Dealer Charge $145 to Clean Window Washer Jets

H-limelight on 28/06/2019 - 10:25

So my two-year-old Kia Sorento had blocked washer jets. I tried to clear it myself with a pin which did not work. So I thought maybe it's a pump issue so I took it to Kia service centre. They called late in the afternoon and said it's blocked due to 'gunk', they already cleared it which is not part of the warranty and it cost $145. Now I am not arguing about how much it should cost to fix it etc but do have the following issues.

  1. They didn't call to inform about the cost of the job before doing it ( I would probably say yes to it anyway if they had called earlier) which I thought was the standard practice.

  2. When I was picking up the car, the first thing they said is whoever serviced your car before had left a lot of gunk which blocked jet. if you service your car with us we would have checked everything etc. This just feels like a dodgy way to get us to services our car with them as I can't understand how people servicing the car would block washer jets.

  3. Charged for one hour labour but did not specifically say what they did to unblock it, also telling me that they would normally charge more. It all sounds like they are trying hard to justify the cost which I was not even arguing.

Automotive Car Kia SUV

Comments

  • Hithere on 28/06/2019 - 10:39
    +9

    I've never known a stealership to check washer jets when servicing a car. The most they ever do is put 10 cents worth of "Magic Detergent" in the washer bottle and charge up to $20 for it.

    All they probably did was give the jets and hoses a quick blast with an air compressor, took a couple of minutes, and was done by an apprentice.

  • [Deactivated] on 28/06/2019 - 10:42
    +6

    Your right to feel ripped off but I don't think your going to get a satisfactory resolution.

  • npc on 28/06/2019 - 10:47
    +1

    This price would only be reasonable if they had replaced the sprinklers.

  • JTTheMan on 28/06/2019 - 11:04

    This is a clear rort but what can you do?

  • cjbowden on 28/06/2019 - 11:47

    I once got charged $65 'Installation' for the radio antenna (which itself was $120). The antenna just screws on. Live and learn. Now I always argue the point before I pay. Best you can hope for is a discount.

  • PinzVidz on 28/06/2019 - 12:56
    +2

    DIY, buy an air compressor for next time it happens.

  • payless69 on 28/06/2019 - 13:56
    +1

    So much for the 7 year warranty! It does not matter who they blame but these cars usually come with capped service cost. My Kia had a water leak in the light and it took several complaints to fix it under warranty. Statements such as the light costs nearly $1200 I had to endure and you probably hit something which was not the case. Seat Belt retainer plastic clip: Oh this will cost us $1600 for the part alone! Navigator: Unable to fix, Steering wheel buttons do not get replace while intermittent they have to fail completely! Washer jets should really not cost you that much in 2 years. Ah my wiper came back damaged from capped service. Kia unable to even quote to fix it. They had a good reputation before but customers should be better informed!

  • bazzato on 28/06/2019 - 14:56
    +1

    in my experience with kias the pump filter inside the washer bottle gets a film of gunk on it. its hard to get in and clean and takes some time. I have found that just using water in the tank stops this from happening and it only happened after the dealers put their crap in the washer bottle.

    could have been a different problem for you though?

    • H-limelight on 28/06/2019 - 15:05

      yea… it's interesting you mention this because the jets were blocked right after I added washer fluid from Aldi then added water. It was empty prior to that so it could have been the fluid.

      • bazzato on 28/06/2019 - 15:11

        yeah, it coats the filter which is usually at the bottom. tough part is getting a brush in to clean…or you have to take the washer tank out. this is be tricky in modern cars due to access. ive seen it on other cars too. I did a test and put washer fluid in a bottle of water and left and the fluid separates out at the bottom, mind you a car is moving regularly whereas the bottle wasn't

        TL:DR. Just use water in the washer tank

    • brendanm on 28/06/2019 - 16:56
      +1

      This is my experience as well. The little filter gets blocked very easily. Quite possible they had to remove the washer bottle or a guard liner to get to the pump.

  • oscargamer on 28/06/2019 - 17:51
    +1

    They are required to ask your permission BEFORE doing any work.

    Did that happen? (regardless of whether they informed you of the cost)

    • Euphemistic on 29/06/2019 - 00:08

      Last time I dropped a car in to a dealer to fix a problem it cost me $200ish dollars for a diagnosis- which was a waste of time I found out later. When I complained about the cost the showed me the form I signed when dropping it off. Fine print covered them and cost me. Dealers know this so make you sign a form when you drop the car in. Read the fine print, or it might cost you.

  • Spookware on 29/06/2019 - 08:42
    -3

    Does it work? then pay. you could have done it? no? Then pay.

    • Kandrew on 29/06/2019 - 17:59

      You might be correct in your assessment, but do you have to be so harsh in the way that you say it?

  • pegaxs on 01/07/2019 - 08:30
    +1

    I can almost understand this is they had to get at the washer bottle and/or pump on some cars. For example, on my Fiat 500, to get to the washer bottle, the whole front bumper had to be removed. Fairly time consuming.

    But still, just sounds like they are taking the piss. I don’t know why dealerships do this. They would rather rip a customer a new one and lose an ongoing customer and potential other customers through bad word of mouth, all for $100.

    Just call them, say you are disgusted with being charged such a stupid amount for a relatively quick, easy fix and that you won’t be back if this is the way they conduct business.

    This is the type of shit the stealerships I have worked at tried to get me to do to customers. It’s probably the main reason I won’t work for them any more.

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