How much for spark plugs?

[Larry Weil]

I usually change my own spark plugs, but on my 2008 Impreza 2.5i I took a
good look at how little clearance there was between the plug openings and
other parts of the car, such as the battery. Combining that with that I
recently had surgery and did not want to strain myself I took the car to
the dealer to get the plugs changed.

It was really my fault for not asking "how much" before they began, but
what a shock when the bill came to $189. They charged $12.98 for each plug
(It's probably less than two bucks for the same plugs at any parts house),
and a whopping $138 for labor. It did take them about an hour to do the
job, so I know it was not easy, but still this seems like a lot. And they
did wash the car for free and give me a free cup of coffee, but still....

I'm wondering if others here have had this done and how much it cost them,
and if others here feel the charge is excessive? And in case you are
wondering, the dealer is Singer Subaru in Plaistow, NH.

BTW, I did call an independent repair shop before calling the dealer, the
independent shop told me I would need to leave the car all day, which would
have been a problem for me. I think I should have tried a different repair
shop!

 

[Tony Hwang]

I usually change my own spark plugs, but on my 2008 Impreza 2.5i I took a
good look at how little clearance there was between the plug openings and
other parts of the car, such as the battery. Combining that with that I
recently had surgery and did not want to strain myself I took the car to
the dealer to get the plugs changed.

It was really my fault for not asking "how much" before they began, but
what a shock when the bill came to $189. They charged $12.98 for each plug
(It's probably less than two bucks for the same plugs at any parts house),
and a whopping $138 for labor. It did take them about an hour to do the
job, so I know it was not easy, but still this seems like a lot. And they
did wash the car for free and give me a free cup of coffee, but still....

I'm wondering if others here have had this done and how much it cost them,
and if others here feel the charge is excessive? And in case you are
wondering, the dealer is Singer Subaru in Plaistow, NH.

BTW, I did call an independent repair shop before calling the dealer, the
independent shop told me I would need to leave the car all day, which would
have been a problem for me. I think I should have tried a different repair
shop!

Hi,
Install iridium plugs. They last LONG time.

 

[clare]

Hi,
Install iridium plugs. They last LONG time.

Likely what the dealer installed. $12.95 each is high but not highway
rabbery. You have a pretty good idea what is involved labour-wise or
you would have done it yourself - recent surgery or not.

 

[VanguardLH]

Likely what the dealer installed. $12.95 each is high but not highway
rabbery. You have a pretty good idea what is involved labour-wise or
you would have done it yourself - recent surgery or not.

I my area, iridium plugs run around $7 at the parts stores. The cheapo
plugs run about $1.50. Yes, $13 per iridium plug is exorbitant but not
robbery. Just how long did their plug jockey work to replace just the
4 plugs to earn them $138? With a minimum of a 1-hour charge, isn't
$138/hour still a bit overly steep? According to Edmunds, the costs
(in my area) should've been $15.20 for plugs and $44.10 for labor.
Looks like the OP needs to find out what ELSE the shop did since he
paid for something far and beyond the cost just to change his spark
plugs. Maybe he should call a well-known reputable independent car
shop and ask them for a phone quote on their cost to replace his spark
plugs.

Just saw a "Pulstar" plug advertized at AutoZone for $50 per pair
(http://www.pulstar.com/). Yikes! And ouch on the wallet! Wonder if
anyone has tried collecting on their 30-day money back guarantee.

 

[nobody >]

Just saw a "Pulstar" plug advertized at AutoZone for $50 per pair
(http://www.pulstar.com/). Yikes! And ouch on the wallet! Wonder if
anyone has tried collecting on their 30-day money back guarantee.

Damned if someone hasn't resurrected the "capacitor" spark plug hoax and
re-released it.

Back in the 50's/early 60's, they sold add-on capacitor doohickeys that
sat on top of the plug. Someone gave me a set to play with, they
measured about .04 uF (microfarads) on an old cap checker I had.

No measurable mpg difference, no feelable HP gains, possibly a tad bit
easier starting in extremely cold weather (hard to measure, and that
could have happened from just reconnecting the plug wires and scraping a
little bit of corrosion off the connectors). This was on old points-type
ignition.

About the only thing I can say is that it didn't make things worse.

 

[Larry Weil]

Hi,
Install iridium plugs. They last LONG time.

As far as I know, they put in regular copper plugs.

 

[Squat n'Dive]

Hi,
Install iridium plugs. They last LONG time.

Like you can tell a difference from the cheap ones
with the american gas. Find some crap gas in the US or Canada and
we'll talk.