[cscrumal]

Hi - I have a 2017 Subaru Forester 2.5i Premium. It has a little over 60,000 miles and I am the second owner so I’m not entirely sure what has been done to the car previously.

However, I did have a mechanic that I trust (and who only services Asian made cars) look it over and they recommended a few things that needed to be done. One was new brake pads, but the biggest one was spark plugs along with some other scheduled services (front and rear differential fluid replacement and CVT fluid placement). The mechanic mentioned that this type of model has spark plugs that are a bit more difficult to install so the labor is a little bit more extensive and they quoted me a little over $400 ($138 for parts and $320 for labor).

Does all of this seem fair? And should I also have them do the other fluid services/is that warranted too?

Thanks for any advise!

 

[bigbird1]

The labor rate to replace plugs at my dealership is $139 CAD, or just over $100 USD.
I believe they change them from below with the car up on the hoist, thus no need to pull the battery and air intake tubing.

 

[Black21Limited]

That's $34.50 for each spark plug, and $80 each to R&R each one.

Sounds high to me, but to someone else, it might seem fair.

 

[Tundraman]

I paid $75 for 4 Subaru plugs from Amazon. I installed my own. I removed the battery and air box on my 2015 forester. No way I’d pay that.

 

[ForesterBill]

In March 2021 my Subaru dealer charged $289 for a spark plug change on my 2018.
I would have the diff fluids changed if there is no record of it being done in the past. Brake fluid too.
Have you pulled a Vehicle History Report (VHR) such as a CarFax? Sometimes a VHR will list maintenance that has been performed.
Re CVT fluid, it's a good idea to change it at 60k miles but it is not a simple drain & fill procedure. Is your trusted mechanic familiar with the proper procedure including monitoring the temperature of CVTF upon refilling? I think it's best to have a Subaru dealer do the CVTF change while your CVT is still under the extended 10 year / 100k mile SOA warranty.

 

[Natedog]

$400 parts and labor to replace all four plugs is inline with what I've seen at the dealer and couple independent shops.

 

[[email protected]]

If your mechanic needs three hours to replace four plugs at $100 an hour. I have beat his time by about half.

 

[Mr.AC]

$400 for spark plugs is on a forester is kind of a good deal for someone else to work on it. At lest in my part of California
The plugs themselves are $25-28 each. Yeah its a pricy meatball.

You can do the plugs your self, it is a bit of a pain in the rear, but doable. You'll need to buy a 14mm spark plug socket, or a magnetic pickup tool.
You can YouTube it if you want to DIY it.

Would I pay that much? No way. A basic set of hand tools can get the job done.

 

[AMJ]

$400 for spark plugs is on a forester is kind of a good deal for someone else to work on it. At lest in my part of California
The plugs themselves are $25-28 each. Yeah its a pricy meatball.

You can do the plugs your self, it is a bit of a pain in the rear, but doable. You'll need to buy a 14mm spark plug socket, or a magnetic pickup tool.
You can YouTube it if you want to DIY it.

Would I pay that much? No way. A basic set of hand tools can get the job done.

I think I paid about $450 in Missour.

 

[Theseus161]

The Forester allows a fairly painless spark plug replacement. Two 1” extensions and a quality 14mm spark plug socket. Buy a SP socket with retention clips, not rubber friction inserts. Very hard to fish that rubber out if it comes off or breaks. $400 is not a lot for tech service. I’ve seen quotes as high as $600.

 

[FozzieBalou]

It's not a job I've had done yet but have had circling in my brain for a few weeks.

I know that the plugs are buried because of the flat engine design. I've dealt with "buried" plugs before - my PT Cruiser has the plugs on the top/back of the engine under the intake manifold and the Town & Country has 3 of the 6 plugs in the back as well.

 

[[email protected]]

Move the battery and air box out of way: 10mm bolts. A swivel 3/8 extension is highly recommended. Don’t cross the threads.