Hi all. A small independent automotive shop that I trusted and used that was always fair on price and occasionally even a hair bit cheaper. My right rear brake drum seized on my 2006 Dodge neon. The left side was dragging but didn't seize. The parking brake cable froze up causing the e brake to not disengage. The shop owner said there was extensive "bluing " which was expected since the brake drum got really hot. Now a year ago or so my dad and I purchased a full kit for both sides i.e. new drums, shoes, hardware and master cylinder and got out the door for about $100 total both sides. I was quoted $366 per side for the hardware kit and $500 for the labor! WTH is this the new normal to price gouge? I had alot of respect for this shop until this. I have a back up shop closer to me which hopefully wont quote some insane price. Any thoughts.
Small independent shop quoted outrageous brake repair price. Is this the norm?
- Thread starter 97prizm
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It really has, a lot will just use what's going on around to justify it, for an 06 neon that definitely is too much. Costs didn't multiply like that. I've noticed parts for my trucks costing as much as 30% more than a couple years ago, that's enough of a price jump for me.
Sometimes a ridiculous price quote is because they really don't want the work. Rather than telling you they're too busy or whatever to do the job, they give you a quote like that.
I guess that's somewhat better than the other way some places handle jobs they don't want--which is to never call you back.
I guess that's somewhat better than the other way some places handle jobs they don't want--which is to never call you back.
A brake job is typically 1.5-2 hours, if they’re adding wheel cylinders then another little bit plus time to bleed. Hard to tell what labor the cables call for…they aren’t typically difficult, but center console removal is usually necessary, so depending on his labor rate it doesn’t seem crazy.
This is for the rear brakes on a 2006 Neon? $366 x 2, plus $500. That's $1232+ tax, etc.. That's absolutely crazy unless they're talking backing plates, cables, etc.
About two weeks ago my daughter called me in a panic that her malibu was smoking from the front left wheel. I was in bed as I get up at 0245 for work. I asked her if there were any bad noises, lights on the dash, driving concerns, etc. There were none. I assumed it was a stuck caliper. I had her drop the car off at a one man repair shop down the road from our home that I've used for years because it would be a week before I could look at it. She did and mom picked her up. Unfortunately the shop had the car a week, but all it was, was the left front pads stuck in the caliper bracket. He cleaned the rust off of both fronts, lubed and installed new "silent guard" ceramic pads up front. He said the rotors and calipers were good yet. $189 total bill. $95 labor, $78.79 parts, $15.21 sales tax. My point is, very reasonable shops do exist. It's a shame they are so rare.
Time for a second estimate. That sounds excessively high even at today's prices. As brianl703 said above, they may not want that job.
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You stated in a previous post a few months ago that you and your dad replaced the rear brakes for about $80. You can't expect a repair shop to work for free. Today you can buy a complete rear brake drum kit to include hardware for $84. If you want free labor and no warranty then you should take that route and fix your own car. It isn't reasonable to expect someone else to fix your car for free while they have to pay salaries for employees, rent for buildings, taxes for everything under the sun and insurances for people and property.
I should have taken it to the local shop. When the neon needed a helicoil after it spit out a spark plug my local was $200 the guy in Boulder was $700. I was told that over the last couple of years that his shop has stayed busy. Most shops around me slow down September October and will happily take work.
I wasn't saying I wanted it done free but when you can go to any parts store and get a complete set of parts for left and right for $ 90 out the door then $366 per side is price gouging.
OEM pads and rotors plus labor and tax go for around $600-$700 per axle here.
Its not gouging. Its " We don't really want to do this job, but we will for this crazy price" Gouging is when the power is out and you are the only gas station open with power and you raise the price insanely as you are the only source.
Just go to another shop, or a chain midas shop.
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Unfortunately the shop owner probably picked up on multiple warning signs.
1. This is basically a "come back" on a DIY repair. He has to assume that because something went wrong, there may be other problems too (stripped or missing fasteners, air in the lines, assembled incorrectly breaking other things, etc.)
2. E-brake cables are notoriously difficult to replace when there's any rust on the undercarriage. The little clips and clamps break off and have to be drilled and tapped. The cables often run over, around, or behind all sorts of suspension bits and even fuel lines.
3. Disassembly of the center console on older vehicles (this one's 17 years old, right?) is fraught with peril. The plastics are extremely brittle and the rubber parts are usually disintegrating. Not to mention there's usually gross old food and other crap in there.
4. Once you get the console apart without breaking it, getting the cables threaded through the floor and into place is also physically challenging for the mechanic. It involves a lot of contortionist antics and often two people, one under and one inside the vehicle.
5. Once it's all back together, he should insist on full brake fluid flush after any sort of brake overheating.
6. The shoes and cables almost always requires a test drive, then putting it back up in the air to do a final adjustment, then another test drive.
Even after all this is successfully completed, there's still a good chance the customer brings it back because of noise or it doesn't feel right.
I'm not saying the quote is reasonable, or that you did anything wrong, just that there's more to me it than a pile of parts.
The local Alignment shop quoted 2k+ for a front suspension job on a 1998 Ford Ranger.... and this was BEFORE inflation.
IMO, comparing the DIY price of parts to what a shop would charge is like comparing apples and oranges.
There was a time (maybe that time never expired), where auto repair shops made the bulk of their money on selling you parts. More parts they sell you, the bigger the profit.
Back then, the shop would buy parts at ~15%-30% off MSRP (depending on the parts) and sell the parts to the customer at MSRP. Some shops would take the MSRP and double it and put that amount on the invoice.
There was a time (maybe that time never expired), where auto repair shops made the bulk of their money on selling you parts. More parts they sell you, the bigger the profit.
Back then, the shop would buy parts at ~15%-30% off MSRP (depending on the parts) and sell the parts to the customer at MSRP. Some shops would take the MSRP and double it and put that amount on the invoice.
Yes it is excessive when you compare against the cost and effort to DIY if you can.
If you compare against the outrageous rates of other services these days, not as much. Depends on how busy they are too and if they know you're getting competitive quotes. A shop has a lot of overhead and mouths to feed.
For simpler jobs you might try a mobile mechanic, one that will let you provide the parts if you're willing to cut down on their legwork (time) and parts overhead and profit by shopping around ahead of time. Essentially you are doing part of the work.
If you want to save money, always DIY a repair if you can manage to, and if you can't... then might I suggest that a nearly 20 year old Dodge Neon is probably not the right vehicle to own... but also as far as the brake cable, yeah it's at that age where you might want to give everything that moves, a good lube job.
If you compare against the outrageous rates of other services these days, not as much. Depends on how busy they are too and if they know you're getting competitive quotes. A shop has a lot of overhead and mouths to feed.
For simpler jobs you might try a mobile mechanic, one that will let you provide the parts if you're willing to cut down on their legwork (time) and parts overhead and profit by shopping around ahead of time. Essentially you are doing part of the work.
If you want to save money, always DIY a repair if you can manage to, and if you can't... then might I suggest that a nearly 20 year old Dodge Neon is probably not the right vehicle to own... but also as far as the brake cable, yeah it's at that age where you might want to give everything that moves, a good lube job.
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It'll be my last dodge product I ever own short of a Viper. My Geo Prizm never gave me half this much trouble. I expected a vehicle 8 years newer to have even fewer issues. I'll call a couple of local shops tomorrow and get a quote. I get they have to make money, but they used to be really fair on price. Thanks for the input.
I would say for 20 years on a Neon, you got your money’s worth. My wife’s was broadsided awhile back, I would say from a safety aspect alone the Neon should be retired. Take a look at its crash safety record, it scared me and we moved on to bigger vehicles.
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So are they replacing both drums, and the parking brake cable, plus shoes? Maybe replace or R&R the brake cylinder? If so $1232 is about right I think - $700 in parts at list and 3.5 hours labor?
Post a pic of the actual quote if you got one?
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