I went out to get estimates for a timing belt R&R and an upper power steering hose... here are the results.

Timing belt R&R: ~$610 bucks everywhere.

Upper hose: $156 bucks for everything. They want $77 bucks FOR THE HOSE! THE HOSE!!!!

To top it off... my dad won't let me do it for some odd reason (something along the lines of not wanting me to fark it up).

Name some crappy, expensive estimates you guys got...

 

$610 for a Timing belt R&R??? I smell The book labor for a VG is only 3 hours. Make sure they're looking at the VG and NOT the VE, cuz that's probably more in line with a VE timing CHAIN R&R.

And are you talkin' bout an upper RADIATOR hose? Holy crap!!! And these prices are everywhere you looked? EVERYWHERE??

 

I only paid $388 with tax for a new timing belt AND I had my transmission fluid changed. I took it to Falhaber Nissan. I also had the power steering pump replaced later, the hose cost me $184 (Dealer).

 

Probably so high because they think they can take advantage of you.

I haven't taken my car anywhere to have work done on it. The only thing I can think of is my old black Maxima, I was at CarToys comparing speakers and one of the sales men was trying to make a sale. Anyway I went along with it, in the end with some bartering, it was just a hare under $1200 for a $300 deck and $200 in speakers, plus call it $50 for the harnesses, those were all instore costs (ie, way cheaper at other places). That was just for a new head unit and 4 new speakers with them hacking my stock speaker boxes. I did the install myself, total was under $175 for everything (I got the head unit from my dad though). Then when I was putting subs in, I was quouted that it would be ball park $600 for everything (wiring, amp, subs, box). I did it myself, spent about $300 for everything, and has higher quality stuff than included in the quote (one more sub, etc).

Thats really the only time I've gotten a quote for someone else doing something to my car. I'd say in the last year or so I've probably saved atleast $4000 in labor just by doing stuff on my own and being a smart, educated consumer (ie. not taking my car somewhere to have them figure out my rough idle, etc. when they wouldnt have been able to).

 

the only thing ive got diagnosed was my alignment, well i was gonna go get one done, but one "hole in the wall mechanic" told me to swap my tires around and see which way it pulls, so i do that, but while i had my drivers side off, i noticed a phat whole in the tire, i could see the steel braids. darn houston roads, i was in houston sat, and i had my wheels off to fix on friday last week.

oh, and thanks to him he saved me like 70-80 bux on something that wouldnt have helped. but i ended up spendin another 200 bux for tires.

but anyways, i want to know why the "experts" at midas couldnt even do this, its not like i was gonna go there, but i did call to find out the price

 

nope... power steering hose.... and that $610 dollar estimate came with the water pump R&R too (it's going bad)

 

i believe the dealership near me currently charges around $230 for the timing belt alone. that doesn't include thermostat and h20 pump. before i bought my vg, the owner had the tbelt changed, and i saw the receipt:
$414 labor
$205.10 parts
plus some other stuff came out to $681.01!!!! (that included replacing the antenna and horn relay)

another reason why i like the VE, no freaking tbelt every 60K.

 

The power steering hose is like $30 bucks from Autozone. They are definitely marking it up.

 

Ok so the shop is charging list on parts.
That's normal.
What is their labor rate?
That'll help figure out if they're really screing you or just that labor is high.

 

Buy your parts from ^^^^^^

 

power steering hose - 38 bucks - napa

ive got the timing chain so i cant help ya there

 

every 60k?

calculate ~$70/hr for labor. I believe they claim it is a "half-day" job...(don't quote me). I had mine done earlier on this year i think for about 250 or so. need to get it done again within the next couple of weeks (if the 60k myth holds true). The original was never changed till i did it at 150k. now at 211k.

 

Well you can always ignore it and wait until the engine doesn't start and pay to fix the heads and valves.
BTW chances are the belt was done well before 150k even if the belt inside looked original

 

it wasnt done before 150k. just before i had it replaced, i called up the previous owner and he said he hadnt done it and meant to tell me about it. of course at 211k you think i'll actually take your advice and start replacing parts if the motor goes out? hmm....think lower missy. how does a low mileage rebuilt vg from kwcengine sound? and for almost the same cost as the said new valves and heads

 

...and if that ain't a shameless plug, I don't know what is!

 

I get kickbacks




actually I dont

 

Hey you weren't supposed to mention that!



actually he doesn't