All the lights lit up on my dash so took my 02 Sequoia to mechanic who tells me the alternator and battery need replacing for $900. The battery is under warranty with AAA who tell me they can go to the garage and replace it after testing. The mechanic says that will bring the bill down to $780 - telling me they will use a rebuilt Denso alternator because of ease of installing and it costs 375 on its own. Does this sound right? The car has been a wonderful vehicle and now has 215,000 miles on it so I expect things to start breaking down and anticipate replacing it this year and don't really want to spend alot of on it. Thoughts/advice? Thank you!
Does this sound right ? Well since we don’t know where you are or who you are getting the price from that is hard to answer . Call around and get ball park estimates from other places.
Not sure why who I am pertains to this but I live in the DC area and know nothing about cars. I will certainly call first thing tomorrow and get over-the-phone quotes but thought this was a forum to see if someone with more car/mechanic experience can give input as I can’t reach anyone on a Sunday. Thanks for you input!
I doesn’t and @VOLVO_V70 didn’t reference that. He DID reference who you might be calling, not who you are. Where you are matters quite a bit as there are far less expensive places to have work done than DC. Connersville IN, for example.
You can’t buy a decent vehicle for $780 so I don’t understand why you would even ask.
By the way, that Denso rebuilt alternator sells for $155 on Rockauto.com
In any event $405 to install an overpriced alternator even in DC seems a bit high but then your car is IN his shop on a Sunday, soo. High demand, low supply, equals high price.
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Yes, I had looked up the Denso alternators for a Sequoia and didn’t see anything costing what they’re charging (for a rebuilt one) - that is one of the reasons I posted, thinking someone might have some words of wisdom. My hesitancy to spend this money is should I anticipate only problems going forward and spend the $ towards a new car (and, of course, I know I can’t get a car for $750 but could put monies toward a new one). Thanks for your input.
Where you are is important because labor rates vary widely. An independent shop in urban California may charge $160/hour while a shop in semi-rural Midwest may only be $80. I would assume that the DC area is on the high end of the spectrum.
The price for an alternator on Rockauto is irrelevant because Rockauto isn’t the one fixing the car. Also their prices don’t include shipping and delivering the part to my door in an hour. But even using that price as a starting point if a shop buys a part for $150 they would sell it for around $300. That’s just business as usual.
Denso is a quality reman and that would be my first choice for an alternator for that car.
$300 or more for an alternator, initial diagnostic charge, couple hours of labor, you’re in the ballpark of the original estimate minus the battery. Sounds high but not highway robbery.
The Sequoias tend to be pretty durable and long-lived cars. Alternator replacement is a common repair for any car. I wouldn’t take it as a sign that the car is falling apart, just a routine repair.
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Is your mechanic putting on a new drive belt? That adds cost too.
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To test and replace the alternator on this vehicle is 3.5 hours labor, it is going to be expensive no matter where you live.
Why 3.5 hours? I’m guessing the alternator must not be sitting near the top with easy access to it…?
The Mitchell labor guide shows 2.9 hours to replace plus .6 for diagnoses, the power steering pump or pulley must be removed first.
However the warranty labor is only 1/2 hour, I have replace alternators on the GX 470, same engine, for .4 hours labor under warranty, one is too high and the other too low.
Thank you.
Yeah, we do those for 2 hours.