I got into an accident where I was hit on the drivers side. The front wheel is bent in and the steering is off. I have been driving on it for a while and finally saved up a little money to get it fixed. However, I went to a general mechanic and he told me that I need to replace the front left strut and also the upper control arm. I didn't like his price so I took it to a second place. This time I took it to a certified Mercedes repair shop. They told me that it is actually the lower control arm and the spindle that needs to be replaced. They quoted me $1,700 to do this. That seems just out of this world, insanely expensive! I can't afford that at all. I was searching for parts online and it seems that the lower control arm only costs $200, so why so expensive. Is it just the place? Should I go to multiple places or is this a standard price? Thank you so much in advance!

 

I understand all of that, but it's not 10 hours of work!

 

You think it is 'minor' damage, but when you say your front wheel is bent and the steering is off then you are talking about a lot of damage.
With the link you also have to change the ball joints, perhaps even the main steering rods, line the whole car again.
To be honest, at today's tariffs I think you can even call it cheap if you have it done by an official mechanic.

If you would get the spare parts second hand, change them out yourself and then have the car lined again you will save a lot of money...........but the question is whether you are able to do that or not ?
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