Kwik fit/coil spring replacement

hornedrum

Hi all,

I recently snapped a coil spring, Kwik-fit noticed it at the MOT and replaced it. VW Golf 2011, front right coil spring.
Bill as follows:
coil spring £90
Anti Roll bar link £66.50
Spec top mount SGL £25.

Total £181.50

Does this seem excessive for replacing one coil? I waited and it took around 1/1.5 hours, and that was them multitasking with a repair on another car.

Thanks in advance.....

Aylesbury_Duck

hornedrum wrote: »

Hi all,

I recently snapped a coil spring, Kwik for noticed it at MOT and replaced it. VW Golf 2011, front right coil spring.
Bill as follows:
coil spring £90
Anti Roll bar link £66.50
Spec top mount SGL £25.

Total £181.50

Does this seem excessive for replacing one coil? I waited and it took around 1/1.5 hours, and that was them multitasking with a repair on another car.

Thanks in advance.....

Oh dear. I'd get it to a trusted garage to check that they haven't replaced the rear left coil spring with an alternator or something.

I had a coil spring replaced for £160 at a decent local garage a couple of years ago, so the amount doesn't seem excessive but as you've gathered from my first sentence, I'd be more concerned about whether (a) it needed doing at all, and (b) they've done it properly.

hornedrum

I saw it with the wheel off and could tell it had snapped.
Long story but the first (local) Kwikfit garage changed a tyre and noticed it, but their MOT guy was sick. They quoted me around £100 to replace the coil, but I had to take it to another branch to get an MOT inspector and for them to do the work. It's almost double! It was £220 with tracking, and I told them I was quoted £100 by the other Kwik fit and they laughed it off.
I only take it there as it's £29 MOT and local. What a farce it turned out to be.....

Aylesbury_Duck

hornedrum wrote: »

I saw it with the wheel off and could tell it had snapped.
Long story but the first (local) Kwikfit garage changed a tyre and noticed it, but their MOT guy was sick. They quoted me around £100 to replace the coil, but I had to take it to another branch to get an MOT inspector and for them to do the work. It's almost double! It was £220 with tracking, and I told them I was quoted £100 by the other Kwik fit and they laughed it off.
I only take it there as it's £29 MOT and local. What a farce it turned out to be.....

At least you avoided their tracking service. You'd be crabbing down the road sideways on the way out.

A cheap MOT is often a false economy, not much better than these "free" winter inspections the big chains so generously offer, then find a litany of problems with your car that arguably don't need urgent attention.

I'd advise getting recommendations for a good, local garage. A decent place give you advice on what's actually urgent, what will need upcoming attention and what long term problems might arise. They might charge you £50 for an MOT but it's well worth it.

hornedrum

Thanks.
My real garage is amazing, but they don't do MOTs... they take them to Kwik fit for MOT testing, so I thought I would cut out the middle man and take it straight there. I'll know for the future....

loskie

the prices for the work you had done are quite reasonable. no Kwik Fit horror story here

AdrianC

hornedrum wrote: »

front right coil spring.
Bill as follows:
coil spring £90
Anti Roll bar link £66.50
Spec top mount SGL £25.

Total £181.50

Does this seem excessive for replacing one coil?

They haven't just replaced the spring, though. They've replaced the connection between the suspension strut and the anti-roll bar, and the top mount for the suspension strut, too. Both of those would have been involved in the job, so there's little point in putting the old components back on if they show signs of deterioration - always assuming they didn't have to destroy them to dismantle (the drop link especially).

That bill includes labour and vat, too - and adjusting the suspension alignment is going to have been needed after dismantling.

1.5hrs labour would be probably near on £100 in any garage, plus VAT - £120. That leaves £60 for the parts. Not exactly expensive, is it?

Arklight

AdrianC wrote: »

They haven't just replaced the spring, though. They've replaced the connection between the suspension strut and the anti-roll bar, and the top mount for the suspension strut, too. Both of those would have been involved in the job, so there's little point in putting the old components back on if they show signs of deterioration - always assuming they didn't have to destroy them to dismantle (the drop link especially).

That bill includes labour and vat, too - and adjusting the suspension alignment is going to have been needed after dismantling.

1.5hrs labour would be probably near on £100 in any garage, plus VAT - £120. That leaves £60 for the parts. Not exactly expensive, is it?

Considering they probably took a hacksaw to it themselves in the first place. It's a bit dear.

And also whatever they've done they will have completely effed up and it will have to be sorted out at a garage that doesn't double as a half way house for repeat offenders.

AdrianC

...and I was trying to be nice to the KF muppets...

No, I don't know why, either.

[Deleted User]

£90 at a local indie garage on a Pug 207 last year so price for the spring is in line with most places I suppose. Didn't need the extras that Kwik Fit have ripped you off on.

AdrianC

Deleted_User wrote: »

Didn't need the extras that Kwik Fit have ripped you off on.

You saw the droplink and strut top that came off, did you?