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Hi, I posted on another forum here to ask for referrals to a mechanic in the area I am staying in currently.
Well, I was given referrals and today the verdict is in.
Here is the issue:
I have a 2007 Toyota Rav 4 (not all paid up yet) purchased in North Carolina but currently in Northern New Jersey. It has over 60,000 and not under warranty any longer.
In Jan I was in Buffalo, NY with freezing temps. I started my car one morning and 5 lights went on: ABS, brake, VSC(?) and that little sliding car light.
Took it into a mechanic today. (Not dealer) and the verdict is left wheel speed sensor 684.84! Whew! That may or may not solve the problem.
Could be ABS system.
Well, this is a lot of money and I do not have a male knowledgeable in this stuff to ask for feedback so I am asking you all.
I have no reason to believe that this mechanic is swindling me at all.
The part itself is over 400.00 plus change and then of course labor( around 2 hrs).
What should I do?
Is it dangerous to me or vehicle to keep driving it like this? (I have already driven it a few months like this)
Apparently this is a common problem but because my car is no longer under warranty I have to pay.
Advise please?
First things first, yes, driving a vehicle with a bad wheel speend sensor can be considered unsafe. While it will not necessarily damage the car further unless it is an AWD vehicle, it does mean that your ABS system and everything connected to it like stability and traction control is not functioning. So, standard safety systems on your vehicle aren't working. In a panic stop or lane change, the electronics designed to help you keep control and stop the car won't work. Again, you CAN drive the car, but it isn't recommended.
As for your quote, the labor is about right. I am assuming they are charging about 1 hour for diagnostics (pretty standard) and another hour for replacing the part. The labor guide shows .8 for the front, but 1 is well within reason. It's 1.5 hours for a rear sensor.
The parts pricing is high if they are only replacing the sensor. The average cost for that part is around $222. Overall, I would think a total cost of $450 or so is more reasonable at a labor rate of $100 an hour (again pretty standard for North Jersey). Overall, I think $450-$550 is a much more reasonable price for that repair assuming all they are doing is replacing the wheel speed sensor.
If you could post a complete breakdown of the work order with parts and labor, I could help you figure out exactly what is fluff and where to negotiate. If it is just the wheel speed sensor I would expect the following:
1 hour diagnostic time at shop labor rate.
.8 to 1 hour repair time if it is the front sensor, 1.5 if it is the rear one at shop labor rate.
$225 - $275 for the wheel speed sensor itself.
That should put you in the $425 - $525 range, plus tax which would bump it up to the $450 - $550 I referenced earlier. That's about a $130+ difference and trust me, they are still making money at that price. You also need to remember that at this point you are most likely on the hook for 1 hour of diagnostic time whether you have them do the repair or not.
Hi thanks for your response. The parts are being ordered from Toyota and apparently you can not just get the sensor , you have to buy the whole kit and kaboodle. They do this because when mechanics try to fix just the sensor apparently the whole thing breaks and they end up sending the whole part anyway.
I do remember your response and again thank you for taking the time out to give me some advise
Now after they fix this if the lights are still on then the issue may be a bit more intensive and it could be the ABS system itself which I gather is more costly.
Also they may get into the left wheel area and find its just this wire in which case it would be much cheaper and they would not have to replace sensor.
Ugggg.. any way you want to look at it, it is a lot of $$$$
Hi thanks for your response. The parts are being ordered from Toyota and apparently you can not just get the sensor , you have to buy the whole kit and kaboodle. They do this because when mechanics try to fix just the sensor apparently the whole thing breaks and they end up sending the whole part anyway.
I do remember your response and again thank you for taking the time out to give me some advise
Now after they fix this if the lights are still on then the issue may be a bit more intensive and it could be the ABS system itself which I gather is more costly.
Also they may get into the left wheel area and find its just this wire in which case it would be much cheaper and they would not have to replace sensor.
Ugggg.. any way you want to look at it, it is a lot of $$$$
That makes more sense. Basically, they are going to replace the entire assembly versus just the sensor. They can get away with replacing just the sensor, but like they said, it is better to replace the assembly versus just the sensor. In that case, their pricing is right on. Given that they mentioned the wire at all, to me is a positive sign that they know what they are talking about. Sometimes it is as simple as the wire that runs to the sensor.
If the diagnostic code came up for just the wheel sensor, I doubt there is a larger issue with the ABS system, but it is possible.
I know you don't want to hear it, but I would really suggest getting the work done.
P.S. the wheel speed sensor is over 400.00 per what they told me
The sensor itself is only a couple hundred bucks. The entire assembly is around $400. They are doing the "better" repair versus just taking the chance of replacing only the sensor.
PS There is a guy in the automotive forum, johna(something) that used to be a Toyota mechanic, he may be able to shed some light on it for you. Hopefully he'll find this thread. I'm just looking at parts pricing and labor times involved as well as the repair process, not speaking from personal experience on doing this repair or having it done.
NJGOAT,
You are a gem. Thank you again for your responses. Apparently when contacting whoever they did for the parts, the mechanic was told they could not just order the sensor .They had to order everything. Also when they ran the diagnostic it wasnt just one code that came up. Of course the way that Toyota has it, if one thing goes they all show up via the computer. So we cannot be certain until we start at the first code which is the left wheel sensor.
Yes, I know..ok...ok.. I hear you and will make the appointment
NJGOAT,
You are a gem. Thank you again for your responses. Apparently when contacting whoever they did for the parts, the mechanic was told they could not just order the sensor .They had to order everything. Also when they ran the diagnostic it wasnt just one code that came up. Of course the way that Toyota has it, if one thing goes they all show up via the computer. So we cannot be certain until we start at the first code which is the left wheel sensor.
Yes, I know..ok...ok.. I hear you and will make the appointment
You're welcome. Good luck with the repair, it sounds like you are in good hands.
The Toyota RAV4 is a compact crossover SUV from Toyota. It was the first compact crossover SUV, introduced in Japan and Europe in 1994 and beginning sales in North America in 1996. The vehicle was designed for consumers wanting a vehicle that had most of the benefits of SUVs, such as increased cargo room, higher visibility, and the option of full-time four-wheel drive, along with the maneuverability and better fuel economy of a smaller car. Its name stands for "Recreational Active Vehicle with 4-wheel drive", although not all RAV4s have four wheel drive, which is optional in some countries. The early success of the RAV4 paved the way for other compact SUVs such as the Ford Escape and the Subaru Forester.
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Toyota Dealers Los Angeles
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Toyota Rav 4 Speed sensor
