Quote:
Originally Posted by retiredguy123
A friend took her car to the Goodyear near Sam's because the "check engine" light was on. They said it needed a mass air flow sensor. The quoted price was $385, and I got other quotes of $360 from Wildwood Tire and $410 from Sumter Tire. The part is available from Amazon for $35 and the Youtube video shows a guy replacing one in less than a minute by removing 2 screws. I don't work on cars, but even if I did, I think the check engine light would still need to be reset. Do these prices seem reasonable?
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Doing some checking...there is a bewildering variety of mass air flow sensors available. I checked with Auto Zone: prices range from about $40 to $330 depending on make and model. I imagine the service stations that gave your friend the quote for replacement knew what her car needed so those prices don't seem unreasonable.
Regarding Amazon: speaking from experience if the item you're looking for is ridiculously cheap on Amazon compared to local outlets, then odds are it was made in China and may very well come with it's own set of problems. Plus those Amazon (and YouTube, for that matter) how-to videos very often make things look a lot simpler than they actually are. I know: I dropped an iPad some time back. YouBreakIFix wanted more than the iPad was worth to repair it, so I jumped on Amazon and watched a guy replace the glass on an iPad with the very same repair kit I was looking at buying for $19. Piece of cake. So I figured what the heck and went ahead. Bottom line: the iPad still sits in pieces in a box in a closet.
Seeing as how the quotes are all close I doubt any of the garages mentioned are out to take your friend for a ride. Get it done locally. They'll reset the car's computer so that the light goes off and your friend will have the piece of mind that comes from knowing that a reputable garage will back up their work.