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I just got my power steering hose replaced. I'm faithful to this shop but I'm a little currious about this last repair.

I was charged $42 for inspection, $62 for the hose, and $127 to do the repair. That seems a bit steep for a hose repair.

Any advice?

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closed as off-topic by Nick C, Gabriel Mongeon, jzd, Bob Cross Nov 1 '13 at 14:55


  • "Questions seeking price-shopping assistance are off-topic because they tend to become obsolete quickly. Instead, describe your situation and the specific problem you're trying to solve." – Gabriel Mongeon, jzd, Bob Cross

It's very hard to comment on prices, especially without car model/year. That said, if you trust that the old hose was hosed then this seems reasonable to me. You might want to change your question to something less opinion based, however. –  vlsd Oct 31 '13 at 17:33
I agree with vlsd - pricing questions are considered off-topic for that exact reason - plus it could vary massively according to where you are - $1 will buy you a lot more in Windhoek than it will in LA... –  Nick C Nov 1 '13 at 10:34

1 Answer 1

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Depending on the shops hourly rate it seems at least reasonable. If the hose has been seeping or leaking slowly for some time the area might need to be degreased and tested to determine where the actual leak was occurring. A dye may have been added and the system run to verify that there is only one source for the leak. At a labor rate of $80 an hour that would be about 30 minutes which doesn't seem unrealistic. The labor for the repair at that $80 rate would have been about 90 minutes. Since I haven't personally replaced one of these hoses I can't say whether that is a reasonable time or not. The cheapest prices I have found for a Chrysler original equipment low pressure/ return hose was close to $40. A retail price of $62 doesn't sound like it overly inflated. Part of what you are paying for is the trust that you are getting what you paid for and paying for only what is needed. If you don't feel you are being charged fairly ask the shop manager to explain the charges.

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