We’d like to remind Forumites to please avoid political debate on the Forum.
This is to keep it a safe and useful space for MoneySaving discussions. Threads that are – or become – political in nature may be removed in line with the Forum’s rules. Thank you for your understanding.
📨 Have you signed up to the Forum's new Email Digest yet? Get a selection of trending threads sent straight to your inbox daily, weekly or monthly!
HELP! I'm sick and tired of ridiculous motoring costs!
Comments
-
I buy crap cars do I? - the mechanic working on the car wants to buy it from me and has offered me more than what I paid for it. He says it probably the best example he's seen in a long time.
Since you've been having bad experiences with the vehicle, I recommend biting his hand off.
If you need to do some load lugging (probably more of a replacement suggestion for the Mazda, but...) I can't recommend Volvo V70s enough. Look on Autotrader, specify max age of 10 years and sort by price. It's ludicrous how much car (and leather) you can get for your money, and they're very reliable and safe.
For example:
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201505203638886?sort=default&search-target=usedcars&model=v70&radius=1501&page=1&channel=cars&onesearchad=used%2Cnearlynew%2Cnew&make=volvo&maximum-age=up_to_10_years_old&postcode=wr37ae&logcode=p
One owner, reasonable miles, leather, £2k!
For big cars they're not too bad on juice either.0 -
..and if a sensor goes you are stuck by the roadside until some goon tows you to another bunch of goons that tell you your computer's toast and that'll be £1500 + VAT to replace. With a carburettor and distributor car, you could carry a few tools in the boot and fix just about any problem you have on the road; I 'm old enough to have done it.
Tell me about it. I once spent a happy couple of hours on the side of the M1 waiting for a truck, and instead of watching the semi-final match I was heading to I listened to it on the tow-truck radio as he hauled us back home.
I was able to diagnose complete ignition failure (no spark) but unable to do a damn thing about it at the roadside. This wasn't one of my aforementioned reliable relics by the way (it was much newer than those) but even those contain few user-serviceable parts and are just as liable to be stranded by electronics problems.
I forget how many hundreds the new computer cost.Je suis Charlie.0 -
Little update - Yesterday we had the Audi in for the DS wheel bearing replacement.
This next part of the story is from my wife so I can't fill in the blanks - maybe you can.
The bolts were corroded onto the bearing and the Indy had to get an angle grinder to it. They found a price for 'said part' and were quoted £198. They then got on the internet and found another dealer where the part was £68 but it was 70 miles away and not feasible to arrange it in and get the car on the road the same day. In the end they took it to a machine shop and had the part straightened and welded up. Apparently, a simple job turned out to be a pain in the !!!!. The bearing was the original since new and had never been changed.
Total cost - £110. I think that was pretty good price and not, as some have suggested already, my indy ripping me off.
I buy crap cars do I? - the mechanic working on the car wants to buy it from me and has offered me more than what I paid for it. He says it probably the best example he's seen in a long time.
Good story. Last year a handbrake lever component stripped on my Renault. My indy told me how much a new assembly was, and then said they would dismantle it and re-thread it themselves for a fraction of the cost. Still going nicely.
However, on my mate's Merc the final straw was a preposterous quote for replacing the windscreen wiper motor (although I was more appalled by the disintegrating wheel arches; my 1998 Renault has no rust on it, none, and there's not much on the 2001 Vauxhall).
So he bought this brand-new Audi a couple of years ago. First he didn't get what he paid for: it didn't have the promised DAB radio. After more than a year of broken promises they eventually admitted they couldn't fit their standard DAB radio without replacing the entire dashboard because, basically, they'd delivered the wrong model and the dash was completely different on the DAB version. They offered him several hundred pounds instead, which he reluctantly accepted.
It's been no end of trouble. Lost count of the number of times it's been back to the stealership. Biggest problem is the steering pulling to one side, which they say is an electronics problem (Electronics? In the steering? Gawd help us, something to be avoided like the plague IMO!)
Eventually they're going to stop (trying) to fix it under warranty and all the future problems are going to be his to pay for. Something to look forward to!Je suis Charlie.0 -
I can believe the Merc wiper motor; costs about £800 from dealer plus fitting (aftermarket motor is still around £200). Stupidly expensive design with a single wiper that does not even clear the screen well as it is trying to do the job of two wipers.0
-
1. If all this is true, Yes you are being ripped off.
2. Of course the mechanic wants to buy it, it has had unnecessary fortunes thrown at it.
Why am I being ripped off?
1. The wheel bearing kit, for my specific car, is advertised from £88 online. Some are £100+
2. The wheel bearing is the ONLY money I've spent to date on the Audi since buying it. The mechanic suspects it's the Turbo - he's happy to buy it with the suspected turbo issue MORE than what I paid.0 -
What I can't seem to fathom is why the OP, who has apparently owned Porches and a Ferrari now owns a crappy Mazda peoples carrier and a 10 year old Audi?0
-
What I can't seem to fathom is why the OP, who has apparently owned Porches and a Ferrari now owns a crappy Mazda peoples carrier and a 10 year old Audi?
See post #43.
Yes, it proves nothing per se; but in the absence of obvious flaws to the story I think it's best to just go with it as it's not detrimental to discussion. Many people end up with crappy people carriers, regardless of their life history; sometimes it's just a result of excessive fertility.0 -
I'm guessing it has something to do with rug rats.
Having kids can't impact someone's life to the extent that he down graded from super cars to old second hand mass market people carrier. Owning a Ferrari in the UK means you can't just be well to do who can afford a brand new Merc E class on cash... you have to be mega rich.0 -
What I can't seem to fathom is why the OP, who has apparently owned Porches and a Ferrari now owns a crappy Mazda peoples carrier and a 10 year old Audi?
Not 'apparently' - Started at 18 with a 924, then 944 Cab, then Robbie Savages old 993 C2, then F355 Spider.
I'm running round in crappy cars because I'm saving to pay off the mortgage. Quite simple! I don't see why I should get debted up to my eye-balls just to be constantly paying huge amount of interest back. Once you've had a few nice toys it's been done. Don't get me wrong, I'd rather have them back but I'm more motivated to be completely debt free.
No debt = freedom!Having kids can't impact someone's life to the extent that he down graded from super cars to old second hand mass market people carrier. Owning a Ferrari in the UK means you can't just be well to do who can afford a brand new Merc E class on cash... you have to be mega rich.
Kids didn't make me downgrade, the credit-crunch and greedy banks made me! I lost a lot now I'm trying to get it back.
I carry no shame in that!0
This discussion has been closed.
Confirm your email address to Create Threads and Reply
Categories
- All Categories
- 352.4K Banking & Borrowing
- 253.7K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
- 454.4K Spending & Discounts
- 245.4K Work, Benefits & Business
- 601.2K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
- 177.6K Life & Family
- 259.2K Travel & Transport
- 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
- 16K Discuss & Feedback
- 37.7K Read-Only Boards