We've all been caught up in a situation where we urgently need something done – but the other party involved takes that opportunity (your desperation) to rip you off. It's a harrowing experience that often leaves you with a bitter taste. YouTuber and car influencer Sam of Samcrac channel knows this too well.
Remember the flood-damaged 2010 Aston Martin DBS Volante we covered two months ago? DIY car influencer Sam of Samcrac YouTube channel bought it 90% off the original price thanks to Hurricane Ian. That's about $28,631 considering the DBS Volante cost about $286,910 for the 2010 model year.
The right thing to do with a flood-damaged car is to take it to your local car dealership for a repair quote (if it's reparable). But that would be like going to a toy store on a Christmas eve – it won't be a cheap affair.
Sam has had his share of run-ins with dealerships and auto repair shops. He's gotten a lot of following (about 1.3 million subs) on the platform for solving complicated car issues with simple DIY repair hacks. He once saved his stepmother from spending $914 for a 2-minute fix on Ford Crown Victoria.
Dealership asked for about $40,000 to fix the V12 DBS Volante
Photo: YouTube Screenshot/Samcrac
On a much recent episode, he was slapped with a $37,886.50 invoice on a flood-damaged Aston Martin DBS Volante he's been working on. If you watch his channel, you'll know Sam will do anything to avoid a trip to the dealership. But unfortunately, it was his final resort.
"It has been brutal waiting for the service day to come. Just three days away, but could you imagine it's a month to get a service appointment at the Aston Martin dealer? I don't know if they are just doing that to me because I got a problematic car," Sam said about his experience with his local Aston Martin dealership appointment.
If you read my previous article on the 2010 flood-damaged Aston Martin DBS, Sam narrowed the problem down to a corroded CEM (Central Electronics Module). Fortunately for him, the control module in question (found under the glove compartment of the passenger seat) was the same part used in one of Volvo's cheapest cars and cost about $60 plus shipping.
But there was a problem. The CEM is ideally the brain of a car. Therefore, the vehicle won't work properly if it's not configured correctly. As a result, Sam was forced to buy a brand new CEM from Volvo, which cost him about $700. Still, the DBS Volante didn't turn over.
Dealership declined all future service work on his Aston Martin
Photo: YouTube Screenshot/Samcrac
Sam was optimistic about his flood-damaged Aston Martin DBS because there were a couple of lights showing on the dashboard after fitting the brand-new CEM that were not there before.
All Sam wanted the dealership to do was to flash and reprogram the CEM to get the flood-damaged car to turn over. But instead, the dealership sent him a $40,000 repair quote. Based on the assessment and invoice he received after waiting a month, the car needed $17,757 in labor and $20,129 in replacement parts (wiring harness and two key fobs).
The dealership report said their computer couldn't communicate with the brand-new CEM. They suspected the wiring harness might have been corroded. They charged him $600 ($300 per labor hour) for the service, which Sam felt was outrageous considering nothing had been done. The charge was later cut down to $300.
"So, after a month's wait, and then an over 48-hour stay at the dealer and $300 later, we're actually worse off than when we began because I got one final message from the service guy that said they would decline all future service work on my DBS," Sam revealed about his situation with his local Aston Martin dealership.
Dealership wanted high payout for a low-effort job
Photo: YouTube Screenshot/Samcrac
Simply put, the dealership told him the only way he would get his car up and running was with a programmed module. However, he'll have to look for someone other than them to take up that responsibility.
Sam felt the dealership had an ill motive. The decision not to work on the car contradicted the $40,000 repair estimate they had provided along with his receipt. He concluded the dealership wanted to rip him off, asking for a high payout for a low-effort job. Also, they wanted to avoid dealing with a guy like him ( car enthusiast and DIY know-it-all).
"Let's be real. This Aston Martin dealership isn't the only Aston Martin dealership in the world. There are always alternative solutions to pretty much every problem, and you've got to think about this car in its simplest form. It's just a bunch of Volvo and Ford parts stuck together," he ranted.
Well, if you are going to buy something other than brand-new parts from a dealership, you can always get them from your local junkyard or Pick Your Parts store. And that's exactly what Sam did.
After scraping through the junkyard, he finally found the wiring harness connectors he needed from a Volvo for $45, but that's just the first step. He'll need to look for another service provider to flash his CEM to get the DBS running (if the engine is healthy).
Humphrey is a car enthusiast whose love and passion for automobiles extended into collecting, writing, driving, and working on cars. He got his passion for cars from his Dad, who spent thousands of hours working on his old junky 1970 E20 Toyota Corolla. Years later, he would end up doing the same with a series of lemons he’s owned throughout his adult life. Full profile
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