A woman took her 2012 Subaru Forester to a dealership and received a repair estimate that included over a dozen recommended repairs she wasn’t expecting.
The woman’s husband shared a photo of the estimate on the r/AskAMechanic subreddit. The picture shows about 14 different issues with the vehicle that need attention, and they are now wondering what should take priority.
According to the post, the vehicle has roughly 122,000 miles, and the owner is concerned the recommended work would cost considerably more than the vehicle was worth as a trade-in.
The paperwork provided shows several recommended repairs, including the exhaust system, resealing the cam carrier, and replacing both rear wheel bearings. It also included several other services, bringing the total to $11,072.84 before taxes.
An Unexpected Bill
My wife dropped her [2012 Subaru Forester, 122,000 miles] at the dealership today. How screwed are we?
by
u/Ok_Sir2381 in
AskAMechanic
According to the bill, it was printed on Nov. 12, and the most expensive item on it was the cam carrier reseal, which would cost them $4,711.65. The dealership also noted that oil was leaking from the timing cover and the left-hand cam carrier.
The second-largest expense on the estimate was replacing the exhaust midpipe and both mufflers. The rusted exhaust flanges were making contact with the rear bumper, causing a lot of noise, and they were quoted $2,110.64 for the repair.
Another recommended repair was replacing both rear wheel bearings because of extreme rust, quoting another $1,922.37. Other suggested repairs included replacing transmission cooler lines for $705.46 and four spark plugs for $563.23.
There was also a recommended axle seal replacement for $401.63, a $199.99 differential service, and a $175.99 brake fluid flush. Including the other smaller recommendations, the total came out to $11,737.21 after taxes.
Now They Are Looking for Advice
After seeing the post, one commenter suggested taking the vehicle to an independent repair shop with good reviews, arguing that the dealership’s estimate was significantly higher than what the work might cost elsewhere.
Another commenter, who is identified on Reddit as a shadetree mechanic, said they should monitor the oil and transmission fluid leaks before deciding how urgently they need attention. They explained that the seriousness of the leaks would depend on how quickly the vehicle was losing fluid.
A verified technician ended up making a comment claiming the dealership is potentially trying to get them to trade in the vehicle. They suggested the dealership might just fix some of the problems to sell it and tell the buyer that the stuff just needs to be fixed again. The technician also said the owner should take the car to some privately owned places since they fix cars and don’t sell them.
The original poster later acknowledged that their wife had been accustomed to using dealerships for vehicle maintenance but said this experience might finally change that.
For now, the owner has some decisions to make about which repairs deserve attention first and whether keeping the 2012 Forester is worth the expense.