“Not on my vehicle.”
Just on its own, a $900 auto repair parts bill might seem like kind of a tough swallow. But finding out, without too much detective work, that those parts can be bought for under $200 is enough to cause many car owners to choke.
TikTokker @lastnameipicked is calm and breathing normally throughout a recent video he posted detailing his recent visit to a repair shop. But he’s certainly at a loss for words over the more than 4X markup on the parts.
“Somebody want to tell me how, uh, how I went to a garage and they told me I needed some work done and they quoted me at $900 just for the parts,” he asks in the clip that’s been viewed about 600 times. “I even checked the supplier they were buying from, which I have used before and prefer not to, and my total was still under $200.”
The work itself wasn’t all that unusual. In replies to viewers, @lastnameipicked said the shop recommended replacing the front lower control arms, sway bar links and inner and outer tie rods. And $900 apparently wasn’t the full estimate: According to his caption, the labor quote added another $500 to the job.
That’s a sizable investment in almost any vehicle, though this particular one has apparently spent lots of time with its hood open. The creator said it has nearly 390,000 miles on the odometer, and judging by his responses to viewers, he’s no stranger to doing the work necessary to keep it there.
That became important once commenters started questioning whether his price comparison was really apples-to-apples. It’s a fair question, since there’s a substantial difference between an original equipment component and the cheaper aftermarket replacement parts found online.
But @lastnameipicked said cheap parts weren’t the source of his savings. He said the shop planned to buy its parts from AutoZone, and when he checked the retailer himself, the parts listed there totaled less than $200. He told commenters that he ultimately went with OEM parts.
To be fair to the shop, buying $200 worth of parts doesn’t mean a professional garage should charge a customer $200 for them. Repair shops routinely mark up the components they install, and there are legitimate reasons why.
AAA explains that the final charged price can also account for the work involved in identifying and sourcing the right component, handling exchanges and returns, maintaining equipment and insurance, and standing behind the completed repair.
Shop-supplied components also commonly come with parts-and-labor warranty coverage, meaning a failed component may get replaced without the customer paying the installation cost a second time.
That context makes some amount of markup perfectly ordinary. But without the shop’s written estimate, exact part numbers and actual acquisition cost, it’s impossible to calculate the garage’s true markup and do true comparison pricing.
Several viewers still came to the shop’s defense.
“They do the work source the parts they trust and stand behind the warranty,” one commenter wrote. “This is expensive.”
That’s a meaningful consideration for anyone who has to hand the keys over and depend on somebody else to finish the repair. @lastnameipicked had an advantage most customers don’t.
“Not on my vehicle,” he replied. “I have parts warranties and can do the work myself.”
On top of sourcing the parts himself, the owner had another ace up his sleeve: he enlisted his father, who apparently has a lift in his garage that made the DIY repair a whole lot more feasible.
“Shout out to my pops,” he wrote in the caption, thanking him for helping complete the job.
For drivers without a well-equipped garage and the ability to turn their own wrenches, walking away isn’t always so simple. The Federal Trade Commission recommends getting a written estimate for significant repairs that identifies the needed parts and anticipated labor charge, and considering a second opinion when the work is expensive or questionable.
In this case, @lastnameipicked didn’t need another shop to beat the estimate. He just needed the parts, his dad, and a lift. The question now is whether his cost-cutter handiwork will be enough to keep the vehicle moving far past the fast-approaching 400,000-mile mark.
Motor1 reached out to the creator via direct message and comment on the clip. We’ll update this if they respond.
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