Mechanic checked my car and gave me a pricey quote… Does this sound right?

General Hyundai Forum
1

Hey everyone, I just got a 2017 Elantra with 70k miles. Lately, I’ve been having some issues, so I took it to a mechanic. He told me my coolant leak is from bad heater hoses and that they’re really hard to get to, quoting me $800 for parts and labor. That seems high. When I looked it up, people were saying it should cost under $250.

The other problem is a loud roaring noise when I start the car in the morning. It goes away once the car warms up. He says my engine mounts are broken and quoted me $900 for parts and labor. Just want to make sure I’m not getting ripped off.

2

Get a second opinion from another shop. Don’t tell them what the first mechanic said.

3

James said:
Get a second opinion from another shop. Don’t tell them what the first mechanic said.

Thanks. Should I let the first mechanic know I’m getting another opinion?

4

Jakson_Smith said:

James said:
Get a second opinion from another shop. Don’t tell them what the first mechanic said.

Thanks. Should I let the first mechanic know I’m getting another opinion?

No, just tell them you need to think about it and take your car back. If they charge a diagnostic fee, pay it and move on.

5

@James
Got it, appreciate the advice.

6

@James
They already told me it’s $100 per diagnostic before even looking at it, so that’s fine. I’ll just get an oil change while it’s there and then find another shop.

7

There’s a pipe that runs from the heater hoses to the transmission cooler, and it does tend to leak around this age. It’s not the easiest job, so 2.5 to 3 hours of labor isn’t crazy.

The motor mount diagnosis seems off. Could be something else like a timing chain rattle, cam phaser issue, or even a cooling fan problem.

8

There are some hoses under the intake manifold that are tricky to reach, but $800 still sounds steep.

The roaring noise disappearing after warm-up? That doesn’t really match up with bad motor mounts. Definitely worth getting another opinion.

9

@Zack12
It’s tough to describe the noise. It only started after I got an oil change at the dealer. But that was also when the weather got colder, so I wasn’t sure if it was always there and I just never noticed before.

10

@Jakson_Smith
If it started right after an oil change, take it back to them. Ask them to keep the car overnight so they can hear it cold in the morning.

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NinaCaldwell said:
@Jakson_Smith
If it started right after an oil change, take it back to them. Ask them to keep the car overnight so they can hear it cold in the morning.

Good idea. I’m just not sure they’ll do it… They already refused to service my car before because I bought it from a Honda dealership instead of them. But maybe since they did the oil change, they’ll check it out.

12

@Zack12
Appreciate the advice. I also don’t get why bad mounts would only make noise when it’s cold.

Would you recommend going to a Hyundai dealer or an independent shop?

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Jakson_Smith said:
@Zack12
Appreciate the advice. I also don’t get why bad mounts would only make noise when it’s cold.

Would you recommend going to a Hyundai dealer or an independent shop?

Depends on the reputation of each. Unfortunately, a lot of mechanics will try to overcharge you.

14

@Zack12
The mechanic called back and said they can do the coolant hose fix for $675 instead of $800 if they just top off the coolant instead of flushing it.

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Jakson_Smith said:
@Zack12
The mechanic called back and said they can do the coolant hose fix for $675 instead of $800 if they just top off the coolant instead of flushing it.

Not a mechanic, but when a shop calls back with a lower price, it feels sketchy. Definitely get a second opinion.

16

Avoid the dealership unless it’s for warranty work.

For the noise, get a second opinion. Could be a timing issue.

17

merrickzedeck said:
Avoid the dealership unless it’s for warranty work.

For the noise, get a second opinion. Could be a timing issue.

Yeah, same thing happened with my car. If it’s a timing issue, you might have to replace both parts of the camshaft (intake and exhaust). Mine’s at Hyundai right now getting fixed.

18

@AUBREY
I let mine go for 100k miles and it never got worse. If it’s just the CVVT, it’ll make noise but won’t necessarily fail. If the guide is going bad though, that’s when you risk skipping a tooth and serious damage.

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@merrickzedeck
I put up with mine for about a month before it drove me crazy. I changed coils, spark plugs, and fuel injectors, but the noise wouldn’t go away. Then I found out cylinder 3 was soaked in fuel…