I have a 1994 Escort LX wagon with 105K and it needs the timing belt, water pump, serpentine belt, tensioners, and coolant replaced. My mechanic would like to charge $715, which includes tax, labor, and a $25 tow. Is this reasonable? Other than these items, the car is in great shape.
Yes!
I 2nd mshugna !
First off, exactly WHY is it having to be towed? Depending on the reason it may not be worth towing.
IF the engine is otherwise OK, the actual price quoted for the work described is reasonable; I would be prepared to pay that in my area.
As mentioned elsewhere. why does it need towing??
Yes, the price is reasonable. Fix it and drive it another 100,000 miles.
The car would not start, so we had to tow it to the garage. However, it was due to the timing belt, I believe, not the engine.
The engine is fine and it only needed to be towed because it would not start.
My primary concern is that the mechanic seems to be charging double for parts. For a timing belt kit, new water pump, serpentine belt, and tensioner, her wants about $300. The average cost for these parts from Advance Auto, Autozone, and Napa is around $160. Is this normal?
Depending on where you live, $715 sounds like it is close to normal. You might be able to do better if you shop around, but on a job as intricate as this, you shouldn’t go with the low bid. Stick with your trusted mechanic and pay $715.
The parts are relatively cheap, it’s the LABOR that kills these jobs. Considering you pretty much need to drop the engine from the car, it’s very labor intensive. Plan on dropping it off the night before and leaving it there the next day to give the engine time to cool off and for him to do it properly without the feeling of being rushed.
The price sounds fair and a shop must have a markup on parts or they will cease to exist.
The reason for my prior question was to determine if this is a simple broken timing belt or whether it was broken by a water pump which seized after some engine overheating.