This morning I took my car for a synthetic oil change to AAA service center. When the work was done I was told the car looked good. ( I almost expected them to tell me something needed to be repaired) On my way home I stopped by for an errand. When I came back to my car I was not able to start my car.
I had to call AAA to get my car towed to the service center. Upon looking at the car the technician told me that the fuel pump needed to be replaced and that it would cost between $700 and $800 including labor. I can’t help but feel that when the oil change was done the car was tampered with. I even mentioned that the car was working perfectly fine till I brought it in for an oil change. They said they are not in the business of doing anything to cars for profit. I feel cheated and don’t trust to take the car to the center in the future. The reason for going there was because they offer a 2 year/24,000 warranty on the work that they perform. What would you have done in such a situation? I will say the car had 110,000 miles on it and has been properly maintained. Less than a year ago I took the car three times in one month for repairs. Things that happened one after another.
What kind of car? Sometimes these things do just fail…and at 110,000 miles, this could just be the case.
BMW 3 series. About 12 years old.
It just felt too much of a coincidence.
12 years old? Am I the on,y one who thinks this repair isn’t unusual for a twelve year old car…?
Agree with Thumper. The oil pump could possibly leak before failing, in which case you would have older evidence to support that it was failing before you took your car in for a routine oil change.
I honestly don’t know. I would have thought that when the oil change was done they would have noticed a leak then if there was a problem. I am just venting because it hurt to pay the bill. But it makes me wonder how much I have paid for repairs that may or may not have been needed when possibly there was a simple fix. It puts you in a vulnerable position when you are dependent on the technician for having knowledge of the repairs that are needed. I don’t think anyone likes paying car repair bills but it is necessary because we are so dependent on them. How do you know you are not being taken advantage of when you go to a maintenance shop?
Sorry, misread your post… fuel pump. Woul be almost impossible for an oil change tech to discover a fuel pump leak or signs that it was failing-- without driving the car for a reasonable distance.
We are the owners of a few cars with over 100,000 miles on them. They seem to start needing big ticket item repairs.
But cheaper than buying a new car.
OP said fuel pump. Not oil pump. They go out. It isn’t something they’d do at oil change to get business.
3 what?
That is a very suspicious coincidence. I would almost bet the technician accidently disconnected a fuel injector. You should find yourself a BMW forum. There are patterns of things that wear out on same model cars. For instance I know when mine is due for a timing belt change I should have the water pump changed at the same time. Labor is more expensive than parts.
You chose a car that is known to be expensive to repair. That’s why they are inexpensive used.
Thanks everyone for your replies. I miss my old Honda and Toyota. When they did the oil change this morning they did something called a 20 point inspection. They connect the car to some computer and do some diagnostics and that came out fine.
When I bought the car it was cheaper than a Toyota camry and I had bought it two years old and in our county we pay car tax every year based on the value of the car. Right now it is cheaper to maintain this car rather than buy a new car.
Praying nothing else breaks down anytime soon and that the car starts tomorrow morning. I will check the BMW forum. Thanks for letting me vent.
These car repairs can be frustrating.
Does your state have a Bureau of Automotive Repair? Send in your information to them.
I had a 12 year old 3-series up until a couple years ago. Fuel pumps tend to go around 60k miles. If this was your first fuel pump, then consider yourself blessed that it lasted 12 years. If it was your 2nd fuel pump, then it was due anyway.
It’s unlikely that a tech could do something that would cause a delayed failure of the fuel pump. I would, however, suggest that you find an independent shop that specializes in either BMW’s or German cars.
Quite a few things start failing and needing replacement around the 100-120k mark. Figure $500-$750/yr in repairs on average and you won’t be far off.
Your car wouldn’t start…clearly this was a repair that WAS needed. And if they had found it while changing the oil, you probably would have wondered if it REALLY needed to be done, or they were trying to sell you extra services. Either way you would have paid the same, except the cost of the tow. (I have AAA, so wouldn’t even have that…). I really doubt they tampered with your car – s*** happens to cars around that milage (says the person with a Subaru with 174K and another with 141K on it).
Thanks for making me feel a bit better. inparent I hope my car can last that long. Repairs and their costs are a pain. This was the cars first fuel pump repair. Considering the age of the car (2003) I think 110,000 miles is not much for having the car that long.
Is it the high pressure fuel pump or the low pressure pump?
There’s no HPFP in the E46 3-series which the OP has.
What’s the issue, then? That’s about a 20 minute job.
I would be highly suspicious, too, and put out feelers for a reliable car service center. We found one and it’s wonderful to trust someone.
Talk to the manager, call AAA corporate and consider going to social media with comments.