Rep Power: 0

I don't know a ton about cars but I feel like I'm being ripped off.

I drive a 2005 Honda Civic LX 2DR with a spoiler

I got a failed inspection for the following:

1) Front and rear brakes
2) 3rd upper brake light (it is a stock spoiler on a 2DR couple, not a regular 3rd brake light)
3) front wheel bearings
4) both lower control arms (the bushings broke on one, and cracked on another)

They told me $500 for parts and $600 for labor.

I thought it was a crazy price so I drove my rejected car home and looked up the prices and here is what I found:

http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/rafr...27b37b6f5#tab6 [ go to shopping cart ]
The parts are not $500 but instead about $150.

My questions are
1) Are these all the parts I need
2) Does the car have brake pads in the front, and brake shoes in the back? What about the emergency brake? is it a separate system
3) how labor intensive is this?
4) how in the crazy world do you fix the spoiler rear brake light when they are LED's and LED's don't burn out?

Lots of questions and a lot to read, but thanks to all who do!

 
Rep Power: 519

Second opinions can be invaluable.

If you don't have any idea what you are doing, you pay to have someone else do it.
Find someone you can trust and are comfortable with.
Let that person (shop) source the parts. Let them back up their own warranty.

Bust out a credit card and pay when it's done.

If the wing (with light) was an add-on accessory, the original light in the rear window may have been disconnected.
The car only needs to have one center brake light, make sure at least one of them still works (the one in the wing). Wiring broke at the bend near the trunklid hinge??
Is the wing factory or aftermarket? If it is from Honda, you might still be able to get a new light strip (IDK).
If it was aftermarket, you might have to cobble and build one LOL.
Damn you said its stock wing.. I can't read.

License lights still work?


$12 bearings?
$9 brakes?
OH. HELL. NO.

 
Rep Power: 244

Is the shop using OEM parts? How much they charge for labor?

I would not go anywhere near a $12 bearing and $9 dollar pads.

You can diy most of that easily, if your up to it.

 
Rep Power: 0

1) Yep I got 2 shops to inspect it. One quoted $1,100, the other quoted $650.
2) Personal friend said he'd get the parts for $150 and do the labor for about $175.


>>License lights still work?
Yes, they do.

>>$12 bearings?
>>$9 brakes?
>>OH. HELL. NO.
Yeah I know but I'm super broke right now. Could barely afford the parts and going to pay for labor over the next few weeks.

>> Is the shop using OEM parts? How much they charge for labor?
No idea what parts the shops were going to use. The first shop I went to I also asked for an oil change and they charged me $75 for it. They put on the bill that they used 5.5 quarts of oil, when my engine can only hold less than 4. They also said it cost a lot more per quart of oil than it does if I walked across the street to auto-zone and picked some up. I don't trust either shop.

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My personal mechanic friend said he could do everything no problem except the spoiler light is a bit confusing because we're not sure what is wrong with it exactly. It is entirely stock spoiler, came with the car and is factory. It was out, then worked for a bit, then went out again. I open and close the trunk a bunch, so it might be something getting lose there.

 
Rep Power: 161

Damn, where do you live where they charge $75 for an oil change?