Auto repair – too expensive

[Sam]

Hello guys,

I live in North east and recently went to a vw showroom for a brake problem on my car. It was giving a sqeaking noise. They made me wait for 2 hours and charged me $350. It was shocking to see the bill. I just want to ask you guys, will that really cost so much like 350 bucks? Are there alternate ways to get my car fixed for cheap? Does someone know of any service who comes to the customers destination and fix the car?

Any advice is much appreciated.

Thanks
Sam

Topic

[Bluesnut]

That 350 dollars may not be expensive at all. You have failed to state exactly what was done.

Yes, there are mobile mechanics in some areas who will service a car at home or wherever but there are potential issues with doing this.

The dealer did NOT “make” you wait 2 hours. Depending upon the repair which was not spelled out 2 hours could have been a very short time. Do you think every repair can be done in 10 minutes flat……

[Dave]

I second the previous reply.
The time you waited was typical turn around time for a brake job.
You did not give any details as to what they did or weather it was front or back.
The cost may not be that bad.
OE parts are usually more money and the dealer rates are often higher.
A suggestion would be to find an honest independent mechanic.
You could ask how much they would charge for the the same brake job.
That way you will know if the dealer was fair or you will know where to go next time.

Mobile techs can be found on Craigs List.
But be fore warned if you select cheap they may not be experienced or professionals.
You could end up with “backyard Bob or side job Sam”
If they come out and don’t have what they need you could find yourself with a dismantled vehicle waiting for longer for the completed repair.
If you need warranty in a short time what will you do if they don’t reply to your call?

[Erin]

It really is hard to say if that was expensive or cheap without knowing what kind of work was done.
If it was just changing out the pads and turning the rotors/drums, even on all four wheels, $350 does seem a bit, but not extremely, steep. I assume that for two hours it took, that is probably all that was needed.

But even with all that in mind, it is true that shops tend to overcharge for services. Plus they tend to look for other problems so they can make more money.

The best thing to save on auto repair is learning to work on things yourself. The work is sometimes pretty hard but parts are not usually real expensive.

On most vehicles, brakes are a relatively easy DIY project if you already have some tools and the time to mess with it.

[Author]

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