I personally would NEVER take my car into the dealer for service unless it was absolutely my last resort if it was out of warranty...I would prefer to take it there, but I feel like I was bent over my service advisors desk everytime I leave his office...Just had it there yesterday for an update and he said I should get an alignment...I in turn told him that the car was tracking perfectly straight and I didn't think I needed one...He then told me that the x5 you wouldn't be able to 'feel' if it was out of alignment...I gave him a confused wtf look and asked how much...his answer...$325...I laughed at him and jokingly told him to go F&*k himself...He said that was the going rate...I laughed again and told him no thanks...

$325 for a damned alignment?!?!?! No offense to the mechanics on here, you guys do a great job most of the time for me, but the dealerships just suck...I put plates and screws into human beings and you guys make more than I do!! Its a joke....I mean, $450 for a filter and oil change?? Holy mother of god...I 'm just sorry for the people that can't do all the little things themselves

Although I hate paying dealer prices I agree completely with weasel56. The book time covers the extensive training that the technicians receive as well as the warranty on their work, which is usually two years. So if that regulate fails again in 18 months the dealer covers the entire job free of cost. Try going back to the Indy shop that put it in, they will replace the part you bring them from BMW but you are going to get charged for the 2nd repair.

As a technical support manager for a software company, we charge customers for custom integration and upgrades. I too have had to justify to customers why a 4 hour quote only took 2 hours to fix. At the end of the day it's an avergage, my best tech can do it in 2, my worst 6 - average 4.

If they are unhappy with the prices they are more than welcome to go to a reseller for service, 99% of the ones who do are back within a year.

Weasel56 keep up the great work - the BMW techs I have met in the past have all been excellent and take great pride in their work.

indy mechanic did it for $50 for me, I got the part from someone here for another $50 =]

we all seem to be saying the same thing here, only go to the dealer if you have to, nothing new.

This is correct.

Actually, I go to the INDY mechanic who charges some of the highest rates in town, but then again you get what you pay for in that case. So don't try and label me on your bad day pal.

p.s. charging someone 1.9 hours for .3 hours of work completed is not ethical.

Neither is charging someone $100.00 for a pair of shoes that cost $25.00 to make, but store do it every day! Fact of the matter is, in general wholesale value is 200% of cost, and retail value is 200% of wholesale. So by your theory, most things you buy every day are un-ethical, but that's just how the world works. Otherwise nobody would make any kind of profit and our economy would collapse in on itself. (even faster than it already does at least)

I guess we can just agree to disagree. I don't mean to offend anyone, and realize we all will have our own opinions. But It is required to have an industry standard. That way no matter who works on it, that job pays what it pays. The labor times are preset to an industry standard, and the labor rates vary by shop due to variables such as overhead costs and level of training and quality of work performed in specialized fields. Trust me, the independent shops charge book time also, but their hourly rate is cheaper because it is a smaller shop with mechanics that may be ASE certified and trained (as I am also) but do not have the specific knowledge and vehicle specific training that comes with years at a dealership.

And yet again, just because I can do it in 0.3 because I've literally done dozens of them... doesn't make it unethical. Paying me less because I am a better, faster and more efficient tech IS unethical, because by your way the slower, less knowledgeable techs would get paid MORE than the veterans with years of experience just because it took them longer.... what kind of sense does that make?

And if you don't want to pay labor costs at all, just do it yourself! Most of these jobs are simple tasks... just nuts and bolts, and easy if you have the correct information at your disposal. Which you can usually find on this great site! You could have bought the regulator over the parts counter and changed it yourself with a few simple hand tools... could have tried to beat the 1.9 time!

Sounds like you don't get raises?

Theres a difference between charging a markup and charging "per hour".

Uh - No. This is not a question of ethics. This is a system for auto repair, used by 90% of auto repair facilities in the US. It's a system that makes perfect sense, and makes variations in mechanic skills workable. Your lack of understanding of the system does not make it unethical. Unless you are willing to assert that everyone working in 90% of the auto repair facilities in the US is unethical.

How can a company say they charge per hour and yet charge per job?

People used to believe that trial by drowning was right too.