Car Repair Advice Needed Badly: Am I Getting Ripped Off?

[ajskydiver]

Hey Guys...need to get some advice from those of us here that are mechanically inclined...

Have an 1989 Honda Accord -- power steering failed yesterday so I drove to shop to get quote.

This morning they're telling me it's gonna be 350 for rack and pinion, 250 labor + approx 80 for alignment...

Are these prices ballpark for that kind of work? It seems really high to me...I'm going to call other shops after I get home from work today, but any help would be appreciated.

I live in Largo, FL...so if anyone can recommend a trusted mech. I'm open to suggestions.

~AJ

And yes, I have to get it fixed (for all of those who'd say, hey, just build up your arms and drive it!)

 

[Emulex]

thats not out of the ordinary for a rack replacement, you gotta take apart a good bit of the suspension to get a new rack in.

Maybe a little high, but not absurd.

 

[MichaelD]

How little do you know about cars? You say your "power steering failed"...what exactly is "failed?" Do you know that you have a belt on your power steering pump? Did the belt break? Maybe just your pump is bad. That's an easy fix. Your car is driveable, yes? Drive it (slowly and with the hazards on, in the right lane of the highway) to another shop and get a guesstimate.

 

[ajskydiver]

Thanks for the input guys...I could not find a leak...but the fluid level was low (not extremely so)...it is drivable, but there is no assist for the steering at all...it didn't feel like the belt was slipping or anything...the power simply vanished all at once.

I'm picking it up @ 4:30 today and driving to a shop closer to home for another estimate.

~AJ

 

[Emulex]

typically rack's leak. If you have bloody red all over the place (power steering fluid usually is Automatic transmission fluid then you might have a bad rack, but they don't just go back. The leak, yes, they break, yes..


Find a local honda specialist recommended from other honda owners or online honda rice forums. (clubsi.com)?