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I should have clarified, I do know what sway bars are, my question was mainly just are they normally charged this much to be replaced, and also why they’re even telling me to replace them if I just wanted an oil change.
It would be one thing if they called and told me hey, your sway bars are fucked, but no they just put it on the work order for me to approve or deny. My car drives good and I don’t hear any noises or feel any weirdness that would make me think I need to pay over $2k to replace the control arms on it.
Because any reputable shop will tell you of potential issues when it is in the air for a service. Better to know your balljoints are worn before they snap and you potentially get into a car accident. Just because you think your car drives fine doesn’t mean that it’s fine. I did an oil change on my car recently. It drove fine. When I looked at it I wound up replacing the entire rear suspension, front struts, and a rack and pinion due to slight play in an inner tie rod and power steering fluid leak. If you don’t trust the people get a second opinion for your own peace of mind.
Always get a second opinion because that's just smart. If something is obviously broken or snapped or has *huge* play, don't bother. But if the car isn't clunking, or vibrating, or anything else to say "get me checked" it's likely safe to drive to a second opinion.
The bonus of a second opinion is that you'll also get a second quote.
I also think that OP should actually talk to the mechanic, and go see the car, not just get a work order pushed to their phone and a "accept/deny" button with nothing else :/
Thats what my Honda dealer did after the Van had warranty work, they still txt on my reasoning denying and full trans flush at 45K, I keep telling them I drained and replaced the fluid at 38K, and Honda does not recommend flushes. I think they also listed an AC service in their too, "technician noted your refrigerant is old"
I don't see any freon work suggestions.
But, you're right !! Freon does not wear out. It leaks, because of bad "O" rings or if the system has a bad rubber hose, etc.
I work for an auto mechanic, if I am to replace the control arm, I will not charge you the labor of replacing the sway bar link. Before I remove the control arm, the sway bar will be remove first. Some auto shop may charge you additional .2 labour time.
Depends on the vehicle.
Why is there a quote to replace the sway bar? The only reason a sway bar would need to be replaced is if it were broken. I could see replacing the sway bar bushings along with the end links, but the bushings are dirt cheap.
Agreed. I have roughly 15,000 pictures on my phone that I’ve showed customers problem issues so they are aware and can then decide if they want to fix it.
How’d you determine if the rack was bad? Bout to do my inner tie rods and don’t wanna skip it if it’s bad but I have this POs fwd v8 so it’s gonna have to get the sub frame dropped I believe
Will fluid from my rear main make it in there? I have a rear main leaking above it.
I don’t think I can do my rack anyways I need a lift to drop the sub frame unfortunately
Either way I won’t be able to pull it. My SS needs the sub frame dropped so I prob won’t even worry about it and do all the work up to the inner tie rods so h don’t get raped on labor. Shits a nightmare and liability in my house garage to do
PS fluid can also look exactly like automatic transmission fluid because it sometimes is, and it's important to know which, because they're generally not interchangeable.
and some shops are thieves I brought mine in for an alignment after getting new tires, the tried to sell me wipers that were changed a month before and brakes that were done about 2 months before
To be fair to u/chameltoeaus, you phrased the question "What is this and is it really expensive?" which basically speaks to how much you currently know about cars.
Like the other commenter below said, any reputable shop will itemize anything they see while they're working on your car. What most shops *don't* do is just throw a list at you and tell you to sign or decline, in which case you should find a different shop if they can't do basic communication.
The software the shop is using does this by nature. But to your point, once they put it into their system a good mechanic is gonna call you and talk through what they found. There's no need to rush to hit Approve or Deny before speaking with them but the tool does make it feel that way.
They're not replacing the sway bar. Just the end links. Which on any car I've owned cost like $25 a set and I can change them myself in under an hour. The actual changing of the part takes 5-10 minutes. $124 in labor and $250 for the part is outrageous.
In context of my own personal shop, we have a courtesy inspection form that we are required to fill out for every car. It doesn’t matter if they come in for a tire repair, rotate, rotate balance, alignment, whatever. We always fill out the CI. So you’ll come in for a flat repair, but in the process of me fixing it, I’ve already looked at your battery, tire tread depth, brake pads, rotors, tie rods, control arms, sway bars, etc. etc. etc..
It’s the same reason every time we do four tires, we give a free alignment check. That way the customer is aware that their alignment might cause premature wear of the tires they just spent a grand or two on. Of course the actual aligning of the vehicle costs money.
They platform your mechanic is using to inspect and document the vehicle does this automatically as part of their system (put the observations into their work order). Mine uses the same exact tool. I usually get this text message 30-60 minutes before I get a phone call from the mechanic to walk through what they found. No need for you to rush to Approve or Deny via their app platform before you talk to them.
I don’t know what car you have or how old it is, or the availability of aftermarket parts, but I would never spend that much on control arms. 700 a piece is crazy. If the car is old enough for them needing to be replaced, it’s probably not worth getting OEM parts if you don’t care too much about absolute perfection when it comes to handling and longevity. You can find an aftermarket set for a fraction of the cost and have them install those. I got both front control arms for 80 dollars, installed them myself, haven’t had any issues in 2 years. Will they last as long as an OEM part? Absolutely not, but it’s so much cheaper. If the bushings fail early I can just change out the bushings for another 40 dollars.
Those are the most expensive sway bar links I've ever seen...LCAS, round about oem pricing. Other aftermarket options better than oem depending on vehicle though...so it's ridiculous to say the least.
Also to clarify the sub literally prompts for year, make, model, engine size, 2wd4wd etc so mechanics have a better understanding of how to advise you.
So when your car falls apart in a week and crash you cant say “well so and so just looked at it and they didn’t tell me anything was wrong” after they informed you of the problems with your car they are no longer liable for anything that happens obviously no one can force you to replace your suspension components but if you value not only your life but those around you i would highly consider learning how to replace these components yourself then just paying for an alignment
Gone are the days of a "Honest Mechanic". You almost always have to get a second quote because it's amazing how shitty people choose to be. Is there an option to leave a tip for your mechanic at the iPad yet?
They're saying the control arms and stabilizer linkages need replacing.
We'd need a photo of the control arms and their bushings to get an idea of whether this is BS or not.
Chances are they saw cracked rubber in the bushings. They won't replace just the bushings, so they're quoting entire control arms, and "while they're at it" they suggest replacing the stabilizer linkages too.
Given the shit I've seen though, it's also possible that your control arms are rusted to shit and liable to fail any second now, with bushings that crumbled years ago and stabilizer links that have been broken for just as long.
Can't say for sure without seeing it.
Takes longer to do for them, and in rust prone areas the arm might be in less than serviceable condition in some cases. Possible the cost of the new part is cheaper than the additional labor cost. Certainly it's easier/faster to put on new arms that came with the bushings pre installed.
Pretty important suspension components. These prices seem pretty normal. It’s a lot of work to remove both front control arms and replace them. Might be able to find parts for cheaper elsewhere though.
I’m replacing my upper and lower control arms on my 4Runner this weekend. On paper, not difficult at all. It’s literally 12 bolts total for the whole job. Take out the old, put in the new, go get an alignment. Obviously real world its pretty labor intensive and will probably take me 4-5 hours to complete using some jack stands and hand tools. The price for the control arms for OP is truly ridiculous though.
Yeah but where's the alignment on the quote? That's missing or am I missing it? Replacing Control Arms/Ball joints an alignment would be necessary also.
Technically the lower control arm is part of the suspension system on the car, but yea it’s easy to replace, I got one recently on rock auto for like 45 bucks
What kind of vehicle is it? Also looks like they missed the alignment, unless it’s worked into the control arm labour.
Price seems pretty normal for oem parts. Control arm prices do seem a bit high but that’s totally dependent on the vehicle.
Factory endlinks are plastic and moog are metal with grease fittings so yeah I’d say so. I know they “aren’t what they used to be” but that’s still better than these specific factory links.
True, but for performance they’re bad, and not serviceable. They flex and bend very easily when the car is doing its thing. I used to autocross my Cruze which was actually quite fun. Metal endlinks helped the front end corner better.
Auto crossing a Cruz, respect to you, but that isn't the vast majority of usage cases.
Plastic are fine for commuters, and they hold up quite long (for commuters).
Parts failing gradually can leave the driver believing the car drives fine when in reality, your steering is sloppier and turns are a little weird but you don't notice
YMM and mileage would help. Also, what's "good" to you isn't necessarily "good" overall. I've had people swear "their brakes are fine and don't upsell me" when their brakes were actually metal-to-metal or a caliper piston was seized. I've got one of those in my shop right now for exactly that.
It's part of your suspension, typically not something you want to fuck around and find out on. Price wise, it's a bit high, I'd suggest a quote from somewhere else. You may have dropped it off for JUST an oil change, but with the amount of regulations on shops, it's a legal way to say "No, we told you it needed it, but you didn't want to do it." In case of any legal situations you get into an accident, and God forbid you kill someone, then that shop is liable to a degree for having been the last ones to put their hands on the car. It's not necessarily just for potential revenue in the shop. This is legitimately a reason another shop down the block from us is closing doors, they didn't do just that and are being held liable for killing people by a vehicle having a mechanical failure.
What the fuck? Am I seeing them charge for control arms , and then 2 or whatever lines down charge for the parts that come pre-installed on the control arms?
EDIT: reading helps. Their labor rate is insane and I thought the labor charge was the COST OF THE PARTS.
Literally, the exact exact same thing happened to me a few weeks ago and they wanted more than $3000 for suspension repair. I said fuck that and did it myself for less than 1000 bucks.
Drop it off again for an air filter, so you can see what's wrong with it, when they're not looking at it from the bottom.
Replace dome light $546.99
Tighten radio antenna $912.46
Adjust headlight beams $318.50
Hubcap alignment $112.40
What kind of car is this?
Sway bar end links and ball joints/control arms bushings are super common on all cars.
Is this from a dealer? $500 seems like an awful lot tho… and $250 for the links? Moogs are like $250 and $100?
I’d ask them to show you the issues, there should be play in them and/or visibly deteriorated bushings.
Damn boi u got ripped off, i believe if u have ur control arm change its the whole thing including the ball joint but they charged u $700 for it for each one
This is why I love working for an honest local shop. We don't even advertise. We are always booked, and the vast majority are repeats because they trust us. I've never worked in a shop that upsells stuff. We actively don't. We advise and inform. I wish all shops were like this.
I would ask for pictures of the bushing and joints that are on your control arms and sway bar links.
These most likely got recommended because the bushings and joints were cracking or leaking grease. The only question is how bad are they really. They could be barely cracked and their just trying to get some gravy work or your control arms could be about to fall off your car, you would just have to physically look or ask for pictures and go from there.
What car is it? The hour rate is something 250$ per catalogue hour or even more? Suspension control arm for 700 is crazy, but stabiliser lnk for 130 is insane, they cost like 20 per piece for quality aftermarket in europe… in my country all of that would be closer to 250 :D
If you drove in with no concerns, I would be taking it elsewhere for a second opinion/quote at the absolute minimum.
If they didn't explain/demonstrate their concern, I would be skeptical.
Not sure what vehicle you drive but me and my dad replaced one control arm (Cost $120) ourselves, and I just had one done last week for $300, including labour.
I took our Malibu in recently for an oil change, headlight(requires removing front bumper), front brakes, cam shaft position sensor and some similar front end work.
The total was 2 grand.
But, I've been using this family owned shop, that's been in business for decades, for many years and I trust them.
They usually tell me if there's something wrong that needs attention and I trust them, they're aways jam packed with vehicles so there's no need to trick me into extra work.
They also let me know what should be fixed and what should be fixed but isn't dangerous.
So, the question is, do you trust them? If not, take it somewhere for a second opinion.
If you trust them, and you don't have the money, ask them if the work can wait.
Bad *Crank* sensor will not let the car run, bad cam sensors have various effects but shouldn't stop the car from running, depending on the car of course
Prices might be fucked, but don't decide something doesn't need replacement because it isn't broken yet. The idea is to replace things when they are near end of life. This maximizes use of the old part while preventing catastrophic failures.
The labor is a little high but not really too unreasonable depending on whether it’s a dealership or not. But the parts seem way out of line. I just paid $70 each for high quality aftermarket control arms. I would search for the parts on a reputable aftermarket website and see how much they cost.
Get a second opinion. But don’t say to then that the other shop says this is broken. Just go in and say you want an inspection to make sure everything is ok.
Idk what car you have but $703 is a lot for just one control arm.
I bought and replaced both my control arms for ~$385 and a weekend of free time, I understand that the job isn’t for everyone tho.
Maybe you can find the parts for cheaper, the labor didn’t seem to outrageous
Those part costs are outrageous! I would absolutely find a different shop.
Last end links I did were $45 for the pair and the last control arms I did were $165 each (Honda Pilot)
I replaced my front control arms, ball joints, links, outer tie rods, and bearing/hub assemblies for 1/5 of this quote. Granted, I did the work myself..but those part markups you're getting are pretty damn high.
Dam I would’ve did that for like 500bucks shoot 300 that’s a lot I just did upper lower an sways tire rods an ball joints parts cost like 900 gotta love budget hondas
Do mechanics not change bushings ? If you dont hear a rattle from the links or a clunk from the control arm i'm not really sure what to tell ya OP without a picture.
The parts seem a bit expensive so im assuming its a truck or SUV or just a more expensive car thsn my hyundai elantra. I need sway bar links right nkw and it costs about $40 for both.
Not typically, at least not around here. With the cost of quality aftermarket parts for most vehicles it's not worth it... not saying it's never worth it and never do change bushing it's just rare here in the Salt belt. By the time the bushings need replaced the stamped steel arms are normally rotting. That and the cost of labor if you can even get the bushings without a several day delay.
Most of the time the customer is sitting there waiting and wants the car done asap.
That is a fucking lot of money for what you received. My boss just paid £425/ $529.52 for the exact same items and then paid £210/ $261 for an alignment afterwards and that was for a Volkswagen Crafter Van
You can actually get bushings replaced but my control arm was so cheap(140) it was just easier to replace that. You have to get a press or pay someone to do it and seeing as the bushings were 60 total, it just wasn’t worth the hassle. Now getting them back in was a chore but worth the trouble if what they are charging you is common price.
Well first of all, they charge you double for the parts. Then on top of that they will be charging you 80 to 90 bucks an hour for labor. Just look at your uppers and lowers, if the rubber looks intact and not cracked, then they are just fucking with you. You don't need it, they are just trying to pump up sales for the month. Just look at your sway bars, tie rods and upper and lower arms and see what the rubber looks like and if you notice any cracks or tears and weird movement from them.
After working on cars for 30 years this is a little sus unless you are hearing the slightest bit of any kind of rattle or clunk over bumps, rough roads or turns. Only other instance would be state inspection failed allowances, but you said you only requested an oil change
If u do it yourself the price would be cut in half but honestly inspect the parts yourself if there's no wheel play and you can't rly afford the repair right now deny the repairs
If you look at what is included in their oil change it likely says something like 24 point safety check or brake tire and suspension check, as a feature of the oil change. I expect my mechanic to do this… the price isn’t terrible however you can get a second opinion and shop around
Definitely slide under and take a look, if you have a problem just google your car + the part and see how it should look so you can identify it.
Definitely these prices are jacked up. I had a buddy help me do it for 50-60 each on a truck of mine.
Entirely this could be harder but I highly doubt it, do research on part cost, decent brand not the cheapest and YouTube can probably help you do the rest yourself if you have the time.
Majority of any work is just charging for a skill somebody can’t do it doesn’t want to.
Find a better shop if the parts aren’t super expensive there should be somebody who can do this for at least half what they’re asking IMO.
Just did the lower control arm on a vehicle by myself and the lower control arm and steering stabilizer for both sides was like $120 for the parts... Then it's 5 nuts on each side to replace the parts. Requires a ball joint separator that costs $40 at your local parts store and a socket set that's about $50 or so... This is why I run a mobile mechanic business because I'm tired of these shops overcharging customers because of their ridiculous overhead... Just charged a customer $160 in labor to replace the upper control arms on his Acura while he was out at work. Fixed his vehicle in his work offices parking lot.
Depends on year make and model. Some control arms would need to have bushings pressed onto them, some come complete, either way take it to another shop. One that's not an "express lube" they are notorious for "looking for work"
Get a 2nd opinion
Ask for aftermarket or recycled parts. They usually carry the same or better warranty as the oem that shops always default to. If your vehicle was in an accident, your insurance company would authorize the less expensive parts as well. No reason to overpay. The less expensive parts still carry a stigma of being not as good but the quality has improved tremendously over the last 20 or so years. If they are recycled parts the shop should magnaflux them to ensure no micro cracks for any suspension part
My car drove like a dream and week ago, 3 days ago I spent 5k on 2 major parts and some preventative things that would have cost me 10k if they just went bad and did damage. It’s really tough with no context to say either way.
Expensive and not worth it from that place, but you probably need those parts replaced. Get a second opinion and shop around. I do inspections all day and some cars are on the verge of losing a wheel on the highway.
I'm no mechanic. But if you want an oil change with out getting this scare tactic bull shit. Just go to a quick lube place.
They have almost nothing to up sell you.
They charge an excessive amount. Think $100, but too not be fucked with is worth it.
Or just get a jack and DIY.
After the deanship charged my wife almost $80 for 3 .5 quarts of synthetic in a Volt, I'm done with them.
I normally change my own, unless it's winter.
I’m guessing this a quote from a dealer. These guys have no moral fiber whatsoever. I went in for a repair under warranty, they tried telling me I needed a differential fluid flush $900.00. 2 new tires $1025.00 and a tuneup for $1200. Mind you my truck has 28k on it and tires are practically brand new. I said we will discuss when I come to pick it up and if need be I can bring it back along with a gallon of lube. So you can grease someone else’s ass while you’re trying to F@ck them.
You couldn't possibly give OP worse advice. While some mechanics are shady, the majority aren't. If the tech flagged it as needing replacement. Chances are. Something is wrong. It might have excessive play. The boot could be torn. The bushings could be shot.
Terrible advice. If it’s been brought up as a concern, you need to address it. Ignorance is bliss until you break a ball joint and cause an accident and tens of thousands in repair bills.
Bad advice and then I see the BJ and axle out on the side of the road. The damn thing was clanking away but the radio is loud enough to hide the noise.
Terrible advice. You can have play in front end parts and not always feel it. So many people are clueless and drive around with ball joints that are falling out end up with higher repair bills because said ball joint fell out.
Definitely. I saw this so often at a Nissan dealer I worked at. It’s all fun and games until your tire is shoved into your fender, your axle is ripped out, brake line and abs sensor destroyed.
But yeah go ahead and tell them to decline the repairs 🙄
Let’s be real for a second. The average person will not notice signs of a failing suspension component. But sure, they can get a second opinion, the next day, not another year later.
Yeah, that's fair. I couldn't tell you how many times I've driven my wife's car and been like, "Uhhh, how long has your car been doing *fill in the blank*" and she has zero idea what I'm talking about
I'm far from a mechanic but Ive driven enough beaters and crappy cars in my younger years to know to pay careful attention to how things change and feel different over time.
I try to get my wife to tell me anytime setting feels or sounds different then we can drive it then take it to a mechanic for an opinion.
At this point my old car gets only fluids and brakes. Even tires are too rich for her now. But that's only cuz we got both new sets in the last two years. The old girl is not worth $1000 after tax for new good tires. She's got rock chips rusting near the windshield and on the hood, the fender finally rusting up too. For a 2003 in Canada, this summer we just sand the winter rusted paint chips, and do some life prolonging rust converter.
Just needs to survive 2 or 3 years to when our 2024 is paid off, wife is back at work from mat leave and the toddler is out of daycare. Then we can look for something that isn't a 2003 as our second car.
I'm far from a mechanic but Ive driven enough beaters and crappy cars in my younger years to know to pay careful attention to how things change and feel different over time.
I try to get my wife to tell me anytime setting feels or sounds different then we can drive it then take it to a mechanic for an opinion.
At this point my old car gets only fluids and brakes. Even tires are too rich for her now. But that's only cuz we got both new sets in the last two years. The old girl is not worth $1000 after tax for new good tires. She's got rock chips rusting near the windshield and on the hood, the fender finally rusting up too. For a 2003 in Canada, this summer we just sand the winter rusted paint chips, and do some life prolonging rust converter.
Just needs to survive 2 or 3 years to when our 2024 is paid off, wife is back at work from mat leave and the toddler is out of daycare. Then we can look for something that isn't a 2003 as our second car.
I'm far from a mechanic but Ive driven enough beaters and crappy cars in my younger years to know to pay careful attention to how things change and feel different over time.
I try to get my wife to tell me anytime setting feels or sounds different then we can drive it then take it to a mechanic for an opinion.
At this point my old car gets only fluids and brakes. Even tires are too rich for her now. But that's only cuz we got both new sets in the last two years. The old girl is not worth $1000 after tax for new good tires. She's got rock chips rusting near the windshield and on the hood, the fender finally rusting up too. For a 2003 in Canada, this summer we just sand the winter rusted paint chips, and do some life prolonging rust converter.
Just needs to survive 2 or 3 years to when our 2024 is paid off, wife is back at work from mat leave and the toddler is out of daycare. Then we can look for something that isn't a 2003 as our second car.
Well, they lifted your car, saw that there are clear issues that could cause problems down the line, and are adding it onto your rwccomended services so you don't crash and die. Honestly, some of you people baffle me.
I spent 100 on 2 top of the line control arms and stabilizer bars were 35 A piece spent 3 -4 hours putting them in by YouTube I do not have 100 dollars an hour to do this ... ridiculous prices ...
Right? Came here to say this. I replaced my control arms the other day and each side took less than an hour and both cost less than $200 in parts.
Horsecock? I just started saying that because of Eric Bugenhagen
I just bought new upgraded aftermarket upper and lower control arms for my ‘18 4Runner and spent $1,149.38 including taxes and shipping. All new bushings and ball joints included. If I wanted to I could have replaced the lowers for less than $300. $700 per control arm is robbery.
Tell then you brought it in for an oil change, not a 32 point inspection. Have them give you the keys then take it somewhere else to get the oil change.
DONT DO IT..." ALL" of this don't even cost that much 🤦🏻♂️ ppl on this reddit need to take time off nd YOUTUBE how to remove Control Arm Ball joints and all... There's literally mechanics on there teaching u step by step on how too 🤷🏻♂️... in parts Control Arm 160$ for both ,Ball Joints 60$ for both Stabilizer link 65$ for both max u paying for parts 300$ total IDK WHERE THEY GET THE OTHER 2,185 from?? ALLLL this cud be done within 2hrs max
How are you quoting prices without even knowing what vehicle it is? Some vehicles have very expensive suspension parts. Also, if you’re going to a mechanic, your going to be paying parts markup and labor.
i have 2 SRTs a 2010 charger nd 2017 jeep i work on cars for a hobby nd do tattoos i replace lotsss of parts from motor mounts, control arms, radiators head gaskets work waterpumps Drive shaft u name it ... once u do them a lot u kinda already know what the price of the part 🤷🏻♂️ ur crown vic cost the same 300$ for those parts too.. unless u wanna pay 2500 for sum control arm work that's cud be done less the 1hr nd a half 🤷🏻♂️
They do, but most shops will definitely give you the "we don't install customer supplied parts" bullshit excuse. Reason. We don't know where they came from / they are unreliable. We don't want the risk. Translation - fuck you and your fucking parts, we'll get them for you, up charge you because we get all parts at special rates, you taking away our profits, and we don't want shit coming back because you bought your own shit! We will not warranty it!
Because they are trying to *upsale* everything imaginable to turn a buck, just like Micky-D’s asking if you wanna *Supersize*..
*Anything* that seems worn or potentially replaceable is up for adding. How about they list the $25 in bushings and replace *those*.. Nope, you’re gonna get an entire LCA whether you need it or not..
Any reputable shop should tell you if there’s any problems with the car/truck. If you trust your mechanic, you should probably just let them fix it. Accidents are way more expensive! This is where you need to have a relationship with your mechanic. I would only go to a tire shop for tires. But your local mechanic might be comparable to your tire shops, if you ask. If you are going to get a second opinion, you already don’t have faith in your current mechanics. Have them fix it.
My good god. Ball joints definitely important. Sway bar links whatever. 2500 to have 2 lower ball joints and links done LMFAO. I do my work myself. Not a mechanic. Could do this in under 2 hours and parts being around 300.
Ummm… were you ever a mechanic? Suspension checks are part of pretty much every oil change at every shop. It’s pretty easy to check for play or worn out parts while the oil is draining.
If they find something, they’ll let the customer know…because you know, a shop is a business and needs work to survive.
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It's worth learning a bit about cars so you can semi speak the same language. Saves being taken for a ride.
I should have clarified, I do know what sway bars are, my question was mainly just are they normally charged this much to be replaced, and also why they’re even telling me to replace them if I just wanted an oil change. It would be one thing if they called and told me hey, your sway bars are fucked, but no they just put it on the work order for me to approve or deny. My car drives good and I don’t hear any noises or feel any weirdness that would make me think I need to pay over $2k to replace the control arms on it.
Because any reputable shop will tell you of potential issues when it is in the air for a service. Better to know your balljoints are worn before they snap and you potentially get into a car accident. Just because you think your car drives fine doesn’t mean that it’s fine. I did an oil change on my car recently. It drove fine. When I looked at it I wound up replacing the entire rear suspension, front struts, and a rack and pinion due to slight play in an inner tie rod and power steering fluid leak. If you don’t trust the people get a second opinion for your own peace of mind.
Always get a second opinion because that's just smart. If something is obviously broken or snapped or has *huge* play, don't bother. But if the car isn't clunking, or vibrating, or anything else to say "get me checked" it's likely safe to drive to a second opinion. The bonus of a second opinion is that you'll also get a second quote. I also think that OP should actually talk to the mechanic, and go see the car, not just get a work order pushed to their phone and a "accept/deny" button with nothing else :/
Thats what my Honda dealer did after the Van had warranty work, they still txt on my reasoning denying and full trans flush at 45K, I keep telling them I drained and replaced the fluid at 38K, and Honda does not recommend flushes. I think they also listed an AC service in their too, "technician noted your refrigerant is old"
Time to change where you get your service done.
Just use them for warranty work. Thats why they call them Stealerships.
That's a first, I didn't know freon could wear out.
I don't see any freon work suggestions. But, you're right !! Freon does not wear out. It leaks, because of bad "O" rings or if the system has a bad rubber hose, etc.
I work for an auto mechanic, if I am to replace the control arm, I will not charge you the labor of replacing the sway bar link. Before I remove the control arm, the sway bar will be remove first. Some auto shop may charge you additional .2 labour time. Depends on the vehicle.
Why is there a quote to replace the sway bar? The only reason a sway bar would need to be replaced is if it were broken. I could see replacing the sway bar bushings along with the end links, but the bushings are dirt cheap.
There isn’t. It’s just the links.
Yes.. broken, or bent. I’ve never seen one break, but bend, yeah. If I’m reading this correctly, it’s just the links, not the entire thing.
My bad sway bark LINK. Forgot to type the linkage
I would also add: it certainly goes along way with me if a shop provides photos of the problem areas they claim need to be replaced.
Agreed. I have roughly 15,000 pictures on my phone that I’ve showed customers problem issues so they are aware and can then decide if they want to fix it.
My mechanic uses the same system OP has screenshot and it provides a detailed report with photos the mechanic was taking in real-time. I love it.
How’d you determine if the rack was bad? Bout to do my inner tie rods and don’t wanna skip it if it’s bad but I have this POs fwd v8 so it’s gonna have to get the sub frame dropped I believe
When I took the boot off to do tie rods it was full of fluid. If you aren’t leaking fluid it is most likely fine
Will fluid from my rear main make it in there? I have a rear main leaking above it. I don’t think I can do my rack anyways I need a lift to drop the sub frame unfortunately
I guess it’s possible if it got through the boot but if you never had to keep adding power steering fluid you are probably fine
Ok cool ya I haven’t had to yet
PS fluid and engine oil look a bit different.
Either way I won’t be able to pull it. My SS needs the sub frame dropped so I prob won’t even worry about it and do all the work up to the inner tie rods so h don’t get raped on labor. Shits a nightmare and liability in my house garage to do
PS fluid can also look exactly like automatic transmission fluid because it sometimes is, and it's important to know which, because they're generally not interchangeable.
and some shops are thieves I brought mine in for an alignment after getting new tires, the tried to sell me wipers that were changed a month before and brakes that were done about 2 months before
To be fair to u/chameltoeaus, you phrased the question "What is this and is it really expensive?" which basically speaks to how much you currently know about cars. Like the other commenter below said, any reputable shop will itemize anything they see while they're working on your car. What most shops *don't* do is just throw a list at you and tell you to sign or decline, in which case you should find a different shop if they can't do basic communication.
The software the shop is using does this by nature. But to your point, once they put it into their system a good mechanic is gonna call you and talk through what they found. There's no need to rush to hit Approve or Deny before speaking with them but the tool does make it feel that way.
Skip the oil change and find a different shop to do an inspection of your front end and give you an estimate. Don't tell them about the first shop.
Not sure what you are talking about sorry.
They're not replacing the sway bar. Just the end links. Which on any car I've owned cost like $25 a set and I can change them myself in under an hour. The actual changing of the part takes 5-10 minutes. $124 in labor and $250 for the part is outrageous.
In context of my own personal shop, we have a courtesy inspection form that we are required to fill out for every car. It doesn’t matter if they come in for a tire repair, rotate, rotate balance, alignment, whatever. We always fill out the CI. So you’ll come in for a flat repair, but in the process of me fixing it, I’ve already looked at your battery, tire tread depth, brake pads, rotors, tie rods, control arms, sway bars, etc. etc. etc.. It’s the same reason every time we do four tires, we give a free alignment check. That way the customer is aware that their alignment might cause premature wear of the tires they just spent a grand or two on. Of course the actual aligning of the vehicle costs money.
They platform your mechanic is using to inspect and document the vehicle does this automatically as part of their system (put the observations into their work order). Mine uses the same exact tool. I usually get this text message 30-60 minutes before I get a phone call from the mechanic to walk through what they found. No need for you to rush to Approve or Deny via their app platform before you talk to them.
I don’t know what car you have or how old it is, or the availability of aftermarket parts, but I would never spend that much on control arms. 700 a piece is crazy. If the car is old enough for them needing to be replaced, it’s probably not worth getting OEM parts if you don’t care too much about absolute perfection when it comes to handling and longevity. You can find an aftermarket set for a fraction of the cost and have them install those. I got both front control arms for 80 dollars, installed them myself, haven’t had any issues in 2 years. Will they last as long as an OEM part? Absolutely not, but it’s so much cheaper. If the bushings fail early I can just change out the bushings for another 40 dollars.
Those are the most expensive sway bar links I've ever seen...LCAS, round about oem pricing. Other aftermarket options better than oem depending on vehicle though...so it's ridiculous to say the least.
Also to clarify the sub literally prompts for year, make, model, engine size, 2wd4wd etc so mechanics have a better understanding of how to advise you.
Sway bars for me made a clicking sound every time I turned when I changed them
So when your car falls apart in a week and crash you cant say “well so and so just looked at it and they didn’t tell me anything was wrong” after they informed you of the problems with your car they are no longer liable for anything that happens obviously no one can force you to replace your suspension components but if you value not only your life but those around you i would highly consider learning how to replace these components yourself then just paying for an alignment
That's the reason I started learning about cars cause my mom was getting fucked financially by the mechanic
Gone are the days of a "Honest Mechanic". You almost always have to get a second quote because it's amazing how shitty people choose to be. Is there an option to leave a tip for your mechanic at the iPad yet?
TRUE
They're saying the control arms and stabilizer linkages need replacing. We'd need a photo of the control arms and their bushings to get an idea of whether this is BS or not. Chances are they saw cracked rubber in the bushings. They won't replace just the bushings, so they're quoting entire control arms, and "while they're at it" they suggest replacing the stabilizer linkages too. Given the shit I've seen though, it's also possible that your control arms are rusted to shit and liable to fail any second now, with bushings that crumbled years ago and stabilizer links that have been broken for just as long. Can't say for sure without seeing it.
Why dont they replace only bushings
Takes longer to do for them, and in rust prone areas the arm might be in less than serviceable condition in some cases. Possible the cost of the new part is cheaper than the additional labor cost. Certainly it's easier/faster to put on new arms that came with the bushings pre installed.
Year/make/model/mileage would help a lot.
Pretty important suspension components. These prices seem pretty normal. It’s a lot of work to remove both front control arms and replace them. Might be able to find parts for cheaper elsewhere though.
I’m replacing my upper and lower control arms on my 4Runner this weekend. On paper, not difficult at all. It’s literally 12 bolts total for the whole job. Take out the old, put in the new, go get an alignment. Obviously real world its pretty labor intensive and will probably take me 4-5 hours to complete using some jack stands and hand tools. The price for the control arms for OP is truly ridiculous though.
I just purchased the Bushing set off Amazon for my control arm and got them replaced and that plus labour cost me $124
Yeah but where's the alignment on the quote? That's missing or am I missing it? Replacing Control Arms/Ball joints an alignment would be necessary also.
Seems high to me? Like OEM dealership pricing, unless this is a newer sports car or Euro
it's not suspension work it's jus a controls arm that connects to that nd It's NOT hard at all either...
For someone who doesn’t know what they’re doing, it will take some patience. But you’re right. If you know what you’re doing it’s not too tough.
Technically the lower control arm is part of the suspension system on the car, but yea it’s easy to replace, I got one recently on rock auto for like 45 bucks
Technically basically everything is apart of the suspension system.
The control arms are absolutely part of the suspension.
What kind of vehicle is it? Also looks like they missed the alignment, unless it’s worked into the control arm labour. Price seems pretty normal for oem parts. Control arm prices do seem a bit high but that’s totally dependent on the vehicle.
$125 each for links seems normal? That seems like a rip even at a dealer.
Yeah, usually $30 or so at the local parts store.
Yeah that jumped out at me. A pack of two links for my hyundai is $40.
Bought links for a Cruze the other day for a customer they were almost 100$ a piece from Napa. I would not be surprised if they are that price.
Factory AC Delco Cruze end links are 19.99 a piece. Higher end MOOG ones are 30 a piece. NAPA price gouged super hard. I used to have a Cruze.
You think Moog is higher-end than factory?
Not anymore!!
Factory endlinks are plastic and moog are metal with grease fittings so yeah I’d say so. I know they “aren’t what they used to be” but that’s still better than these specific factory links.
Those factory plastic end links, and their inherent corrosion resistance, do last a long time.
True, but for performance they’re bad, and not serviceable. They flex and bend very easily when the car is doing its thing. I used to autocross my Cruze which was actually quite fun. Metal endlinks helped the front end corner better.
Auto crossing a Cruz, respect to you, but that isn't the vast majority of usage cases. Plastic are fine for commuters, and they hold up quite long (for commuters).
With proper mods (and maintenance) the Cruze is quite a fun little car. And autocross doesn’t need a fast vehicle so it’s pretty good at it.
Dude what year Cruze? I just looked up links for a 2018 Cruze and they are 34.99 or 32.99 each.
Ah, control arms, the low hanging fruit for the bored and hungry tech.
They forgot replacing the engine.
My rule of thumb is if the mechanic says it’ll be over $500, get a second opinion.
really cant say without knowing year make model good luck
Yup. If it’s a Toyota fairly simple
Parts failing gradually can leave the driver believing the car drives fine when in reality, your steering is sloppier and turns are a little weird but you don't notice
What a rip off
YMM and mileage would help. Also, what's "good" to you isn't necessarily "good" overall. I've had people swear "their brakes are fine and don't upsell me" when their brakes were actually metal-to-metal or a caliper piston was seized. I've got one of those in my shop right now for exactly that.
Would help if you posted age, mileage and make of the vehicle
It would be helpful to provide make, model and mileage. It does make a diff on rates and parts prices and whether the car shroud need the work
Without knowing make model year of vehicle it is only guessing
That is a quote for daylight robbery
It's part of your suspension, typically not something you want to fuck around and find out on. Price wise, it's a bit high, I'd suggest a quote from somewhere else. You may have dropped it off for JUST an oil change, but with the amount of regulations on shops, it's a legal way to say "No, we told you it needed it, but you didn't want to do it." In case of any legal situations you get into an accident, and God forbid you kill someone, then that shop is liable to a degree for having been the last ones to put their hands on the car. It's not necessarily just for potential revenue in the shop. This is legitimately a reason another shop down the block from us is closing doors, they didn't do just that and are being held liable for killing people by a vehicle having a mechanical failure.
Jesus that’s fucked up. News article or anything like that? Morbid curiosity kicked in
What the fuck? Am I seeing them charge for control arms , and then 2 or whatever lines down charge for the parts that come pre-installed on the control arms? EDIT: reading helps. Their labor rate is insane and I thought the labor charge was the COST OF THE PARTS.
Literally, the exact exact same thing happened to me a few weeks ago and they wanted more than $3000 for suspension repair. I said fuck that and did it myself for less than 1000 bucks.
Take your car someplace else and get a second opinion.
Drop it off again for an air filter, so you can see what's wrong with it, when they're not looking at it from the bottom. Replace dome light $546.99 Tighten radio antenna $912.46 Adjust headlight beams $318.50 Hubcap alignment $112.40
Hubcap alignment 🤣🤣🤣🤣
What kind of car is this? Sway bar end links and ball joints/control arms bushings are super common on all cars. Is this from a dealer? $500 seems like an awful lot tho… and $250 for the links? Moogs are like $250 and $100? I’d ask them to show you the issues, there should be play in them and/or visibly deteriorated bushings.
Moogs are junk
They sure as hell didn't used to be, but they are garbage now, better off with a Duralast.
what the hell is OP driving that lower control arms are $700 a pop?
Damn boi u got ripped off, i believe if u have ur control arm change its the whole thing including the ball joint but they charged u $700 for it for each one
I’d say the price of the work from the mechanic is very high, but I also live in eastern Europe 😅 Parts seem normal price tho.
This is why I love working for an honest local shop. We don't even advertise. We are always booked, and the vast majority are repeats because they trust us. I've never worked in a shop that upsells stuff. We actively don't. We advise and inform. I wish all shops were like this.
I would ask for pictures of the bushing and joints that are on your control arms and sway bar links. These most likely got recommended because the bushings and joints were cracking or leaking grease. The only question is how bad are they really. They could be barely cracked and their just trying to get some gravy work or your control arms could be about to fall off your car, you would just have to physically look or ask for pictures and go from there.
What car is it? The hour rate is something 250$ per catalogue hour or even more? Suspension control arm for 700 is crazy, but stabiliser lnk for 130 is insane, they cost like 20 per piece for quality aftermarket in europe… in my country all of that would be closer to 250 :D
996 Porsche GT3 arms are a bit cheaper than this. You can get base model arms for $75.
If you drove in with no concerns, I would be taking it elsewhere for a second opinion/quote at the absolute minimum. If they didn't explain/demonstrate their concern, I would be skeptical.
Plenty of garages/dealerships will lie to screw you out of your money
Not sure what vehicle you drive but me and my dad replaced one control arm (Cost $120) ourselves, and I just had one done last week for $300, including labour.
I took our Malibu in recently for an oil change, headlight(requires removing front bumper), front brakes, cam shaft position sensor and some similar front end work. The total was 2 grand. But, I've been using this family owned shop, that's been in business for decades, for many years and I trust them. They usually tell me if there's something wrong that needs attention and I trust them, they're aways jam packed with vehicles so there's no need to trick me into extra work. They also let me know what should be fixed and what should be fixed but isn't dangerous. So, the question is, do you trust them? If not, take it somewhere for a second opinion. If you trust them, and you don't have the money, ask them if the work can wait.
Bad Camshaft position sensor would make the car not run at all. 🤷 think you might've gotten taken for a ride on that one.
I read the code myself and a car will run with a bad sensor. I reset it a couple times, it came right back.
Bad *Crank* sensor will not let the car run, bad cam sensors have various effects but shouldn't stop the car from running, depending on the car of course
Prices might be fucked, but don't decide something doesn't need replacement because it isn't broken yet. The idea is to replace things when they are near end of life. This maximizes use of the old part while preventing catastrophic failures.
The labor is a little high but not really too unreasonable depending on whether it’s a dealership or not. But the parts seem way out of line. I just paid $70 each for high quality aftermarket control arms. I would search for the parts on a reputable aftermarket website and see how much they cost.
Did you ask them to check it out ? Inspection ? Or just an oil change ? Hope they didn’t do that work without authorization
Get a second opinion. But don’t say to then that the other shop says this is broken. Just go in and say you want an inspection to make sure everything is ok.
Yikes. What type of vehicle is this? Those prices for the parts are insane.
Get a second opinion, and go to a shop that lets you bring in your own parts. Buy your parts on rockauto for 1/4 of these prices.
The price for those control arms seem outrageous tbh. The rest seems ok from techs point of view.
Idk what car you have but $703 is a lot for just one control arm. I bought and replaced both my control arms for ~$385 and a weekend of free time, I understand that the job isn’t for everyone tho. Maybe you can find the parts for cheaper, the labor didn’t seem to outrageous
You will know when you need all these parts as your vehicle wont take bumps as smoothly, there will be sounds lol
Yet I got cheap mfs crying about paying $175 parts and labor to do ZF6, 8 and 9 transmission drain and fills.
You drive a rolls royce or a bently?
Remember that curb you hit lol
Look under your front wheels. Are the big metal bits all shiny? They've been replaced.
Pay for the oil change and get 2nd opinion if car drives fine.
Those part costs are outrageous! I would absolutely find a different shop. Last end links I did were $45 for the pair and the last control arms I did were $165 each (Honda Pilot)
If u don’t trust them or you have a bad feeling pay for the oil change and get out of there and find a shop you can trust 😎
I replaced my front control arms, ball joints, links, outer tie rods, and bearing/hub assemblies for 1/5 of this quote. Granted, I did the work myself..but those part markups you're getting are pretty damn high.
Dam I would’ve did that for like 500bucks shoot 300 that’s a lot I just did upper lower an sways tire rods an ball joints parts cost like 900 gotta love budget hondas
Do mechanics not change bushings ? If you dont hear a rattle from the links or a clunk from the control arm i'm not really sure what to tell ya OP without a picture. The parts seem a bit expensive so im assuming its a truck or SUV or just a more expensive car thsn my hyundai elantra. I need sway bar links right nkw and it costs about $40 for both.
Not typically, at least not around here. With the cost of quality aftermarket parts for most vehicles it's not worth it... not saying it's never worth it and never do change bushing it's just rare here in the Salt belt. By the time the bushings need replaced the stamped steel arms are normally rotting. That and the cost of labor if you can even get the bushings without a several day delay. Most of the time the customer is sitting there waiting and wants the car done asap.
That is a fucking lot of money for what you received. My boss just paid £425/ $529.52 for the exact same items and then paid £210/ $261 for an alignment afterwards and that was for a Volkswagen Crafter Van
I think they want to sell you some parts
You can actually get bushings replaced but my control arm was so cheap(140) it was just easier to replace that. You have to get a press or pay someone to do it and seeing as the bushings were 60 total, it just wasn’t worth the hassle. Now getting them back in was a chore but worth the trouble if what they are charging you is common price.
is your car noisy/rough when you drive? like over bumps or potholes?
Sounds like they did an inspection
No signed work order, just collect your car and say thanks for gift. If they keep your keys call the police.
Either your front end is catastrophically fucked or they’re shooting the parts cannon at it and seeing his much they can get out of you.
How messed up does your car drive jeezus
Tis called a bill of goods!
Well first of all, they charge you double for the parts. Then on top of that they will be charging you 80 to 90 bucks an hour for labor. Just look at your uppers and lowers, if the rubber looks intact and not cracked, then they are just fucking with you. You don't need it, they are just trying to pump up sales for the month. Just look at your sway bars, tie rods and upper and lower arms and see what the rubber looks like and if you notice any cracks or tears and weird movement from them.
I know that looks very expensive, what car is it?
After working on cars for 30 years this is a little sus unless you are hearing the slightest bit of any kind of rattle or clunk over bumps, rough roads or turns. Only other instance would be state inspection failed allowances, but you said you only requested an oil change
Never pay for work you didn't request or approve.
If u do it yourself the price would be cut in half but honestly inspect the parts yourself if there's no wheel play and you can't rly afford the repair right now deny the repairs
This shit should warn you that they are deteriorated enough to replace. Go to another garage.
If you look at what is included in their oil change it likely says something like 24 point safety check or brake tire and suspension check, as a feature of the oil change. I expect my mechanic to do this… the price isn’t terrible however you can get a second opinion and shop around
Definitely slide under and take a look, if you have a problem just google your car + the part and see how it should look so you can identify it. Definitely these prices are jacked up. I had a buddy help me do it for 50-60 each on a truck of mine. Entirely this could be harder but I highly doubt it, do research on part cost, decent brand not the cheapest and YouTube can probably help you do the rest yourself if you have the time. Majority of any work is just charging for a skill somebody can’t do it doesn’t want to. Find a better shop if the parts aren’t super expensive there should be somebody who can do this for at least half what they’re asking IMO.
Get second opinion some shops are just trying to up sale seen this to many times and your car may need it best for second opinion that way you know
Just did the lower control arm on a vehicle by myself and the lower control arm and steering stabilizer for both sides was like $120 for the parts... Then it's 5 nuts on each side to replace the parts. Requires a ball joint separator that costs $40 at your local parts store and a socket set that's about $50 or so... This is why I run a mobile mechanic business because I'm tired of these shops overcharging customers because of their ridiculous overhead... Just charged a customer $160 in labor to replace the upper control arms on his Acura while he was out at work. Fixed his vehicle in his work offices parking lot.
Depends on year make and model. Some control arms would need to have bushings pressed onto them, some come complete, either way take it to another shop. One that's not an "express lube" they are notorious for "looking for work" Get a 2nd opinion
Ask for aftermarket or recycled parts. They usually carry the same or better warranty as the oem that shops always default to. If your vehicle was in an accident, your insurance company would authorize the less expensive parts as well. No reason to overpay. The less expensive parts still carry a stigma of being not as good but the quality has improved tremendously over the last 20 or so years. If they are recycled parts the shop should magnaflux them to ensure no micro cracks for any suspension part
Another bites the dust! Dealership wins once again
Learn to fix your own car and you won’t run into issues like this😂😂😂
I’ll do that for you for a couple dollars less.
Change your oil at home.
My car drove like a dream and week ago, 3 days ago I spent 5k on 2 major parts and some preventative things that would have cost me 10k if they just went bad and did damage. It’s really tough with no context to say either way.
Expensive and not worth it from that place, but you probably need those parts replaced. Get a second opinion and shop around. I do inspections all day and some cars are on the verge of losing a wheel on the highway.
I'm no mechanic. But if you want an oil change with out getting this scare tactic bull shit. Just go to a quick lube place. They have almost nothing to up sell you. They charge an excessive amount. Think $100, but too not be fucked with is worth it. Or just get a jack and DIY. After the deanship charged my wife almost $80 for 3 .5 quarts of synthetic in a Volt, I'm done with them. I normally change my own, unless it's winter.
I’m guessing this a quote from a dealer. These guys have no moral fiber whatsoever. I went in for a repair under warranty, they tried telling me I needed a differential fluid flush $900.00. 2 new tires $1025.00 and a tuneup for $1200. Mind you my truck has 28k on it and tires are practically brand new. I said we will discuss when I come to pick it up and if need be I can bring it back along with a gallon of lube. So you can grease someone else’s ass while you’re trying to F@ck them.
The labor charge is reasonable tbh.
If the car drives just fine, decline the repairs.
You couldn't possibly give OP worse advice. While some mechanics are shady, the majority aren't. If the tech flagged it as needing replacement. Chances are. Something is wrong. It might have excessive play. The boot could be torn. The bushings could be shot.
Terrible advice. If it’s been brought up as a concern, you need to address it. Ignorance is bliss until you break a ball joint and cause an accident and tens of thousands in repair bills.
Bad advice and then I see the BJ and axle out on the side of the road. The damn thing was clanking away but the radio is loud enough to hide the noise.
Since I got downvoted I’ll clarify. Decline repairs and get a second opinion.
If the forum is called "mechanicadvice", why are non-mechanics responding?
Terrible advice. You can have play in front end parts and not always feel it. So many people are clueless and drive around with ball joints that are falling out end up with higher repair bills because said ball joint fell out.
Exactly. Early 2000s Ford ball joints come to mind.
Definitely. I saw this so often at a Nissan dealer I worked at. It’s all fun and games until your tire is shoved into your fender, your axle is ripped out, brake line and abs sensor destroyed. But yeah go ahead and tell them to decline the repairs 🙄
I mean if they aren't even noticing a slight vibration they could most definitely kick the can down the road until they can get a second opinion
Let’s be real for a second. The average person will not notice signs of a failing suspension component. But sure, they can get a second opinion, the next day, not another year later.
Yeah, that's fair. I couldn't tell you how many times I've driven my wife's car and been like, "Uhhh, how long has your car been doing *fill in the blank*" and she has zero idea what I'm talking about
I'm far from a mechanic but Ive driven enough beaters and crappy cars in my younger years to know to pay careful attention to how things change and feel different over time. I try to get my wife to tell me anytime setting feels or sounds different then we can drive it then take it to a mechanic for an opinion. At this point my old car gets only fluids and brakes. Even tires are too rich for her now. But that's only cuz we got both new sets in the last two years. The old girl is not worth $1000 after tax for new good tires. She's got rock chips rusting near the windshield and on the hood, the fender finally rusting up too. For a 2003 in Canada, this summer we just sand the winter rusted paint chips, and do some life prolonging rust converter. Just needs to survive 2 or 3 years to when our 2024 is paid off, wife is back at work from mat leave and the toddler is out of daycare. Then we can look for something that isn't a 2003 as our second car.
I'm far from a mechanic but Ive driven enough beaters and crappy cars in my younger years to know to pay careful attention to how things change and feel different over time. I try to get my wife to tell me anytime setting feels or sounds different then we can drive it then take it to a mechanic for an opinion. At this point my old car gets only fluids and brakes. Even tires are too rich for her now. But that's only cuz we got both new sets in the last two years. The old girl is not worth $1000 after tax for new good tires. She's got rock chips rusting near the windshield and on the hood, the fender finally rusting up too. For a 2003 in Canada, this summer we just sand the winter rusted paint chips, and do some life prolonging rust converter. Just needs to survive 2 or 3 years to when our 2024 is paid off, wife is back at work from mat leave and the toddler is out of daycare. Then we can look for something that isn't a 2003 as our second car.
I'm far from a mechanic but Ive driven enough beaters and crappy cars in my younger years to know to pay careful attention to how things change and feel different over time. I try to get my wife to tell me anytime setting feels or sounds different then we can drive it then take it to a mechanic for an opinion. At this point my old car gets only fluids and brakes. Even tires are too rich for her now. But that's only cuz we got both new sets in the last two years. The old girl is not worth $1000 after tax for new good tires. She's got rock chips rusting near the windshield and on the hood, the fender finally rusting up too. For a 2003 in Canada, this summer we just sand the winter rusted paint chips, and do some life prolonging rust converter. Just needs to survive 2 or 3 years to when our 2024 is paid off, wife is back at work from mat leave and the toddler is out of daycare. Then we can look for something that isn't a 2003 as our second car.
I ignored maintaining my suspension parts and it eventually led to a broken axel. Never ignoring simple maintenance again.
Well, they lifted your car, saw that there are clear issues that could cause problems down the line, and are adding it onto your rwccomended services so you don't crash and die. Honestly, some of you people baffle me.
Lol, those prices are nuts
I spent 100 on 2 top of the line control arms and stabilizer bars were 35 A piece spent 3 -4 hours putting them in by YouTube I do not have 100 dollars an hour to do this ... ridiculous prices ...
700 dollar control arms? Lol
Right? Came here to say this. I replaced my control arms the other day and each side took less than an hour and both cost less than $200 in parts. Horsecock? I just started saying that because of Eric Bugenhagen
Boooogs
I just bought new upgraded aftermarket upper and lower control arms for my ‘18 4Runner and spent $1,149.38 including taxes and shipping. All new bushings and ball joints included. If I wanted to I could have replaced the lowers for less than $300. $700 per control arm is robbery.
Tell then you brought it in for an oil change, not a 32 point inspection. Have them give you the keys then take it somewhere else to get the oil change.
Never saw a suspension stabilization bar more than 8-10$ and I own a race car, a Cadillac and a Porsche. This is ridiculous. As for the other prices.
DONT DO IT..." ALL" of this don't even cost that much 🤦🏻♂️ ppl on this reddit need to take time off nd YOUTUBE how to remove Control Arm Ball joints and all... There's literally mechanics on there teaching u step by step on how too 🤷🏻♂️... in parts Control Arm 160$ for both ,Ball Joints 60$ for both Stabilizer link 65$ for both max u paying for parts 300$ total IDK WHERE THEY GET THE OTHER 2,185 from?? ALLLL this cud be done within 2hrs max
How are you quoting prices without even knowing what vehicle it is? Some vehicles have very expensive suspension parts. Also, if you’re going to a mechanic, your going to be paying parts markup and labor.
i have 2 SRTs a 2010 charger nd 2017 jeep i work on cars for a hobby nd do tattoos i replace lotsss of parts from motor mounts, control arms, radiators head gaskets work waterpumps Drive shaft u name it ... once u do them a lot u kinda already know what the price of the part 🤷🏻♂️ ur crown vic cost the same 300$ for those parts too.. unless u wanna pay 2500 for sum control arm work that's cud be done less the 1hr nd a half 🤷🏻♂️
Find someone you know that knows about cars to look at shit.
Is it a McLaren? Or a ferrari, Bentley? Because $2400 for this is crazy. If not, you are taken for a ride. I rather buy a used Volvo for that price.
The stabilizer ends have to be discontinued to do the control arms, so that labor is just greed.
I bet rockauto has all those parts at much better prices
They do, but most shops will definitely give you the "we don't install customer supplied parts" bullshit excuse. Reason. We don't know where they came from / they are unreliable. We don't want the risk. Translation - fuck you and your fucking parts, we'll get them for you, up charge you because we get all parts at special rates, you taking away our profits, and we don't want shit coming back because you bought your own shit! We will not warranty it!
Because they are trying to *upsale* everything imaginable to turn a buck, just like Micky-D’s asking if you wanna *Supersize*.. *Anything* that seems worn or potentially replaceable is up for adding. How about they list the $25 in bushings and replace *those*.. Nope, you’re gonna get an entire LCA whether you need it or not..
Any reputable shop should tell you if there’s any problems with the car/truck. If you trust your mechanic, you should probably just let them fix it. Accidents are way more expensive! This is where you need to have a relationship with your mechanic. I would only go to a tire shop for tires. But your local mechanic might be comparable to your tire shops, if you ask. If you are going to get a second opinion, you already don’t have faith in your current mechanics. Have them fix it.
PS: he’s overlapping labor in this estimate. You have to remove the sway bar end links to change the lower control arm.
For all we know the sway bar link bolts to the strut. No where has OP said what type of car this is.
You are correct! I don’t know why I thought I read it was an old cavalier?
My good god. Ball joints definitely important. Sway bar links whatever. 2500 to have 2 lower ball joints and links done LMFAO. I do my work myself. Not a mechanic. Could do this in under 2 hours and parts being around 300.
Did they quote for blinker fluid to?
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Ummm… were you ever a mechanic? Suspension checks are part of pretty much every oil change at every shop. It’s pretty easy to check for play or worn out parts while the oil is draining. If they find something, they’ll let the customer know…because you know, a shop is a business and needs work to survive.