Car Repair $$$ Question

[Coyote_Bandit]

Without any warning whatsoever the car failed to start this afternoon as I was leaving the post office. Called someone who came to try and jump it. Didn't work. However, the car did start after tapping on the starter. Drove it to the dealer and left it for repair. Car is a 2004 Mercury Sable. I assume that the starter needs to be replaced. Any idea here what the cost of that repair might be?

[david13]

1. I'm going to go out on a limb and say, maybe $200-350 includes

part.
Bring it over here, I'll change it for $50 and you can get your starter at the corner, either Kragen or Auto Zone, maybe 100 to 150 or we can get a cheaper rebuilt from Rotex 75?
dc
Dealer is highest price. And Ford starter is most expensive.

[Coyote_Bandit]

2. Took it to the dealer because

there are related parts (alternator and battery) which were repaired/replaced under warranty - and which are still warrantied. Figured it was a trade off between dealer price gouging and possible need to tow to dealer later.

Thanks for your guesstimate. I hope you're right. I'd really like to get out of this for less than $500. This is a low mileage (just over 30,000 miles) vehicle that has had regular and routine maintenance. The alternator and battery replacement a couple of years back is the only other repair it has required. I'm hoping it will be a reliable vehicle for some time.

I DESPISE car problems.

[doc03]

3. Starter about $100 labor $100

at a dealer you could probably double that.

[Broken_Hero]

4. Yep, probably more

though, usually the dealer is 100$ more than what you are thinking "it" would cost, at least thats been my experience.

I don't take anything to the dealer unless the car is under warranty. For most starters that I've had go out, the starter costs 85-100 bucks and labor is fluid, depending on whom you have do the work. Usually I have a friend do it for a beer, or I do it myself, but in my experience the non-dealer mechanics I've dealt with usually charge about 50 bucks for labor.

My official guess is, 125$ for the part, 250 for labor. Hell, those guys charge me 125 bucks for a remote that unlocks my car, no telling what they charge for a starter.

eta:clarify

[Mopar151]

5. On the plus side

The dealer mechanic may have the ability and parts to fix the present starter. And it depends on the car - some Fords use a seperate solenoid, which is cheap and easy to replace, and will sometimes give symptoms like that.

Ok, checked RockAuto.com - prices range from $120 to $215 Wholesale. The picture they showed was an integral solenoid type starter - they did not list the solenoid, but Ford may stock it. If they do, It'll save you a lot.