2013 Subaru Forester – $4k in recommended repairs after $2k service. Advice?
Hi everyone, I’m hoping to get some insight on a quote I received for my automatic 2013 Subaru Forester with about 185,000 km. FYI I'm located in Alberta (prices in Canadian dollars), and most of the mileage is from highway driving if that matters at all.
I just paid $2,000 for regular scheduled maintenance + rear brake pads at my usual mechanic, where I've been going for 5 years. The car has never needed more than the regular scheduled maintenance so I feel I've been lucky!
While picking up the car this time, the shop recommended an additional $4,000+ in repairs, including:
- Replace leaking power steering pump ($1520.32)
- Reseal leaking spark plug tubes / valve covers ($562.26)
- Front lower control arms + alignment ($1999.58)
I'm trying to figure out if these are reasonable prices, and if some of these repairs should take priority over others? Or if they're all urgent and should be done ASAP.
The car is currently driving fine, although steering feels a bit loose/wobbly especially at high speeds when it's windy (although I always thought this was due to bad aerodynamics? -- but it's maybe gotten worse in the last 6 months). No strange noises or other behaviour.
I’ve attached the quote for reference.
I'm thinking of getting a second opinion from another shop in the area as well, is there anything I should keep in mind when doing that?
Any advice would be really appreciated—thank you in advance!