Vehicle repair costs...

[Hi Ho]

They're too damn high! I'm talking about cosmetic repairs. I work as a delivery/install/setup guy and work with a partner driving a moderately sized Izuzu NPR box truck. I have never driven the truck (luckily in this case).

Anyway, my partner was driving last week when we went to a house on a call that had a rather narrow driveway with a brand new Honda Ridgeline parked along it. We drove by it and thought nothing more of it. That is, until the next morning when we showed up for work only to be greeted by a police officer collecting evidence from our truck with the Ridgeline parked along side. Needless to say, the owner had reported a hit and run. We had no idea we had hit the truck and we got it all straightened out between the owner and us so that wasn't a really big deal.

The big deal is the cost of the repair. I simply cannot believe how much it is costing the shop to repair the Ridgeline. The scrape is roughtly 5 inches long and 4 inches high. It barely got to the primer. It is not dented. The repair estimate? Over $1,500!!! That was the last I heard, after it had gone up from $800.

I simply cannot imagine what could possibly drive up the cost that high on such a minor paint scrape. Appearently the repair shop claims that they have to remove the entire panel (rear fender). Well, the entire panel on a Ridgeline is the entire body. It's all one piece. I don't see why they cannot simply repaint the affected area.

That's not the only exhorbitant repair costs I've encountered lately. A friend of mine who owns a 2003 BMW had a problem with it overheating on the freeway a few weeks ago. He had it towed to the nearest BMW dealer. The problem? A cracked radiator hose. Engine damage? No. The cost to repair the cracked hose? $1,300.

What's with these outrageous repair costs???

 

[Sheep]

They're too damn high! I'm talking about cosmetic repairs. I work as a delivery/install/setup guy and work with a partner driving a moderately sized Izuzu NPR box truck. I have never driven the truck (luckily in this case).

Anyway, my partner was driving last week when we went to a house on a call that had a rather narrow driveway with a brand new Honda Ridgeline parked along it. We drove by it and thought nothing more of it. That is, until the next morning when we showed up for work only to be greeted by a police officer collecting evidence from our truck with the Ridgeline parked along side. Needless to say, the owner had reported a hit and run. We had no idea we had hit the truck and we got it all straightened out between the owner and us so that wasn't a really big deal.

The big deal is the cost of the repair. I simply cannot believe how much it is costing the shop to repair the Ridgeline. The scrape is roughtly 5 inches long and 4 inches high. It barely got to the primer. It is not dented. The repair estimate? Over $1,500!!! That was the last I heard, after it had gone up from $800.

I simply cannot imagine what could possibly drive up the cost that high on such a minor paint scrape. Appearently the repair shop claims that they have to remove the entire panel (rear fender). Well, the entire panel on a Ridgeline is the entire body. It's all one piece. I don't see why they cannot simply repaint the affected area.

That's not the only exhorbitant repair costs I've encountered lately. A friend of mine who owns a 2003 BMW had a problem with it overheating on the freeway a few weeks ago. He had it towed to the nearest BMW dealer. The problem? A cracked radiator hose. Engine damage? No. The cost to repair the cracked hose? $1,300.

What's with these outrageous repair costs???

This is why it pays to know how to do basic repairs and maintenance. It's like going to best buy or similar to buy home electronics. They will end up paying loads simply because they don't know anything. A friend of mine whos 2 years younger then me, is doing an engine swap in an 87 CRX with an integra motor. Then, hes turboing it. Hes 17. Pays to know.

SheepStar

 

[Hi Ho]

Yeah, I know how to work on cars. I don't like doing it but I can do it. I don't know much about body work though and I know most others don't either.

 

[Rock&Roll Ninja]

They do it on purpose. They make repairing a car so expensive you just break-down and buy a new one instead.

 

[gmichael]

It's all about where you go and who you know.
My ma got one of those free inspection coupons in the mail from Midas. They told her that her brakes were shot and it would cost $800 to repair them. Luckily she turned tail and went home. When I found out, I had her go to a garage owned by a friend of mine. He looked it over and told her that not only did she not need any brakes but when she is ready he would only charge $80. And body shops are the worst of them all. They know that the insurance co is going to have a deductible. They add that to the bottom line. The last time I was in an accident the guy at the body shop wanted to pad the estimate so we could split the extra. I said no thanks. He kept bugging me about for weeks.

 

[MDS]

Cars are a lot more complex nowadays and many parts are electronic. You have to replace that part and all things related to it which is why seemingly simple problems cost a lot.

Example: I stil drive my 1994 Probe GT. You can no longer turn a simple screw to adjust the idle. Car started stalling every single time I stopped. I had to replace the 'idle control valve' - $700 + labor.

I can believe that a repair shop would charge $1300 to replace a radiator hose even though that sounds absolutely ridiculous. I once inquired at the Ford dealership for replacement battery cables and was quoted $500! Yes, $500 for battery cables you can buy at Discount Auto for $8 apiece.

 

[Buckeyefan 1]

The last place to take a car is a dealership for repair or body work. You'll pay dearly. The next to last place to take a car is a specialty shop like Midas. They'll rake you over the coals. And never take your vehicle to a transmission shop for advice. You'll leave with a $2100 rebuilt tranny every time.

My advice is to ask neighbors, coworkers, etc... for a good mechanic in the area. Heck, a neighbor of mine who works for Snap On has a mechanic come to his house to do work on his vehicles. My truck was running rough, and sounded like the water pump was going bad. This guy came over, stuck his hand behind the motor and replaced an $8 vacuum hose. Charged me $40, and even ran me to the parts shop on his time. The last three mechanics that looked at the truck said "water pump", "pulley", and "alternator". There are a lot of dumb mechanics out there (and a lot of good ones - like Sheep ).

 

[Hi Ho]

I don't know if the owner of the Ridgeline looked for multiple estimates. I sure hope so.

Like I said, I do all of my repairs myself. Though my Civic has had very few repairs done on it, the ones that have been done have totaled no more than $500 in the past 16 years and 343,000 miles. I've only had to replace an alternator, water pump, and timing belt. It really pays to do things yourself.

What do you guys think of the claim that they must remove the entire panel to fix a paint scrape? Especially since this panel is the entire body. They'd have to cut it out!

 

[Sheep]

I don't know if the owner of the Ridgeline looked for multiple estimates. I sure hope so.

Like I said, I do all of my repairs myself. Though my Civic has had very few repairs done on it, the ones that have been done have totaled no more than $500 in the past 16 years and 343,000 miles. I've only had to replace an alternator, water pump, and timing belt. It really pays to do things yourself.

What do you guys think of the claim that they must remove the entire panel to fix a paint scrape? Especially since this panel is the entire body. They'd have to cut it out!

Well, I don't know a whole lot aobut painting, but usually when a panel is scratched, they remove it and redo the whole thing. I suppose this makes sense. Its just a lame design (in this aspect).

SheepStar

 

[Buckeyefan 1]

They should've called Maaco. A lot depends on the age of the vehicle. If the paint has faded even slightly, it won't match. Honda puts several coats of clear on their cars. That's why their paint looks so good, so long. It would take forever to sand out that clear coat in one area, and build it up. You normally paint the entire panel. Since Ridgelines are so new, I wouldn't think that would be necessary. But body shops are in business to make money, and I'm sure they like to get every vehicle in at the "profit minimum" which may be $1500 or more. Who knows.

Is this coming out of your pocket, or the insurance? As long as the claim is under $2000, an adjuster is usually not needed to inspect the vehicle. That's chump change to a big insurer. One thing you can't do is require the guy you hit to drive all over town to search for the best pricing. It's already inconvenient for him to have the work done (rental, etc...). Plus, his new $30,000 Ridgeline will never be the same, so it works out against him (as well as the guy who hit him - higher premiums) in the end. The winners are the insurance companies and body shops.

 

[STRONGBADF1]

I don't know if the owner of the Ridgeline looked for multiple estimates. I sure hope so.

Like I said, I do all of my repairs myself. Though my Civic has had very few repairs done on it, the ones that have been done have totaled no more than $500 in the past 16 years and 343,000 miles. I've only had to replace an alternator, water pump, and timing belt. It really pays to do things yourself.

What do you guys think of the claim that they must remove the entire panel to fix a paint scrape? Especially since this panel is the entire body. They'd have to cut it out!

Masking and blending is done all the time. The pannel does not have to be removed. Rear quarter pannels that are welded in place don't get removed and get repaired all the time without repainting the whole vehicle. I am not an auto bodyman but being a car guy I have seen this done all the time and faded paint is not an issue. Paint can be matched so you could not tell the difference if done by a good paint shop.

I would seek out advice from an auto paint wholesaler/retailer who sells supplies to the body shops in your area and find out who the most reputable (re: quality at a fair price) shops are to get quotes from.

Good Luck,
SBF1

 

[j_garcia]

Price sounds realistic to me, from a decent shop. Doing paint correct is not a simple matter. I'm sure it could be done for less, but if it were my car, I would want it done by a good shop.

I actually asked my insurance company who they recommended that they got the fewest complaints about and the pointed me to a local shop. I now take all my cars to them because they do outstanding work at a fair price.

Almost the same thing happened to me, only it was MY car that was hit. Boneheads were delivering furniture to me and parked next to my car. They broke the furniture, so they had to take it back and when they backed up to leave, I hear my alarm go off - I came out and there was a big crease in the front fender and I see the truck driving away. So I call the company to complain and they say "OK, we'll check the truck and here's our insurance info. "First bad sign - they have the same insurance company as me. So I call their agent and report it; they ask "Did you actually SEE them hit the car?" I said "No." "Well, then you can't make a claim against them." I took pics and told them the crease is very high on the car, it is pretty obvious what hit my car - a tall truck. I get the run around from the company and their agent, so I call my own insurance and they tell me THE SAME THING! Since it is the same company, they have no motivation to persue the issue or even have an estimator look at it. I took it to a shop and got an estimate and the first thing out of the guy's mouth was "What hit you? A truck?". I had to argue with my insurance company for months over it and they eventually just treated it as an uninsured motorist claim and waived my deductible, mostly because they were tired of hearing from me. I really wanted to sue the trucking company, but I figured it would be pretty tough to prove everything if I had that hard of a time getting my own insurance to do something about it.

 

[JAD2]

Why its so high to repair!!!!

USA and lazy labor!!!!! I wont go further, but there will be a few whom answer to this while at work!!!!!!!!!!

Doors, hoods and fenders, to be done correctly with no layer seaming look require removal of the panel.
Masking is cheap work, Macco and the likes.
Not all colors can be shot even with the best body people in the world and match. Any shades of gray is all most impossible. If the color cannot be matched fairly close they then paint one complete side blending it at the top, hoods, rooflines etc. If the color is really going to show at the blend point, they'll overspray possibly the whole vehicle very lightly and re-clear it.

At a min of $85 per hour and you get charged that even while its drying etc since you tied that bay up, it aint cheap!!

 

[mytzen]

Go get a Haynes manual to do your own repairs (other than paint), they normally cost under $20 and will save you hundreds on many simple repairs. I was quoted $800 for new brake pads for my car and instead bought the manual and pads from Autozone and installed them myself for $110.

 

[Hi Ho]

Actually, the AutoZone website has repair info for free.

 

[j_garcia]

Brakes are pretty easy actually, but if you haven't done them before, that may be something you want to leave to a shop - because if you screw it up, YOU are responsible for the results, not someone else. I just replaced both rear calipers on my car because one was seized when I went in to change the pads. A shop I trust quoted me $525; I did it myself for $180.

I got a HELMS manual for my car www.helminc.com They should have manuals for most cars (not all, they don't seem to have one for my Nissan). These are the shop manuals used by the dealerships. There are no step by step instructions for doing things like brakes, etc..., but they have EVERY part shown and every spec that you could want when doing serious work.

 

[badboodah]

A lot of times it's the labor more than the actual parts. Parts may be $200, but 4 hours of labor could be $400-800. Of course the nicer the car, the more $ the parts and more $ the labor costs.

 

[j_garcia]

Labor is definitely part of it. They charge you a premium on top of the employee's salary, so basically you are paying for 2X labor. Average per hr charge for labor is around $100-110 at most shops these days, and at those rates, it doesn't even have to be a lot of labor to start getting up there in price. They also quote you a standard cost, not what it will actually take them. The guy may take 1hr 10 minutes to do it, but their standard rate is for 2hrs...

 

[Hi Ho]

HERE is a picture of my car. Can you tell where it has been repaired? Five years ago, before I was even driving, it was hit in a parking lot by a boat trailer. The result was a rather sizable dent to the left of the trunk that cause the trunk lid to be misaligned along with scrapes in the paint.

The shop repaired it for $500. The repair included removing the dent, replacing the trunk lid, and repainting the trunk lid and part of the rear fender. They blended the paint absolutely perfectly and matched the then 10 year old red paint exactly. They never removed the fender, the most heavily damaged part. All for $500. The damage to my car, though minor, was much more significant than the damage done by the truck to the Ridgeline.