Donna Kessler · A Fair-Price Field Guide · First Edition
Published price ranges for 228 repairs, a five-step way to check any quote, and your rights in all 50 states and D.C. Four volumes, 501 pages, every number sourced. One payment of $47.
I.
Four volumes, one honest price.
What you get
Instant PDF download · pay once · secure checkout through Gumroad
The Repair Bill Checker
Fair price ranges for 25 of the most common repairs, from brake pads and oil changes to alternators, timing belts and catalytic converters. Every range shows each source's figure with its date, plus the questions to ask before you approve the work. A 14-page printable PDF taken from the full library.
Your $7 counts: buyers get a code for $7 off the complete edition.
Instant PDF download · secure checkout through Gumroad
II.
The quote arrives while you're standing at the counter.
About 30% above the top of the range. Not necessarily wrong, but a single line can't be checked. The book shows you how to ask for a breakdown, and what to say.
The $760 quote is a made-up example from Volume 2, entry 1.2. The ranges are real, published figures. Luxury and performance cars cost more.
Average age of vehicles on U.S. roads in 2025
S&P Global Mobility, May 2025
Change in U.S. repair and maintenance prices, Aug 2025 to Aug 2026
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Per mile for maintenance, repair and tires on a new vehicle
AAA Your Driving Costs, Sept 2025
III.
Four volumes. Read one, or keep all four within reach.
IV.
781 numbered sources, each with a date and a grade.
Government agencies, statutes, courts and regulators
Consumer organizations and established automotive guides
Commercial price guides and retailers, labeled as such
No invented stories and no made-up reviews. Where sources disagree, the book says so.
V.
Warm, practical, and not easily fooled.
Donna is the face and voice of Honest Car Costs. She walks you through the numbers so you can walk up to the counter knowing what a fair price looks like, and which questions to ask.
Donna is the digital presenter of Honest Car Costs, not a real person, and has no mechanic's credentials. The book is built from the public sources it cites. More about Donna.
VI.
All four volumes, or just the one you need.
Secure checkout and instant download through Gumroad. Digital product: no refunds once the download has been delivered. If your file is faulty or won't download, contact hello@donnakessler.com.
VII.
No. It helps you understand and check prices and your rights. For repairs, follow your owner's manual and a qualified technician.
Checkout is handled by Gumroad. You get the PDF download right after payment, on the confirmation page and by email.
Each price shows its source date. Sources were checked between September 30 and October 3, 2026. Prices change, so use them as a guide, not a quote.
Volume 3 covers all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
No. Donna Kessler is a digital presenter, not a real person, and has no credentials. The book is built from the sources it cites.
Yes, for your own personal use. Reselling or sharing the book or the forms is not allowed.
No. This is a digital product, and it is non-refundable once the download has been delivered. If your file is faulty or won't download, contact hello@donnakessler.com.
No. Prices and laws are U.S.-specific.
Four volumes, 501 pages, every number sourced.
