So. I'm curious. Situation: I take something in to be serviced and am told that there will be a $50 diagnostic fee. I am under the impression that the $50 will go toward repair if I have a repair done otherwise, I'm out $50. Is that the way you expect this sort of thing to work? That's how a diagnostic fee has always worked in my experience.
Alas, things did not work out that way this morning at the Leif Johnson Ford service department.
The headlight on the driver's side of my Focus was not getting enough power to actually work. It was barely giving off 10 watts (if that) of light. I'd tried replacing the bulb (twice) and swapping out fuses. To no avail. It was acting as though the ground wire was loose. I could not find any sort of ground wire coming off the back of the assembly and had no way to really test the matter so took my car into the shop. The service manager first asked if I'd used "lowly" non-Ford branded bulbs from some fly-by-night auto parts store like AutoZone or O'Reilly's. I can't begin to characterize the contempt in his voice for AutoZone and O'Reilly's in print. But...yes, I had purchased non-Ford bulbs. In fact, a different brand of bulb from each of those chains. When the bulb from O'Reilly's did not work, I tried a Sylvania bulb from AutoZone. Those bulbs, he informed me, probably weren't really strong enough. I told him I thought it was a ground problem. That's when he told me there would be a $49.95 diagnostic feel. So, I told him to go ahead and I'd wait. It didn't seem worth the trip to go to work and then back to the shop if it was just a bad bulb. Which, of course, it wasn't.
The entire headlamp assembly had to be replaced. The reflective surface had started to melt and the wiring could no longer make a good connection to ground. The service manager said I probably hadn't installed the bulb properly. I'm 95% sure that the original bulb burnt out because of the defect in the design of the reflective surface...that it had dripped on the bulb, causing that original bulb to burn out, but I no longer had the bulb to prove my point. Also, please note that the reflective coating on the passenger side (which I have not touched) is also starting to show the same sort of damage. But, it's not as severe. And, the service manager said it's not the same at all. Whatever. So, I had the assembly replaced. The car is long out of warranty and I didn't see the point in arguing about it because I already know Ford's not going to budge on this one. Nevermind the fact that I've replaced halogen bulbs on Ford cars at least 10 times in the last 15 years and I know what I'm doing. It's so frustrating dealing with those people.
After paying the outrageous bill, I went to work. After lunch I looked at the bill a bit more closely. $49.95 for the diagnostic fee. $98 for labor. $170-ish for the new assembly. $30 for taxes, fees, and miscellaneous. What? The diagnostic fee did not go toward the repair? And, I was apparently charged for 2 hours of labor on top of that? So, I called the service department and asked to speak to the service manager who'd "assisted" me earlier. Nope, he informed me...the diagnostic fee does not go toward the repair. And, that was not 2 hours of labor...only 1. Charged at $98. I guess it's my own damn fault for not asking for clarification on the diagnostic fee thing. Everyone I've spoken to about it at work, though, says that they expect a diagnostic fee to go toward the repair if you end up getting the repair done. So, does that mean I'd have had to pay the diagnostic fee plus $98 (minimum 1-hour labor charge) plus the cost of a fancy-schmancy Ford-brand bulb if it had only been the bulb? What a scam.
I really need to get rid of that money pit. I so enjoyed that car for the first 4 years I owned it. For the last 18 months or so, though, it's been a pile of cow dung.
Epilog. I decided to make an appointment with the Honda saleswoman who's been calling me. "I'll just go ahead and order a new Fit and be done with it," I thought. So, I called Howdy Honda and asked to speak with her. "She doesn't work here anymore," said the receptionist. She called me last week...on Monday or Tuesday. Sigh. I cannot get a break. Anyone know any decent Honda salesmen (or saleswomen) in the Austin area?
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