So I decide to buy a 2006 xB... local dealership has *exactly* the car I want except for the upgrade iPod capable headunit (the one that will control & charge the iPod directly--listed as a $260 upgrade on Scion.com). The dealership (Scion of Santa Barbara, CA) says it's going to be $260 + $155 for installation... and I said "What???" Doesn't seem like pure price to me!

I immediately refused to pay the installation fee, they go back and talk it over, the General Manager is called, and suddenly they're saying that they are not even capable of installing the upgraded head unit...that it's a port upgrade accessory only. What the heck? They say if I want the iPod upgrade headunit I'll have to order a whole different car with it already installed. Huh??? Earth to Scion of SB... "it's just a radio!!!"

Has anyone heard of this before? Am I off base? Surely they can swap headunits, no? They were fine to deal with besides this, and in their defense they are going to get back to me tomorrow and let me know the final word on whether they can install this head unit or not. Should there be an installation fee for such a thing? I can't imagine it's the case for an optoinal upgrade... I thought the install fee was built into the price of the upgraded component, no? How is it pure price otherwise??

 

The problem you have is that your dealer did something stupid. A smart dealer orders the cars with no stereo in it. We then install whichever stereo the customer wants. If we do it this way, we pay for the stereo and we pay our shop to install it. We also get a credit from Scion to cover the cost of the basic stereo ($245 if I remember correctly). If the customer wants the iPod stereo, we still get the parts credit. The iPod stereo costs something like $500, but since we already have $245 from the base, we charge the $260 that is listed on the Scion web site.

Now, if we order the stereos installed at the port, we don't get the parts credit. If a customer wants to upgrade from the base to the iPod, they have to pay the full retail because we can't exchange the stereo that is already in it. That stereo was never in our inventory, it has no box and is considered a used part.

The only time I will ever order a car with the stereo in it is if I have an order. If a customer wants a car that is not at the port yet, I'll have them install the customer's choice of stereo. That way, we don't have to mess with it when it comes in and the customer can pick it up quicker.

 

Thanks Cliffy. Turns out just like you say.

I'm going to pay the $155 swap fee because I don't want to wait 6-8 weeks for a new car nor try to track one down with all the features on it that this one has. The hours/headache/driving involved in the latter is easily worth $155, and the fact I need the vehicle for a car trip coming up in a couple weeks means I don't want to wait a month or more for one just like this to come in. So, for me, this is good value, though if I had more time/energy I'd just order one exactly how I wanted it and save a few bucks.

Thanks,

Steve

 

why not just get the FM Antenna Reciever for your iPod
which plugs into your headphones jack.

your iPod will play through an FM Channel that does
not come in...

 

No thanks, not interested. Why settle for crappy reception, the accessory jack taken over by a charger, and the need to fumble for your iPod and your stereo controls while driving when you can have an elegantly implemented factory option that lets you get full quality sound from your iPod as well as the ability to charge it while using it and control it through the head unit's built-in controls? The FM solutions don't even come close to comparing.

Steve

 

Sorry just a suggestion, mine works great as it is.

Doesnt matter im upgrading the interior of my tC next summer anyways haha

but cool deal on owning a new xB!

 

does anyone know if you can put this setup in an 05? was at a dealership in des moines today they said it's NOT backward compatible..that sound right or just lazy?

 

https://www.scionlife.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=75939

it can be done