You can get a good idea if you're paying a fair price at www.repairpal.com

To Dan in Cicero - not to sound like a jerk but when it becomes inspection time why don't you phone Click and Clack and ask where you can get a legal inspection sticker for your car with a check engine light on. If you think you can just scape a current one off and put it on your car good luck but when you get pulled over and it doesn't match the car enjoy the fines. On a more serious note I won't disagree that some shops take advantage people thats why anyone that has thier vehicle repaired should go to a reputable shop and get to now thier mechanic-ask questions-if you think a price is too high call around before comitting to a repair. Remember your ultimately responsible for yourself and unfortunately sometimes people take advantage of each other if they think that they can get away with it.

Check engine light means check engine. The reason a check engine light comes on is because a system in the vehicle has a "fault". This may or may not effect engine performance but if the light comes on it will cause excess emissions. Many check engine light repairs that do not effect performance can be costly. This is the reason that some people have a " bad taste in thier mouth" after spending hundreds of dollars to turn off a light that didn't effect how the vehicle performs. Unfortunatly for the consumer New York State mandates that all vehicles model year 1996 and newer do not have a check engine light on at the time of the inspection. However with all of this taken into consideration at least in our area we do not also have to pass a simulated dynometer emissions test that is required in the NYMA (New York Metropoliton Area). Which has substationally reduced smog in city areas.

My 2001 Chevy truck picked up in Oct '00 only has 60k miles on it (due to traveling by air to customer sites weekly) and the friggin' bottom is completely rusted out - emergency and main braking systems all replaced, front end needed replacement, and just recently, the rear differential catastrophically failed. Financially trying to do the right thing by keeping the 9 year old vehicle but damn... either the winter salt or the vehicle's quality or both are strong forces against it.

Most repairs aren't necessary. They just think that if we're not going to buy a car, then we must keep putting money into a vehicle that probably could be OK for quite a while without it. And do what Click & Clack say to do when the Check Engine light goes on: put a piece of black tape over it!

check engine light = check engine never = ripoff