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Has Anyone Seen A $750 Intake Gasket Estimate

RocketFox

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May 30, 2020
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City, State
Vermontville
Year, Model & Trim Level
2006 F-150, 2004 Explorer
I was looking into a vacuum leak, and a few of those stupid "How long does a car last" sites listed the intake as a common point of failure with an average repair cost of $750-900+. Has anyone actually seen an estimate that high?? I'm trying to figure out what in the world they're doing to justify that kind of bill. I know repair costs are obscene, but this one is probably one of the worst I've ever heard of and the estimate to replace the blend door is $900, so I've seen some pretty bad estimates. At least with that, it's such a pain in the ass I can believe it'll take a few hours.
 



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Might vary by region, even the dealership shops here, charge about half what some shops do in CA. For example a coolant flush, on another forum a guy posted his shop's rates and it was $280-something while here it's closer to $130. Same was true for some other services on his list but I forget what they were... routine things.

It also wouldn't surprise me if a lot of the increased labor is due to more complex engines and cramped engine bays requiring more parts removal to get to the gasket(s). I mean a lot of those consumer oriented 'sites showing vehicle maintenance and repair costs, seem to think their target audience must have newer vehicles which seems a bit backwards to me for some of the repairs but whatever.
 






Those shops in the USA are a rip off, at least that's what i experianced.

Rear Brake pads $700, shop refuses to change the pads if i don't do rotoes too.

Fuel assembly in bmw, labor is ok with $200 but for the part they charge $400, at the bmw dealership the part costs $200, aftermarket $50

Fuel injectoer "cleaning" for $150. I asked the guy if they really get the injectors out and clean them for $150.... he said all they do is to put a $10 bottle of "fuel injector cleaner" in your gas tank.

Also an independent mechanic (he has no employees) charges "book hours" for everything all the time. For example if you get spark plugs on a bmw eplaced he charges an hour of labor (i did it myself in 20 minutes without power tools), then he charges another hour to replace a spark coil, then he charges a couple of hours for a valve cover gasket.

It's really hard to find a mechanic that doesn't try to rip you off that's why i usually do my stuff myself. Oh last time my explorer was at a shop, i got it back with plenty of ****roaches in it.
 






^ There are US shops that'll do a brake job for $150 or less per axle (add ~$80 if it needs rotors too), but some don't take a lot of care, just slap new pads on rather than cleaning rust off, loctite on bolts, etc. You also have to inquire whether they're using lower grade, off-brand chinese parts to arrive at a low price and if you can pay the difference for something else if that's the case.
 






It has been a long time since I used a mechanic who won't let me bring my own parts. You certainly don't always have that option when you have a breakdown, and in fairness, parts cost more when you need them right away. Advanced Auto Parts can sometimes charge twice what RockAuto charges for the same part, but that's the premium for needing it today. People who work at Advanced Auto Parts get paid too. Many mechanics use a parts delivery service, and they also get paid. Good mechanics are more concerned about getting the right part quickly then they are about saving the last possible dime. That can be efficient for both the shop and the customer since paying for time and labor can be even more than paying for high priced parts.

I have always believed that a mechanic letting you bring your own parts is a sign of honesty and competence, so I won't use a shop that won't let me do that.

LMHmedchem
 






^ I would counter that if I ran a shop, I wouldn't let customers bring in garbage parts because that's a recurring problem where the customer blames the shop for the part, considering some will buy the cheapest junk then expect a miracle. No shop wants callbacks.
 






If you're paying high $$$ labor it's only common sense to also use high quality parts.
 






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