Our Chevy Silverado needs the front hub aseembly replaced, and according to the mechanic we spoke to, it’ll either cost $817 with a 6-month warranty or $1,063 with a 12-month warranty. Is there really any benefit to having 1 year rather than 6 months on this warranty, to justify the added expense, or are you equally likely to end up replacing the thing out of pocket (again) anyway no matter which you choose?
That’s a very very expensive insurance policy…And that’s really all it is. They want to charge you $250 for a 6mo insurance policy on the front hubs…I’d pass
Out of curiosity, what year/engine is this Silverado, and is it 4X4, or 4X2?
The mechanic doesn’t warranty the part. The manufacturer warranties the part.
For example where I purchase my parts from, if it’s a remanufactured part it comes with a 12 month/12,000 mile warranty. If it’s a new part it comes with a lifetime warranty.
And you should find another mechanic. Because the prices quoted are way too high for a hub assembly replacement. Unless the hub assembly is plated in gold?
Tester
That’s what I was thinking, but wanted to check the year/engine/4X4 status. I know doing 4X4 front ends can be a bit of a bear…only done a 4x2 on a Silverado, though. That was very simple, and definitely not worth $817.
My trusted mechanic of 17 years charged $350 apiece for reman hubs and ~$100 labor to replace both hub assemblies on my 2000 Blazer 5 years ago. The part is expensive since the ABS sensor is built into the hub assembly. No problems since the work was done. Unfortunately the ~$800 price is not out of line.
Ed B.
I don’t know where the parts are being procured and other details behind this repair but the price sounds a bit high to me.
There’s no reason for a new hub to fail either in 6 months or a year unless the vehicle is seeing a lot of swamp duty.
While not accusing anyone of anything, maybe any inflated price could be the mechanic reverting to CYA (cover your axx) mode.
If something did happen to go wrong the inflated price would actually cover having to redo the work and if the part used is covered under warranty by the parts store (most hubs are covered for one year) the mechanic would be well a head of the curve so to speak.
If you refuse an inflated price and something did go wrong then the mechanic could palm this off by stating he was not responsible because of your refusal to accept the inflated price.
Something about this sounds a bit odd to me, but…
With the vitals of this truck, a few phone calls around town should get you estimates in a few minutes. Get a couple more and see how they line up.
ed: Sensor is built into the hub? Or the ring (I’m not sure of its technical name)? I think the rings are pretty much built into most hubs now, and the sensors are mounted somewhere near the brakes.
Whoa! That’s expensive IMHO. I replaced a front hub assy on my 4x4 Trailblazer w/ABS last fall. IIRC, the OEM equivalent part was around $250. Took about an hour to R&R. ABS sensor included w/hub.
The better warranty is probably due to better quality part. If you’re paying those prices, I’d want the better quality part so you don’t get socked with exhorbitant labor cost if the cheaper part does fail. Shop around if you can…
The last time my Silverado needed a front hub, I bought it over the Internet for about $125. (4X2 truck) It was a Timken bearing The independent mechanic charged me $90.00 plus tax for labor for replacing both front hubs. You can expect the bearing to last for around 100,000 miles unless you are plowing snow with the truck. Do a Google shopping search and you will easily find what you need for much less so long as you can find a mechanic who doesn’t insist opn selling you the huyb so they can mark it up to several times the cost. Internet delivery is usually within a few days.