Hi all,
My Saturn SW2 station wagon was stolen, but I got it back, but the ignition was totally removed.
When I got it to the mechanic, I was told that not only do I have to replace the ignition, but the whole steering column. The vinyl covering of the steering column had been taken apart, it;s true, but the mechanic said that when they do this, you have to replace the whole column, and that the gears had been broken.
I don't know what gears he meant. I had to get help to get the car started with a screwdriver, but after that it drove just fine. The mechanic did not even look at the steering column, at its mechanical condition, I mean. He just saw that the covering had been pried apart and pronounced that the whole column had to be replaced. I tend to think he could have looked at it a little more carefully before making that judgement.
My b/f has been to this place before, and considers them good, (although he does't know much about car repair), but on the expensive side.
The guy is charging us $475.00 for a re-built steering column! He also proclaimed that a new one from the dealer would cost $1500.
Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Tracy