Vauxhall dealership - am I being ripped off?

Sirbendy

The sticking barrel on the MK4...you know, I don't think that's unknown....have a look about on some vauxhall owners forums...I'm SURE I've read about it a few times. I'd look and see if it's on my "dealer diagnostic system" DVD, but the laptop is flat...

Idiophreak

Sirbendy wrote: »

The sticking barrel on the MK4...you know, I don't think that's unknown....have a look about on some vauxhall owners forums...I'm SURE I've read about it a few times. I'd look and see if it's on my "dealer diagnostic system" DVD, but the laptop is flat...

I spoke to a couple of other garages.

They said, basically that it is a "know" issue, if not common - and that normally when they replace the starter they'll advise that the barrel may be the underlying issues and will quote for replacing just the starter, or the whole lot at once. They also confirmed that the parts add up to £400 or something, so the £490 price isn't wildly unfair.

I guess then, really, all the garage did badly wrong was lead be to believe that the car was fixed in the first place - they should have made it clear that there could be an underlying issue.

Don't think I'll be buying Vauxhall again, though - it's clear that the design's pretty flawed - if you look at pretty much any other car, the work would only cost a couple of hundred, I think, but everything in my astra seems to be grouped together - so you can't just replace the barrel, you have to replace "the whole lot"...when I had a coil burn out, I couldn't replace just the one, I had to replace "the whole lot" - and replacing a bunch of stuff that isn't broken every time a single bit breaks makes it a hellishly expensive car to repair.

cyclonebri1

Premier wrote: »

In answer to your numbered questions:

1) Yes they should have really. The fact they didn't, I would hope they would now offer a goodwill gesture of say only charging you for the parts, not the labour, for their second chance at repairing it. ... but they are not obliged to.

2) £50 for initial inspection is about the norm for a big dealer for an hours labour. The fact they said it was the starter motor (the first thing to check, assuming a good battery, given the symptoms) suggests this may be unreasonable though.
An additional £350 for a new starter seems extortionate. The part should be about £100 - £150 I would have thought and probably no more than £50 labour.

3) I don't think they are deliberately taking you for a ride - probably just incompetent.


Edit: I'm not sure what they are planning on doing for an additional £495, but it sounds like a lot more than a new ignition barrel. If the key turns, then I don't think there's anything wrong with the barrel ... and I'm not sure how a defective barrel could burn out the starter anyway
Does this include another £350 for them to fit yet another new starter? I certainly wouldn't be paying that.

Exactly what I was thinking, and it does sound as is they are charging for a 2nd starter.

It possibly could have been held in and burn't out as a result, caused by either a faulty solenoid, unlikely as that's part of the new starter, or a faulty ignition switch. Both are very very unlikely as you would have heard some very weird noises when it was running.

Smells of incompetance to me too, Main dealer = 1 semi skilled foreman + 10 even less skilled lads, Just MHO of course;)

Premier_2

cyclonebri1 wrote: »

... Main dealer = 1 semi skilled foreman + 10 even less skilled lads, Just MHO of course;)

I see you too have had the opportunity to get to see behind the usual Main Dealer's barrier of a smart looking desk and the gorgeous woman in a short dress plying you with free coffee :cool:

Idiophreak

Premier wrote: »

I see you too have had the opportunity to get to see behind the usual Main Dealer's barrier of a smart looking desk and the gorgeous woman in a short dress plying you with free coffee :cool:

there was coffee??

cyclonebri1

Premier wrote: »

I see you too have had the opportunity to get to see behind the usual Main Dealer's barrier of a smart looking desk and the gorgeous woman in a short dress plying you with free coffee :cool:

Oh yes, Never been there for anything under warranty work, and believe me you have to dink it into them that the work is a warranty issue and you don't expect to pay for it.

"Ok Mr B, how do you expect to pay for the repair?"..... "I don't".......;)


To the OP and everyone who has yet to have a problem with a main stealer, find a genuine, honest, reasonable local garage who will be only to glad to look after your pride and joy in return for fair recompence. Yes it may be difficult initally, but they do exist

buglawton

"Sigh" I remember that in the 80s Vauxhall were good cars to own - I took one to Europe for 2 years as it was an Opel over there. Was driving Germany to Yugoslavia and the alternator went at 5pm. Got the Cavalier into an Opel dealer and myself into a B&B. At 10 the next morning I was on my way with new fitted alternator £100. Another time, at minus 20 deg C in Bavaria, the water pump seals went. New water pump fitted, £150. OK these were 80s prices but seemed very affordable then. Nowadays I guess, £300-£400 each repair and a big faff getting them done.

cyclonebri1

buglawton wrote: »

"Sigh" I remember that in the 80s Vauxhall were good cars to own - I took one to Europe for 2 years as it was an Opel over there. Was driving Germany to Yugoslavia and the alternator went at 5pm. Got the Cavalier into an Opel dealer and myself into a B&B. At 10 the next morning I was on my way with new fitted alternator £100. Another time, at minus 20 deg C in Bavaria, the water pump seals went. New water pump fitted, £150. OK these were 80s prices but seemed very affordable then. Nowadays I guess, £300-£400 each repair and a big faff getting them done.

I still think they are ok. Had nothing but VX from 1982 untill 2006. No major faults with any, probably 7 cars?

I changed because they slowed down and got boring

VX will survive and will be good cars to own once the ownership issue is resolved/dies down

buglawton

But the jump in complication of fixing, between the last Cavalier series and the Vectra was monumental. It is sending me in the direction of Toyota for the next motor.

cyclonebri1

buglawton wrote: »

But the jump in complication of fixing, between the last Cavalier series and the Vectra was monumental. It is sending me in the direction of Toyota for the next motor.

I had 3 mk3 cavaliers followed by the newest car I ever bought, a 1 year old 2ltr vectra S reg. I ran that car for 8 years only changing brakes etc. The only unexpected issue was a cam sensor failure, diagnosed with some help off the net and a paperclip accross the diagnostic socket. £25 in unexpecteds in 8 years ain't bad;).

When I wanted an estate car I looked at the latest vectra, the astra and the focus. The VX's were just old looking inside, didn't look like much design work over the last 8 years.

I bought a renault megane estate eventually, enter the AFCB (anti french car brigade)