Is there such a thing as a cheap service?

hanb

My car is due a service anytime now and it will be the first time I have had to have one and it is a "full service that's needed". I rang my local garage who said it would cost £160 +VAT for them to carry out the service on my 05 plate 1.3l Yaris.

Now I was budgeting around £100 for the service, was I just mad? Is there such a thing as a cheap service? I'd like to keep my service records stamped and up to date for when I come to sell in the future but apart from that I just want to spend as little as possible.

I live in Bristol (Clifton/Redland garage would be ideal) any recommendations would be greatly received!

somech

cheap isnt always chearful £160+vat is not a bad price for peace of mind

jjonesy

Depends what the service is.
If it is a full manufacturer warranty that conforms to the manufacturers recomended service timetables then the costs will fluctuate at different mileage / age levels.

If it is just a fixed menu service then you need to look carefully at what is included.

Check a couple of prices online - try www.Blackcircles.com/servicing or try Bosch http://www.boschcarservice.co.uk/wiMain.asp

forgotmyname

Depends what they will actually do for that price, Checkout the service schedules from most fast fit
companies.

£100 - £150 for an oil change the fee is mainly for them to find as many faults as possible to gain extra work.

They do little else for that price.

hanb

Thanks guys, i'll check the links out and see what I can find! I'm so clueless when it comes to the cost of cars!

hanb

Well i have booked it for Weds

Thanks jjonesy - it's a Bosch garage and it's only a 5 min walk frmo my office which is handy. But even better - it'll cost £110 inc parts, labout and VAT. Hopefully not too good to be true!

Thanks again.

benham3160

Have you thought about just trying a local independent garage/mechanic?

Regards,
Andy

hanb

Hi Benham, I did try a couple but they were much more expensive

andygb

In all fairness, £160 plus VAT is not a bad price for a basic service. If you use OE parts and good quality oil, then that will take care of at least £60. You have the labour costs, and a good mechanic will look around the car, at the brakes, coolant levels, suspension, tyres.
It is not always a rip off, after all, you do want the service to pick up any faults on the car, rather than be stranded at the roadside, or more frustratingly, have it fail the MOT, and then pay out hundreds for work which could have been spotted earlier.
Cheapest is not always the best, or even cheap in the long run.

Strider590

It's all about quality, you can't quantify quality..... If you get quality parts and service for a reasonable price then great, but if not pay more. Cheap isn't always the best option.


It never ceases to amaze me that people will cut costs on car maintenance and yet won't be seen dead shopping in the cheap supermarkets (Netto, Aldi, Lidl).

If little Johny has to eat cheap crisps the world would end, but if he gets into a dangerous car, or mommy and daddy die in a car crash because they'd bought Ditch Finder XL's instead of proper tyres, that's perfectly ok??? Where's the logic??