mechanic charges?
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Junior Member
Joined: 01-21-07
Posts: 482
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From: tucson
mechanic charges?
hey guys im not sure were to ask this but everyone is lame on celica forum and not answering and i need to know before tommarow...i got a cobalt but my celicas oil pump blew and i bent 4 valves....so i need new timing chain and guide 4 valves oil pump plus labor and the mechanic wants 1800..isnt that way to much...parts arnt more than 400..whats a normal hourly rate for a mechanic...cus there putting in about 16 hours ..ohh ayh they replaced my flyweel bolts cus they all broke..so that counts dropping my tranny and pulling my head and dropping oil pan..what u guys think..iv noticed alot guys on this forum actually know what there talking about....i would appreciate imput cus i want to know if hes screwing me over....
Member
Joined: 04-19-07
Posts: 364
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From: Anchorage Alaska
That's definitely expensive. I had a 04 Celica GT-S and things take A LOT longer to do because of the incredibly crowded engine bay, so sometimes it means taking apart more pieces in order to accomplish simple jobs... but it still shouldn't be that much. It only cost me $975 for me to add the turbo, intake, pullies, flywheel, and clutch... so I can't see why it would cost that much to do that repair... but it's all based on suggested times.. I would go to a different shop for a quote. Generally you get a better deal at non-dealership shops.
New Member
Joined: 04-02-07
Posts: 19
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From: Pensacola
If it really takes 16 hrs, $1800 is actually right in the ballpark for average cost. But you really need to look around. You could do better.
Explanation (not perfect,but hope it helps a little):
- How they came up with the labor cost. Was the cost estimated by "book" rate? How much of that is overhead?
- Is the price for parts accurate or seem marked up?
- How long has the technician been in business?
- Does he work for a shop or independantly?
- Your insurance company may be able to recommend a good shop.
Typically, for a lot of places, the rate is built with fixed overhead rates on top of direct labor rate. Remember these guys have to pay other salaries to their employees, such as benfits. They have rent, they have tools, utilities and supply cost, etc. The shop also has to pay for insurance.
Shop around a little. See if you can find any accredited independants in your area. And see where you can get the possible best flex in total cost. For instance, if the estimated time is 16hrs, but they get the job done in well under that, you still pay for the projected total. If you can find someone more experienced with your type of car, you can probably save a few hundred dollars. They might be estimating way over because the technician might forsee a difficult time with your car.
Explanation (not perfect,but hope it helps a little):
- How they came up with the labor cost. Was the cost estimated by "book" rate? How much of that is overhead?
- Is the price for parts accurate or seem marked up?
- How long has the technician been in business?
- Does he work for a shop or independantly?
- Your insurance company may be able to recommend a good shop.
Typically, for a lot of places, the rate is built with fixed overhead rates on top of direct labor rate. Remember these guys have to pay other salaries to their employees, such as benfits. They have rent, they have tools, utilities and supply cost, etc. The shop also has to pay for insurance.
Shop around a little. See if you can find any accredited independants in your area. And see where you can get the possible best flex in total cost. For instance, if the estimated time is 16hrs, but they get the job done in well under that, you still pay for the projected total. If you can find someone more experienced with your type of car, you can probably save a few hundred dollars. They might be estimating way over because the technician might forsee a difficult time with your car.
Senior Member
Joined: 09-16-06
Posts: 1,858
Likes: 1
From: Lewisville, TX
In my corner of the world:
Goodyear = $94/Hr
Firestone = $96/Hr
National Tire and Battery = $95/hr
5th Gear Motorsports= $105/hr
Flower Mound Vehicle Repair= $90/Hr
Christian Brothers Automotive= $95/hr
Huffines Chevrolet = $105/hr
Toyota of Lewisville = $102/hr
I manage a collision center so I deal with these guys all the time. There is a lot of worked involved with what you need done. You do not get to set the price, the shop that you choose does. If you get a couple of estimates in the $1600 tange and one guy says he can do it for $1000, when you pick the car up he will tell you we had to do this and that and took more time so it's going to be $1500. The lowballer just throws that out there to get the business. Once they have your car, they have control. If you complain and say that they told you it would only cost $1000, they will tell you that they did not give you a quote, but rather an estimate.
Goodyear = $94/Hr
Firestone = $96/Hr
National Tire and Battery = $95/hr
5th Gear Motorsports= $105/hr
Flower Mound Vehicle Repair= $90/Hr
Christian Brothers Automotive= $95/hr
Huffines Chevrolet = $105/hr
Toyota of Lewisville = $102/hr
I manage a collision center so I deal with these guys all the time. There is a lot of worked involved with what you need done. You do not get to set the price, the shop that you choose does. If you get a couple of estimates in the $1600 tange and one guy says he can do it for $1000, when you pick the car up he will tell you we had to do this and that and took more time so it's going to be $1500. The lowballer just throws that out there to get the business. Once they have your car, they have control. If you complain and say that they told you it would only cost $1000, they will tell you that they did not give you a quote, but rather an estimate.
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