Dear Tom and Ray:

I took my 1992 Toyota Tercel back to the dealer when I heard a loud noise. The noise occurred when I pressed on the gas pedal, and I presumed it was the muffler. The car is fixed, but the bill was for $360. It included $90 for labor and $250 for parts. Was I ripped off? -- SJ

Ray: No, you weren't, SJ. But if you'd like to come in on Monday, we can have another go at you!

Tom: It looks to me like they treated you very fairly. Most people assume that when there's a loud noise under the car, it has to be the muffler. But, in fact, a hole anywhere in the front half of the exhaust system can make a loud noise like that. And it turns out -- according to the bill you sent us with your letter -- that you needed a front exhaust pipe, not a muffler.

Ray: The front pipe is expensive. It's the piece that comes right out of the engine and runs all the way to the catalytic converter. It also has a woven, flexible joint in it, because it has to be able to "give" when the engine twists around. They charged you $230 for the front pipe, and, from my experience, that's the right price.

Tom: Then they charged you another 20 bucks for other stuff like gaskets, nuts and bolts. They added an hour and a half of labor at $60/hour ... that's $340.

Ray: Then you add tax, destination charge, gratuity, and a few bucks for the coffee in the waiting room and voila! They're right on the money.

What is the most cost-effective way to buy a car? Tom and Ray hash it all out in their pamphlet "Should I Buy, Lease, or Steal My Next Car?" To order, send (check or money order) to Ruin, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. You can also order online.

© 1999 by Tom and Ray Magliozzi and Doug Berman Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

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