The AUSubaru.com.au Forums

Hi guys,

I drive a 1990 Subaru Liberty and I recently had to get the NSF Hub replaced. I was charged $150 for the part itself and $160 for the labour. Could someone please tell me if this is reasonable or am i being ripped off?

Thanks heaps!!

Was is a new hub?
Was it because a bearing had failed?

If you are doing bearings they are around $80 just for the parts without fitting.

Yeah it is a new hub.
When I asked the mechanic what was wrong, he just said it broke and when I asked him how that might have happened he said that it was just due to old age!
Mainly I am just skeptical about the labour charge, I just want to know is that typical of fitting something like that? Or am I being over-charged?

sounds liek a second hand hub at that price.

all depends on the place u went to.
some people charge alot for labour per hour compared to others

I've been a mechanic for 26 years, our current labour rate where I work is $100/hr, so even at $80/hr there 2 hrs labour.
Fair price for front wheel bearing replacement, but shop around, you may do better.

P.S. I've done some Opels at around $550, $400 for parts.

littlewhiteute wrote:I've been a mechanic for 26 years, our current labour rate where I work is $100/hr, so even at $80/hr there 2 hrs labour.
Fair price for front wheel bearing replacement, but shop around, you may do better.

P.S. I've done some Opels at around $550, $400 for parts.

hehe yer there proves my statement
where i work its only $60/hour

not sayin ur place overcharges jsut that it depends where u go.

hmmm if they only swapped the hub over then id def say its to high. culd be done in like an hour id expect.

Liberty's bearings from CBC is $63 somewhat (cannot remember if it was front or rear). So I believe its labour on the top.
Cheers
AP

There is another possibility that the hub was completely replaced with another one that had a usable bearing. The $80 price for bearing is based on an average of places that i have had quotes from over the years. Usually anyone who buys in parts gets them at trade and on sells at a higher price anyway.

$150 is the price for a genuine front hub for the Liberty. I had mine done a couple of years ago. As for the labour then if it is 2 hours work then that'd be well within reason. Not having done it myself I reckon it'd only take an hour or so, but some places would have a standard labour charge for certain things like that anyway, I know some Subaru dealers do. Some places charge labour in a "..or part thereof" hourly basis.