Servicing cost Vauxhall Astra

dazedconfused77

Hi all - I dropped my car off for a full service and MOT at a local independent garage this morning. It's a 59-plate Vauxhall Astra 1.6 with 35,000 miles on the clock.

I've just got the dreaded call to say what needs doing, which is as follows:

Suspension links replaced at the front
2 new rear tyres
Replacement of part of the exhaust, which is perishing (I didn't catch the specific part!)
Brake fluid replacement

The total cost for the service, MOT and replacing the above is £525 + VAT. It seemed high, but wondered what other's opinions were?

In addition, the garage said the cambelt will need replacing soon, and will probably be around £200 + VAT, and that the air conditioning may be developing a leak and to fix that would be around £100 + VAT. I don't believe the cambelt has been changed on this car before so wondered if changing it sounded right due to the age and mileage?

I do trust the garage, just always value a second opinion!

dannyrst

In terms of the cambelt, check your service book to see when it needs doing. 59 plate sounds about right for a cambelt change though.

dazedconfused77

Thanks! The mechanic said 7 years was about right, but I've just checked online and it seems like the Vauxhall recommended interval is 100,000 miles or 10 years!

keith1950

I don't think it seems particularly excessive.
Say £200 for service and mot. £150 for 2 decent tyres. £100-£150 for exhaust depending on which part. suspension links £80.
The only questionable 'necessitiy' is the brake fluid but that would only be £30 anyway. I have never had brake fluid changed in 40 years of driving.

dazedconfused77

keith1950 wrote: »

I don't think it seems particularly excessive.
Say £200 for service and mot. £150 for 2 decent tyres. £100-£150 for exhaust depending on which part. suspension links £80.
The only questionable 'necessitiy' is the brake fluid but that would only be £30 anyway. I have never had brake fluid changed in 40 years of driving.

Great, thank you! Yes, the brake fluid was less than £30. Glad the rest sounds reasonable, obviously just more than I was hoping it would cost!

Le_Kirk

dazedconfused77 wrote: »

..... and that the air conditioning may be developing a leak.....

How do they know this? Surely it's either leaking or it's not!

dazedconfused77

Le_Kirk wrote: »

How do they know this? Surely it's either leaking or it's not!

He said that it wasn't functioning correctly (I had noticed it wasn't as cold as it should be) and they were going to take a look this afternoon to find the exact cause!

gibby9

I have 59 plate astra with around 42k miles. I normally pay £200 for a full service and mot at an independant.

Cambelt recommendation is 10 years or 100k miles in my service book.

dazedconfused77

gibby9 wrote: »

I have 59 plate astra with around 42k miles. I normally pay £200 for a full service and mot at an independant.

Cambelt recommendation is 10 years or 100k miles in my service book.

Thanks, that's useful to know. I think the service and MOT element will cost about £215. Sounds like, unless there's obvious damage to it, the cambelt should be OK for a while longer. I'll chat it over with them again.

facade

Unless Vauxhall changed suppliers recently, the cambelt tensioners fall apart way way before 10 years/100,000 miles, you need the cambelt, waterpump and all the tensioners done as a set, £200 is about right for the lot.

They start making an odd zzzzzzzing noise when the tensioner falls apart, and a really odd sound when you switch off, then you are really on borrowed time.

dazedconfused77

Ah, thanks - perhaps why they have suggested changing it a few years before the time!