As the title says, I need to have new shifter cables put on my 98 RAV4. Looking for a shop near Seattle that can do it at a good price.

 

Good news everybody!

This is something you could probably do in the parking lot of your local parts store with a basic set of tools.

It's not like you're puking fluids all over the parking lot of your apartment complex with draconian regulations. It's a few screws maybe a bolt or two and some clips..

I mean unless you've got more money than time you're looking at +100 USD for shop time, without looking at the flat rate I'd expect they're going to say something in the two-four hours range.

 

Everyone quotes it as a 2 hr job, roughly $265 labor. My main concern about doing it myself is getting at the transmission end of them. Anyway, I can get new Toy factory cables for $253 from UAE arriving in as little as week to 10 days, so that gives me a good price break at least on parts. Oddly enough, there's a thumbnail link to the product page for it right below your post.
&siteid=0&ipn=admain2&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-157687-929634-7&mkcid=4&placement=529728&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIxOuvh uSJ6wIVA6piCh24TAKZEAEYASABEgJS1vD_BwE]https://www.ebay.com/i/254342642025?norover=1&mpt=[CACHEBUSTER]&siteid=0&ipn=admain2&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-157687-929634-7&mkcid=4&placement=529728&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIxOuvh uSJ6wIVA6piCh24TAKZEAEYASABEgJS1vD_BwE

I've seen some that use the OE part number and look same quality, but there's no brand name, and the price is suspiciously low. I've made the mistake of buying cheap toyota brand alternative parts and paid for it. I got a drive line center bearing for my 79 Corolla for like $65 (I passed on a toyota bearing at twice the price). It lasted just 2 years, as the rubber seal disintegrated and left it's retaining ring spinning loudly around my drive line as I drove home on the freeway one day. When I went back into the drive line shop, they told me since the Yen had gone crazy, the $136 toyota bearing had gone up to like $210. The thing is though, that $210 bearing lasted me the whole 17 years I drove that car, so there you have it.

I can probably answer with a story like that for every one I hear about how to go cheap. At the end of the day, it still doesn't answer my question. I used to be fine with digging deep into my vehicles, but anymore, with my eyesight, memory, and dexterity the way it is, it's a real strain, especially in the neighborhood I live in where you're constantly bothered by people loitering and doing drugs whilst doing so. I also don't like things that involve assemblies with a lot of tiny parts like these shifters do. I figure if I can pay $265 to have someone install something that will likely last 100,000 mi, I'm OK with it. Especially since I can take it back within a year if any problems linger with that part, whereas if I were to make one little mistake, which is a good possibility, I'd be stuck with the hassle.