Cost Estimate Please: 2001 Dodge Caravan Fuel pump/filter?

Question

It's not that I don't trust the guy I've been using for the last 15 years, but comparable to other vehicles I've had, this seems extreme. Replacement cost for new fuel filter and new fuel pump is 580ish. I've searched the net for part costs and labor hours, but couldn't find labor hours, and the parts costs vary wildly.

Thanks for any help!

Answer 1

Hey Big guy! Ok, let me help out. Believe it or not that is probaly pretty close to being right. Dropping a gas tank is between 1.8 to 2.5 hours usually on a Dodge. However the price of the part is going to be marked up. If you go to a restaurant and you know they purchase a steak for two bucks and you find out you paid over twenty bucks for the dinner would you be upset? The mark up in car parts aren't that high but they have to survive just as in any business. It's called a profit. Good Luck!

Answer 2

gotta drop the tank  350 to 500  about right

Answer 3

I have a feeling your mechanic is giving you an estimate to replace the entire fuel pump module. If this is the case, he is a smart mechanic.

The fuel pump module used in the Chrysler NS (Caravan, Voyager, Town & Country) minivan consists of the fuel pump in a plastic housing and the fuel level sending unit. From the dealer, this fuel module assembly runs about $400. The reason the mechanic is choosing to go this way is because from the dealer he can get a 1 year warranty against the part.

The fuel pump module can be disassembled and the fuel pump replaces on its' own without replacing the entire module. However if anything goes wrong, even if it is not related to the fuel pump replacement, the mechanic is often left in a confrontation that he can't win. Say for example he replaced the fuel pump within the module and a month later your fuel gage quit working. All that you as a customer knows is he was the last one inside your fuel tank.

As I mentioned the fuel pump module from the dealer is about $380-$400. The labor according to Alldata is about 1.3 hours. The area I live in has a labor rate of about $80 per hour. So that is about another $105. He may also be adding on a charge to drain your tank or even do a fuel pressure check.

In my opinion he is not trying to rip you off. It is a lot of money. But if you like the van, it is a heck of a lot cheaper than a new car payment.