2005 4Runner ignition coil replacement cost

[Fivepak]

Hello fellow T4R owners. Just looking for your input on whether I should return to this garage for future servicing.

The check engine light came on my 2005 Tr$ so I brought it in to a local garage here in Ottawa, Ontario (Canada). Garage read the error code as a misfire on cyclinder 4. They took out the spark plug and determined there was gas in there so it looks like it needs a new ignition coil. He priced me 155$ for aftermarket coil, I asked him if he had called Toyota and he hadn't. He subsequently called me back and said that the OEM from Toyota was 135$ but that they had none in stock and the earliest they would have it would be tomorrow. I told him to go ahead with the aftermarket after he said he'd get his supplier to price match the OEM part.

He's charging 95$ labor... 1/2 hour to diagnose and 1/2 hour to install. Does that seem pretty reasonable? My understanding is the diagnostic includes plugging up a reader to determine code error, then removing the ignition coil/spark plug. All that shouldn't take 1 hour, or should it? (This garage boasts itself in charging the time it actually takes versus what the "books" at the various dealerships says).

I'm going to pay this amount regardless but just looking for opinions from astute T4R owners as to whether this is reasonable price and a garage worth going to for future servicing?

I was surprised (happy) that he didn't tell me I needed new spark plugs... something other garages might have pulled since I admitted to never having changed the plugs.

Thanks in advance.

 

[OzarkRunner]

My guess is that the shop only quotes in half-hour increments, because it shouldn't take thirty minutes.
Now, I won't say that's a terrible deal, because I could see a shop's need for some pricing standards on time. I think it just looks uglier here since the time needed is so small.

 

[88mustanggt]

That is fair, diagnostics is more than just pluging in a scanner. he most likely removed the plug and coil and moved it to another cylinder, drove the truck to see what cylinder the misfire moved to. shop has to keep the doors open and be able to stand behind the work.

 

[RCs4Runner]

You could've replaced it yourself in less than 1 min.

 

[drewm]

Hello fellow T4R owners. Just looking for your input on whether I should return to this garage for future servicing.

The check engine light came on my 2005 Tr$ so I brought it in to a local garage here in Ottawa, Ontario (Canada). Garage read the error code as a misfire on cyclinder 4. They took out the spark plug and determined there was gas in there so it looks like it needs a new ignition coil. He priced me 155$ for aftermarket coil, I asked him if he had called Toyota and he hadn't. He subsequently called me back and said that the OEM from Toyota was 135$ but that they had none in stock and the earliest they would have it would be tomorrow. I told him to go ahead with the aftermarket after he said he'd get his supplier to price match the OEM part.

He's charging 95$ labor... 1/2 hour to diagnose and 1/2 hour to install. Does that seem pretty reasonable? My understanding is the diagnostic includes plugging up a reader to determine code error, then removing the ignition coil/spark plug. All that shouldn't take 1 hour, or should it? (This garage boasts itself in charging the time it actually takes versus what the "books" at the various dealerships says).

I'm going to pay this amount regardless but just looking for opinions from astute T4R owners as to whether this is reasonable price and a garage worth going to for future servicing?

I was surprised (happy) that he didn't tell me I needed new spark plugs... something other garages might have pulled since I admitted to never having changed the plugs.

Thanks in advance.

Do you have over 100k on your plugs? It wouldn't be funny in the end if it turned out that you paid for a new ignition coil when your plugs ended up being the problem. New plugs cost half the amount of that ignition coil. You should change your plugs.

 

[txrunner06]

Very easy to do yourself I saw a ignition coils on rock auto range from $35 to $100 or so depending what you want. Takes maybe 15 mins to swap out yourself and heck of alot cheaper.

 

[Fivepak]

I wouldn't have known it was an ignition coil or on what cylinder it was misfiring unless I brought it in to get diagnosed or invested in a code reader. And I'm not that mechanically inclined...

Based on everyone's input I don't feel like I should believe this garage's claim that they only charge customers actual labor time because if that was the case labour shouldn't have been more than 30 minutes or so.

Still better than the Toyota dealership though who wanted 140$ for diagnostic alone and then 180$ for part/labour!

Thanks for all your input. Most importantly is that she's running like a beaut again!