Am I getting reamed? Looking for some automotive guidance.

[bitsoda]

Alright, so I basically know nothing about cars save for that they have four wheels and an engine. My right brake light went out recently so I brought it into my dealer to get it replaced as well as to receive a quote for general maintenance they say I need to perform every 10,000 miles.

The car in question is a 2003 Audi A4 1.8T with 48,000 miles and the itemized quote is as follows:

General service including oil change, wiper fluid, hinge lubrication engine/light/diagnostic check -- $380
Fix obstructed washer jet nozzle -- $45
Fuel Injector -- $120
Throttle Body -- $130
Brake Flush -- $130
Brake Light Bulb -- $60 (I'm assuming this includes labor, but not sure)
Front Brakes (includes pads) -- $520
Rear Brakes (includes pads) -- $440

As I don't have much automotive knowledge I have no idea how fair these prices are, but something tells me I'm being overcharged. Could anyone let me know what a decent price for any of these services is? I normally wouldn't mind doing repairs myself, but I'm insanely busy with work and school at the moment and would prefer to have it done by a third party. Thanks for any help, I really don't want to fork out $1700 if I don't need to.

[Craven Morehead]

I assume this is an Audi dealer.

I wouldn't automatically assume you're getting reamed. Is this your first service on the car? How much has oil changes cost in the past? A bit higher than my son pays for his oil changes on his A4 but I don't know if the difference is an apples to apples comparison.

probably not needed:
Fuel Injector -- $120
Throttle Body -- $130
Brake Flush -- $130

You can probably get a brake job done elsewhere for less, if indeed it is needed. But pad do wear out eventually. How much wear was there? Should have given you a percentage of the pads left.

[bitsoda]

I don't believe there's enough wear on the pads. My last oil change was 10,000 miles ago. I've heard that replacing a brake light and fixing a clogged wiper nozzle is trivial so I've decided to try doing it myself for those two. I'm probably not going to do any service on my brakes. My car is only worth about $2,000 right now so it seems absurd to spend this much in maintenance. The oil change seems needed as my oil light has recently come on, but I'll take it elsewhere as this is my dealership and I'm assuming they charge more than your average oil shop. Thanks for the reply.

[snowy]

Have you looked for an import mechanic beyond your Audi dealer? I own a Volvo, but I don't take my car to the Volvo dealer for service--the labor is insanely expensive. I take it to a mechanic who specializes in European imports. You can find reviews of mechanics in your area on the Car Talk website: Car Talk | Mechanics Files

[downhill]

Go to your local auto parts store and I bet the light bulb doesn't cost you more than $1.50. I'm sure there's a diagram or walkthrough on how to change it somewhere on the web. Watch the coupons you get in the mail, usually you can get an oil change at one of the chain places for $25 ish.... The rest of that stuff really shouldn't be an issue on a car with under 100k miles. So long story short, yes, you're getting reamed.

[Cynthetiq]

It's a German car. They are expensive to maintain. It is why I didn't buy one, bought a cheap domestic, but when I do own one, I will be prepared to pay the price for it.

[bitsoda]

Thanks for the responses guys. Luckily, I didn't sign off on anything so I haven't been officially reamed yet. I'll be replacing the bulb myself and will simply get an oil change at a traditional shop.

[Tully Mars]

Is the car doing anything that would make you suspect you need all this work? 48K isn't very many miles for most of that work but 7 years could mean some things are due to be looked at. I agree with Snowy, don't take it to the dealer. And others who said your getting reamed. Ask around- find a respected Euro car wrench monkey. And yes change the light yourself... and oil too. Oil and filter is probably as easy as the light bulb depending on the location of the oil filter.

Oh and check the oil level before driving it far. That oil light might be telling you something. Drive it any distance with little or no oil and the damage could be costly.

[DontKnockIt]

I've seen this before but it was years ago. This guy is giving you what we call the SHAFT!

[telekinetic]

You probably don't need to change your back pads, unless you're a racer or have your brake bias set weird, your fronts do all the work. The rest of the stuff sounds like make-work to me, I wouldn't have any of it done except the front brakes, the bulb, and the oil.

Materials:

Brake pads (Front): $45.99 ( Duralast Gold/Brake Pads - Front (DG840) | 2003 Audi A4 4 Cylinders 1.8L Turbo DOHC | AutoZone.com )
Brake rotors (Front): $33 x 2 = $66 ( Brake Rotor - Front | 2003 Audi A4 4 Cylinders 1.8L Turbo DOHC | AutoZone.com )

Brake fluid: $7

Buy a one-man speed bleeder like this one, it makes changing your brakes super easy:
http://www.autozone.com/autozone/acc...ier=46839_0_0_

You might also need to either get a brake clamp or a brake tool, do some googling and find out, I don't know Audi.

Follow this guide to change your oil for about $60 in materials, and you REALLY need to do it every 5000 miles, particularly on a turbo car, so get this done first, even if you don't do anything else: Audi A4 B6 1.8T Oil Change | Audiction.com