Car related thread alert! MOT failure.

[Seevio]

My very comfy Rover has recently died. The garage can't work out what's wrong with it. While I'm happy to live without a car for the day to day stuff, I haven't yet found a pannier on the market that will hold a bass guitar and amp. So I am left with the dilemma of going cheap for something with a year life expectancy or getting something better.

 

[classic33]

My very comfy Rover has recently died. The garage can't work out what's wrong with it. While I'm happy to live without a car for the day to day stuff, I haven't yet found a pannier on the market that will hold a bass guitar and amp. So I am left with the dilemma of going cheap for something with a year life expectancy or getting something better.

Cargo bike!

 

[Seevio]

To parahrase Jaws, "we're going to need a bigger bike!"

 

[screenman]

Unfortunately I didn't have my glasses with me to read the paperwork I was presented with (but I believe it is the suspension control arms). It was Helensburgh Toyota, a well respected local (ish) dealer. Had it been one of Arnold Clark's franchises I would have run a mile (my car wouldn't have been in one of his places in the first place). Yes I could probably have got the job done cheaper if I had taken the car away to an independent garage - but would then have got stung for a second MOT test fee. The price is fully inclusive of labour and 20% gift to HM Treasury.

In that case I would have done what you did, My car goes into a main agent at which I get preferential rates, £40 per hour and 15% off parts which I consider an extremely good deal.

Main agents have huge overheads, which unfortunately do have to be passed down.

Getting back to the car, I bet it has got years of good value motoring left in it, we have one much the same sitting on the drive as a family spare, does not get used a lot now but has done 100,000 miles and will likely do a lot more. You could easily change it for a newer car that gives you big bills, along with greater depreciation.

 

[raleighnut]

£300 every now and again isnt bad even if it's a couple of times a year. You're hardly going to get another car up to much for £300 after all. Different story if it's a series of things. My car's maybe 15 years old and worth relatively little bit I'd spend its total value on a repair quit happilly so long as it remains broadly sound ocerall

edit Reading the OP again I note 88000 miles. My then 10 year Saab had 72000 on it when I bought and has now done around 127k and still perfectly fine - and is running better than when I got it - but I've fixed eveeything that came up - maybe £500 pa on average

Ah but that's a SAAB, I've seen them with 200k+ on the clock still running sweet as a nut (My ex service manager set up his own SAAB specialist garage when the main dealer we worked for went 'tits up', I still pop in to see him a few times a year)

 

[screenman]

[QUOTE 4273947, member: 259"]But if it's for Warranty stuff, Kia is free for 7 years isn't it?[/QUOTE]

Not for wear and tear parts though.

 

[Tommy2]

£135 p/h at Kia??? I work for Mercedes and we only charge £140 p/h!

With regards to overheads people just think of the 'fancy showroom' but it costs about £300 for a one day training course and that doesn't include travel and accommodation or food, so with 10 technicians, 4 parts advisors, 5 service advisors, numerous sales people plus admin staff, training costs soon add up.
The problem with most specialist independants is that their training stops when they leave the main dealer they used to work for (even though they are allowed to go on the exact same training with the manufacturer that I do if they pay for it) and very few are willing to spend £10000+ for the computer equipment needed.

 

[ufkacbln]

Ask the Garage for an assessment?

They should be able to advise whether it is likely that other parts will go in teh next year, but more inportantlty the state of the key chassis points..

That is where the real problems start and costs mount up

 

[DCLane]

I use a respected local specialist, not the dealer. The cost is about half the price of running my Saab through a main dealer (or ex-main dealer).

Labour is £35ph, not £100+ph which is what's making the difference here.

 

[Freds Dad]

I use a small back street garage and have done for years. He also lets me source any parts that are required as I can get them cheaper online than he can from his supplier.

 

[Levo-Lon]

[QUOTE 4273947, member: 259"]But if it's for Warranty stuff, Kia is free for 7 years isn't it?[/QUOTE]

yes, the service was oil and filters..300 quid..22k service..a lot for 2 filters and a gallon of oil
they had the car 2 days for system tests and 2 trim replacements.
so that would be a Kia charge..
My son in law works for a massive franchise ..they get around 40..50% of their turnover from waranty claims..hate to think what that cost is for the manufacturer

i dont mind paying for a service, to kerp the waranty But i use a vat registered garage owned by a mate i trust..i just cant pay 130 odd quid an hr.plus the hiked up part prices..

 

[perplexed]

How tricky a job is it? I've saved quite a bit by the power of youtube and a few swear words. I solved a brake issue on Mrs. P's Toyota - the garage wanted about £120. In the end it took me, a total non-expert, about 1.5 hours and cost £1.90.

Similarly, £85 was quoted from a dealer for a headlight bit - Again, resolved in half an hour for £1.12 by myself. The point being it gave me the confidence to look at some jobs I would never have dreamt of doing before.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

My much praised 2006 Toyota Corolla with 88k miles on the clock has finally cost me more than routine maintenance.
I took it for it's MOT test today and it failed . The front suspension arms on both sides are badly corroded and need replaced. £520 to fix if I want genuine Toyota parts; £320 if I settle for pattern parts (which will do for me).
Not bad I suppose for a 10 year old car. Previously all it has needed is normal servicing items. It has blown one headlight bulb, one sidelight bulb, and a rear reg. plate light in all that time. I'm just hoping this isn't the start of some big bills . Perhaps time to sell?

If its only needed routine servicing up to now then I recon you've done well.
At its last MOT my old car got advisories on corrosion on the front sub frame, I took it to the mechanic my sister in law uses and we couldn't find any corrosion, he put it on the ramp and we both had a good look underneath, theres a small patch of surface rust at the back on a cross member and thes a little on the offside sill and thats it, the cars a 2003 Hyundai Getz with 72 thousand on the clock.

 

[Brandane]

If its only needed routine servicing up to now then I recon you've done well.

All routine servicing has been done by my own fair hand. Having kept a written record of it from when I bought the car in May 2009 with 19800 miles on it, it has cost just short of £2000 to maintain, in 70k miles covered. That includes:
10 x oil and oil filter changes.
10 x Good Year tyres.
8 x new brake discs and pads.
2 x sets of spark plugs.
New battery, pollen filters (2), air-con recharge, coolant change, brake fluid change (2).

Not bad for 7 years of trouble free transport!

 

[Brandane]

How tricky a job is it? I've saved quite a bit by the power of youtube and a few swear words. I solved a brake issue on Mrs. P's Toyota - the garage wanted about £120. In the end it took me, a total non-expert, about 1.5 hours and cost £1.90.

Similarly, £85 was quoted from a dealer for a headlight bit - Again, resolved in half an hour for £1.12 by myself. The point being it gave me the confidence to look at some jobs I would never have dreamt of doing before.

I'm not afraid to get my hands dirty and have a go at most jobs on the car (see above), and motorbike (dealer charges which make car dealers look like a charity!). However front suspension is something I prefer to leave to those with the knowledge and specialist tools for setting up the alignment and steering geometry correctly.