Specialist Garages

[bruno22rf]

Rang my local Saab specialist last week after the ignition switch started playing up. Now, considering they specialise in these vehicles, I was surprised that the service dept. took so long to reach a quote of £390 + the dreaded vat-the switch itself was £128+. As this seemed a bit pricey to me I asked if they would give me the part number so that I could see if I could locate a switch a little cheaper and then they could fit it for me only to be told that "we are not allowed to release that information, sir" WHY?-can I invade Russia with the switch number?

To cut a long story short I went on a mission to repair my motor on a budget. A seller on Fleabay was selling genuine, boxed, switches at less than £50 all in so I rang to see if he could confirm that the switch was correct for my car-only to be told that there was only 2 variations fitted in the last 9 years and he knew straight away which one fitted mine-didn't even need the Reg. number. Took the car yesterday to my local garage and it has just been delivered back to my front door-along with a bill for £50.

So-one phone call and the car is fixed for less than £100 compared to over £400 and travelling costs if I had gone to a certain "specialist" in MK. How do they get away with it and how many people get ripped off every day?

Edited January 15, 2014 by bruno22rf

[casts_by_fly]

timely that this has come up the same time as the vet thread. I have the same style and opinion of mechanichs as vets. Both are specialized careers requiring a bit of training which 'treat' 2 of the largest expenses that most people will ever face (carss and pets). In both cases my answer is simple- find one you trust and stick to it.

 

With regards to specialist mechanics, I think there are some cases where it makes sense to start with them, but of course only continue if you find one that you like and trust. Case in point- I had a Merc A class. They are a right pain to work on as everything is compacted into the short front end. As they are 'high end German' mains dealers are really expensive and genuine MB parts can be really expensive. I started with a generalist mechanic. Their prices were pretty good and their service was mostly good. At one point I needed to use another mechanic (can't remember why) and found there was a merc specialist in town. Their labor rates were a little higher, but because they knew the car inside and out, their work time for most jobs was a bit lower. In the end they were cheaper by a fair margin because they could do it quicker. I used them ever since. When I sold the A class and bought the jeep, I kept them since there is no jeep specialist and I trust their work.

 

rick

[aris]

My father in law owned a garage with a petrol station attached. His motto for his entire career was to be honest, offer choices, and don't rip customers off. It kept him in good stead and had a stream of customers who were willing to wait for his services rather than go to the competition.

[Sha Bu Le]

Had to have a new dephaser pulley fitted to my Megane, went to a local mechanic who I have known for years. He did the job for £480 which included a service + new timing belt..

 

Independent garages around £700 for the pulley alone, so I reckon a Renault "specialist" garage would have been well over a grand.

 

He also fixed the drivers window which had stopped working, took him five minutes no parts needed. Renault dealers would have fitted a new controller and charged £600, my mechanic did it for free.

 

There are treasures out there when you find one hang on to him/her.

[lucas]

It's relatively simple getting quotes on car repairs. Specialist garages may have sent their workforce on a week's course and have a bible hidden in the back room. Maybe some special equipment costing thousands so they have to pay for it somehow.

[bluesj]

His motto for his entire career was to be honest, offer choices, and don't rip customers off.

Thats a good one. I've picked up loads of work that way, Picked up a contract worth 10's of 1000' for a company i worked for when i went to look at a job on a generator, the people had already had 2 quotes for the job of best part of £1000 for a replacement control pannel, i just replaced the P9 battery that was hiden inside a control unit!

[Dekers]

These are always tricky situations and wherever possible I stay away from Main Dealers, Big Chains and too much chrome, easy chairs and fancy women sitting in receptions.

 

Many small local garages offer excellent service, advice and prices, their name is commonly based on reputation!

[88b]

These are always tricky situations and wherever possible I stay away from Main Dealers, Big Chains and too much chrome, easy chairs and fancy women sitting in receptions.

 

Many small local garages offer excellent service, advice and prices, their name is commonly based on reputation!

Exactly a lot of small places work on happy customers telling their friends. Screw one customer and you could lose half of your customer base.

[old rooster]

I had an interesting experience with a Nissan main Dealer in Banbury, took my car in for service and they couldn't even get the wheel off without smashing one of the locking nuts by using an impact gun. Also tried to rip me off over the oil used on the job, took them to court in the end, found in my favour over the oil and they had to cough up for the oil they had overcharged, court costs and my expenses.

 

They are so poorly organised that they STILL send me reminders to take my vehicle back there when the service is due despite me requesting that they remove my details from their database.

 

If you have a Nissan steer clear of Antelope Nisan Banbury.

[Dekers]

I had an interesting experience with a Nissan main Dealer in Banbury, took my car in for service and they couldn't even get the wheel off without smashing one of the locking nuts by using an impact gun. Also tried to rip me off over the oil used on the job, took them to court in the end, found in my favour over the oil and they had to cough up for the oil they had overcharged, court costs and my expenses.

 

They are so poorly organised that they STILL send me reminders to take my vehicle back there when the service is due despite me requesting that they remove my details from their database.

 

If you have a Nissan steer clear of Antelope Nisan Banbury.

 

As it happens I do have a Nissan and the main dealer in Reading is about on par with yours in Banbury from my experiences.

 

I have stayed well away from them for a long time now, but too be fair, it isn't just Nissan, that is the gripe of many people with main dealers and the like!

[timmytree]

My ABS light came on, got it diagnosed as a faulty control unit on top of the pump. I was quoted £1855 + labour and VAT, more than the car is worth.

Took it away and went to a local garage who took the unit off and sent it to see if it was repairable, it wasn't so they helped me source a secondhand one from Lancashire for £60, fitted it, replaced all the brake fluid all round and the young lad who works there even washed it!

£120 for labour, they also got a crate of beer.

[old rooster]

As it happens I do have a Nissan and the main dealer in Reading is about on par with yours in Banbury from my experiences.

 

I have stayed well away from them for a long time now, but too be fair, it isn't just Nissan, that is the gripe of many people with main dealers and the like!

Next time it came up for service I took it to the Nissan dealer in Milton Keynes, decided to just go for an oil and filter change as a lot of what is on the standard annual service list is ridiculous.

 

I was driving along a few days later when the sump guard fell off, obviously bolted on just finger tight and the bolts worked loose and fell out after some miles of driving. Give them their due, when I took it back the service manager came out to take a look wearing his suit, he was straight under the car and didn't try to make any excuses. Took the car away and had the spanner twirler take one off a new car and fit to mine so I didn't have to go back when they got a replacement in. Can't fault that but in reality an oil change has to be one of the most basic maintenance jobs on a car?

 

I'm back to doing the oil changes myself now.

[ben0850]

These are always tricky situations and wherever possible I stay away from Main Dealers, Big Chains and too much chrome, easy chairs and fancy women sitting in receptions.

 

Many small local garages offer excellent service, advice and prices, their name is commonly based on reputation!

Couldn't agree more! Will at auto prestige in Leeds has my utmost trust, spend ages finding a dodgy connection on my old X5 whereas a dealer would have just thrown parts at the situation!

[shaun4860]

I had a Laguna going in for a big service ( it was every 18 months and went big service/little service)

So they asked if I noticed anything that needed doing?

 

I said it needed rear brake pads,

 

They said it would be £40 odd pounds plus labour.

 

I said why the labour charge, as its the big service and you strip the brakes down anyway?

 

She left and came back with yes you're right so it will be just the price of the pads.

 

Now how many people just pay what they ask?

 

Main dealer again.

 

BUT... I now have my Seat serviced at the main dealer for a very good price which includes 12 months breakdown cover... Can't fault them and its valeted before I get it back

 

Where you ask?

 

Arnold Clarke

 

[aris]

Every job they do has a parts price and an indivdual labour price. If a brake job is 2.5 hours, that is what they charge regardless. They tend not to have the pricing flexibility of an idependent garage.

 

When I took my VW to a main dealer for service years ago, they would charge me a fiver or so to fill the windscreen wash. Next time a went, I made a point of filling it first - and they still charged me. When I pointed this out to them, they removed the charge. Probably part of the standard service fees, but a rip off by any definition.

[TaxiDriver]

I used to use a VW main dealer 40 miles away rather than my unhelpful local VW dealership,

then when the manufacturers warranty had expired I switched to a local VW Specialist who really talked himself up as the 'Independant VW Specialist' who trains many of the other 'Independants' in specialist VW computerised diagnostics

 

I had an electrical fault with my Transporter and he had the vehicle for 10 days, changed a whole dashboard and instrument binacle plus loads of relays behind the dash, I collected the vehicle and was told to expect a bill of around £1600, I drove off determined i would be fighting it IF he couldn't justify it, I only drove 4 tenths of a mile and it had a major electrical melt down, I phoned him immediately and got a tirade of abuse which didn't lessen when I drove it back to him in limp mode.

 

We had a blazing row, I told him not to fret over it any more as I'd take it elsewhere and phoned the breakdown/recovery firm I now work for who collected it and took it to my local Main Dealer,

Next day I had a call from the Franchised dealer, they had diagnosed the cause within 20 mins, the cover of the electronics centre under the battery was broken in 2parts and there was 2" of water slopping about shorting everything out, cure was 2hrs labour to remove all the relays, dry everything out and refit with new sealed cover.

In the post arrived the bill from the 'specialist' which I sent back to him along with the VW Dealership report and told him I would not be paying and to Sue me if he dared/wished !!

 

Sometimes its nescessary/useful to use the Franchised dealers if only because they have access to the official software/parts/back up and I suppose this is what you sometimes pay a premium for.

[brett1985]

I work for an audi dealership, and I used to hate main dealers!

One thing I must admit is that if you have your services done at a dealer you have the peace of mind that all recall and campaign checks are up to date and completed, usually at no charge... ignition coil campaign is a prime example. Audi noticed that there was a problem with some pencil coils failing in certain models so released a free of charge replacement campaign. People who dont use main dealer could be replacing all 4 coil packs at a independant at a cost of 200 for the coils plus labour. Come in to us and its free...

 

and with regrads to audi, if you have a major failure of a component part 3 years out of warranty, if you have a full dealer service history your likely to get goodwill towrds the cost of the repairs.

So a failed balance shaft that knackers a turbo would cost around 2 grand in parts alone and then whatever fred in the shed wants to fit it all, with goodwill that could only cost you 750 for the whole job at a dealer...

[AVB]

I work for an audi dealership, and I used to hate main dealers!

One thing I must admit is that if you have your services done at a dealer you have the peace of mind that all recall and campaign checks are up to date and completed, usually at no charge... ignition coil campaign is a prime example. Audi noticed that there was a problem with some pencil coils failing in certain models so released a free of charge replacement campaign. People who dont use main dealer could be replacing all 4 coil packs at a independant at a cost of 200 for the coils plus labour. Come in to us and its free...

and with regrads to audi, if you have a major failure of a component part 3 years out of warranty, if you have a full dealer service history your likely to get goodwill towrds the cost of the repairs.

So a failed balance shaft that knackers a turbo would cost around 2 grand in parts alone and then whatever fred in the shed wants to fit it all, with goodwill that could only cost you 750 for the whole job at a dealer...

I had the front diff go in my 5 year old Range Rover. I was expecting a bill of around £2k to replace. However LR said that they would pay for everything, parts and labour, as a goodwill gesture as it had a full franchise service history. I couldn't complain at that especially as I got the car from new with 5 years free servicing thrown in so hadn't paid a penny for servicing.