Same job at other shop types (everything else as set above): Independent shop (~$100/hr) $200–$400 (the headline above) · Chain shop / franchise (~$120/hr) $230–$460 · Dealership (~$175/hr) $313–$625. Each figure applies that shop type's hourly labor rate (market estimates, shown above) to the calculator's own hours and parts assumptions. It is modeled, not a quote.
Check a quote against these ranges
This sets your number beside published ranges and owner-written bills. It is not a verdict: ask the shop what the quote includes (parts grade, labor hours, fees, tax). It runs in your browser and nothing you type is sent anywhere.
How serious did it get for owners?
5% of the 61 complaints report a tow, the most common serious outcome; the other outcomes counted below are rarer, and an owner can file without mentioning one.
Outcomes owners reported in complaints about this part. Towed: 3; Crash reported: 1.
Counts below are complaints filed with NHTSA, not failure rates: a longer bar means more owners reported it.
Is your car affected?
What it shows: The most common band for complaints about this repair is 6-9 years (33%). The biggest difference from all complaints is under 3 years old: 30% against 40%.
Is it urgent, and what do owners notice first?
61 owner complaints name this part.
Owners most often describe "noise", in 13% of these complaints.
How fast were owners driving when it happened?
55 mph or faster is the largest group at 42%, out of 40 complaints.
Owners reported it most often at highway speed. Tell the shop what speed it happens at, because that narrows the diagnosis.
Which model years show up most in the complaints?
2015 is the most common model year in 61 complaints naming this part (30%); 2 model years account for 59%.
What it shows: 2015 is the largest at 18 (30%), followed by 2016 at 8 (13%); the smallest shown is 2020 at 1 (2%).
How many recalled cars are actually fixed, so should I check mine?
Across 2 NHTSA recalls that name u~joint filed 2015 to 2024, 59.8% of the 382,930 recalled vehicles had been repaired after 8 quarters, against 66.2% for all recalls, which leaves about 154,056 vehicles still carrying the defect.
Recall completion after 8 quarters, recalls that name u~joint filed 2015 to 2024: the largest campaigns. Ford 2019: 49.5%; Jeep 2023: 93.5%.
Has the maker published a fix?
A bulletin is a repair procedure a maker sends its dealers, not a safety defect: if your maker is listed, ask the dealer whether one covers your car and quote its number.
| Maker | Vehicles | Bulletin number | Date | What it says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RAM | 3500 2021–2027; 2500 2021–2027 | 9100841 Rev 1 | Jun 25, 2026 | If customer concern diagnosis leads to suspect u-joint issue with the prop shaft, u-joint service kit should be utilized to fix concern. |
| RAM | 2500 2021–2027; 3500 2021–2027 | 9100841 | Jun 17, 2026 | HD Front and Rear Prop Shafts Increase U-Joint Usage If customer concern diagnosis leads to suspect u-joint issue or failure with the prop shaft, u-joint service kit should be utilized to fix concern. |
| Dodge | Charger 2015–2022 | S2203000003 | Aug 15, 2022 | Proper front driveshaft universal joint (u-joint) inspection procedures for all wheel drive (awd) vehicles. |
| Ford | Transit 2015–2022 | TSB 22-2175 | May 5, 2022 | Some 20152022 Transit vehicles equipped with rear wheel drive (RWD), single rear wheel only, and a U-joint at the transmission flange and rear driveshaft may experience a boom/hum/moan noise or vibration from the rear while driving. |
| Ford | Transit 2015–2021 | TSB 22-2043 | Feb 15, 2022 | Some 2015-2021 Transit vehicles equipped with rear wheel drive (RWD), single rear wheel only, and a U-joint at the transmission flange and rear driveshaft may experience a boom/hum/moan noise or vibration from the rear while driving. |
| Ford | Transit 2015–2021 | TSB 21-2064 | Mar 10, 2021 | Some 2015-2021 Transit vehicles equipped with rear wheel drive (RWD), single rear wheel (SRW), and a U-joint at the transmission flange and rear driveshaft may experience a boom/hum/moan noise or vibration from the rear while driving. |
1 more bulletins name this part; the car finder at the top checks yours, and the NHTSA bulletin file linked below lists them all.
Check your car
U-joint replacement costs $200–$400 for two standard sealed joints at a $100-an-hour shop. The number of joints moves the bill most: one joint is $100–$200 and four joints are $400–$800.
What does a U-joint replacement cost?
The price is parts plus labor, and our calculator builds each from a small set of choices.
| What you're buying (typical vehicle, default shop rate) | Our estimate |
|---|---|
| 1 standard joint | $100–$200 |
| 2 standard joints | $200–$400 |
| 4 standard joints | $400–$800 |
| 2 greaseable joints | $230–$440 |
| 2 OEM joints | $270–$520 |
Published guides land in the same area. Neither tells you which joints or which shop rate is behind that number, which is why the table above shows them.
What does the estimate leave out?
Our range covers joints and labor only. It leaves out a replacement driveshaft, a center support bearing, balancing, taxes and shop fees, and any extra work found once the shaft is out. If the shop finds more, ask for the added items in writing before it proceeds.
Is it safe to drive with a bad U-joint? For a short trip to a shop with a mild clunk, usually, but a vibration that rises with speed is a reason to stop driving.
Do I need an alignment after replacing a U-joint? Meineke says it usually does not, since the work is on the driveline and not the suspension.
Sources
Data shown on this page
- NHTSA owner complaint file (2015-2019 · 2020-2024 · 2025-2026) downloaded 2026-10-05
- NHTSA service bulletin file (2015-2019 · 2020-2024 · 2025-2026) downloaded 2026-10-05
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, recall quarterly reports (basis of the Annual List of Recall Completion Rates) downloaded 2026-10-05
Terms: US government data, public domain.
Observed: records as filed; owner reports are unverified and are not failure rates. Derived: computed from the records; an association, not a cause.
What is our own estimate
The price range comes from our calculator's formula. Its parts prices, labor hours per job and shop-rate tiers are CalcScrape estimates, not a published price dataset. Checked against RepairPal's range ($331–$406) on 2026-10-04: our default's midpoint is 19% below the middle of that range. Price evidence grade C: one outside published range; the hours and parts prices behind the estimate are CalcScrape assumptions and have not been checked against repair invoices. Methodology