Garages for Vans - 10 years old

mark55man

Thanks again everyone - we are already in a better place. We're going to wait until I'm back home (these things always happen at inconvenient times), and we can go through it.

The main cost for the seatbelts was his is a crew van with 9 seats!! so everything was times 9.

It was a truck and van dealer- not a car place

macman

If there is an issue with the seatbelts, then how did it pass the MOT? Similarly if there is a steering fault?

Takmon

macman wrote: »

If there is an issue with the seatbelts, then how did it pass the MOT? Similarly if there is a steering fault?

The seat belts not being changed in line with the service schedule is not something that will fail an MOT, just like not having an oil change in line with the service schedule would not fail an MOT.

Mercdriver

Takmon wrote: »

The seat belts not being changed in line with the service schedule is not something that will fail an MOT, just like not having an oil change in line with the service schedule would not fail an MOT.

I think the underlying questions was - is there any issue with the seatbelts that might make them fail the MOT?

mark55man

I will ask my son all your questions and update you - but will probably have to wait to the weekend. As said, I appreciate your advice so far

System

macman wrote: »

If there is an issue with the seatbelts, then how did it pass the MOT? Similarly if there is a steering fault?

Not everything is testable even on steering and seatbelts - the 10 year recommended change interval for seatbelt pre-tensioners being one, the efficiency of a power steering pump being another.

mark55man

Just to confirm it is 160K miles. We are taking it to a local garage our handyman recommended and will try from there.


Not quite sure whether to play it open and show them the list of stuff quoted for, or just ask them to have a look and see what tghey think needs doing. Will chat with them and take a view

mark55man

So we had a good chat at the garage and my son is in a better place- I think its clear that some work needs to be done, but we are now thinking it may be in the high hundreds rather than nearer £10K


they have agreed to break the work down by what needs doing now, what needs doing for MOT and what is just advisory

mark55man

Additional update - price now at £800 ex VAT

• Seat belts were advisory (ie more than 10 years old so Mercedes suggests change them) 9*£150 saved
• Steering rack just needed new bushes 1*£1000 saved
• Fuel Injectors working OK 4*£250 saved - garage was puzzled how this oculd even have been diagnosed
• Water pump OK but Viscous pump preceding had broken
• 2 New tyres (additional), spot of welding, and a replacement light unit done as additional work included in £800

Thanks for your help to get us to a better position - I'm really really peeved at the dealer - I understand they are a different market and it was naive to go there maybe, but even so this seems outrageous padding of the bill