$8K Infiniti Owner Seeks Oil Change, Receives $5,000 Repair Estimate | Carscoops

      The repair shop quoted $1,479.58 for the replacement of a battery terminal, which is just one of several questionable charges.

      An Infiniti owner reported that after taking his car in for an oil change, he received an astonishing estimate.

      He was provided with a $5,000 bill to fix his Q50 sedan, which is valued at about $8,000.

      In particular, a quote of $1,400 for a battery terminal raises concerns about the shop's pricing practices.

      The repair shop seemed to believe they could charge $1,479.58 for a battery terminal replacement. While that might appear reasonable for what is essentially a metal part, one wonders if they anticipated the customer would simply accept it. Regardless, presenting such a baffling estimate to an Infiniti owner with a car worth around $8,000 feels excessive.

      The car in question is a 2015 Q50a, a designation that Infiniti no longer uses, indicating it's the base model from that period. This suggests that it is not equipped with many additional features. Nonetheless, the provided estimate appears to be genuine.

      Many of the charges seem dubious at first glance. For example, the receipts posted by the owner in a Reddit thread reveal that the shop is requesting $459.99 to inspect the differential for leaks. They estimate $902.21 to replace the heater core hose, and another $125.98 for a new cabin air filter. However, none of these charges rival the quoted $1,479.58 for the battery terminal. While it could be a mistake, it would certainly be an unusual one.

      Assuming the shop genuinely meant to charge that amount solely for a new terminal, let’s examine its cost. In some vehicles, a battery terminal can be costly due to integrated computer chips that monitor voltage and data to and from the battery. However, the Q50 does not fall into that category.

      Thus, the price for a battery terminal should be similar to that of an average vehicle. According to various online retailers, a standard replacement typically costs under $10. It's possible that the high charge stems from issues related to access, which could justify a larger fee, but even that is questionable.

      Even at a shop labor rate of $200 per hour, it would imply that accessing and replacing the terminal would take around seven hours, which is far too lengthy. In reality, the battery terminal is located easily under a cover on the passenger side.

      Fortunately, the Infiniti owner was not misled by the shop’s seemingly outrageous charges. “I’m likely going to find a mechanic to repair these elsewhere for a cheaper price,” they stated in their post. A wise decision indeed.