New Radiator (jeep is in the shop, waiting for my answer)

hyedipin · **Joined:** Thu May 11, 2006 10:20 am **Posts:** 1667

Dealer is trying to bill me $755 for the Radiator, installation, labor, etc..
Now I told them not to do anything, and they are charging me $188 for the labor.
So $567 for new radiator, labor, etc...

What are we looking at here? I can only guess that it is a rip off, but how bad is it? Where else can I get this fixed at?

:evil:

Grape · **Posted:** Fri Nov 30, 2007 11:46 am

172 shipped at radiatorbarn.com

http://www.radiatorbarn.com/s7.asp?ac=Y&year=2004&make=JEEP&model=LIBERTY&submodel=ALL+MODELS&engine_size=3.7L

hyedipin · **Joined:** Thu May 11, 2006 10:20 am **Posts:** 1667

Thanks for the price. I don't think I can install it myself.. :oops:

I have to call some local shops to see how much they would charge.. Stealership is just incredible.

Sport · **Posted:** Fri Nov 30, 2007 12:42 pm

Hyedipin,

My best friends uncle owns a shop, Tell him I sent you. His name is Joe and if you don't remember mine it was Scott

Sam Remo Auto repair

Kings park - smithtown area

631.724.0558

Gris · **Posted:** Fri Nov 30, 2007 12:49 pm

do you have the pinhole leak on the driver's side end cap like 149012478012 other people have?

Karma might kick my booty, but I screwed Chrysler on it. SOOOOO many people have had that exact same problem that I consider it a mfg defect and poor design. But it's not a safety issue directly so no recall will ever be done.

I swapped the radiator out of my wife's '06 and sent her in for warranty repair. Some people have told me that it's stealing and fraud, but with so many people getting the exact same failure in the exact same spot, i consider it Chrysler's responsibility to fix.

hyedipin · **Joined:** Thu May 11, 2006 10:20 am **Posts:** 1667

Scott, I remember the name. Thanks for the suggestion, but read on please.

Yes, it is that spot on the driver side.. Junk radiator, I say. Gris, you are bad. Although I don't appreciate cheating, it is a way to get back what they have been stealing from us. I don't think what you did causes them to charge others higher. Karma? Well, if it never got dealers for cheating us, I don't think it will get you.

I just checked with a few local places and one charges $400 and other $450 for generic same-old plastic radiator, installed, swapped.

Dealer is charging as following: $325 for Mopar Radiator (doesn't sound so bad), $40 for Antifreeze (ouch), and 3,5 Hrs Labor ($98/hr). I checked other dealers, they are charging over $100 per hour labor, and same price for radiator. The thing is, even if I take the jeep back today, I have to pay them $188 for "diagnostics, ball scratching, nose picking and greasing up the door handles, while looking at my jeep" So if I get this done elsewhere at 400+ tax (around 450) my total is $638.. I am not sure it is worth going through all that.

I just shouldn't have taken it to the dealer AT ALL.

I told them to just fix the d@mn thing.

Maximum Carnage · **Posted:** Fri Nov 30, 2007 2:05 pm

Gris wrote:

I swapped the radiator out of my wife's '06 and sent her in for warranty repair. Some people have told me that it's stealing and fraud, but with so many people getting the exact same failure in the exact same spot, i consider it Chrysler's responsibility to fix.

Well done Gris, I'd done the same thing. :oops:

SCREW chrysler :evil:

pixeldzn · **Posted:** Fri Nov 30, 2007 2:27 pm

You guys do realize Chrysler reads this forum, right?

BeepBeepJeepJeep · **Posted:** Fri Nov 30, 2007 2:50 pm

pixeldzn wrote:

You guys do realize Chrysler reads this forum, right?

Good, maybe they'll fix the issue.

hyedipin · **Joined:** Thu May 11, 2006 10:20 am **Posts:** 1667

BeepBeepJeepJeep wrote:

Good, maybe they'll fix the issue.

myjeepwalks · **Posted:** Fri Nov 30, 2007 3:44 pm

pixeldzn wrote:

You guys do realize Chrysler reads this forum, right?

I highly doubt chrysler reads every single reply in this forum if they look at it at all.

They have better things to do. I think chrysler she be more worried about that dealer charing the original poster $800 to put a frickin radiator in. If you ask me severe overcharging is also stealing. So what's the difference.

WoodysKJ · **Posted:** Fri Nov 30, 2007 4:49 pm

dropping in a new radiator is one of the easyist things to do. go get a new aluminium radiator, and the CORRECT antifreeze. while you are at it pick up the upper and lower radiator hose and a new themostat. while you are at it might as well replace those cheaper, but will be PITA parts now.

check online her for the service manual pages to do it. drain the antifreeze, put it in a gallon jug or two take it to pepboys or someplace that recylces it. put a new one in, fill it up and go.

I would no more let the stealership do that then have them pump my gas for me, at 98.00 an hour.

Landy · **Posted:** Fri Nov 30, 2007 5:05 pm

I think they're giving you a corn hole job on the mark up. If you've got to have an OEM part, you probably will have to pay more. A 4-core radiator because of A/C will cost a little bit more too.

While traveling last July in Kalispell, Montana in the Jeep Wrangler we sprung a radiator leak.

A new radiator for the Wrangler was about $247.00 at NAPA and I paid a mechanic about $125.00 to put it in for me.

For a little more, I put hoses on while we were at it. Don't forget to do a new thermostat for $10.00 while you're in there.

WoodysKJ · **Posted:** Fri Nov 30, 2007 5:10 pm

http://www.trademotion.com/partlocator/index.cfm?action=getJointLocator&siteid=214583&chapter=&Sectionids=8,0&groupid=61415&subgroupid=0&componentid=0&make=17&model=Liberty&year=2005&graphicID=T043020&callout=1&catalogid=1&displayCatalogid=0

Radiator for ALL 3.7 KJ's at this dealership is $164.00

They are using vasoline on you I hope.

1300ZUK · **Posted:** Fri Nov 30, 2007 5:17 pm

Maximum Carnage wrote:

Gris wrote:

I swapped the radiator out of my wife's '06 and sent her in for warranty repair. Some people have told me that it's stealing and fraud, but with so many people getting the exact same failure in the exact same spot, i consider it Chrysler's responsibility to fix.

Well done Gris, I'd done the same thing. :oops:

SCREW chrysler :evil:

some things are best left untold. :roll:

KY Liberty · **Joined:** Sat Jul 09, 2005 1:46 pm **Posts:** 1195

I paid around $350 installed for my upgraded aluminum radiator because of the pinhole leak on the driver's side.

hyedipin · **Joined:** Thu May 11, 2006 10:20 am **Posts:** 1667

KY Liberty wrote:

I paid around $350 installed for my upgraded aluminum radiator because of the pinhole leak on the driver's side.

They couldn't get my jeep ready today, I made a big deal, they gave me a free rental over the weekend..
I was so mad at them. They gave me a crappy PT Cruiser.

myjeepwalks · **Posted:** Fri Nov 30, 2007 9:54 pm

KY Liberty wrote:

I paid around $350 installed for my upgraded aluminum radiator because of the pinhole leak on the driver's side.

Where does one get an aluminum radiator for the kj or did you have it made? I got 98k on my original radiator which is bound to start leaking sooner or later.

Tokyojoe · **Posted:** Fri Nov 30, 2007 9:57 pm

WHY would you have another Dealer/OEM radiator installed if it is known to have that defect?

Do you squeal like a pig when they tell you to bend over?

Get an aftermarket radiator and do the job yourself. It is easy!

hyedipin · **Joined:** Thu May 11, 2006 10:20 am **Posts:** 1667

Tokyojoe wrote:

WHY would you have another Dealer/OEM radiator installed if it is known to have that defect?

Do you squeal like a pig when they tell you to bend over?

Get an aftermarket radiator and do the job yourself. It is easy!

TJ, it is easy for you to say. I live in a city where I have to drive around for 20 minutes to find a parking space if I am back after 7pm, money in NYC has tiny metal pieces, and everywhere you go they got these huge stupid magnets, I got no garage. I have no skill to do the job myself, no matter where I go, I am bound be ripped off. I had no other choice, that's how it works around here. No matter how mad I get or how lower I bend over, I have no other choice.

I am seriously considering trading KJ, I just wish I did it before. I just don't want to deal with this crap anymore. Every year I have to spend over 2000 on maintaining this vehicle, expenses, expenses and expenses. This leak that leak. I just can't get rid of my lovely KJ yet. I love JEEPS, I hate the service we are getting. Jeep seems to be the handy-man's vehicle. It is a baby that needs constant care, or needs a careless driver who just squeezes juice out of it. I am neither, I have to pay $40 for oil change. Things I am saying now may not make sense but I am just saying things I had in my mind for a while. As I type this, I see my jeeps front end, frowning, how can I let her go? I just can't. This is why DC survives. Not because they are the greatest. Their vehicles just grow on you.

Please ignore any contradicting statements I made above, if any.

New Radiator (jeep is in the shop, waiting for my answer)

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