[theykallmekem]

i recently received a post card of coupons for our Honda. there were 3 of them, one for a 40$ all wheel alignemt, one for a free oil change and one for a 350$ timing belt change.

im looking to cash into the 40$ all wheel alignment. the alignment includes the following:

-inspect/adjust castor, camber and toe in as applicable.
-inspect suspension, steering linkage and steering wheel rack preload.
-inspect wheels and tires for regular wear.
-adjust tie rods as necessary to center steering wheel.
-road test.


i have no experience with these kind of coupons. and reading what is included, for the price, its sounds too good to be true.

i remember it cost me 200$ for an alignment 2 years ago at a shop. 40$ is a huge price difference. should i go for it or will i spend more then 40$ and the dealer will charge me for stuff that i dont want changed or even maybe theyll do something funky to my car....ive always had the van serviced at a reputable independant dealer.

just want to know if anyone else has received this coupon and cashed it in. thank you in advance.

 

[bones774]

timing belt is probably just that one item, then they will add tensioner, water pump and top off a/f and probably add your drive belt.
Wheel alignment can be done for that price but most likely they will get you for balancing and a few odds and ends, plus in the last several years it seems like I have never brought my car in without having the mechanic telling me I need brakes.
Change my oil please, oh, yeah it looks like you need brakes. Brakes are a simple job, they are kinda subjective as to when "needed",so you can always say they are needed and it makes money.

 

[jkayca]

$40 sounds like a fair price for a wheel alignment. If you paid $200 in the past you were ripped off. Maybe you were thinking about your Porsche?

Coupons are a form of advertising and designed to lure you in to spend more money. Does your van need an alignment though? Do you feeling it pulling left or right? Are your tires wearing unevenly? If not, don't bother. Even though $40 is a good price paying for an alignment you don't need is a waste.

If you really feel you need an alignment take it in. Just stick to your guns about what work they do.

 

[bones774]

well my van is not pulling or pushing but does get some shimmy in the high 60's mph and my MPH has drastically dropped, maybe better take it in for exam. The low MPG has me worried, looks like 16mpg on the hiway.

 

[cnn]

An alignment is normally $60-70 these days. At $40, it seems low but perhaps the dealer is hungry and needs more business.

 

[skinny2]

Most of the chains & dealers try to get $60+ for an alignment. $40 would be a reasonable sales price although you can find GOOD indie shops that will do it for $40-$50. The local tire dealer that I buy all my tires from charges $39.99 every day. They have a good guy (been there 10 years) and he's usually booked two weeks out. The other shop I've used is $50 and the guy has a small garage and the only thing he does is alignments. Been doing it for 20+ years.

So is $40 too good to be true? Hardly. Obviously an Indie can make a good living doing these for that price. The dealership however (as is usually the case) requires far more profit for their overhead. $200??? Sorry about that...you were taken for a ride.

Keep in mind most of the time they offer these coupons to get you in to provide more service. Use caution.

 

[theykallmekem]

i made a mistake, that 200$ was in deed for my 944, i had them adjust the camber, castor, toe in, adjust my tie rods (since i installed them myself) and changed my camber plates which all cost about 200$. i tend to mix up the maintenance between the two cars LOL.

after looking at my pile of receipts, i had an alignment last in december 2008, and cost 90$.

the car does not drive to the left or right, but it does have a shimmy at speeds higher then 65mph. i remember it being there for the longest....so i didnt bother.

i think ill give the dealer a call and ask for more details of the alignment and ill stick with getting the alignment only. my rear tires do need to be changed, they are less then 30% thread. but the fronts have about 40% left. ill get new tires when i get my tax return. think theyll give me some negative camber up front lol.

thanks for the replies guys, appreciate it. happy holiday !!