So I have had my blazer for a year now, its an s10. 6 months ago I had the fuel pump quit on me, $600 repair and another $400 for the damn tow. Now I went to get my inspection sticker and failed. Apparently my ball joints are really bad, the woman (who is a good family friend and great machanic) said that it wasnt safe to drive it was that bad. She gave me a quote of $850 for everything thats wrong to get fixed, even throwing in new breaks. But what I am really pissed about is the fact that the place I normally get my car fixed at, and had the fuel pump replaced, never sad a damn thing to me about the ball joints. I have been going to them since I was 16 with my first truck and they have always given me a heads up when something dosent look right, or need to be replaced down the road. Now is $850 a good price for everything that needs to be done? Should I try to go somewhere else? What is average? Sorry Im just really pissed at everything and everyone!

Thanks

 

Do you have an itemized list of what "everything" includes? To see what you're really getting?

 

ive been a mechanic for a few years now and we dont always inspect the entire vehicle when it comes in. if it comes in for a broken seat we arent going to check your fluid levels. sometimes we do out of boredom or just to see how much stuff we can find wrong with a truck , depending on how busy we are if a vehicle came in for a non running issue doubtful id mess around with the suspension either, if i drove it and stuff was banging around or felt loose up front then i would check it out

but i dont do pricing but yeah mechanics suck period. ive seen some of the stuff we charge people, and everyone says we are really cheap and honest, and i just think wow. i could fix that in my garage for 1/10th of the price.

but i could believe it being expensive for all 4 ball joints and brakes. those ball joints can suck to get off sometime, and you have to figure in overhead, and $80 a hr or whatever crazy labor rate they charge

 

Ditto above...sounds consistent with other discussions. Probably $600-700 just for the ball joints. They are a pain though. I'd charge every bit of that if it were my business.

 

Just had all mine done for about 475 i think..that was after the service manager adjusted the quote after he saw the look on my face...their rate was about 85 bucks an hour ( i think). As for mechanics, i look at it this way..with work and school i dont have the time or even the tools and experience to do it myself. Sure..i can change out the little stuff like brakes and maybe a wheel bearing..id rather trust a pro. But you gotta trust him/her.

 

wow the ball joints i can get for 10 to 20 a peace on rockauto.com and i would do the whole job for 300, 850 is insane. And its not a hard job

 

I will tell you something, I could strip my z24's suspension off completely and put it back on with no power tools in the time it took to do my ZR2's lower ball joints.

The charge does not seem to be too far off base. I assume they are using flat time for the estimate.

 

Ok, I bought my ZR2 and a couple of months earlier, the owner had the ball joints and idler arm replaced at a dealership in northern VA, Radley. Here's the breakdown of charges. Date 12/26/2008
19133669 2 130.70 261.40 ball joint
88967425 2 110.53 221.06 stud kit
26054935 1 113.16 113.16 idler arm
Labor 380.00
Alignment 69.95

Total 1075.95 + tax

 

130? for a ball joint ouch

 

the first time they are done is the hardest. mine were riveted or something. now that they have the bolts in them changing them out will be much easier. I am willing to bet the shop time listed reflects replacing originals not replacements.