Is this a good price for a radiator replacement?

enargins

2003 Dodge Caravan SE. 105K miles.

Car place says I have a 3 inch crack in my radiator and it needs to be replaced. Said it's near the top right where a hose connected, and said it's a common place for a crack to develop. Said there was only about a gallon of fluid left in it.

Quoted me $520 for replacement, including MOPAR fluid. Is that a good price?

Also: is there anything I could have done to repair the crack if I had caught it when it was small, before it became a large crack? Just wondering.

The car has 105,000 miles on it, and I've had it since '06 and have never done a radiator flush on it (stupidly). I imagine that's what caused the crack?

Are there any other components besides the radiator that I should have them check for possible damage, having never done a radiator flush on it?

Thanks!

thecardoc3

The one thing you cannot do is repair the plastic tank. That actually leads to a sudden and dangerous failure in a very short time. I got very lucky when a vehicle owner had done exactly that on a Saab that had been sitting for a couple of years and he had asked me to get it running so he could sell it. I had it running outside the shop and went out to do some final checks before the first road test. I was leaning right over where the tank was "repaired". It burst only a few seconds after I stepped back from the car. It would have gotten me from the waist up if I had still been standing where I was.

As far as the price goes, it appears to be reasonable. The cost of living (doing business) varies, so some places might be higher, others lower.