Repair costs

Car repair costs by job

Choose the repair on your estimate to see typical US independent-shop prices for parts, labor and the whole job. Each guide explains what can change the price for your vehicle.

Browse repair prices Ask about a shop quote

Cooling

Water pump replacement $400–$800 Radiator replacement $400–$900 Thermostat replacement $150–$400

Emissions

Catalytic converter replacement $900–$2,500 Oxygen (O2) sensor replacement $150–$350

Charging & electrical

Alternator replacement $400–$900 Starter motor replacement $350–$700

Brakes

Brake pad replacement (per axle) $150–$350 Brake rotor replacement (per axle) $300–$600

Engine

Timing belt replacement $500–$1,000 Serpentine belt replacement $100–$250

Ignition

Spark plug replacement $150–$400 Ignition coil replacement $150–$400

Suspension

Wheel bearing replacement $300–$600 Struts / shocks replacement (pair) $450–$1,000

Fuel system

Fuel pump replacement $500–$1,100

HVAC

AC compressor replacement $600–$1,200

Fuel & air

Mass air flow (MAF) sensor replacement $200–$400

How to read these ranges

Every figure here is a band, not a price, and the band is wide on purpose. The same repair on a compact sedan and a full-size truck are different jobs with different parts, and the shop rate in a rural county is not the shop rate in a major metro. When comparing two written quotes, check whether they cover the same parts, labor, diagnostic fees, taxes and warranty.

Each page splits the job into parts and labor, because which side dominates tells you where you have leverage. When the part is most of the bill, shopping the part matters and the OEM-versus-aftermarket decision is the big lever. When labor is most of the bill, you are paying for access — how buried the component is — and the lever is bundling nearby work into the same teardown rather than paying for that teardown twice.

Diagnose before you price

Ask the shop which test identified the part it recommends replacing. If you are still investigating, look up the trouble code or the symptom for background before comparing repair prices.

Ranges are typical all-in US independent-shop figures for a mainstream vehicle, and are a starting point, not a quote. Prices move with vehicle class, parts tier, and local labor rates.