How Much Does a Fuel Pump Replacement Cost?
The fuel pump is responsible for delivering the right amount of fuel at a high enough pressure from the fuel tank to the vehicle’s fuel injectors.
In modern-day vehicles, the fuel pump uses an electrical motor which drives a fuel pump, located either inside or outside of the fuel tank. Regardless of this location, the fuel is absorbed from the tank and eventually pushed through the fuel line to the filter and lastly, to the fuel injectors.
Fuel pump replacement cost
The cost of replacing a fuel pump will greatly depend on the vehicle you drive, your geographical location, where it’s located and the mechanic/dealer you use. As all cars vary with the setup and the cost of parts vary as well, the costs, from what we researched, could range anywhere from $550 to more than $900 for a professional mechanic to fix the faulty fuel pump. The labor time all depends on how easy it is to access and remove the fuel pump from your vehicle. If the pump is located inside the gas tank, then the mechanic will have to spend more time than accessing the part via the car’s trunk.
We scoured the web and researched many makes and models to see what other car owners paid for their car repair, with the average cost paid listed in our table below:
| Model | Total (parts+labor) |
|---|---|
| Astro Van | $350 |
| Chevrolet Avalanche | $700 |
| Chevrolet Blazer | $325 |
| Chevrolet Cavalier | $625 |
| Chevrolet Silverado | $650 |
| Chevrolet Tahoe | $650 |
| Chevy s10 | $400 |
| Ford Expedition | $700 |
| Ford Explorer | $700 |
| Ford F150 | $750 |
| Ford Focus | $500 |
| Ford Fusion | $475 |
| Ford Ranger | $600 |
| Ford Taurus | $550 |
| GMC Sierra | $800 |
| Honda Accord | $425 |
| Honda Civic | $575 |
| Honda CR-V | $350 |
| Jeep Wrangle | $600 |
| Mazda Mazda3 | $1,100 |
| Nissan Altima | $475 |
| Toyota Camry | $550 |
| Toyota Corolla | $725 |
| VW Jetta | $775 |
As for just the parts, without any professional help, the costs can range anywhere from $135 to more than $400 for an OEM part, again, depending on the vehicle you drive.
BuyAutoParts.com, for instance, created a handy chart, noting the price of parts if you were to purchase through their store.
The universal fuel pump parts at AutoZone .
The symptoms of a bad fuel pump
In a majority of the cases, a leak and/or whining noise will come from the fuel pump, often, a sign of malfunction.
If the pump fails, it will not create enough pressure, essentially resulting in a loss of engine power. While the car will accelerate as it should, it will begin to jerk about and then return to the normal acceleration pattern.
Also, in some cases, the “check engine” light may illuminate if a problem persists. Oftentimes, the OBD code related to a faulty fuel pump can be P0001, P0002 and P0003.
After driving for 10 to 15 minutes, you may feel a “sputtering-like” feeling coming from the fuel pump area. This feeling is usually caused when the pump fails to provide a consistent stream of fuel to the engine.
The car’s temperature might rise to above-average levels. If this were to happen, this may mean the fuel pump motor is having problems, especially if the car continues to stall.
Am I able to drive with a bad fuel pump?
As you can see in the symptoms section, a fuel pump can fail for a few reasons. In a lot of cases, the car will not be able to start due to lack of pressure, which, if this were the case, you won’t be able to drive, even if you wanted to. Another common problem may lead to either a stalled engine or even failure, which, as you can imagine, can lead to a very dangerous scenario as the last thing you want to have happen is finding yourself stalled out in rush hour traffic. While the car, even in this scenario, can be driven, you will want to attempt to drive it to a mechanic as soon as possible to have the part repaired.
The repair process
Even before a mechanic considers working a fuel pump, he or she will also check the filters, fuel pump relays, fuel pickups and electrical connectors to make sure they are all in good working order. For example, YourMechanic.com notes a clogged fuel filter can restrict the flow, often causing the same symptoms as a fuel pump.
Before working on the fuel pump, the technician will disconnect the battery to risk the chance of fire. If the fuel pump is found in the fuel tank, then there’s usually an access cover which can be removed to help access the pump. Once the access cover is removed, the mechanic can replace both the pump and the pre-pump filter screen. In some cases, depending on the vehicle setup, the fuel will be emptied before the panel is even removed. If the pump is located externally, usually near the trunk line or rear seat, then the fuel lines will be disconnected and the pump will be removed and then replaced with a new one in reverse order. After replacement, the car will be started and the mechanic will make sure no fuel leaks are noticeable.
The labor times, as we mentioned earlier, will greatly depend on the vehicle’s setup as all vehicles are not created equally. Some cars, if the part is readily accessible, it could take as little as two hours to perform the job, whereas a complex spot could increase the labor time by more than seven hours.
Advertising Disclosure: This content may include referral links. Please read our disclosure policy for more info.
Average Reported Cost: $0
