Came here in a rush because my car wouldn't start reliably, and was charged $800 for a basic battery replacement. Even the dealer would have been less. The staff explained that their labor rate is excessive ($260 / hr) - not surprising given the location - but they also inflate the bill by doing unnecessary diagnostic work. I left feeling like I had been taken advantage of—especially as a mom of three just trying to get back on the road quickly. I understand businesses need to make money, but this kind of pricing is exploitative.
Rebeca, sorry to hear you regret your decision however everything done on your vehicle is fully explained on your invoice. Seeing as our shop has no history on your car we offered to do a starting and charging system test to ensure your issue is completely resolved, which you approved. We check that your charging system isn’t the cause of your dead battery, if it were then simply installing a new battery would not fix the issue as it would die again. Once that is checked and in working order we move ahead with the battery, which again you gave us approval before hand. The battery that was originally in your car is not a standard one, it is an AGM battery which are more expensive to replace. Our labor rate is not $260 an hour, it is $235 an hour and that is based on our cost of doing business in Orinda that also includes ensuring our staff is paid. We are completely transparent about our estimates and prices, and at any time you had the right and option to decline the work as well as retrieve or tow your vehicle out.
- Orinda Motors Inc.