the car over heats and I hear the antifreeze boiling and it also leaks a small amount of antifreeze amechanic told me i need a thermostat and a new water pump just looking for second opinion.
When the engine is COLD , remove the radiator cap Start engine and let it idle up to normal ( standard ) operating temperature on your Temp guage . If you can see the water/coolant moving at a reasonable speed within the radiator it almost discounts a problem with the Water Pump and Thermostat . As the First answerer stated ( and it made good sence ) replace the thermostat anyway as they are cheap and easy to replace probably only have a healthy lifespan of 5 - 10 years . Also Replace the radiator cap , They do fail and again about 5 - 10 years max lifespan More likely than anything the radiator has some blocked passages and either needs to Cleanout ( Remove and strip down ) or a total replacement . Take it to a Radiator / Cooling System specialist for a 2nd opinion if you cannot find the problem yourself
Most likely thermostat is stuck closed, However if your waterpump isn't turning, it would cause the same problem. Does the air in the car get hot when you have the heater on full blast?
Always fix the cheaper thing first. So do the thermostat and see if that fixes the problem. The water pump would have to be very bad to be actually causing an overheating problem. Most pumps will make a lot of noise or leak before they actually stop pumping water.
First check the water pump for leaks and wiggle the shaft to check for bearing wear. If either is present replace the pump along with the thermostat. If not only replace the thermostat. If the radiator is boiling over after a short drive, the thermostat needs replacing.
