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That $500 radiator quote on my 2012 Outback made me grab a garden hose
Honestly, my Subaru started overheating last Tuesday on 95 going into Richmond. Coolant was puddling under the front bumper, so I pulled into a shop and they quoted me $500 for a new radiator plus labor. Ngl, I almost said yes until I looked up the part online, it was $85 and took me about 4 hours with basic sockets and a YouTube video. The old one had a crack in the plastic tank, swapped it out in my driveway and it's been holding 190 degrees ever since. Has anyone else gotten fleeced on a radiator job that was actually a simple DIY?
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stella_murray23d ago
Gotta say man, that $500 quote wasn't crazy for a shop, just the way it goes. Labor rates are like $120-150 an hour now, plus they use OEM parts and charge book time regardless of how fast it actually goes. I've done the driveway radiator swap too and yeah it's doable, but not everybody has the tools, the space, or the back for it. Some folks would rather pay and not spend their Saturday knuckle deep in a coolant mess. You saved yourself $400, which is awesome, but calling it getting "fleeced" is a stretch when that's just what shops cost these days.
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