Standard Pricing for Part Replacement at Car Repair Shops

A big part of the average driver's hassle in dealing with car repair shops is in breaking down that total price that includes both parts and labor. Lots of shops are notorious for pricing up either labor or parts, hiding the "fat" in a total service bill. So how do you make sure you're not getting gouged? Here are some hints on how some drivers handle the repair bill breakdown.

Standard Part Pricing

Back in the 1980s and prior to the advent of the "information superhighway," drivers were on their own. Shops could quote any price for a part, although the auto systems of that day and age were a lot simpler than those of today. However, today's consumers and car owners have the Internet on their side. There is an easy way to see what the standard prices are for any specific car part: simply enter the year, make and model, and part name into any online auto parts catalog database, and you'll see a relative list of prices. For a lot of parts, such as an air filter, disc brakes (pads, shoes, rotors, etc.) or something structural like an engine mount, prices will not vary too much for a specific year model. That means car owners can see about what it would cost to actually order a part to a shop.

The Auto Part Detour: Visiting the Scrapyard

Another strategy for some drivers is to buy their own parts and pay the car repair shop for the labor of installing them. With some auto parts, you can get a good buy through buying the used part from a salvage yard, but on some parts, that's not recommended, due to natural wear. Lots of shops only put in the parts they order, to make sure the parts are not wrong or defective. There's also the issue of warranty; parts ordered new from the shop generally include a warranty, while used parts do not.

Use the above to inform your search for the best car repair shop prices on both parts and labor.