Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
It seems I need to change my structs. This will cost around 1000 bucks. I wonder if all the honda dealer charge the same amount? If not, how much cheaper I will get if I use the surburb service?
You will pay TOP BUCK at any dealer.That price seems high and I would shop around for an honest independent shop.Even though this repair is not recommended for a novice mechanic its not that hard of a project and aftermarket struts vary in price. It shouldnt take more than 2to3 hours for any good mechanic to change them
Dealer service pricing varies from dealer to dealer and is based on their actual cost factor which would include the building, utilities, etc. and what the market will bear. In general they are all similar within a given metro area. If you were willing to drive to a more suburban or rural area, the cost will drop as those locations tend to have lower overhead.
However as Nativechief point out, this is the perfect job to have done at an independent shop. They will generally have lower labor rates (they don't need to cover all the costs involved of actually being a dealer) and a broader selection and less aversion to using aftermarket parts.
Shop around your area for a good mechanic or two and see what they will charge. This is a pretty simple job overall.
Dealer rates in the Chicago suburbs won't be cheaper than dealer rates in the city. You'd have to consider going downstate to Kankakee or preferably to a smaller town like Champaign to see a rate drop.
Where did you get the $1000 quote from, Windy City Honda? I worked at Honda of Lisle for a while and from what I saw, they were not any cheaper than any other of the Honda dealerships in Chicagoland. Changing struts is a pretty easy job for anybody that is somewhat mechanically inclined (especially on a Honda), pretty much any shop will be able to do them. Aside from the sockets/wrenches used to take the struts off of the car, the only other tool needed is a spring compressor, which is used to remove the spring from the old strut, and place it on the new one. As said before, any shop that has the spring compressor will be able to do them. When I worked at an independent shop, we charged $450-600, depending on the car.
I worked at Honda of Lisle for a while and from what I saw, they were not any cheaper than any other of the Honda dealerships in Chicagoland.
I live about a quarter-mile west of Honda of Lisle, just north of Warrenville Road. I bought my Honda Accord there and a few small parts when I was in a rush.
Honda of Lisle's technician prices are about average among urban/suburban Chicagoland Honda dealers.
What do you think is their current hourly billing rate? I think it's about $120/hr.
Quote:
Changing struts is a pretty easy job for anybody that is somewhat mechanically inclined (especially on a Honda), ... the only other tool needed is a spring compressor, ... any shop that has the spring compressor will be able to do them.
I suspect every shop has a spring compressor; they are relatively inexpensive.
DYKT a spring compress can be rigged into a potato projectile launcher? — makes those spuds really fly.
Quote:
--- pretty easy job ... especially on a Honda ...
Every job is pretty easy job on a 4-cyl Honda Accord. It's a shame it doesn't need repair more often.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
