COST OF A SQUEAKY DOOR FIX FOR CARS -

Before starting to solve the squeaky door problem, knowing the cost of repair may come in handy.

In this article you’ll see the cost of the most common solutions for this problem.

This will perhaps give you a better picture about the repair either you’re doing it yourself or you’re going to visit a mechanic or dealership.

If you haven’t solved the squeaky door problem on your car already, you can read an article on this topic by clicking on this link or watch a video tutorial on our You Tube channel).

OPTIONS FOR FIXING A SQUEAKY DOOR

Once you encounter this problem you basically have two options:

1. Try to solve it on your own completely.

This will be the case if the door hinges or check links only need lubrication.

2. Drive your car to the nearest mechanic or dealership and let them solve the problem.

Most drivers will do this if the lubrication method didn’t help and there is a more serious problem that demands more work (like replacing door hinges or check links).

The explanation and cost assessment further in the article will start from these two points.

Also, the stated prices of items, labor, parts and other vary from country to country depending on things like your car parts market, availability of parts, labor price etc.

This article will give you a rough estimate but it’s always best to make an additional query in your country and place of living to get an exact picture of what lays ahead of you in terms of cost.

COST OF A DIY OPTION

This option is good if you only need to lubricate the hinges or check links. No replacements nor other more serious work is involved.

The price of labor is, of course zero. I won’t count in your time as the DIY option never includes this.

You’ll only have to pay for various lubricants under the condition that you don’t have any around the household.

If you don’t, then a can of WD-40 spray, lubricant spray, lithium grease or engine oil won’t cost you more than 5 to 10 Euros on average. The price depends mostly on the size, type and quality of lubricant.

If you do have these then it’s of course free.

Also worth mentioning: if you have to buy the lubricants and your going to use them only to make a squeaky door fix, then buy smaller packages.

Unless you’re going to use the lubricants for other purposes, buy only as much as you need.

To recap on this part: the price of a DIY repair of a squeaky door goes from completely free to about 10 Euros. This is under the circumstance that you don’t have to replace any parts.

SQUEAKY DOOR FIX-VISITING A MECHANIC OR DEALERSHIP

Most drivers and car owners go for this option when one or more parts have to be replaced.

Some visit a good mechanic or dealership even if the squeaky door can be fixed by only lubricating it. They simply don’t have the time, will or other reason for doing it.

In this case (just for lubricating) the garage or dealership shouldn’t charge more than 10 Euros for the whole job. If you’re a regular customer, for instance they might even do it for free.

On the other hand, if there is a more serious problem and the lubricating didn’t help,then there will be ,of course, more cost.

Two main parts that may have to replaced (per one door) are the door hinges (one or both) or the check link.

Door hinges

This squeaky door fix has the highest price tag and is the most complicated. It also involves some serious labor.

Luckily, the door hinges are rarely the cause of a squeaky door problem. They usually last as long as the car and replacement is needed mostly in extraordinary cases like if the car has been in an accident (hinges bent or damaged), the car has rust issues and so on.

In order to make this repair, the car door has to be taken off completely. This means additional man power (in most cases) which will increase the cost. Also there will be other dismantling involved (like wiring installation, trim parts or else).

The price also depends on how the hinges are held in place.

If they are held by screws or nuts then the job is cheaper (just screw off the old hinge and screw in the new one).

However, if the door hinges are welded to either the door or the car body, then they have to be cut off and new ones welded back. This significantly heightens the whole price as it will involve grinding, welding and even some body-painting afterwards.

New hinges are not that expensive to buy. Buying used ones in good condition is also a good option.

You should also know that hinges, on most cars can be disassembled, cleaned and successfully returned on to the car. So check out what is the condition of the hinges before buying.

If you have to buy the hinges, they will cost from 5 to 20 Euros a piece, even more for premium brand cars.

So to sum up:

If the door hinges are held with screws or nuts and don’t have to be replaced but refurbished:

50 to 100 Euros on average. You’ll be practically paying just for the labor.

If the door hinges are held in place with screws or nuts and need to be replaced:

110 to 150 Euros depending on the price of the hinges (labor cost 100 Euros + hinges 5-20 Euros a piece).

If the door hinges are welded in to place and need to be changed:

200 to 300 Euros. Grinding and welding are necessary to fix a squeaky door problem like this one. They are considered expert jobs and are charged that way. Also, some parts of the door or car body may have to be re-painted in order to hide the welding marks.

As mentioned a pretty pricey repair. All of these prices go up even more for premium brand cars.

Of course, you always have the DIY option which is possible. I would recommend it if the hinges are held by screws or nuts.

Also, some experience around fixing cars is preferable as well as a helping hand in order to remove and return the door.

Best don’t try to take the door off yourself. It’s pretty heavy and you can injure yourself not to mention the possibility of damaging the door.

If the hinges are welded, I would recommend to leave the whole job to a professional, best to a technician specialized in auto body repair and painting.

However, if you have experience in grinding and welding, you can try and do it yourself. Just make sure to properly align the hinges and the door.

Check links

Check links are less complicated and less expensive to replace.

The average price of a check link is about 15 to 30 Euros a piece (for a new one). A used one in good condition is also a valid option.

Labor cost shouldn’t go over 20 Euros except if there are accessibility issues which means additional work and time (taking off trim parts or else).

So, the end cost should be:

35 to 50 Euros for the whole job (for premium brand cars could be even more).

On this part I would highly recommend replacing the check link by yourself as it’s a pretty easy job (on most cars).

It involves taking off a couple of screws or nuts at most.

If there is an accessibility issue for removing the check link then just Google the exact procedure for your car to avoid causing damage (like breaking off trim parts or else).

CONCLUSION

In the majority of squeaky door problems, lubricating will solve the problem.
Door hinges are rarely the cause of problems. If they are, make a good assessment of the repair at hand. If the repair involves grinding, welding or re-painting, best leave it to a professional (unless you have the experience and tools needed). This option is also the most costly. Consider a DIY option if the hinges are held by screws or nuts but know that you’ll have to have some experience around car repairs.
Check links, after the the lack of lubrication, are the most common cause of a squeaky door. Luckily they aren’t that expensive nor complicated to replace. Definitely a DIY job, only problem can be accessibility issues and additional dismantling (like plastic trim parts).