Hello all!

While I've been casually reading the forum for a while, this is my first post. I'm hoping you guys can share some advice on the following repair estimates provided by a dealer:

1. Left headlamp assembly - $1800
2. Replacing all four engine motor mounts - $2200
3. Power steering pump leaking - $1400

This is from a dealer in the Bay Area, so I guess there is some price premium for that.

My questions are
(1) Are these prices reasonable (for Bay Area)?
(2) Should I get the car inspected at another dealership/garage? I've seen in the past dealership and garage inspections vary by a lot.

 

Are those including labor?
The power steering pump number looks to be really high, the part is approx $400 so they're saying they want $1k for labor itself?
Engine mounts go for about $250 each, so again, they're saying labor is about $1k.
What's wrong with your headlamps that require the entire assembly to be replaced?

 

Yes, these include labor.

They said the left headlamp component is pretty old, and one of the bulbs (low beam/high beam - don't remember now, this was discussed over a call) was dimmer than the right headlamp. They said it was a minor difference, and not needed urgently - so I might very well table this repair for later.

 

I would recommend getting a second option from an independent shop.

If you have the ability and the tools, replacing a power steering pump isn't overly difficult.
If your headlights are yellow/foggy from age, you can restore them fairly easily for under $30. You'll need painter's tape, a drill, and a headlight restoration kit: https://www.walmart.com/ip/3M-Ultra-...9195/713068008

There are headlight restoration kits that don't require a drill, but the results aren't nearly as nice.

The difference in brightness could also be simply from having two different brands/types of bulbs in your headlights.

I have never done my motor mounts so not sure about the difficulty level on that.

 

Why use dealership for this? Your car is over 10 year old, and good independent shop can do just as good of a job for half the price. It you want OEM parts, buy them or request shop to use them.

 

For the headlamp, you just need to replace the bulb, no need for the entire assembly.
Bulbs are fairly cheap, for aftermarket, I've found some good brands that last a long time and are a fraction of the price of the Philips (OEM) ones.

I agree with the other posters, these look very inflated, you will want to save your $$$ for big repairs that may eventually happen like coolant/exhaust leaks and suspension parts.

 

Yes, I'm going to get quotes from an indy shop now. I haven't had to do many major repairs on this car, so still getting used to doing things outside dealerships

Thank you for the advice about saving for the big repairs for this car. I probably also need to start evaluating when to stop investing more in this car (170k miles). The car works fine for the little driving I do (6k mi/year); so I'm hesitant on spending something like 20k+ on a newer car.

 

Thanks, but learning to do repairs myself would be time-intensive and need investment in tooling. Unfortunately, I don't see myself having enough time and mental resources to learn a complex skill; and I'm afraid any tools I buy will lie around unused for I dabble with them initially
I can definitely see myself being able to change the headlamps, but the other two I'd leave to the experts haha.

 

The link below is to a searchable list of repair shops recommended by listeners of the old Car Talk Radio Show. Once you find a few nearby that look promising, cross check them on Yelp-Google for more recent reviews etc as some listings may be old.
I agree with all the above posts, avoid the dealer and you probably just need a headlight bulb, which is far cheaper and easier to replace. Now if your headlight lense is cloudy etc you can get them refinished by an auto detailer etc and it does not cost much. Also the bulbs fade in brightness over time and new bulbs can make a huge difference.

I doubt you need all 4 motor mounts, but you never know. However dealers often scare folks and oversell what needs to be repaired as the service writers work on commission and have quotas to meet! A car dealers main profit center is the repair shop!

​​​​​​https://www.cartalk.com/mechanics-files