Am I getting ripped off by BMW?

I took my 2006 in to BMW for a regular oil change and fluid top off at 35k and they said the differential is leaking slightly and eventually it will become an issue.

They quoted $1,190 to fix the issue and it seems like a ridiculous amount for a minor issue...am I wrong?


Thanks

You need to find out where the leak is from first, this changes the repair amount greatly.

Diff seals are known to leak, however that price seems ridiculous. Find a reputable Indy shop and save a few hundred bucks

At first blush, 1200 dollars doesn't seem out of line considering BMW shop labor rates hover around $140 per hour. Removing a diff from the carrier assembly, and axles is not exactly a 15 minute job. Like others have noted, call other dealers and indy shops to find the best price.

Originally Posted by n3985

You need to find out where the leak is from first, this changes the repair amount greatly.

The dealer is going to be a ripoff for this, find a good independent.

There are 4 seals it could be leaking from, front (driveshaft), sides (axles), rear (cover).

The axle seals can be replaced easily without removing much:
http://www.bokchoys.com/differential/diy_diff.htm

The driveshaft and rear seals probably require pulling the whole differential:
http://www.bokchoys.com/differential/diy_diff.htm

Yet both of those look like 2-4hr jobs + parts/fluids, so $1200 sounds ridiculous unless the M3 diff seals are made of gold.

For reference, I had all the seals replaced on my Mercedes a few years ago for < $500 inc parts. To do that required pulling the axle shafts which is more involved than the M3 where they are just bolted on.