Chrysler Repair: Radiator hose replacements, how much?, chrysler sebring convertible, radiator hoses

Question
hi i just got a a 96 Chrysler sebring convertible. I took it to brake masters for a oil change and inspection. The told me that i need to to change my radiator hoses asap. They said it would be at least $300. MY question is how many radiator hoses are there on this car and are they the kind that i can get at pep boys brake masters said that those are no the right ones

Answer
Hi Heather,
There are two main hoses to the radiator, one from the top area of the coolant filler cap to the radiator and the other from the radiator back to the complex metal housing at the base of the filler. They are no doubt available from a Chyrsler dealer parts department so that would be one place to check out the price. Hoses such as this may be a bit more expensive than from an aftermarket parts store. But the bottom line is that replacing hoses is not a high-skill job. A competent amateur can replace these if you have any friends that like to work on cars. I would even suspect that not both hoses need to be changed (the one that comes back from the radiator to engine is less stressed as it carries cooler water). There may be some other smaller hoses for the heater that need to looked at, and those generally aren't specialized hoses but rather stock rubber hose. So I would not go back to Brake Masters but rather ask around for a friend to take a look, identify which hose(s) need replacement, either get the hoses from Chrysler/other parts store, or seek a referral to a fairly-priced honest independent Radiator/Air conditioning repair shop and a general car repair shop and get two estimates from them and choose the less costly.
I would believe you can get this done for around $100-150 at a shop and $25-$50 for the hoses if a friend will do it for no labor cost. You don't have ask for them to replace every hose, just the ones where the rubber is badly cracked along the outside of the hose or swollen where the ends are attached at the radiator/engine. Otherwise you will be paying to replace something that doesn't need replacement which inflates your costs without reason.
Roland