Main dealer rip off

henry24

I have a Mazda 6 five weeks over 3 years old that I've taken to the main Mazda dealer for a 62500 mile service, while there they say it needs new front discs and pads as they are completely worn out and should have been done ages ago costing £380. I said no and I'll check with my local garage which they didn't like.
Been to local garage in my village had them checked pads have 5mm one side and 4 the other and the discs would nearly wear out another set of pads. When they need changing somewhere between £150 and £180 for discs and pads


Wonder where I'll go next time it needs servicing

System

Wonder where I'll go next time it needs servicing

Main dealer until it is 5 years old if you want to maintain its resale value.

If he's only charging £150-£180 for front pads and discs I'd be concerned about what he is fitting. Crappy ones he'd make a profit but for decent ones you're talking just over £100 for pads and discs so he must have some real low labour rates and must be working out of a shed on his drive.

fred246

It doesn't matter where you have your car serviced. Dealers have never been shown to be any better than independents. Both bad as each other. Discs and pads are very quick to change. My local garage said bring your own in and we charge £40 per wheel.

henry24

Tarambor wrote: »

Main dealer until it is 5 years old if you want to maintain its resale value.

If he's only charging £150-£180 for front pads and discs I'd be concerned about what he is fitting. Crappy ones he'd make a profit but for decent ones you're talking just over £100 for pads and discs so he must have some real low labour rates and must be working out of a shed on his drive.

But at 5 years and over 100000 miles resale wont matter it'll only go though the trade not main dealer.


As Fred as put only £40 per wheel to fit so still making money fitting good ones, he's a man working on his own out of a small unit so very little costs

family4tunes

henry24 wrote: »

I have a Mazda 6 five weeks over 3 years old that I've taken to the main Mazda dealer for a 62500 mile service, while there they say it needs new front discs and pads as they are completely worn out and should have been done ages ago costing £380. I said no and I'll check with my local garage which they didn't like.
Been to local garage in my village had them checked pads have 5mm one side and 4 the other and the discs would nearly wear out another set of pads. When they need changing somewhere between £150 and £180 for discs and pads


Wonder where I'll go next time it needs servicing

Its not so much the cost of parts but the labour fees per hour they charge at the main dealers. The benefit of a main dealer is they will fit genuine OEM parts unlike the local garage which will fit patterned parts which in general wont last as long, might be quicker to gain faults or issues. However, a local garage labour fees are less and the parts are non OEM making them overall cheaper. If you have to budget you have no option but the local garage unfortunately.

fred246

Parts are a bit more complicated than people think. There are lots of parts that manufacturers don't make. So ATE make my car's brake pads. VW will put ATE brake pads in a VW box and charge £80. Eurocarparts will sell ATE brake pads in a ATE box for £50. Pagid are just as good for £45. Nobody seems to like Eicher for £30. Some people will insist on the VW box. I am happy with ATE or Pagid.
Main dealers like independents can buy parts from anywhere they want. The only real way to be sure is to do it yourself.

System

fred246 wrote: »

Parts are a bit more complicated than people think. There are lots of parts that manufacturers don't make. So ATE make my car's brake pads. VW will put ATE brake pads in a VW box and charge £80. Eurocarparts will sell ATE brake pads in a ATE box for £50. Pagid are just as good for £45. Nobody seems to like Eicher for £30. Some people will insist on the VW box. I am happy with ATE or Pagid.
Main dealers like independents can buy parts from anywhere they want. The only real way to be sure is to do it yourself.

Yep, Pagid is what goes on my car but at £150 for pads and discs I reckon he'll be getting Eicher which he'll regret the first time he comes to a 1 in 6 hill or does an emergency stop. They'll stop him eventually but there's a high risk the discs will no longer be true afterwards.

TheMoonandBack

henry24 wrote: »

I have a Mazda 6 five weeks over 3 years old that I've taken to the main Mazda dealer for a 62500 mile service, while there they say it needs new front discs and pads as they are completely worn out and should have been done ages ago costing £380. I said no and I'll check with my local garage which they didn't like.
Been to local garage in my village had them checked pads have 5mm one side and 4 the other and the discs would nearly wear out another set of pads. When they need changing somewhere between £150 and £180 for discs and pads


Wonder where I'll go next time it needs servicing

Typical rip off. Discs and pads are an easy cash cow for garages, and apprentice mechanics are now brought up believing slight disc scoring, or pads with less than 5mm are scrap, instead of checking manufacturers spec, checking disc thickness with callipers or run out with a proper gauge.
The get out for the dealers is that, if challenged, they will say their service is checking the car is ok for another 10, 15, 20k miles, depending on the make of car, and the pads with 4 or 5 mm won’t last that long. They also love changing discs for even the slightest imperfection.
I’ve had a garage say I needed new front discs due to them having a lip on the edge. I declined their advice, measured the disc thickness myself, and found them still to be within the manufacturers tolerance. I did another 10k miles before the pads needed changing. 30k miles further on it’s still got the same discs on and has passed 3 MOTs without anything advisory on the discs. Also there is no vibration, judder or squeaking, the brakes are fine.

Takmon

fred246 wrote: »

It doesn't matter where you have your car serviced. Dealers have never been shown to be any better than independents. Both bad as each other. Discs and pads are very quick to change. My local garage said bring your own in and we charge £40 per wheel.

Depending on where you live £40 a wheel seems expensive. Discs and pads should take the garage less than an hour for one axle (I can do it with a jack on my driveway in less than an hour) so that's over £80 an hour they are charging :eek:

family4tunes

TheMoonandBack wrote: »

Typical rip off. Discs and pads are an easy cash cow for garages, and apprentice mechanics are now brought up believing slight disc scoring, or pads with less than 5mm are scrap, instead of checking manufacturers spec, checking disc thickness with callipers or run out with a proper gauge.
The get out for the dealers is that, if challenged, they will say their service is checking the car is ok for another 10, 15, 20k miles, depending on the make of car, and the pads with 4 or 5 mm won’t last that long. They also love changing discs for even the slightest imperfection.
I’ve had a garage say I needed new front discs due to them having a lip on the edge. I declined their advice, measured the disc thickness myself, and found them still to be within the manufacturers tolerance. I did another 10k miles before the pads needed changing. 30k miles further on it’s still got the same discs on and has passed 3 MOTs without anything advisory on the discs. Also there is no vibration, judder or squeaking, the brakes are fine.

Yes I have to agree with you there, its an easy con for some garages as the prey on your mind, worry and safety to get you to have your brakes done unnecessary.:beer:

family4tunes

TheMoonandBack wrote: »

Typical rip off. Discs and pads are an easy cash cow for garages, and apprentice mechanics are now brought up believing slight disc scoring, or pads with less than 5mm are scrap, instead of checking manufacturers spec, checking disc thickness with callipers or run out with a proper gauge.
The get out for the dealers is that, if challenged, they will say their service is checking the car is ok for another 10, 15, 20k miles, depending on the make of car, and the pads with 4 or 5 mm won’t last that long. They also love changing discs for even the slightest imperfection.
I’ve had a garage say I needed new front discs due to them having a lip on the edge. I declined their advice, measured the disc thickness myself, and found them still to be within the manufacturers tolerance. I did another 10k miles before the pads needed changing. 30k miles further on it’s still got the same discs on and has passed 3 MOTs without anything advisory on the discs. Also there is no vibration, judder or squeaking, the brakes are fine.

fred246 wrote: »

Parts are a bit more complicated than people think. There are lots of parts that manufacturers don't make. So ATE make my car's brake pads. VW will put ATE brake pads in a VW box and charge £80. Eurocarparts will sell ATE brake pads in a ATE box for £50. Pagid are just as good for £45. Nobody seems to like Eicher for £30. Some people will insist on the VW box. I am happy with ATE or Pagid.
Main dealers like independents can buy parts from anywhere they want. The only real way to be sure is to do it yourself.

Totally agree that the best way is to fit pads and disc's yourself if you have the knowledge or basic skill set to do it. It also allows you to select the parts yourself which you can research online to find the best for your car and budget. Also, because you are fitting them yourself the money saved by doing so could be used to buy superior parts which before wasn't available to you because of budgeting.