price. this is probably because they KNOW what a BMW dealer will charge, and if they can knock $200 off a $2,000 repair bill, it seems worth it to many people... especially those that are "badge whores" who struggled to truly maintain a BMW. My indy quotes me $500 for my OFH gasket, which is the same price as the dealer. My indy quotes me $600 for the Valve cover gasket, where the dealer quotes $950. After talking to my SA at the dealer though, they "got the price down" to match my indy. ... dealer is $1100 for both OFH and VC gaskets, which is way more than DIY, but a good price from a garage, let a lone a reputable BMW dealer. So I took them up on their offer and am taking my car there next week. It will really depend on what you are getting done, but I've found in my local area, my "certified BMW indy's" are only a little cheaper, if not the same price... but the dealer will give me a better part's warranty after install, and give me a free loaner which make things more convenient. Indy prices go up as the cost to work on these cars increase... all the electronics, tools, and training need... that stuff really adds up for a smaller garage. Just my personal experience after owning my e90 4 years, so I agree with the OP. Maybe it's due to BMW practically leading the world in Luxury Auto sales the last few years... Or maybe, it's because every 335i owner is dropping $1,000's monthly and they are making a killing kidding... well, only half kidding. __________________ 2019 X3 m40i:Carbon Black:Executive:Premium:Adaptive:Vernasca:699M:HK: Ambient:IND trim:M Mirrors:15mm spacers:Maxton lip:20% tint windows/pano:dsg paddles:TLG mudflaps 2008 328i E90 Jet Black:6MT:RWD:Premium:Sport:Xenon:MTEC V3 AEs:Front Splitters:CF spoiler:19" VMR FF v710
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01-16-2015, 02:59 PM	#9
Welcome to NBA Jam Is it the shoes!? 3884 Rep 5,112 Posts Drives: (Sold) 2011 E92 335i ZMP 6MT Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: USA iTrader: (1)	I got quoted $200 for an alignment. The dealer was $129. The choice was obvious. That's the only reason I ever bring my car into the dealer outside of warranty/maintenance - for an alignment. Everything else is a ripoff, so I DIY.
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01-16-2015, 03:45 PM	#12
PTinVT armchair enthusiast 221 Rep 1,019 Posts Drives: 18 340xi, 02 325Cic, 93 850Ci Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Burlington, VT iTrader: (3)	I consider myself extremely fortunate... I have an indy within walking distance from my house who is a BMW specialist (and enthusiast himself) - not certified with the logos etc. but he earned my trust with my E46 and E92, and I couldn't have an 850 without him. He only charges $64/hour ($75 if I get the parts) and he's never let me down or steered me wrong. My dealer is not conveniently located, doesn't give me loaners, and they're up to like $110/hour. I don't care what they charge for an oil change, I'm happy to give my indy that business. The only time I take my car to the dealer is when it requires a computer operation for which he doesn't have the software. __________________ '18 340i xDrive EB/Dakota, 6-speed manual, M-sport '02 325Cic vert AW/Montana leather, 5-speed manual, premium/removable hardtop '93 850Ci Oxford Green/Parchment, auto '71 Buick Riviera, 455 V8 land yacht
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01-16-2015, 07:50 PM	#13
John 070 Lieutenant General 1706 Rep 14,829 Posts Drives: 335i cpe Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: ZSP/ZPP/ZCW iTrader: (0)	Friend got robbed by indie....$586 for passat 4 motion front brakes and city bus or $49 rental car, $4xx at dealer with loaner. Live and learn.
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01-16-2015, 08:20 PM	#17
rick100 Colonel 551 Rep 2,293 Posts Drives: 328 Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: canada iTrader: (0)	it really depends at what indy you go to Someone who specializes in bmw and its familiar with changing parts and troubleshooting would be cheaper than the dealer because he can do it in less time If you take it to a general car indy shop and he does not know how long it would take to change the part or he is not familiar with it or maybe its the first time he is changing the part then sure it will cost you more. Plus most of these general indy shops see BMW and automatically charge you a premium The dealer is somewhere in the middle , however they usually have a standard rate , so if a experience mechanic takes 2 hours to change brakes and an apprentice takes 4 , they ll probably charge you 3. While an experience mechanic at an indy shop may even charge you 1.5 for doing it One thing I dont like about the dealers is that they may have 2-3 experienced mechanics that get paid well and 6-7 apprentices. If you are lucky the experience mechanic may work on your car but most of the time the apprentices are working on it. They have too much overhead so they cant afford to have all experience mechanics, while a specialized bmw indy has 2-3 mechanics and they are all usually pretty experience on the car...
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