Elantra Wheel Bearing

Hi Folks,

I had posted earlier about a problem with my sister's 99
Elantra's rear drum but it turned out that it was the right front
wheel bearing that was the problem. She had the bearing replaced 6
months ago under warranty which she currently is out of. Reviewing the
price that was charged to Hyundai, it came to $141.28 which I'm
willing to pay since I was unsuccessful last time I tried at removing
the lower ball joint and doing the work myself. The problem I have is
that they are sticking it to the end consumer and want $360 for the
same job they charged Hyundai $140 for. I've called Hyundai to see if
they will come through with any discount but I don't think anything
will happen. The dealer wants $60 if I do nothing but I'm having a big
time with that since I told them what was wrong and it hasn't been a
year since the repair. Do I have any other options?


Any help would be appreciated.


Thanks,
Nick

 

I have the same problem with, of all things, dental insurance. Due to gum
problems, I get my teeth cleaned 3 times a yeas, 2 times are covered, 1 time
not. I have to pay around $150, the insurance company gets billed around
$110 after their discount. Not only is it unfair, I think it ought to be
illegal. However I have had no luck getting anything changed, so I just
bend over once a year...let me know if you figure something out.

Dan

 

I had the front wheel bearing replaced on my 2001 Elantra and it cost me
185.00 (canuks) all work done by the dealer.

I think your dealer is screwing you,

 

That's a pretty good price. Around here wheel bearings for most cars go for
right around $100 (US) in the aftermarket.

 

There are two sides to this story. Hyundai decides what they’ll pay
for parts. Hyundai decides what they’ll pay for the dealer’s labor
rate. Hyundai decides how many labor hours they’ll pay for a
particular job. It wasn’t that the dealer charged Hyundai $140 so
much as that’s all Hyundai would pay. This process is actually
standard for any manufacturer I have experience with.

When the consumer pays for repairs, the dealer (or any other shop) can
charge as they see fit. While I don’t know your location, which will
affect pricing, $360 doesn’t seem out of line for dealer pricing for a
front hub bearing. The amount of the $60 that’s reasonable, I don’t
know. Just because a customer says a component is faulty doesn’t mean
it’s so. Unless you release the dealership of the responsibility for
diagnosis, they’ll still need to check and verify that the noise is
coming from the hub bearing. In this case, I’d think it would involve
a test drive and checking the car on a lift, which shouldn’t be a lot
of time.

Shop around a little for prices on this job. Then decide whether it’s
worth trying to negotiate with the dealer. The dealer would rather
have money for repair than the $60. Speak to the service manager and
let him know your issues:
1. You’d like a lower price, and
2. You think $60 is too much for diagnosis considering you advised
the dealer of the location of the problem.
Having already shopped around, you’ll have a good idea of the price
you need to hear to have the dealer complete the work.