‘Even cheap cars are expensive to maintain now’: 2001 Honda Accord owner shocked after seeing this charge. It was supposed to be for this ‘routine’ maintenance
A Honda owner is asking mechanics why a simple brake job is so expensive these days. He isn’t the only one troubled by the rising cost of car repairs.
Reddit user @caigematch posted to r/AskMechanics on Jan. 13 to ask a question troubling more than a few car owners these days. “When did brake jobs (pads, rotors, flush) become so expensive?” they wrote.
The user continued, “I have a 2001 Honda Accord that needed pads, rotors, and a flush, and I was charged $1,150. I asked my friends and family and many of them said that is about the norm right now. I’m doing it myself next time.”
Is ‘routine’ car repair more expensive these days?
In the comments, users generally backed up @caigematch’s suspicion that car repair costs are rising. “I know, right?” wrote one user. “In the last five years, labor costs have skyrocketed. It’s always harder to properly maintain a car, even a cheap one.”
Other users confirmed that the OP will save money by doing it themselves in the future. “I just put the best rotors and pads on my 2015 Honda CR-V that Advance Auto had. I’m 68 and not a mechanic. $400 for all four wheels,” one said.
A second user responded, “Those guys who come in and say you could do it cheaper really annoy me, but I need to spread the gospel…. Have you tried Rock Auto? I just did the same with my 2016 Civic and I got out with $250. Their [expletive] is so cheap and you have tons of options.”
After recounting their own recent repair ordeal, another user wrote, “Just absolute f you pricing.”
What explains the rise in car repair costs?
According to a February CNBC report, the Reddit users have a point when it comes to rising car repair costs. And experts aren’t exactly sure what to blame. The article states that it’s likely a combination of several different variables, including the computerization of modern vehicles, changes in materials and manufacturing methods, supply chain issues, and a labor shortage.
It also might be attributable to driver behavior or even a problem with the consumer price index data itself. “You can have the same kind of accident that you would have 10 years ago,” one expert told CNBC. “But now you have three additional sensors that are on the part of the vehicle that was impacted that you now have to potentially replace.”
The article states that the average labor rate for repairs rose to $60 per hour in 2023, which is up $10 from just five years ago. An expert quoted in the article predicts that automakers will work to bring down these costs in order to keep buying cars in the long run.
The Daily Dot reached out to u/Caigematch via Reddit comment for comment. We also reached out to Honda via email for comment.
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