$900 parts and labor for a radiator?

[matefrio]

Dodge Grand Caravan, Cracked radiator.

Called up the local parts shop $190 for the radiator, $25 ish for the hoses and $15 for the thermostat. Where do they get the $670.00 for labor that should only take an hour?

Looks like I'm doing this one myself. If they charged $75 or so for the hour labor without me paying MSRP on the parts I'd have gone with them.

 

[Brains]

Probably says 10 hours labor or something when it probably only takes two. But, if that's what the book says it takes, that's what they charge regardless of time actually spent.

If you want a hand, let me know. I'm probably near by and don't get to spin wrenches much anymore.

 

[matefrio]

Probably says 10 hours labor or something when it probably only takes two. But, if that's what the book says it takes, that's what they charge regardless of time actually spent.

If you want a hand, let me know. I'm probably near by and don't get to spin wrenches much anymore.

Thanks for the offer, have a teenaged son to help me, and I've done a few radiators (3). Thought I could be lazy on this one. Guess not.

 

[RandomHero]

Try rockauto.com for the radiator if you can wait a few days. Rad should only take an hour or so to do. Its pretty straight forward.

 

[swcc22]

What year is the car

The only easy day was yesterday.

 

[fuelfather]

Just watch those damn ac parts. My shop just told me about 2.9 hrs for labor for my 03 Caravan with 3.3l v6

 

[matefrio]

Try rockauto.com for the radiator if you can wait a few days. Rad should only take an hour or so to do. Its pretty straight forward.

Ya, that's why I was surprised on the price. Hour or two on the work for ME to do it...

 

[swcc22]

It pays 1.8 hrs with a/c ad .5 so its 3.3 now I worked at a diesel shop bit in dfw most shops charge 100 hr so labor is 330 the list price on the radiator is 252.00 part# 4677692aa the thermostat pays.7 so thats 70 bucks and the list price on the thermostat is 14.60 part # 4573560ac now the upper hose pays 1.1 so thats 110 the lower hose pays .8 so thats 80
List upper is 9.85 list lower is 7.80 part number upper is 4881100af part lower is 4881101ad so the total with out tax and shop supplies (ie coolant hose clamps ) is 874.25 so its not a bad price

The only easy day was yesterday.

 

[RandomHero]

1.1 on an upper hose? I can walk my 7yo through that in 10min.

 

[matefrio]

1.1 on an upper hose? I can walk my 7yo through that in 10min.

I believe he was being sarcastic trying to show where the cost is.

 

[swcc22]

Yes

The only easy day was yesterday.

 

[swcc22]

That is what the industry charges
The only easy day was yesterday.

 

[matefrio]

I think mistake #1 was getting a dodge.

 

[rsayloriii]

I think mistake #1 was getting a dodge.

Minivan is #2. Lol


Sent from my RobCo Pip-Boy 3000.

 

[swcc22]

Yea from what I hear ( remember I work on things or I used to till I got hurt that will eat your mini van for breakfast) all mini van suck to work on amd are expensive to fix labor hour wise just some worse than others.

The only easy day was yesterday.

 

[stdreb27]

I didn't look at your ticket, but a lot of the $$ is probably in the cost of parts.

When I was selling car parts, I had several mechanics that would get a quote from me, then double the price to the customer. So your 200 dollar radiator might be 400 bucks to you via the mechanic. Your 8 dollar gallon of glycol may be 16 bucks. Then if they're using the gates hoses (and some of those minivan hoses were 50-100 bucks) you may be talking 200 bucks in hoses.

 

[556.45.12]

I've always been more of a gun guy than a car guy and have never done much work on my own cars, but when the radiator on my vehicle sprang a leak a few years ago, I was faced with a similar dilemma. I found a radiator online for $110 and a thermostat locally for like $12, but the cheapest quote I could find from a shop including labor was about $500. Anyway, to make a long story short, we had a backup vehicle, so I just ordered the radiator online and found step by step instructions on the internet and did it myself. It took me about 4 hours since I didn't know what I was doing and didn't want to mess anything up. It was kind of a pain in the ass with the Summer sun beating down on me while I worked, but better than spending the extra $378.

 

[rsayloriii]

I didn't look at your ticket, but a lot of the $$ is probably in the cost of parts.

When I was selling car parts, I had several mechanics that would get a quote from me, then double the price to the customer. So your 200 dollar radiator might be 400 bucks to you via the mechanic. Your 8 dollar gallon of glycol may be 16 bucks. Then if they're using the gates hoses (and some of those minivan hoses were 50-100 bucks) you may be talking 200 bucks in hoses.

+1 ... when I worked for O'Reilly's, the shop would ask for their price (which was usually x% off walk in) and list price. They'd charge the customer list price for it so they're making money not only on labor, but also parts.

 

[swcc22]

Thats the way all shops work got to keep lights on

The only easy day was yesterday.

 

[Greg_TX]

Thats the way all shops work got to keep lights on

One shop I used to take my stuff to sure had expensive lights. Thieving sumbitch wanted to charge me $250 each for front rotors on our Honda Odyssey. I called one of the local dealers and was told $149 ea. plus tax. I don't expect to get a great deal on parts from a mechanic, but a 67% markup over dealer retail?!