Radiator cooling fan motor / fan assembly replacement cost: shop vs. mobile mechanic
Radiator cooling fan motor / fan assembly replacement: estimated U.S. average labor cost at a repair shop and with a mobile mechanic. Labor only; parts not included. Estimates, not quotes.
Average shop cost
$240
Range $100–$415 (labor)
1.0–3.0 h × $100–$139/h estimated shop labor rate
Parts not included.
Average mobile mechanic cost
$360
Range $150–$625 (labor)
Shop labor × 1.5 (mobile convenience premium)
Parts not included.
Estimate for your state or city →
What the estimate covers
Labor to replace the electric engine cooling fan motor or the complete fan-and-shroud assembly at the radiator; the fan is extra. Access varies: on some vehicles the assembly lifts out from above, on others covers, the upper radiator support or even the radiator must come out (then coolant is drained and refilled). An inoperative fan is often a blown fuse, failed fan relay or fan control module rather than the motor, so have those tested first. Engine-driven (belt or clutch) fans on trucks are a different repair.
Labor hours used: 1–3 h, our own editorial estimate (not taken from a licensed labor guide).
Problem pages that use this estimate
Sourced owner-reported problems on Mechanic Notes where this is the usual repair:
How these estimates work
- Labor hours (Mechanic Notes estimate): each job has our own editorial "typical labor hours" range. Real times depend on the vehicle, engine and condition, and are not taken from any licensed labor guide.
- Shop labor rate (assumption): $100–$139/hour, the band where about half of surveyed U.S. general repair shops put their average labor rate (PartsTech / OEC U.S. General Auto Repair Shop Survey (about 700 shops, Sept 2025), as reported by Ratchet+Wrench), scaled by your area's mean wage for automotive service technicians divided by the U.S. mean ($27.13/h; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, SOC 49-3023; verify on bls.gov). States and metros without wage data use the next-wider area.
- Average shop cost = typical hours × estimated shop rate. The headline number uses the middle of both ranges (or a job’s stated typical hours, where the usual job sits near the low end); the range uses low hours × low rate to high hours × high rate. Rounded to $5.
- Average mobile mechanic cost = shop labor × 1.5 (mobile convenience premium: travel and convenience are built in). This is a default assumption, not a survey result.
- Parts are not included. Parts prices vary too much by vehicle and brand to estimate honestly here; price parts separately.
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