Механик объяснил, почему замена троса стояночного тормоза может стоить 1200 долларов

Q. My daughter’s 2018 Dodge Durango parking brake doesn’t work. When the parking brake pedal is depressed, it goes down to the car floor with no resistance. The shop said the parking brake cable needs to be replaced and quoted a price of $1,200. The price seems excessive, but I could be wrong. Is a cable replacement the fix, and if so, is the repair cost reasonable? A. If the cables are rusted or stretched, then a cable replacement is the proper repair. I am guessing the shop looked at the parking brake shoes and adjustments first before recommending the cable replacement. This setup uses three cables, with a total parts cost of about $350. In this case, it is the labor that adds to the cost. According to the typical flat-rate guide, it will take five hours to complete this job. With labor rates, in some cases, exceeding $250 per hour, it is easy to see how this repair could cost $1,200. Q. I had a most unpleasant experience with a repair shop. I am an older woman, and when the mechanic repaired my car, the part was defective, only lasting about a week. He said he would replace the defective part for $100. When I expressed surprise, he said he could put in a “lower-grade replacement” for $50, but that I might soon experience the failure of the part again. Of course, I expected him to replace the defective part for free, but when I tried to get in a word, he continued to talk over me. Needless to say, I was in a bind, as paying another mechanic to redo his work would have cost much more money. I am not writing to ask for your help in solving the problem, but I was interested in your feedback. Perhaps I am just looking for validation of my anger and disappointment because the experience was upsetting. A. Most reputable repair facilities offer some form of warranty, although the terms vary widely. As an example, repair shops affiliated with the AAA Approved Auto Repair network guarantee their work, parts, and labor for 24 months or 24,000 miles, whichever comes first. It is odd in today’s business world that any repair shop wouldn’t offer at least a 30-day warranty. I, too, would be both angry and disappointed. Q. I bought a new 2026 Honda Civic from a dealer and have a question about the doors. When I raise the windows to the fully closed position, I can feel the door being drawn into a tighter position. When I took it back to the dealer, he told me they were designed to work that way. This seems to be a Mickey Mouse method of tightening the door shut. Can this be true? A. In many cars today, when the windows are fully closed, you can feel the door or window frame flex. As the glass reaches the fully closed position, it presses against the weatherstripping and can create the sensation that the door is being pulled tighter. A small amount of movement or flex is generally considered normal and is not an indication of a defect. I don’t believe this has anything to do with the sealing of the door, but rather with how the door and windows are constructed. In the case of your Honda, I would just chalk it up to a characteristic of the car. Q. I took my Chevy C-10 work truck to a garage for a state inspection the other day, and they said the whole vehicle was fine except that there was a lot of “play” in the rear axle. They put my truck on a lift, and one of the mechanics simply grabbed the driver’s side rear tire and started pulling it back and forth. It was able to slide in and out, maybe 2 to 3 inches. It seemed like significant movement. The mechanics said there was no way to tell what was causing this issue without pulling it apart, and they wouldn’t even give me a ballpark repair estimate. I put the truck on jack stands at my house when I got back from the shop and was not able to replicate the movement of the rear axle. Both rear tires were in the air. I spun them into different positions and put the truck in park, neutral, reverse, and drive, but I couldn’t get the axle to move in and out like they showed me at the shop. I’m wondering why I was not able to replicate the movement, but I do notice a clicking sound. What could be the cause? A. The rear axle is held in place with a “C” clip inside the rear differential. Some movement is possible, but several inches of movement is almost unbelievable and definitely requires further investigation. The clicking noise could be related to one of the bearings in the differential beginning to fail. I would start by removing the differential cover to see exactly what is going on inside the differential. Although there will be costs associated with the inspection, it is definitely necessary. This is not just to find the cause of the problem, but also to prevent additional damage and a possible crash. Q. I had my car aligned after hitting a big pothole. The shop replaced the tires, which were needed, and balanced them. On a flat road, the car still seems to drift in one direction. I don’t know if this is different since the new tires were installed or if I am just being too sensitive. The mechanic took the car for a ride and said it was fine. Any thoughts? A. It is not unusual for a car to follow the natural curve, or crown, of the road. I was recently reading about something similar. One manufacturer states that on a flat road, if the car drifts more than one meter at 40 mph in less than six seconds, the alignment needs to be rechecked. If the car can hold a moderately straight line for more than six seconds, it is considered acceptable. I have never heard drift or pull expressed in this way, but I don’t disagree. Do you have a car question? 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