Auto Repair Pricing
 

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?

Stores like Advance Auto and Autozone does some of that for free in other states. Not sure about the nearby locations.

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.

Thanks. It is a 2014 Nissan Sentra. Here is the Amazon sensor:

Amazon.com

I would be inclined to use an OEM part for the Mass Air Flow Sensor.

Amazon... click here.

Thanks. But the 3 quotes I got were for aftermarket parts, not genuine Nissan parts. Still, the average price for the part was about $300. For a Nissan part, they wanted an extra $100.

Click on my link. It's $209.72.

I did click on the link. The 3 shops that quoted a price were going to install an aftermarket, non-Nissan part.

Another thought. Sometimes all you have to do is clean the sensor with a special spray cleaner ($13 a can). Maybe you can ask a shop if they'll try that and reset the code, probably a P0101.

Seems easy enough in this video... video click here.

I had the warning light on a previous car. In my case it turned out that my engine compartment was just full of leaves blocking the sensor.:D

I’ve replaced a mass airflow sensor on a Saab. It took about 15 minutes. The problem though, is that might not be the problem even though that’s what the code says. I recommend researching all of the things that could trigger that code for the Nissan, then go to YouTube and see if you can find what others have done. If it’s too difficult, then I recommend taking it to a shop and make sure there is a guarantee in case the check engine light comes back on after you drive off.

I had the check engine light on and off for months. Car ran great and I took it to a Mercedes mechanic in Leesburg for service and they told me it wasn’t the air sensor but a major issue with the engine. Rather than scam me, they said it may be under warranty and to take it to the dealer in Orlando, which I did. After having to replace the top engine block which is normally thousands of dollars, I ended up with the engine light off and basically a new engine at no cost. Glad the Mercedes mechanic in Leesburg was honest.

Would appreciate knowing the name of your Mercedes mechanic in Leesburg

I use All German Motorworks in Leesburg, a block off 44 before it dog legs to the right.

When something is wrong with my car, I check the price of the part on Rock Auto, then watch a YouTube video to see if its something I can do. I used to have a Ford SUV, they quoted me almost $400.00 to replace the lift actuator, the part was 60.00 or so and I replaced it myself in minutes.

My smart key needed programming, Mercedes wanted to to drive over an hour each way, then spend $50.00 to program a key I had just spent over $300.00 for. YouTube to the rescue, it literally took about 8 seconds to program the key.