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Leon 2003 1.6 Service and Cambelt

Hi all,

I've only just hit 30K miles after 12 years and my local NW London garage wants £600 for a service and cam change on top of a recent £400 MOT bill for brake pads and discs etc.

I know it would be wise to get this done but can I do better on price somewhere else?

Thanks!
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Comments

  • motorguy
    motorguy Posts: 22,568 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Supernova wrote: »
    Hi all,

    I've only just hit 30K miles after 12 years and my local NW London garage wants £600 for a service and cam change on top of a recent £400 MOT bill for brake pads and discs etc.

    I know it would be wise to get this done but can I do better on price somewhere else?

    Thanks!

    Yes, you should be able to get it done a lot cheaper by a small independent garage.

    As a percentage of the cars value, you're spending an awful lot by sticking with a main dealer, for no real benefit surely?
  • Supernova
    Supernova Posts: 725 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 500 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    motorguy wrote: »
    Yes, you should be able to get it done a lot cheaper by a small independent garage.

    As a percentage of the cars value, you're spending an awful lot by sticking with a main dealer, for no real benefit surely?

    Thanks.

    Well, this is actually a quote from the independent garage I have been with for the last 25 years :-)

    Where to find another one I can trust though?

    Cheers
  • motorguy
    motorguy Posts: 22,568 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Supernova wrote: »
    Thanks.

    Well, this is actually a quote from the independent garage I have been with for the last 25 years :-)

    Where to find another one I can trust though?

    Cheers

    :eek:

    Though therein lies the problem - if you trust the guy and hes doing a good job, do you want to risk trying someone else to save maybe £100?
  • Supernova
    Supernova Posts: 725 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 500 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    motorguy wrote: »
    :eek:

    Though therein lies the problem - if you trust the guy and hes doing a good job, do you want to risk trying someone else to save maybe £100?

    Good point. Thanks Paul.
  • arcon5
    arcon5 Posts: 14,099 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    motorguy wrote: »
    :eek:

    Though therein lies the problem - if you trust the guy and hes doing a good job, do you want to risk trying someone else to save maybe £100?

    Yes if the price is disproportionate
  • gonzo127
    gonzo127 Posts: 4,482 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    that seems expensive for a independent garage to me

    http://www.seat.co.uk/owners/your-seat/maintenance/its-fixed.html

    so main dealer
    pad and disks all round - £468 (so a little cheaper at your garage)
    cambelt and waterpump - £428 (guessing he is quoting for a water pump as well as this needs doing at the same time)
    service - £259

    so looking at 'only' £150 more for a main dealer, granted its still a
    £150 saving, but i would normally expect a little more than a 15% saving by not using a main dealer (for comparison i have a Ibiza FR, and just had disks and pads all round which only cost me £300 at my local garage)
    Drop a brand challenge
    on a £100 shop you might on average get 70 items save
    10p per product = £7 a week ~ £28 a month
    20p per product = £14 a week ~ £56 a month
    30p per product = £21 a week ~ £84 a month (or in other words one weeks shoping at the new price)
  • macman
    macman Posts: 53,128 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    I owned a first gen Leon and used to get it serviced by this independent, always got good service there. If you are in NW London it's not too far away via the North Circular, so worth getting a quote:
    http://www.westsidemotors.co.uk/index.html#&panel1-1
    No free lunch, and no free laptop ;)
  • jase1
    jase1 Posts: 2,308 Forumite
    Surely a cambelt change with water pump and tensioners shouldn't cost more than £250-300 at most?

    The car won't be worth much more than £1000 at 12 years old (if it's even worth that).
  • EdGasket
    EdGasket Posts: 3,503 Forumite
    jase1 wrote: »
    Surely a cambelt change with water pump and tensioners shouldn't cost more than £250-300 at most?

    The car won't be worth much more than £1000 at 12 years old (if it's even worth that).

    Unfortunately the work and parts prices are the same however old the car is.
  • jase1
    jase1 Posts: 2,308 Forumite
    EdGasket wrote: »
    Unfortunately the work and parts prices are the same however old the car is.

    Yes, but a 12 year old car with only 30,000 miles is likely to be a shed. I certainly wouldn't be piling £1000 into it.
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