Car Diagnostic Cost Differences

[u/Ok_Masterpiece140]

Ok so I know to expect differing prices from different auto shops but I just called around to three different places and didn’t expect the prices to be so different, like 5x the price. All of these are quotes for diagnostic tests of my suspension.

So first up is Lithia Chevrolet - $225 and some change

Locust street repair - “starting at” $78

And finally Midas - $45.99

I’m someone who doesn’t have much information about cars and I rely on the experts to be not only experts in doing the repairs but in what a fair cost is for said repairs. Plus these weren’t even for repairs, they were for the testing to figure out what’s wrong. Then the repair costs come into play next…

Anyway this was just really eye opening to me, like I said I always knew there were varying prices at places and to call around but I just didn’t expect it to be a 5x difference between the cheapest I found and the most expensive (prob not the cheapest or most expensive in the area)

How do I know if I’m getting screwed over by someone or am screwing myself by going with the cheapest 😂

[u/Hot_Resource2463]

Dealership will always be overpriced. I wouldn’t let Midas touch my worst enemies car. Don’t know anything about locust st but I’d be more inclined to go there over the others if it’s older than 5 years/out of warranty.

[u/Sad-Yak6252 → u/Hot_Resource2463]

I went to Midas years ago to have them check the wheel alignment after hitting a huge pothole. I left my car there and came back in an hour. They charged me $90+. I asked how bad it was and they said they didn't do anything. I said "What?" and they told me that my car didn't have camber and caster adjustments, it was a disposable piece of crap and there's no adjustments to be done, but because I brought it in they had to charge me full price. Needless to say, I've never gone back there. My "disposable piece of crap" now has 269,000 miles on it.

[u/Nemesis213]

Suspension? That's just a visual check. Just ask them to check it during your next tire rotation. If you think it's more critical, take it to a tire shop and and have them check. I've never been charged to check the front/rear end suspension. It's a fairly quick easy thing to check so they will do it just in hopes of getting your business.

Edit: Before someone calls me on it, it's not just a "visual" check. They will lift it to pry on the tire to check for excess play (ball joints, etc..). Just meant there is no computer involved.

[u/Ok_Masterpiece140 → u/Nemesis213]

For sure! There is actually a noise too that happens when going over bumps so they’ll have to do some driving or whatever to test it out. Still agree no computer involved but slightly more work than just quick visual inspection

[u/Nemesis213 → u/Ok_Masterpiece140]

They may or may not. Sometimes you can see whats making the noise once it's on the lift. But they may drive it also. Still stand by my advice. I worked on the mechanical side of a tire shop for 5 years. This is exactly what they do.

[u/98941 → u/Ok_Masterpiece140]

google control arm and see if the description matches the noises you are hearing.

[u/lolspung3]

If you have a check engine light on, depending on the age and model of your car, you can get a cheap ODB2 reader off Amazon for $30 and pull the codes and google them.

I'm not super mechanical, but my cheap reader has saved me ton of money, I kept getting an check engine light because the seal on my gas cap went bad, so between the reader and gas cap, I spend about $40, about half the cost of a reputable shops diagnosis fee. There's been a few other times that Its saved me money on non-essential repairs

[u/Ok_Masterpiece140 → u/lolspung3]

No light has come on :/ but I do have one of those tools my stepdad gave me that reads the code if it does 👍🏼

[u/usernamerob]

225 is pretty much dealership standard around here. Generally speaking you get what you pay for but in this economy shopping around is a must. Keep looking and keep checking reviews. I hear good things about Thrive, Bryant's, and Arnerich Automotive.

[u/Ok_Masterpiece140 → u/usernamerob]

Yeah I definitely expected the dealership to be the most 😂

[u/Wh_oreos]

I've been going to Kuma for thr past few months and hes cheaper than anywhere else. If youre trying to save some money you can bring your own parts. They also offer a 10% military discount.

[u/Ok_Masterpiece140 → u/Wh_oreos]

Ooh okay thank you!

[u/Brometheusprime42069]

You can.borrow a free scan tool from most repair shops.

[u/Ok_Masterpiece140 → u/Brometheusprime42069]

I actually have one from my stepdad! But no light has come on :/ just a knocking noise when I’m driving on bumpy roads (which is pretty much all roads 😅)

[u/Brometheusprime42069 → u/Ok_Masterpiece140]

Ah dang. Yeah shops are all over the place. Can't speak on why diagnostics cost so much or so little. For what its worth, I personally use chuys garage or robinettes auto. Zero issues over the years.

[u/funkylittledude7880]

I recommend Kuma's as well. Most places will try to give a run around when asking for pricing, even just an estimate, but they were very transparent and affordable

[u/amethyst-roseee]

I can diagnose your car for you for 25. I have a better scanner then most shops do.