I am by no means a mechanic but curious why it cost so much to replace struts on my 2005 Toyota Tacoma? The average price of a strut is $150. Watching YouTube it does not seem like much of a job. See link. Loosen and remove the lower bolt where it attaches to the truck some leverage may be required to get the bolt out.

Loosen and remove the top three bolts and then remove the strut. Install the new one and tightened all of the bolts. A front end alignment may be required. I checked with the Toyota dealerships. Pep Shop Boys and two mom and pops shops and they are all quoting a price of $800 to $900 for the supply and install.

Do you need to have a front end allignment when it is done? I just had one done a few months ago.

Does this sound about right?


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oC33zcI9mXY

I needed upper ball joints on my pickup. Firestone wanted 900 dollars to do them and a front end alignment. Said their book called for 4 hours of shop time. Parts were another 400. I bought moog upper ball joints at advance auto for 200 bucks retail. Put them on in less than 2 hours out in the front yard on a day it was real cold. Came inside several times to get another tool or warm up. Then paid the dodge dealer 80 bucks for an alignment.

I think 98% are crooked that way.

You can buy stuff even cheaper on-line at rock auto. I bought a starter for pickup about 3 weeks ago from them. 100 bucks with shipping. Advance wanted 150 for a rebuilt one plus my old starter. Dodge dealer wanted 780 dollars for a starter and installation. I ordered it on a Thursday afternoon and Sunday afternoon a guy in a Penske box truck was knocking on my door with a starter. This was during the xmas rush.

If you can't line everything back up exactly then you need an alignment.

Shop rates are a rip off. They go by what the book/computer says for the time and bill accordingly. Book may say 4 hours but only takes the mechanic 2 hours your still paying for 4 hours.

YouTube has helped me more than once on different projects.

IMO
B

I am no mechanic, but years of rust build up on older trucks makes struts and some other parts very hard to replace for me.

Keith

You'll also only pay for 4 hours of labor if all the bolts are rusted and it takes the mechanic 6 hours to do the job. That's just how the flat rate game goes. Working faster than "book time" is how good flat rate mechanics make good money. I've worked with guys that consistently booked 90+ hours in a 40 hour work week.

As to how much it costs, you've got to remember that the ship has to mark up the parts. I have no idea what labor time would be on the particular job though. Whether or not you need an alignment depends. On some vehicles, the struts control camber, on other vehicles they don't. If the struts don't control any alignment angles, I wouldn't pay for an alignment.

So why not charge whatever time it takes loosegoose? If I could do those upper ball joints in two hours with all the goofing off I did, a guy that wrench's every day, inside a shop, could have done it in an hour. If those bolts were rusted on could add a half hour I guess to that to grind them off. Customer is getting gouged, hard. I cant imagine how it could possibly take 4 hours to change those upper ball joints.

I don't know. I hate flat rate, I'll only work at an hourly shop. I guess to make it standardized. Otherwise, you'll have customers complaining if I take an hour on your truck and 6 hours on the next guys truck, because his was rusty and yours wasn't. Also, if there was no standard time,what's to prevent me from taking my sweet time and maki g 6 hours on a one hour job, or at least telling you that what it took?

It's not perfect, but it's probably the best thing around as far as how to bill jobs. I don't like it as a pay system, though. I think it encourages shoddy rushed work.

Right now, I'm working on a 2005 dodge ram, replacing the blend door motor. Book time is 5.0 hours, the book calls for removing the dash to replace it. I was able to remove the glovebox and lower dash skin,and had it out in about 7 minutes. It doesn't matter in my shop, because we're a fleet shop, we don't have customers to charge. If I was in a regular shop, though, you'd likely pay for 5 hours of work for my 20 minutes to do the whole job. I don't like flat rate.

because "everyone" wants a set price

so everyone gets a set price that no one likes

who knows who sets book time.

then book time to change a headlight on a 1996 ford taurus was 20 minutes or a half hour. it has been 24 years, book had you take the entire headlight assembly off then change the bulb

even I with meat hands and wrists that even the large watch band is on the last hole to fit my wrist ,I could stick my hand down in and turn the lock ring and remove the bulb replace and put it back in. 3-4 minutes

then you get the service writer ," oh the cabin air filter is dirty and needs changing "

me "ok how much ?"

SW " 31.99 for the part and 20 to install"

Me "so you took it out to see if it was dirty and it is so if I say no you have to put it back right?"

SW " ahhh well I guess"

Me , " can I speak with the manager "

Manager saw it my way and was willing to replace no labor

just one of the many things people who know nothing get taken on.

Labor isnt free

Charging 4 hours for a 1 hour job is theft

I don't disagree at all. But at the same time, good luck trying to find a customer who's willing to pay for 4 hours of labor on what was quoted to be a 1 hour job that went sideways. When that bolt breaks and you've got to drill it out, and the vehicle ain't going back on the road unless you get it out, most customers won't pay for the time it takes to get it out,they'll want the flat rate time that they were quoted.

I work at a dealership, flat rate, and some of you are spot on. If that job takes 4 hours instead of 2, you're only paying for 2 and the mechanic is only getting paid for 2.

As far as markup on parts, if we are using aftermarket parts at your request to save you money, we only charge the retail price for parts. The same as you would pay if you bought them at the store and brought them to us.

There ar also two flat rates. One for the regular shop and another for dealerships. The DS rates are about half on average of the regular shop rates. time wise not money.

I worked as a mech for years. In different shops. Last one was a ford dealership. At first I was really upset at the loss of time to do a job. After a while though I understood it. When you work only on one type of vehicle you learn the short cuts and get very fast at doing the job. If you want to anyway.

Another thing, flat rate books are really only for a guideline. I know of several instances where the book might call for 3-4 hrs. and the shop knew it would only take 1-2 hrs. The good shops will only charge the lesser of the two. On the other hand it worked the other way to. Some flat rates were no where near what was really needed to do a job. So the shops had to charge accordingly.

Thanks everyone. Good information.

Thanks everyone. Good information.