Having Your Vehicle Repaired: Costs and Expectations

of the parts and systems responsible for keepingUnderstanding How The Cost Of Repairs Are
your car on the road wear down with use. TheyCalculated
either wear to the point they're unable toMost people are unaware that mechanics refer to
perform their job (e.g. worn brake pads) or failmanuals provided by the automakers when
entirely, leaving you stranded by the side of thedetermining how much a given repair job will cost.
road. Paying for replacement parts and repairs isThese manuals provide the estimated number of
one of the ongoing - and unfortunately, inevitablehours a job will take. For example, replacing the
- circumstances of owning a vehicle.water pump in a Toyota Corolla may be listed as
One of the challenges that confronts motorists isa 4-hour job. If your mechanic charges $75 per
finding an experienced mechanic who charges ahour, the labor cost will total $300. This is added
reasonable rate for repairs. We'll explore this issueto the price of a replacement pump to calculate
in more detail below. First, we'll describe some ofyour bill.
the most common repairs performed along with aBut what if the mechanic finishes the job in 3
few pricing guidelines. Then, we'll explain how thehours, rather than 4? In most cases, you will still
auto repair industry calculates the amount theybe charged the entire $300. This is a normal
ultimately charge their customers (this mayindustry practice. Unfortunately, many drivers opt
surprise you).for low-quality replacement parts to reduce their
Car Parts That Will Eventually Need To Bebill when the bulk of the cost is attributable to
Replacedlabor. One cost-effective solution is to buy
There are hundreds of individual components thatOEM-certified parts and install them yourself.
can potentially wear down and need to be fixedShould You Repair Your Vehicle Yourself?
or replaced. But a few are especially noteworthy.To be sure, some repair jobs are best left to
For example, your car's water pump helpstrained mechanics. This is the case when the
prevent your engine from overheating. But afterlocation of the failing components make them
60,000 miles, the likelihood it will fail increasesdifficult to reach. But many drivers would be
dramatically. Replacing and installing a new pumpsurprised by the jobs they can handle on their
can cost $500 or more.own, saving hundreds of dollars in labor costs in
Around the same time, your vehicle's head gasketthe process.
may start to leak. The gasket appearsFor example, replacing your tires, brake pads, and
nondescript, but given its hard-to-reach locationspark plugs is relatively simple. With a little help
between the engine block and cylinder head,from an experienced friend, replacing a fuel filter,
replacing it can cost over $700.water pump, or fuel pump is also less daunting
If you're driving an older vehicle, your transmissionthan it seems. These parts can be purchased at
may eventually begin showing signs of significantmost auto supply stores, both online and off. By
wear and tear. A small leak may be relativelyinstalling them yourself, you'll save the money you
easy and inexpensive to fix. On the other hand, ifwould otherwise pay a mechanic. That gives you
the transmission is on its last legs and needs tothe flexibility to invest in high-quality, OEM-certified
be overhauled or replaced, plan to spend up tocomponents.
$2,500.One of the reasons people dread taking their cars
Brake pads, mufflers, tires, and fuel pumps allto their mechanic is because there is a lot of
wear down and eventually need to be replaced.ambiguity regarding the bill. You now understand
Unless you're planning to do the job yourselfhow repair bills are calculated and by extension,
(which we'll discuss in a moment), it's worthhow to negotiate a better price.
knowing how auto repair facilities calculate your bill.