Q. My 2001 Nissan Quest is approaching 105,000 miles. According to the maintenance chart, I should have the timing belt replaced. Should I have the water pump replaced as well? I’m not sure if this is a $500 job or $2,000 job.

—Joe L.

Although it is not necessary to replace the water pump, it makes good financial sense. It takes about three hours’ labor to replace the timing belt. Replacing the water pump takes a similar amount of labor since you need to remove many of the same timing belt components. Since there is quite a bit of overlapping labor, doing both jobs at the same time would have a significant labor savings. The total cost to replace the timing belt, water pump, coolant and other belts according to www.alldata.com, the computerized database I use, would be about $900-1,000.

Car pulls to the left

Q. I have a 2000 Chrysler Cirrus and recently had the tires replaced. For the first 58,000 miles the car drove perfectly. Recently, with the new tires, the car pulls to the left. I have had the car realigned twice and although it’s better, it’s still not right. What do you think is wrong?

—Edward, Johnston

A. Since the car was perfect before you had the tires put on, it is possible one of the tires is a problem. Tires can suffer from a problem known as conicity that will cause a car to pull to one side or the other. As a quick test, try switching the front tires side-to-side. If the car now pulls to the right, you know the tire is at fault.

Hesitation needs fixing

Q. I have a 2001 Volvo Cross Country with 96,000 miles on it. I have taken it to the dealer 3 times and they still have not correctly diagnosed the problem (they initially said I needed new spark plugs). When I drive, the car hesitates at initial movement, then around 20 mph and again at higher speeds around 60 mph. It feels like it’s not getting enough gas. Any suggestions?

—H.R

A. I would have the dealer look at both fuel pressure and volume. If those look to be within specification then have them look at the mass air-flow sensor and the electronic throttle module.

Lights stay on too long

Q. My Corvette has developed an odd problem. Lately the interior lights stay on for 20 minutes when the car is running or shut off. After 20 minutes everything is fine. What is wrong?

A. The interior lights run through the body control computer. A technician will use a scan tool and run a basic diagnostic system lighting check to verify the correct operation. Once the technician retrieves a fault code they should be able to determine the proper course of repair.

Repair costs seem high

Q. I have a well cared-for 2004 Lexus RX 330 with 132,000 miles, mostly highway miles. I have been told I need to replace the front and rear brakes, which I assume is normal maintenance. I have also been told that both rear bearings need to be replaced (this involves ABS electrical work etc.) The total cost with brakes is estimated at $5,000. I assumed when I bought this new car that it would last beyond a major repair at 132K miles. This repair estimate (from both the dealer and a local garage) seems excessive; not to mention my feeling that this shouldn’t happen to a 2004 Lexus. Should I undergo the repairs or save the cash toward another vehicle?

—Scott B.

A. Whether the vehicle is a Lexus or a Kia, parts will wear out. The cost to replace the wheel bearings and brakes should be much less. The bearings are about $360 each and it should take about 2.5 hours’ labor to install the bearings. The brake pads are about $65 per set with about two hours’ labor to install. They could be replacing additional parts, but the total cost looks much closer to $1,500. If you would like to e-mail me the particulars of the estimate I would be happy to take a look. My e-mail is jpaul@aaasne.com