how can i find a good independent garage

worried123

Hello, I have used the same garage for my old car for years - also have my mot done there. They have an excellent reputation in the area for price, work and for not ripping you off. However, I am tired of parting with my cash there.

I am female and know nothing about cars but......they put a new battery in for £70 (saying they were doing me a fvour and letting me have it cheap) that had to be replaced within 8 months with one from halfords with a 4 year guanrantee that was much cheaper and a battery that will not cut out for the short stop start journeys i do with my work...

My usual garage replaced a driveshaft gaiter 10 months ago and anti roll bar link......i took it in to have a centre and rear silencer fitted and was also told they had to replace anti roll bar link (again?) and was told for future reference that i had two split gaiters.........About 10 months ago i had a driveshaft gaiter fixed when they put in new cv joints..............(this car is a nightmare and just keeping it on the road until i can afford something better but it is costing a fortune)...

My mot is due in a couple of weeks and i know it will not pass with 2 torn gaiters..........i am loathed to take it back to my garage because, despite their good reputation and that in some ways i do believe they dont rip you off......i think they dont use good parts to be honest........also they have charged £60 an hour labour for years.........and for an independent I dont really think its that cheap......gaiters arent expensive but its their labour that all adds up and having 2 replaced isnt going to be particularly cheap.....

I dont know where to start to find a `good` independent with lower labour rates..........nearly everyone i know drives a good/newish car and they use main dealers..........so i dont have any recommendations............how do you start to find a good independent..........its not just a case of them being cheap....i want them to do the job well also.....

Does anybody have any idea where i could start to look for a new garage please.....maybe £40 an hour - or maybe thats too cheap.....i am not sure.....

Thank you

AdrianC

You might find http://www.foxyladydrivers.com helpful - tell Steph I sent you if you do have a chat with 'em.

kirkofski

Don't take any notice of the reviews on the "Good Garage Scheme" website, they don't publish negative reviews!

worried_jim

Sounds like you have also been taking your car to kwik fit and the like who are then telling you that further (unnecessary) work needs doing and now you think you have a bad garage, it is probably the other way around and your local garage is okay but kwik fit are pulling your pants down and spanking you.

vikingaero

Word of mouth - ask around.

About 10 years ago my dads friend mentioned he'd used a garage in the road where he grew up. The same garage was there and still run by the 80 year old owner and his son. I tried them out and was instantly hooked. Reliable, honest, and stickers were put on everything that was checked - oil/water/battery.

Even better is that I never pay them when collecting the car. They prefer to invoice me. It's such a perfect set up that my mum and dad go there if they have a problem, they sort it and invoice me, so mum and dad aren't allowed to pay!

Westmead_Fan

a bit of a stupid question are they the same parts they are replacing?
if they are why didn't you get this done under warranty

their are 2 gaiters on each side on front of your car inner & outer gaiters (4 in total)

their is also 2 anti roll bar links was it the same side?

do you use your car down bumpy roads/lanes because that would also put more pressure & damage links

scotsbob

Most car clubs and owners groups keep a list of garages that the members have found to be trustworthy. Usually listed by area or county.

Babbawah

worried123 wrote: »

Hello, I have used the same garage for my old vauxhall corsa for years - also have my mot done there. They have an excellent reputation in the area for price, work and for not ripping you off. However, I am tired of parting with my cash there.

I am female and know nothing about cars but......they put a new battery in for £70 (saying they were doing me a fvour and letting me have it cheap) that had to be replaced within 8 months with one from halfords with a 4 year guanrantee that was much cheaper and a battery that will not cut out for the short stop start journeys i do with my work...

My usual garage replaced a driveshaft gaiter 10 months ago and anti roll bar link......i took it in to have a centre and rear silencer fitted and was also told they had to replace anti roll bar link (again?) and was told for future reference that i had two split gaiters.........About 10 months ago i had a driveshaft gaiter fixed when they put in new cv joints..............(this car is a nightmare and just keeping it on the road until i can afford something better but it is costing a fortune)...

My mot is due in a couple of weeks and i know it will not pass with 2 torn gaiters..........i am loathed to take it back to my garage because, despite their good reputation and that in some ways i do believe they dont rip you off......i think they dont use good parts to be honest........also they have charged £60 an hour labour for years.........and for an independent I dont really think its that cheap......gaiters arent expensive but its their labour that all adds up and having 2 replaced isnt going to be particularly cheap.....

I dont know where to start to find a `good` independent with lower labour rates..........nearly everyone i know drives a good/newish car and they use main dealers..........so i dont have any recommendations............how do you start to find a good independent..........its not just a case of them being cheap....i want them to do the job well also.....

Does anybody have any idea where i could start to look for a new garage please.....maybe £40 an hour - or maybe thats too cheap.....i am not sure.....

Thank you

This post is totally nonsensical.

A hole in a driveshaft gaiter is an MOT failure for very good reasons.

You claim that this garage has an excellent reputation locally, yet you also insinuate that they are ripping you off because you are a female?

A female with a very good knowlege of the mechanics of cars I might add !

So what is it?

'Cos I really cannot make head nor tails of this nonsense !

worried123

I suppose that what i am trying to say is that `despite` their good reputation locally perhaps i could get better work done elsewhere and more cheaply..........that `despite` their good reputation, their work doesnt seem to last very long - i.e. duff battery after 8 months and got a new one more cheaply at halfords with a 4 year guarantee.....etc.......and perhaps i ahve just kept going there because i dont know any better and dont know where else to find a decent garage who might be cheaper but are also good.

Thank you everyone for your advice.....very grateful.......

apologies about my `totally nonsensical post` and thanks to those who understood what i was saying.......i will look on the web site you mention Adrian C...thank you..

Worried jim I have never been to quick fit !??

Westmead fan.......yes i do run my poor car into the ground driving round and round all day with my work.....also you are right - i need to find out what gaiters are torn as they may be different to the one i had done previously which i think was an inner one......

Just wish that i could find a nice local garage where they charged a bit less on labour......

Thank you again everyone

Babbawah

worried123 wrote: »

I suppose that what i am trying to say is that `despite` their good reputation locally perhaps i could get better work done elsewhere and more cheaply..........that `despite` their good reputation, their work doesnt seem to last very long - i.e. duff battery after 8 months and got a new one more cheaply at halfords with a 4 year guarantee.....etc.......and perhaps i ahve just kept going there because i dont know any better and dont know where else to find a decent garage who might be cheaper but are also good.

Thank you everyone for your advice.....very grateful.......

apologies about my `totally nonsensical post` and thanks to those who understood what i was saying.......i will look on the web site you mention Adrian C...thank you..

Worried jim I have never been to quick fit !??

Westmead fan.......yes i do run my poor car into the ground driving round and round all day with my work.....also you are right - i need to find out what gaiters are torn as they may be different to the one i had done previously which i think was an inner one......

Just wish that i could find a nice local garage where they charged a bit less on labour......

Thank you again everyone

What do you do for a living my dear?

In the MSE 'paid to post' world then £60 per hour might seem a lot !

But there's folk out there who would beg to differ !

Westmead_Fan

a few questions that would make things a bit clearer,

£60 per hour is that plus vat or included if its included thats a good rate for where i am in the south east (we are £47.50 ph busy every day)

what battery did the garage fit, might have been a dud battery not their fault. halfords batteries are pretty poor & expensive, i think corsa batterys are maybe a 063 which is about £40 plus vat.

Westmead fan.......yes i do run my poor car into the ground driving round and round all day with my work.....also you are right - i need to find out what gaiters are torn as they may be different to the one i had done previously which i think was an inner one......

their is a difference between driving around on normal roads & what i was getting at is some of my customers use their small cars like vw polo & corsa etc to go to their farms/stables using lanes in the country side & wonder why they go through suspension parts/tyres.

look at your invoice does it say what parts they are using because what it sounds like you are saying is you want cheaper repair bills which will mean cheap nasty parts fitted that will fail that will be used.

i hear people moan all the time about costs the way we runs our business use parts that we trust, fix it first time will make our customers happy than say 6 months later after fitting cheap parts they fail & start complaining so they won't be back in the future.