timing belt change - unexpected oil seals and coolant pipe replacement over charge?

It sounds like you may have been overcharged by the dealer, You should get a pretty good discount on both those services while the engine was torn down for the timing belt, Most service writers just look up labor times to do just that job. Which is from start to finish. Well you already have the majority of the parts out of your way so a 3 hour job turns into a 30 minute job while they are in there really quickly. These are common complaints about the dealers because no one will haggle pricing with the dealers. If it is a add on haggle the price or go somewhere else for the repair. Smaller independent shops are usually cheaper because of the labor rates and there is no franchise fees to pay being an independent shop. By the way most independent shops are mechanics from dealerships at one time or another.

Counterpoint: Not ALL dealerships are bad. Some dealerships are competitive or cheaper than the aftermarket, have ethical practices figuring in overlapping time considerations, and realize that customer retention and satisfaction are essential. Likewise, not all aftermarket shop are staffed with qualified technicians. Not all of them are competitive. And not all of them use high quality parts. That's what this web site is about - equipping yourself with as much valid information, points and counterpoints about car repair. Learning about what questions to ask, when to ask them, and who to ask. According to ALLDATA, there is 0.4 additional labor to install the camshaft seal during timing belt replacement. This fact would counter the "mechanic from another gas station" who said that you should have only been charged for parts. Doing it properly obvioulsy requires nearly a half hour of attention according to the experts. That said, 0.4 and the seal falls about $100 short of what you paid, so there is probably some isssue there. Information is power...

In talking with other mechanics it seems like youshould have been able to get the timing belt, water pump and front seals done for 600-700 bucks. The price you paid for this work is $729.00. And that from a dealer, which usually costs more than someone else. The price you paid sounds reasonable. My question is why didn't they include the seals in the first place since that is standard in quoting this job? I had this work done on my subaru by a mechanic for $650.00 three years ago. Unfortunately I have no answer on the coolant pipe.