I haven't been on in a while, sorry about that, but I really need to know if I'm being taken advantage of. So recently we had a bad stint of very cold weather, way colder than it normally gets in my region. I had a couple of rodents make a nest under my hood and they decided they wanted to seek revenge on me for some reason. They chewed almost completely through my wiring harness. What's weird is they did this in the span of just a couple of days, both the nest and the wires. As I began to panic, I can't afford that expense right now, I found out my car insurance covers to have my vehicle fixed, minus a $500 deductible. After a lot of back and forth my 2018 Prius Prime Advanced made it to my nearest Toyota dealership. So they fixed the wiring harness and before I pick it up they mention I need a new battery (under the hood battery) At first they said the total will be $700, my insurance deductible and $200 for the battery. I was a bit frustrated but I just dodged paying over 4k so I was still okay with it. Then they call and say they made a mistake and now my portion of the bill is $800. I've tried talking with them, asking them why it jumped a hundred dollars but all I've gotten so far is the battery is $200 and the rest is taxes and a $20 battery installation fee. I've been trying to call the last few days but to no success. Actually, I've been so pissed that I took it upon myself to find the battery I need, from Toyota, with a total cost, taxes and all, for $185 and it'll be sent to the dealership. I'm also willing to install the battery myself if need be. I'm I overreacting? I feel like they're trying to take advantage of me like they tried last time when they wanted to charge me almost $300 for an oil change. I've been seeing red during this whole issue and just want to hear some fresh opinions.
I agree with you, but $200 for an installed battery is way low for a dealer. Still, I would install the 185 battery myself. Under the hood is so much easier than gen 3
It's one of those live and learn situations once they have your car in their bay. It's like a box of chocolates. Unfortunity. My advice - take it or leave it, after all it's your car and your call, suck it up, payum and get your car back asap. You'll probably find out soon enough if the amount you payed was worth it or not.
Thanks everyone for the replies. They gave a call yesterday and confirmed the price is $700 so I'm good. I don't get along with dealerships so I avoid them like the plague. This time though I had no choice because the mechanic my insurance hired to fix my Prius gave one look at the problem and told them they had to take it to the dealership. I don't accept that they can just add things to my bill without a fight. So take it or leave it doesn't work for me. Had they tried to charge me the extra $100 I would have just told them that I'd purchase and install the battery myself. Thanks again everyone. Can't wait to get my car back tomorrow.
