I'm having my Viper alarm/remote start installed this Saturday. Sooooo, since I didn't have a second key I went to the Acura dealership to go get one.

It's a good thing I'm friends with a guy at the Honda dealership across the street. He got it for me at cost, which was $25, programmed and cut. Guess what normal every-day Joe retail cost is from Acura? A whopping $75.

That's THREE TIMES the markup on a simple programmed key. Why does Acura think it's necessary to make SOOO much extra coin on their parts??? I'm glad I knew that guy across the street or else I would have been getting screwed like most people who buy parts from Acura.

I'm sorry, but jumping three times the cost on a simple key is REDICULOUS.

 

Dealerships are always more expensive. I also have a legend and when I wanted to get major service done on it I checked at the dealership for prices and I checked at a Honda/Acura specialist for prices. Turns out that by going to the specialist I saved about $400-$500. Hell of a savings.

 

As far as I am concerned, the dealer is the only place to get major work done such as the tranny or timing belt. As far as specialty items such as car mats, I would get them from the dealer, or Tim. Otherwise you will get screwed for their maintence scheduals.

 

Since Acura is suppose to be the luxury division of Honda, Acura customers are asked to pay luxury prices for parts and services
I read some comments in the Edmund's townhall that some Lexus owner paid over $200 to get a new laser-cut key from the Lexus parts department.

 

no only this...

different acura dealers have different prices for their parts and frieght-in....

the one in the city charges for 1370 for the frieght-in, 150 for the MUD GUARD, 120 for the winter floor mats

the one out of the city only 1250 for the frieght-in, 105 for the mud guard and 100 for the floor mats...

 

You think that's bad. Once I bought like 5 plastic screws for the fenderwell thinking it wouldn't cost me that much. It turned out costing a little over $10 for 5 freaking plastic screws! I thought the guy made a mistake but it was the real pice.

That's why I stay away from the dealer as much as possible.

 

Damn right bout dealers hosing us down for money. Local dealers wanted $210 for the AC wood trim cluster gauge. The darned thing was a piece of thin plastic sticker label. For a bit more, i can have the whole 24 piece wood trim from Tim.

 

Dealers dont make that much money by selling cars alone. The real money in a car dealership is in the service and parts departments.

 

Yup yup. Like gas stations with convenience stores. They drop the gas prices ridiculously low to get you in there, and then they either break even or make pennies on each sale of gas. The real $$$ comes when you go in and buy a $3.00 gallon of milk or a cup of coffee or lottery tickets.

Car dealers make only a few hundred dollars per car. I'm sure Ed can verify that percentage-wise, parts and service brings in more revenue than sales.

 

Man, I guess the dealers over in NC think that you people either make lots of money or are gullible enough to pay that much for a coded spare key (don't take the last comment as an insult or anything like that). If $25 is indeed cost, then I guess the dealer I went to in CA isn't getting much of a profit on their keys since I paid roughly $30 for mine (no special deal or anything like that).

Tony

 

Ok, I agree with the milk and coffee.. but I haven't been to any gas station that charged more for lottery tickets than a regular grocery store..

I know what you meant though

 

Are you talking about the plastic clips? They are expensive like $1 or so a peice but they can be purchased for less online. Think about it though you are going to ask the parts department to order and prepay a small part for you that has no sale value. They have to make something on it otherwise why go to the trouble of ordering such a small part and doing the paperwork.

 

They probably buy it in bulk. Like a box of 500 or 1000. If that is the case, they're making at least 200% profit.

 

I had to get those clips right away because the fenderwell trim was hanging and it was hitting the tire.