What was your most expensive repair?

[muffintop]

I realize this can be broken up into cosmetic/mechanical and warranty/out of pocket. So I guess we can share from all different perspectives of repair that we've had. Feel free to share about awesomely cheap repairs that you've made work as well.

I forgot to check the brakes on my truck and they wore down to metal on metal costing a good $160 for all new rotors and pads. -__-


Oh and my Dad ponied up something like $500 IIRC for a water cooled BMW X5 alternator.

[mike02467]

More than you can afford, pal. Volkswagen Golf 3 2.0 needed a fresh tranny and the radiator was starting to lose coolant pretty fast. Was a good hunk of cash.

[FiveAinOne]

Probably $1500 out of pocket for rebuilding transmission + install

[roflingsam]

this is not the most expensive but the most i got ripped off. i think it was like $350 to install a serpentine belt and tensioner in a b5 a4 in the middle of nowhere in new mexico. i overnight shipped the parts myself because they couldnt get a tensioner in the whole city. the guy said he use to work at audi in california and quoted me 4-5 hours to do the job. i later found out it only takes like 30 mins to do the job when i was getting my timing belt done.

[mr lee]

B6 S4 Timing Chains and Cam Adjusters

Dealer Quote: $8500
DIY: $4800

[derekjl]

B6 S4 Timing Chains and Cam Adjusters

Dealer Quote: $8500
DIY: $4800

[jettagli1991]

In 12 years and 25 old cars or so, probably the $900 and change I just paid to have my Mustang transmission rebuilt. Usually if a car were to need more than that and I couldn't do it myself, I'd ditch it and buy another.

[r2kool4u]

2003 20AE GTI

Trans rebuild after third gear fork broke-$100
New/rebuilt Pass. side hub and axle-FREE
New Positive Cable from battery to fuse box-FREE
New E Brake Boot off of Mexican GLI-FREE

Wow I thought I was spending a lot of money haha. I love having friends who have stashes of parts and are willing to help me out anyway they can.


Forgot about my Dodge Shadow.

Used trans out of Daytona-$90
New alternator-$152
New water pump-$65 I think
Machining on water pump housing-$75
New plugs and wires-$75
New air filter-$45
There has to be more but I had the car for over 4 years and didn't drive it for almost two so I can't remember everything.

[ToucheTurtle]

170 dollars for a new alternator Ford parts FTW.

[mor3deadmau5]

More than you can afford, pal. Volkswagen Golf 3 2.0 needed a fresh tranny and the radiator was starting to lose coolant pretty fast. Was a good hunk of cash.

You're not serious, right?

[zhenya00]

Full motor rebuild on the Cosworth.

Don't ask. Just know that valves are $100 each. Guides and shims not included.

[KC Jazz]

When I was 17, I thought it'd be super badass to do a giant burnout in my first 20th GTI, on my way to get new tires.

I, at some point, had figured out that doing it in 2nd gear would prevent the car from creeping forward while the e-brake was yanked.

I did a massive like 30 second burnout. Called it quits. Clutch pedal went to the floor when I decided to leave and get my new tires put on.

Clutch, flywheel, throwout bearing, pressure plate.

Yeahhhhhhhh go me. Somewhere right under $2k. Car had like 46k on it or something. This might be the first time I've ever admitted to it online, hahah.

[nastybags]

Mine was about 1500 on a new subframe,oil pan and install

[feels_road]

~$14,000 on my Passat, when an elderly lady-handled my parked car via acute pedal-confusion, managing to pin-ball it into several other parked cars, and damaging all four sides, all lights, two doors and the hatch, and pulverizing the catalytic converter, among other damage. Of course, I did not have to pay.

No, it did not have any "frame" damage, and yes, her Buick was totaled.

Eight years later, car still drives perfectly fine (take that, 'it will never drive the same'-sayers!) - except the front passenger door is a bit on the saggy side and will need re-adjustment.

[stascom]

~$14,000 on my Passat, when an elderly lady-handled my parked car via acute pedal-confusion, managing to pin-ball it into several other parked cars, and damaging all four sides, all lights, two doors and the hatch, and pulverizing the catalytic converter, among other damage. Of course, I did not have to pay.

No, it did not have any "frame" damage, and yes, her Buick was totaled.

Eight years later, car still drives perfectly fine (take that, 'it will never drive the same'-sayers!) - except the front passenger door is a bit on the saggy side and will need re-adjustment.

Why wouldn't it? But, no, the car is not the same and never will be. Carry on.

[stascom]

When I was 17, I thought it'd be super badass to do a giant burnout in my first 20th GTI, on my way to get new tires.

I, at some point, had figured out that doing it in 2nd gear would prevent the car from creeping forward while the e-brake was yanked.

I did a massive like 30 second burnout. Called it quits. Clutch pedal went to the floor when I decided to leave and get my new tires put on.

Clutch, flywheel, throwout bearing, pressure plate.

Yeahhhhhhhh go me. Somewhere right under $2k. Car had like 46k on it or something. This might be the first time I've ever admitted to it online, hahah.

[A.Wilder]

$700 for new radiator + install + a few other things that needed fixing/replacing on the Volvo. I try to do repairs myself, but i didn't have the space to pull the radiator at the time.

[GodSquadMandrake]

$1000 when someone ramed the trailer hitch of their SUV through the front grill of my old MK2 when it was parked at a community college parking lot. When I came back the hood was buckled, grill and headlights destroyed and somehow the tranny parking pin had sheared and took the rest of the gears out with it so it needed a new tranny.

[khuygie88]

Mine was about 1500 on a new subframe,oil pan and install

I see you live in RI- mind sharing where this happened so I can avoid it?

[Shomegrown]

When the engine or transmission blew in my Saabaru 92x. Luckily both were covered under warranty.

[Sledge]

In order to fix Honda's hybrid reprogramming, I sold the HCH2 and bought the Prius

[Aonarch]

B6 S4 Timing Chains and Cam Adjusters

Dealer Quote: $8500
DIY: $4800

[GoRacers]

Timing chains and clutch on my mk3 vr6 gti. It was a little over my head at the time, so I paid to have it done. I think it was $2300?

[feels_road]

Why wouldn't it? But, no, the car is not the same and never will be. Carry on.

Yeah, clearly, eight years later I am unable to judge.

In all this time, all I see is idiots who replicate 'Oh, can't ever be the same' without actual experience. My experience is 5 plus decades, and all I am saying is that if properly done, there is absolutely nothing to worry about.

[vasillalov]

HPFP ( x2 ) and Injectors for my 335i - Fixed free under warranty. I estimate it would be around $2K in labor and parts.

The most expensive repair that I had to pay for after warranty was 1 injector and decoupling element which cost me $130. I did it myself, including the programming for the new injector.

The rest $10K is in mods.

[Heffernan]

$3500 to rebuilt my transmission. Thank God for warranties.

[dentinger]

$440 last weekend on my '11 Ram

got rear ended, took the cash payout instead.
found a used sport bumper for $240, and had it painted for $200.

the bodyshop quoted me $750 for the bumper, plus paint and labour.

[Air-over-water]

$500 for a rebuilt trans with shorter gears, 1-4(5th was the same), and a LSD.

[VW_Enthu1]

The quote: $5200 from a dealer to replace timing chains on a Eurovan. This is not the engine....not the trans...just the timing chains and guides.

Thanks for the business partnership VW, but no thanks. I sold the van the next day...

[WakusPakus]

2800$ - out of pocket, new trans, transfer case and hubs for the truck.

[In 4 Bagels, Left Hungry]

That roast of the corvette clutch just makes me cringe...

*To reply for the thread, mine would have to be a clutch kit for the civic. PO apparently didnt know how to drive, bought it with 46K miles and it started slipping a few weeks afterwards..

[Dan92SLC]

So far I've spent over $12,000 on my 911 just bringing it into acceptable stockish condition. Not including purchase price.

[Aseras]

2 years ago driving up 95 just south of Brunswick a kamikaze pig ran out in front of my rx8. Gift wrapped the radiator/condenser over the engine, exploded all the front plastic. Ruptured the fuel tank and and removed the catalytic convertor and muffler on the way out the back. Cosmetically only the lower front air dam was cracked. Car was in the shop for 5 months. I got a new everything under the car but the transmission. Over $9800 in parts and a ridiculous amount of labor. Car would have been totaled but insurance had $6k in parts on it already before the engine got replaced. It was cheaper to finish.

[cmVR6]

$1090 for clutch, flywheel and timing chains on a MK4 VR6.

[deucestudios]

I had an '89 new yorker when I was 18, something the trans went.
I got a quote for $3200 to have it fixed, I had paid $900 for it.
Drove that thing for 3 more weeks, topping out at 42mph in 1st gear, then purple heart'd it.