Q. My daughter’s 2018 Dodge Durango parking brake doesn’t work. When the parking brake pedal is depressed, it goes down to the car floor with no resistance. The shop said the parking brake cable needs to be replaced and quoted a price of $1,200. The price seems excessive, but I could be wrong. Is a cable replacement the fix, and if so, is the repair cost reasonable?

A. If the cables are rusted or stretched, then a cable replacement is the proper repair. I am guessing the shop looked at the parking brake shoes and adjustments first before recommending the cable replacement. This setup uses three cables, with a total parts cost of about $350. In this case, it is the labor that adds to the cost. According to the typical flat-rate guide, it will take five hours to complete this job. With labor rates, in some cases, exceeding $250 per hour, it is easy to see how this repair could cost $1,200.

Q. I had a most unpleasant experience with a repair shop. I am an older woman, and when the mechanic repaired my car, the part was defective, only lasting about a week. He said he would replace the defective part for $100. When I expressed surprise, he said he could put in a “lower-grade replacement” for $50, but that I might soon experience the failure of the part again. Of course, I expected him to replace the defective part for free, but when I tried to get in a word, he continued to talk over me. Needless........

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