Garage / Mechanic cost rant.

[Pushkin]

Tommo, if you think that is dear try £46:00 for cleaning the filter in the washer fluid bottle

 

It is a Vauxhall Meriva and the washer motor was going like heck but no fluid. I thought the impeller or something similar had gone on the pump but main dealer said more likeley to be dirt in the filter. They were right. Reason for the high bill? The front scuttle has to come out to even get into the retaining clips for the washer tank. Even the mechanic who got the job was growling at me. Apparently they all love doing that particular job.

 

Pushkin

[GJUK]

It's simple.

 

Dealers are not selling as many cars.

 

So

 

Dealers are finding every possible item on your car to replace, to make up the lost cash.

 

Jon

[MJN]

(£35 each Fitted and balanced). I wish !

 

I've just fitted two tyres on my car @GBP 305.00 fitted and balanced !, MOT due when wifey returns home, so had to get 'em done !

M.

[darren_mc]

my defender td5 is due now £365 ouch it hurts

 

 

 

 

kennyboy do you have a springer on your wheel cover

[amateur]

Dealers are finding every possible item on your car to replace, to make up the lost cash.

 

The wipers and windscreen washer on my Fabia vRS had packed in.

Fuse, I thought, but the wiper fuse shown in the handbook was OK.

Phoned up Skoda Dartford and tried to book a repair - but no slot available for a week.

As I'm describing the problem, Jamie, the service receptionist says "Oh, I think I know what that is - there is another fuse relating to the wipers (and the handbook isn't clear on that point). Can you bring it down now?"

Popped along, took him about 2 mins to fit the obscure replacement fuse.

 

Guess what he charged me?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

50p

 

RESULT!!!

Edited January 16, 2009 by amateur

[kennyboy30]

kennyboy do you have a springer on your wheel cover

yes mate i have where have you seen me

[Tommo]

Don't get me wrong,

 

I can afford to run my cars easily (There was a thread on what everyone did and l filled it in - Project manager for a large recruitment company) So in all honesty the cost is not a problem, however....the thing that gets me is the difference between what is reasonable, what is sensible and what is being charged to those that are having to tow the line (warrentee's etc.) it's a P*** take. Also when they find something wrong or needs replacing they seem to revel in the fact that their policy is to charge an arm and a leg. More-over what really made my blood boil is the fact that their fault list was accepted by me (but l declined the work) so they went hammer and tongs at the missus when she picked the car up about H & S etc.

 

And if anyone believes that a fully fitted out garage that has ten bays with full staff and apprenticies working can't service more than two cars in two hours- they need to pop and see Drive In (Garage in Aylesbury) and they can see for their own eyes!

[Greenhunter]

The wifes SportKA's engine warning light came on last Sunday. Couldn't get it booked in till wednesday so took it down then.

Got there late (30 mins) so missed my slot They told me that they usually liked to have the car for the whole day to do diagnostic tests(have since found out that this would probably take about 10 minutes to do, I waited 3HOURS ) but they would do what they could as I was waiting for it. Charged me £84.99 + vat and told me they didn't know exactly what was wrong with it although they were pretty certain it was a fault in a wiring loom. (Feeling a bit ripped off by now )They had had a brief look but needed it back in. so 'could you leave it with us for THREE DAYS ' but we can't do it till the 29th.' Ok,what are your hourly charges?' I ask. '£75 + vat ' he says. I just managed to stay sitting in the chair by gripping the desk very tightly Minds doing overtime now trying to calculate 3x8x75 +vat + parts :o

Did actually book it in(why? ) but dont think I'll be taking it back because.....

 

Best thing is-when I got back in the car and turned the engine on the light wasn't on

Went back to tell the guy who said it would probably come back on after I'd driven it a bit :(

Drove 10miles+ with foot down to give it a good work out AND STILL NO LIGHT

Drove another 10 miles to wifes work- STILL NO LIGHT

 

Shall I ring them and cancel the booking :hmm......Neh (well, not yet anyway)

 

This is a main dealership who we bought the car off middle of last year!

 

Going back to the old garage I think

[J@mes]

Dont forget that this money also pays the service receptionist (who doesn't earn the business money by fixing cars), the service manager who also doesn't fix cars, the sofa you sit on while you watch the flatscreen while drinking that coffee they gave you, the stack of papers and magazines on the table and so on.

 

All the things you DONT get when you go to your local garage because all they have is a grotty office full of porno calendars where the manager/owner/head mechanic/receptionist is all one person.

 

I dont like the amount of money my local dealer charges (£117 an hour) so i service my car myself. its out of warranty and I am perfectly capable of filling the engine, box, diffs etc as well as the next man.

 

with regards to the warranty, IT DOESNT HAVE TO GO TO THE DEALER!!

 

You must have it done to the book with genuine spec parts. If you pay for it, the mechanic/ garage must be VAT registered. You can even do it yourself.

 

Some dealers may be funny, some wont. I walked into a dealership and had a £2500 carbon fibre spoiler replaced under warranty, they didnt know me, the car had never been serviced there or by any other dealer in the last 18 months. no problem.

[Peter De La Mare]

£120 for a service?

 

Suggest you never take a new Mercedes for a service in London.

[Browning GTS]

Got to get the jeep serviced and mot`ed at the end of Feb so its off to Hughes of Amersham ( time to take out a mortgage me thinks

[lurcherboy]

Being totally independent You lot are all getting your ***** ripped. Under EC regulations there is block exemption. This means that your vehicle can be serviced by any garage that adheres to the manufacturers specifications and use parts that meet EU requirements. Main dealers will tell you that you have invalidated your warranty but they are just trying to get and keep your business.

 

Don't be bullied and check out any local specialised garages that cover your marque.

 

 

 

 

LB

[rocksaplenty]

Had the con-rod bolts and big end bearing shells upgraded on my Navara. Took 30+ hours work, mechanic did it in the freezing weather (last week). The bill...£400.

 

Couldn't believe it..

 

I'll be going back there again!

[gubby_uk]

Just thought I'd chuck my 2 penneth worth in. I'm a diesel fitter for a so called living. I used to do a lot of work on site in all weathers. The middle of winter in a field with just your face sticking out of the mud as you change a Landrover gearbox whilst it blows a hooly is highly entertaining. I like Landrovers. As long as they make them, I'll have a job fixing the bu***rs! Thing is, it's four years of college, a long apprenticeship.What annoys me is when someone asks me to do a job in the evening and I say £30 ish they get the hump and expect me to do it for nothing, yet they will pay £100 for a plumber to change a tap! It is the skills, or lack of in some cases, that you pay for. I would say, look for a small but reputable garage. You will usually find good service for reasonable money. The bigger the place, the more overheads for office wallahs.

[mfletch]

Im also a mechanic and I agree that some garages do charge over the odds and some just rip people off,

 

My advise is to learn how to change the oil and oil+air filters your self that will save you money {use original parts to keep the warranty}

 

But have major services done by a mechanic we check more items than you thing and most of us do this by experience,

 

My mates hate it when they give me a lift in there cars as I will tel them if I notice noises from the wheel bearings or engine

 

But then thank me for telling them before something serious happens,

 

I could go on about cost etc but a neglected car is a dangerous one and you and others only have one life {what price do you put on it??}

 

If you do not have lots of money buy a manual and take your time doing the service your self a bit at a time not all at once also most mechanics are good people and will give you advice {join a forum and just ask}

 

And if you do have lots of money STOP MOANING others have to live you know,

[rec-baller]

i have a Golf GTI TDI and the wife said that a light had come on on the dashboard, i tokk the car to a local garage to be told " we,ll have to put it on the diagnostic machine--it could be anything !!" went to pick it up at night - the bill was £245 !!!!!

we i had come round after fainting i was told it was one of the heater plugs, after reading the bill i fpound out that the heater plugs were only £30 for a set of four !!

 

£30 heater plugs :unsure:

£20 labour

£195 for four hours of diagnostics

 

that is some serious profit for plugging a car into a laptop !!!!!!! ( and going for a brew/toilet -reading time /etc )

 

shaun

[mfletch]

i have a Golf GTI TDI and the wife said that a light had come on on the dashboard, i tokk the car to a local garage to be told " we,ll have to put it on the diagnostic machine--it could be anything !!" went to pick it up at night - the bill was £245 !!!!!

we i had come round after fainting i was told it was one of the heater plugs, after reading the bill i fpound out that the heater plugs were only £30 for a set of four !!

 

£30 heater plugs :unsure:

£20 labour

£195 for four hours of diagnostics

 

that is some serious profit for plugging a car into a laptop !!!!!!! ( and going for a brew/toilet -reading time /etc )

 

shaun

 

Well Im sorry to say you were defiantly ripped off a good mechanic could have tested the glow plugs without a computer all you need is a length of wire,

[Topgunners]

Being totally independent :unsure: You lot are all getting your ***** ripped. Under EC regulations there is block exemption. This means that your vehicle can be serviced by any garage that adheres to the manufacturers specifications and use parts that meet EU requirements. Main dealers will tell you that you have invalidated your warranty but they are just trying to get and keep your business.

 

Don't be bullied and check out any local specialised garages that cover your marque.

 

 

 

 

LB

 

wondered when you were gonna pop in.

 

Dave k

[daz2202]

I am not a mechanic but when you break this down, I come up with ...

 

£50 per hour per mechanic,

most garages have say 4 mechanics,

the garage is open for 9 hours per day but i garantee not one mechanic achieves more than 6 hours per day that is chargable to the customer.

 

so this equals £1200 per day labour (hope my maths is correct)

 

The garage owner is prob paying his fitters around £15 per hour for the whole 9 hours per day so his immediate cost is £540 per day.

 

Rent on a decent sized unit and rates prob costs around £12000 per annum so this is just shy of £50 per day.

 

Then there is the 20 days holiday you pay per fitter per year and the bank hols so add another £48 per day.

 

NI contributions and any other benefit so say £25 per day.

 

Accountant proberly costs around £2k per year so this would be £8 per day

 

The manager / receptionist who will not be hands on profitable will be on around £120 per day.

 

So bottom line is £409 per day

 

shall i carry on breaking this down as i still have gas, water, telephone, sick pay, training for mot stuff, tools and equipment, commisioning of gas analysers, insurances etc etc etc.

 

Sorry no having a go at anyone so please do not take any offence as none is implied.

 

I do run my own business and do get fed up of hearing people groan about us guys trying to earn a crust. My house is on the line, Staff rely on me to feed there families and pay their mortgages, I work around 65 hours per week and i pay myself the same as my driver earns !!!

 

Yes sometimes i have good months but sometimes i have bad ones. But back to £50per hour for a trained skilled person I reckon thats a steal. Last week my accountant charged me £76 to make a couple of 5 minute phone calls !

[amateur]

Last week my accountant charged me £76 to make a couple of 5 minute phone calls !

 

Aaah, but you are paying for his knowledge of who to phone and how to sort out the problem!!

[daz2202]

Aaah, but you are paying for his knowledge of who to phone and how to sort out the problem!!

 

My point excatly, I had to pay for his expertise like we do plumbers, mechanics, sparkies etc etc.

[krazykayaker]

they will pay £100 for a plumber to change a tap!

 

im moving to the New Forest, they wont pay that round here !!! :unsure:

[artful badger]

The garage owner is prob paying his fitters around £15 per hour for the whole 9 hours per day so his immediate cost is £540 per day.

 

 

not even cheif mechanics, workshop foreman, etc get that much 10-12 pph normally. the monkeys get £8 if they're any good (in a dealership, my dad works in westerly bmw)

 

as for main dealers, they might as well be quik fit fitters,

 

when i was an apprentice, a full "proper" service would take 3.5-4 hours. This would be everything,check and clean brakes, bearings, tyres, antifreee,grease door hinges, bonnet catches literally everything.

 

my cousin went to mitsubishi with his l200 to keep with the warranty, got rinsed and brought it 2 us to see what they had done, not a lot was the answer, the air filter still had loads of leaves in.

 

my uncle who i worked for and am very tempted to go back to charges £25 ph maybe £30 since i left, and you always get a jetwash, courtesy car etc.

 

yes his garage is quite dirty and his office is a pigsty but then a dirty garage is a busy garage, and the loyalty from his clientel is fantastic

 

he has high overhead costs, but his wife does the billingto keep things reasonable, the problem with dealers is one person generally only does one job, whereas back street mechanics learn everything, so you need less people.

[Paul223]

shall i carry on breaking this down as i still have gas, water, telephone, sick pay, training for mot stuff, tools and equipment, commisioning of gas analysers, insurances etc etc etc.

Add to that rates, heating, vehicle costs ( works van ), data ( as in autodata @ £625 / year ), decent diagnostic equipment @ £5000 and annual update fee of approx £1000, diagnostic training @ £1500 / tech every couple years, I could go on but........

[gubby_uk]

Here's another thing that bugs me as a fitter. Tools. They are hellish expensive and we have to supply them ourselves. A decent set of spanners is well over a hundred pounds. Sockets, screwdrivers etc are the same. And it seems every year the motor manufacturers bring out a new type of bolt head so then you have to buy a new range of spanners, sockets etc. If your lucky the garage may replace tools that break, but often they won't. You can buy cheap but it doesn't last long. You can buy Snap on tools which are very nice but cost an arm and a leg ( and a n*t too I think)! It is a terrible trade. All the world thinks you are a rip of merchant when at the end of the day you are a skilled man or woman trying to make a living. I would love to go back to working as I used to. I remember as a lad, (cue nostalgic music and rose spectacles) we would lubricate all the door locks, tyre pressures, repack bearings with grease, check and adjust brakes, clean the car inside and out, pop in an air freshener and treat the customer to some first class service. We didn't charge for this. We got the forecourt lad to do the cleaning. If you did it now there would be another 1 1/2 labour on top and that would really get people going. The cost of servicing and repairing modern cars is getting higher because of what we have to do. Think what some one in IT earns. A damn sight more then we do, yet we have to work with computers every day now. Sorting out engine management faults which are computer based. Have a look at a Mercedes Actros truck. It is all electronic, right down to the gearshift and transmission. OOPs, I'm starting to rant. My point is, we are highly skilled people, and some of the price is because of that.