I have a 2003 FORD RANGER XLT, I am the original owner. It has been a good truck but now that it’s older it’s having issues. I am female and I know enough from the past problems with the truck to know when it needs service/repair. The problem is that I often feel like because I’m female I get taken advantage of by auto repair shops because they assume I don’t know any better. I just had a coolant leak on the driver side near the firewall. I took it in to the shop and they charged me $400+ to replace 4 heater hoses and the heater control valve. I think once again I have been overcharged but just wanted to post here and see what others think about this. photo of bill included. I paid it. This shop works on fleet Rangers so they know what they are doing but it’s just such a terrible experience for me to feel ripped off every time I take my truck in.

 

I can not attest to the charges for the parts, but 2 hours to replace the hoses, do an oil change, add coolant and burp the cooling system is more than fair. $90 and hour is also a super fair rate. Most shops local to me are 105-115 an hour.

They charged you almost $200 in parts, and only $180 in labor. Again, if the price on the parts is fair then you seemed to pair a fair price.

 

Welcome to the forum

Yes, +1, what they charged was a fair price for in shop repair

While women can be targeted men are as well, any good Ripoff mechanic can ask a few questions and get the knowledge level of the customer quickly, but that goes for any good ripoff "artist" for any job

Shops have rent/lease, electric, tax, insurance, and the tech's wages, all combined into that Hourly Rate.
They have to use "name brand" parts because they have to warranty it, they are on the hook if a part fails, not the maker of the part, well as far as the customer is concerned, lol.

And they have to replace a few more parts, in the case of hoses, because if they show signs of cracking, they "might" fail, and customer wouldn't care that they saved $30, $60 or $90, only that shop F*ed up and it broke again.


All that being said there are Mobile mechanics that do not have the overhead costs of a shop, they have a truck with tools.
And most will install customer supplied parts, you handle any warranty issue, or will supply and warranty parts you need.
Yes, no shop to go and complain to, just a phone number, so.......

But I know a few mechanics that work in a shop by day and do mobile work evenings and weekends, so not "fly by night" mechanics.
Like any profession there are good ones and bad ones, honest ones and ripoffs, you just have to ask around or trust your "gut"