Car Repair Pricing

[knapplc]

Is there a website that gives rough estimates on how much it should cost to fix a particular problem with your car?

My washer pump went out on my car, and the part is only like $20, but my mechanic is telling me it'll be $140 to fix. That seems kind of high. I understand labor is super pricey, but I'd like to check this somewhere else.

Any suggestions? I'm an idiot when it comes to my car...

[Metroid]

Actually that sounds about right.

Are you at all mechanicly inclined? You could probably do it yourself.

[knapplc]

I am not only not mechanically inclined at all, but I have just about no time to do it, either. I rarely even change my own oil. Hence the mechanic.

[Metroid]

Right I gotcha....I'm sure you have but, have you tried a google search.

I'll look around a little and let ya know if I come across anything.

[Metroid]

Also rates very depending on the area. Call a bunch of different shops they should be able to give you quotes over the phone.

[knapplc]

Yeah, I googled - that's where I found out the part costs $17. That means he's charging me at least two hours of labor at $60 per hour, but I can't imagine it would take that long to replace.

[Redskins Win]

yeah and when you're asking around first question how much do you charge for labor

[awwchrist]

Whenever I have to go into a mechanics I always make sure that my pants are around my ankles and I've brought vaseline.

That way the mechanic and I know exactly what the expectations are and there are no surprises.

[Redskins Win]

Yeah, I googled - that's where I found out the part costs $17. That means he's charging me at least two hours of labor at $60 per hour, but I can't imagine it would take that long to replace.

If it takes 1 hour and 10 minutes, you get charged for 2 hours

[josebach]

Yeah, I googled - that's where I found out the part costs $17. That means he's charging me at least two hours of labor at $60 per hour, but I can't imagine it would take that long to replace.

If it takes 1 hour and 10 minutes, you get charged for 2 hours

Not necessarily. First of all, repair shops usually charge list prices on their parts. If you can find it on-line for $17, that's probably around what they're buying it for. They in turn will probably sell it to you for around $30-$40. Prices will also depend on what brand parts the repair shop uses. All auto parts are not the same!!! If you can afford it, get OE (original equipment) parts if you can. If the repair shop you go to buys their parts at Pep Boys or Auto Zone, find a different shop. I would also ask if the repair shops warranties both parts and labor. Any money saved on a lower labor rate or inferior part will be completely wasted if you have to pay labor twice. I say this because a lot of shops only warranty the parts.

If I had to guess, their estimate is probably itemized as:
$40 - washer pump
$90 - 1.5 hours labor
$10 - shop supplies

Without knowing what kind of car you have, and looking at a labor guide, it's hard to tell if it's a fair estimate or not. It's best to ask around to friends and family for a repair shop recommendation. Unfortunately, the best and most honest shops are usually not the cheapest.