Car Servicing and MOTs

Mishy

Yesterday I took my car to be serviced at the local dealership for my car (Fiat). Because I brought the car used I thought it might be better to do this just to be sure. After waiting several hours for my car to be done they came out and said that I needed a new exhaust pipe because it had a hole in it (fair enough it is five years old this year). They told me that it would cost me £164.00 to have it fitted by them.

I went and had my car MOT today and they said the only thing that needed doing before they could pass it for it's MOT was the exhaust pipe which would cost £80 fitted by them.

I'm sorry but how can places like Fiat charge over double the amount when small garages can do it for less.

carrie483

They all do, I daren't go to Citroen for anythign to do with my car. They wanted to charge me £500 for a new wheel arch. I got it from a mechanic friend for £100.

Horasio

Don't get me started on dealers - the Vauxhall dealer pretends to fix the problem and charges an arm and a leg, the problem comes back within a week.

It is one the things I LOATHE about owning cars, the effing mechanics ripping you off.

It must be part of the training to humiliate and charge you for the privilege.

To be fair, there are some decent ones out there, it's a matter of finding them.

MORPH3US

CCStar wrote:

Don't get me started on dealers - the Vauxhall dealer pretends to fix the problem and charges an arm and a leg, the problem comes back within a week.

It is one the things I LOATHE about owning cars, the effing mechanics ripping you off.

It must be part of the training to humiliate and charge you for the privilege.

To be fair, there are some decent ones out there, it's a matter of finding them.

Indeed, it helps if you can do as much car related maintainance yourself. Have a look at your local college course for a car maintainance course OP, they are free if you are unemployed, in full time education etc etc and if not then they usually don't cost too much. Also, get a Haynes manual, I always bang on about them, but for £14 that it cost me, I have complete know how on how to fix things on my car. Ok, it doesn't help diagnosing problems, and i'd never even think about fixing my own brakes or engine but I have in the past replaced indicator and headlight units, exhanst fron pipe, thermostats etc etc.

Then there is part two of money saving car style and that is having a mechanic in the family, or if not then maybe a friend has one in their family etc etc.

M

jackieb

Audi charged us £160 to change the gearbox oil. We take it there to be serviced as dh wants the service book stamped by Audi. I found this excellent garage (that a couple of people had recommended to me) and today it is getting a fuel pipe changed for £68. I'm pretty sure the dealer would have cost a lot more.

We always put our Vectra to the Vauxhall dealer when we had it. A service and MOT and whatever work it needed never cost us less that £500. All because dh wanted a full Vauxhall service history. It didn't help it when we sold it as we only got £600 for the car!

I think dh has seen the light. Hopefully.

Also, Audi quoted us £22 to change the wiper blades. I went to a local car accessory shop where they fit it for you. It cost me £7 for 2 new blades and they're perfect! Also they replace my bulbs and don't charge anything for doing it. I think Audi charge over £20 to change a headlight bulb. They're notoriously hard to fit.