Car Starter Repair Cost Guide

Is your vehicle not starting up every time you turn the key it? It could be that you need a new starter, or that some part of your starter is failing. This can happen to any car after it has been used for a long time. Parts of the starter can wear down with repeated use and may need to be replaced.

You’re looking at about $47-$220 for the labor costs on a car starter. It should take between one and two hours for the mechanic to change out the car starter for you. The range comes from that fact that all vehicles are a little different, and there may be more or less work to get to your car starter and take it out than there would be with someone else’s car.

The parts are going to cost about twice as much as the labor, with a parts cost of $120-$800 being the norm. You’ll usually pay more for both parts and labor if you go with a dealership for the repairs.

Starter Repair Cost Comparison

The majority of garages will offer starter repair as a standard service, and we’ve collected some example prices for parts and labor from some of the leading chains. Costs can fluctuate depending on your make and model of car, but it should give you a general idea of what you’ll pay for repairs.

Your Mechanic

Midas

Mr. Tire

NAPA

Walmart

Amazon

What is Starter Repair?

The car starter is one of the components necessary to make your car turn on. It transfers power from the battery to the engine. When you turn the key and the ignition begins, the power from the battery goes through the starter and makes its way to the other components of the car that cause it to operate.

If the starter isn’t working properly, your car won’t start and will essentially be unusable. Starter repair typically involves a simple replacement of the starter, as the component can be tricky to repair. Parts are reasonably inexpensive when compared with the labor costs involved in a repair, so a straight replacement is almost always the best option.

Benefits of Car Starter Repair

Without a working starter, your vehicle will not turn on. If your starter begins to fail and only turns on occasionally, then you’ll have an unreliable car. While this isn’t a very large part of the car or a very expensive one, it is vital, and you want to make sure it is kept in good working order. If the starter fails, you won’t be able to go anywhere in your car.

When Should You Have a Car Starter Replaced?

You will probably notice the signs of starter failure a while before it completely gives out on you. Typically, the starter solenoid will be the first part to fail. This small component can wear out after a while, and with most starter problems it is the key.

You may hear a clicking noise when you try to start your car. The car may need several turns of the key before it actually starts up. What this can mean is that your battery power is low, some cables or wires are not connected properly or your solenoid is failing. All of them need to be addressed right away, as you don’t want to be stranded somewhere. You need to be able to rely on your car working when you need it to.

Just because your car does not start does not mean that your starter is to blame. If you have a modern car, you may be dealing with a coding error. That could mean that the key used to start your car is the problem and not anything that is inside your car.

You want to make sure that the problem is diagnosed correctly before you jump to any conclusions. Have a mechanic check out your car before you do any self-repair or demand something be fixed. There are many other automotive repairs that might be necessary. You want to ascertain that the problem is the starter before you replace it.

What Is Done during a Car Starter Replacement?

1. The mechanic is going to start by performing an inspection on the car, trying to determine what the actual problem is. Maybe the solenoid for the starter is at fault or maybe it is something that is disconnected that should not be.
2. In some cases, just cleaning the battery and starter components may be enough to solve the problem. That’s where your mechanic will likely start- by cleaning.
3. He will clean the battery and its connectors in an effort to make sure that those are not part of the problem. Even if the starter needs to be replaced, cleaning up the battery and its components will ensure that the new starter works better.
4. Once everything is cleaned, the mechanic will disconnect the starter from the battery and take out the part that is deemed to be at fault. Usually that’s the starter solenoid.
5. Once he has replaced the part that is perceived to be at fault, the mechanic will reconnect everything and test the car.
6. If it works, the mechanic’s work will be done, but otherwise, he will have to go back in there and keep trying to figure out which part is faulty.

How to Save Money on a Car Starter

To reduce the cost to you for replacing a car starter or its parts, you can attempt to do the work on your own. The main thing to watch out for if you go this route, however, is that you are not misdiagnosing the problem. It is easy to assume the starter is at fault when in fact it is something else entirely. There are numerous components of the car related to making it start up, and they should all be checked before you start taking out parts and replacing them

Remember to do a thorough cleaning of the battery and its connectors when you are trying to fix the starter. These components will ensure that your new starter works well.

You may not be up to the task of doing the replacement on your own. In that case, you can just buy the parts for your car and bring them to your mechanic. You may be able to get them for far cheaper than what the mechanic will charge you. Just keep in mind that you need to diagnose the problem properly before you start buying car parts.

How Much Does It Cost To Replace A Starter?

Below are some sample repair costs for some of the most widely-owned cars in the country. In general, you can expect to pay similar prices for the same brand of car or for a similar size, but costs will vary from place to place.