Oil hose on my es 350 blew. Towed to local dealer. Was a recall so it was fixed. However, while car was there, dealership apparently did a batteryy check and told me battery failed and i needed a new battery. I was not having any trouble with the battery. Picked up car and was hit with a bill to the tune of $233. How do i know if i needed a new battery? can I have them take out the new one and get my old one back?

ADD: when i received the bill, i noticed that it read "customer requests check battery". I never had a conversation with anyone at the dealership regarding the battery.

This seems fishy to me??

 

That's not normal to run the battery test when doing the campaign,but I've seen it so many times that the tow truck driver left the key on( smart key). They towed the car in, turn the key on and put the transmission in neutral, roll the car into the parking space and give the key to the service adviser. A few hours or a day later when the tech has your car in the shop the battery is completely dead and can not be recharge.
One evening we got an IS350 towed in after the customer hit the pot hole and damage the left front wheel and bent the lower control arm and strut. The next morning the car battery is completely dead and it's out of gas. Well, the tow truck driver went inside the dealership to drop the key off and left the car running all night until the car ran out of gas. After the car shut off from out of gas the push start still in the on position, so now it killed the battery too.

 

I can see what you are saying. Possible that tow truck driver did this. I was not present. If this is the case, does $233 sound reasonable to you?

 

Since I'm in GA the price is a little high for us down south. You are in NJ, I don't know about the labor rate,sale taxes and disposal fee( state by state) in NJ. I know the living cost is more expensive up north and your income is way more than us. I used to live in CT and it's very expensive in term of housing,grocery and gas.

 

Many times, places will do a courtesy check when working on a vehicle that may include a visual inspection of things likes hoses, belts, etc. Sometimes, this includes the battery, of course. This check, if done ethically, is a good thing for both- its a chance to relay to a customer potential problems, and a chance for them to make money ethically as well...

Batteries may be bad or weak and not exhibit any problems at all, until that one day you leave the door open a few minutes longer than normal, or the temperature drops. Current battery testers are pretty good at predicting battery failure, but there should be some sort of printout hopefully. That is our proof when we replace a battery as to the before and after state of the old/new battery...

$233 sounds a little pricey for a battery, though I have no idea what dealer prices on batteries are. I know Interstate makes a similar battery for around $100 with a good warranty, but I would assume the dealer will get more for their battery...

 

Thanks for all of the responses. I do think the price is a little high but overall the service was good. NJ and the northeast in general is a little more expensive than other locations so in retrospect, probably fair. Thanks again. Great forum here.

Boogie

 

My dealer does a battery check with EVERY service, doesnt matter what it is. We also check all 4 tires AND the spare for proper pressure. Its just preventative services some dealers offer. It may sound like they are just trying to "up-sell" you on extra stuff, but in my experience, they are just trying to save you from trouble in the future. You could have requested to see the failed battery test, the tech usually prints it out and gives it to the service writer when telling them the client needs a new battery.

 

I have an 08 ES that is approaching 4 yrs old. I inquired about a new battery on my last service visit. The advisor told me the cost for a new one there was $200.