$1850.00 labor for M3 clutch job....legal action?
 

The clutch on my SC SMG M3 failed and I replaced it. I allowed my local mechanic to do the job after he convinced me that he was able. I was concerned because my car is 585 hp and it requires an aftermarket clutch and the SMG is notoriously tricky. A GT1 is the preffered tool for reprogramming the M3 but he believed that his Autologic would work.

After having the car for 6 weeks and having to have a somone else come in with his GT1 the clutch is installed but still throwing codes.

Now the local mechanic wants to charge me $1850 in labor even though the car is not running right. I sympathize that he has put a lot of hour in and had to hire someone to reprogram it, but the book time at the dealership is only 10 hours and even if the job was done correctly it would only be 1.2-1.3 K.

So tomorrow I am going to offer him $1200...my question is, since he will likely say no, how high should I go? I am thinking that maybe I will go as high as 1400 (I am still getting ripped off) and if he disagrees to then sue in small claims court. I really do not want to do that but paying 1.8 K for a 1.2 K job that is not completed is robbery.

Thoughtful opinions are welcome, Thanks

That's kind of a tough one.....you're lucky you have possession of the car....or you'd be screwed. You SHOULDN'T have to finance HIS learning curve.....that much is obvious....I would offer what it SHOULD have cost and nothing more.....unless he went above and beyond...but.....he assured you he COULD do it.....right? Then he has to eat the loss....AND you should subtract anything that has to be done by a third party out of your pocket....are you gonna have to take it to someone else to correct the throwing codes?

I would try to reason with him and tell him his labor cost is ridiculous. You said he's your mechanic right? How well do you know him?

You can't sue for him overcharging you, but you can sue for him messing up your car and having to get it fixed right at another shop.

1500 and he has to get it working PERFECTLY.

I would not pay him at all untill it is functioning properly, and then only pay the going rate.

+1 I don't see how someone can justify overcharging for something that wasn't even completed.

From a legal perspective (you are not going to like this):

You asked him to do the work.
He did the work.
You benefited from the work.
You owe him the money. Your failure to investigate the situation and understand the costs are exactly that. You are arguing over $400, who cares. Pay it and move on.

From a negotiating perspective, who has the car?
If I had the car I tell him I'm not paying for a repair at $400+ over what the labor time guide says and make him put up the first offer and go from there. Whatever that offer is I'd knock off a few bucks, do a deal and call it a day.

Life's too short to get wrapped up in a dispute of $400-$500 imo...

Autologic will do this car car no problem. I use it daily...

Something is amiss here. If you can get me the codes, I will try and go through it with you. What was the issue with the car?

Thats not how business works unfortunately.

he finally got the car running...no codes everything seems rock solid (clutch slips a bit but that is normal for break in period). I paid him $1,665.00. That price included a hose and battery replacement so I am not complaining.

Although I have been doing bussiness w/ him for years (paid him $900 for a brake job on my CTT recently) he made me go to the bank and pay him cash.

I am just happy to have the car back.

We only charge once the job is completed properly.

There is a shop in Houston that knows how to do SMG clutches properly

And they are?

Glad you made out allright. Battery is worth about 200 bucks

Spoke to them today, a job opportunity came up that can not be refused so they are going to close the shop within the next few weeks.

If you would like to know who, please PM me

glad it works. next time, always get an estimate and have them call u if estimate is higher than expected. if they keep fixing it and not able to do it right, you should only pay the authorized amount. otherwise, it's so easy for mechanics to keep charging hours.