Repairs to my Nissan Frontier

[suncat05]

My 2002 Nissan Frontier Desert Runner, that I purchased brand new, now has a little over 209,000 miles on it.
My bride was driving it last Saturday when it overheated and stopped, after she had picked up one of our dogs from the groomer.
A friend of mine just happened to come to the Courthouse for early voting just after I had hung up the phone and was starting to go through my helpers list, so after he voted he went to help her and the dog get home. Luckily, the truck started up and he was able to follow her to the house.
The mechanic here at the shop in town put a brand new water pump on it, to the tune of $433. The water pump was less than $90, the coolant was about $25, and the rest was labor.
My guy that I use infrequently for this kind of stuff is, of course, out of the country right now visiting the Philippines.
At least it wasn't anything more serious. Thank goodness!

[KeithKSR]

The guy really stuck the labor to you. We had the water pup replaced in our Buick Rainier about a year ago, the mechanic charged about $200. The pump was $125.

[suncat05]

Well, like I said, my regular guy is out of the country, so I had to go to Plan B. If he had been available, it wouldn't have cost anywhere near what I had to spend.
It stinks, but stuff like this happens. Luckily I had a few dollars put away.
But that was my ammo money, so, ya know........😠

[KeithKSR]

It stinks, but stuff like this happens. Luckily I had a few dollars put away.
But that was my ammo money, so, ya know........��

Ouch! That is rubbing salt and into the wound.

[suncat05]

Yeah, this kind of puts me in a bit of a pinch for an NRA firearms instructor course that I have my heart set on attending. Plus the cost of the ammo or the course of fire.
I'll work it out somehow. 😉

[Darrell KSR]

Hard to shop around much in situations like that. You didn't get ripped off, maybe on the high end but not egregious.

Sounds like it has been a great vehicle for you.

[suncat05]

Yeah, like I said, the local in-town guy was Plan B because my Plan A mechanic is out of the country on vacation.
I'm not unhappy, it was done in a timely & efficient manner, it just cost me a little more than I would have ordinarily had to pay.
Thanks for posting the comparison info Darrell!

[Darrell KSR]

I'm always interested myself, Suncat. Repair costs vary by geography and by competition. I always figure if I'm in the range, I'm ok with it, IF I trust the guy who made the repairs to have done it right.

Your guy did it in a timely and efficient manner and fell within the range. I'd call that a very acceptable Plan B.

[bigsky]

I'd rather pay my car mechanic than any number of people I have no choice but to pay

[suncat05]

I'd rather pay my car mechanic than any number of people I have no choice but to pay

I wholeheartedly agree with you there, bigsky. If he's your mechanic, you know the quality of his work. Any others, maybe not so much.