Unfair costs in car repairs

[Profpointy]

A single mechanic maybe, a whole dealers worth not so, out of interest my insurance with 20+ years no claims runs at £1200 a year just for me and my car.

I dare say a whole chamber's worth of QCs would be a fair bit too. Them silk stockings don't come cheap either.

 

[screenman]

I dare say a whole chamber's worth of QCs would be a fair bit too. Them silk stockings don't come cheap either.

A QC is what £2000 a day? I know of one charging half of that 30 years ago.

Main agents have a very small percentage against turnover, one of the reason I never wanted to run one.

 

[screenman]

Out of interest it would be nice to know what rate the other business owners or self employed people on this topic charge out at.

 

[screenman]

I think this sort of thing (over-charging) is one of the reasons why new cars/PCP deals are at a record high.

It is not over charging it is covering costs, most of my customers would be delighted to make 5% on turnover, they seldom do. I bet your business does better.

 

[mustang1]

What was the part?

A wrist pin circlip would only be a few quid but could cost into 4 digits to install.

Something in the gearbox.

 

[screenman]

Something in the gearbox.

So that could easily be 10 hours work.I

I am not defending the prices but just pointing out that only a tiny bit is profit.

I once was out with the area manager of a local group of garages I asked him if they had a good year he said yes, they had turned over £52,000,000 and only lost £2,000.

One of my family owned customers was made to upgrade their signs this year, just over £100,000. This will be unlikely to sell them any more cars, it was a manufacturer order.

 

[stephec]

I once scrapped a Capri because of a faulty spark plug.

A piston hit it

I can't like this post, it's a sad day when a Capri dies.

 

[fossyant]

I'm with @screenman here. I use my local garage if I need stuff doing that is beyond my spanners and axel stands. They are great. My wife's car will be going to them for a service - spark plugs aren't user accessible.

 

[screenman]

I can't like this post, it's a sad day when a Capri dies.

Should have fun it on the Autocraft plugs rather than the Champion one's that often made this happen.

 

[mustang1]

I had the fun of owning an 'approved used' BMW.
Rear differential input bearing, probably worth £10 failed. Yes sir, that'll be £1500 for a new differential + fitting.
Complaining sir? Very well BMW have allowed us to use their reconditioned unit, that's £850.

That was the last straw after the £350 traction control valve, the head gasket £500, washer bottle filter £250 etc...
£3500 in 18 months. The manual says they use a 'modular' approach for easy maintenance and repair. That explains it.

Then the sump gasket started leaking, which requires removing the steering and half the front suspension... I thought sod it and traded it in for a Suzuki Swift.

Isn't that stuff covered under warranty?

 

[stephec]

Should have fun it on the Autocraft plugs rather than the Champion one's that often made this happen.

I don't know which ones were in mine, a mate's mate owned a Lucas franchised garage and he used to look after it for me.

 

[Nigel-YZ1]

Isn't that stuff covered under warranty?

None of it. Although the differential is expected to outlive the car. As was the £250 wheel hub they replaced when they thought that was where the noise was coming from. 'Well it needed doing anyway'.

The only warranty fix was replacing all the door locks that failed the day I collected it due to water ingress from a design fault.

Lovely car to drive. Garbage to own.
The jumpers over the shoulders brigade were a laugh to watch strutting their entitlement in the service waiting area too.

 

[subaqua]

Should have fun it on the Autocraft plugs rather than the Champion one's that often made this happen.

F7YCC

Never had a problem with that.

Pinto engines had the plug in the recess in head . Cross flow maybe.

A very easy engine to work on was the pinto

 

[DaveReading]

Can you put normal valves on for now I asked.
Oh yes....but your TPMS will alarm and it'll be an automatic MOT fail.

If that's true, it's absurd.

 

[oldfatfool]

So that could easily be 10 hours work.I

I am not defending the prices but just pointing out that only a tiny bit is profit.

I once was out with the area manager of a local group of garages I asked him if they had a good year he said yes, they had turned over £52,000,000 and only lost £2,000.

One of my family owned customers was made to upgrade their signs this year, just over £100,000. This will be unlikely to sell them any more cars, it was a manufacturer order.

My local skoda garage went out of business because of the VW merger and VW insisting they had to have a corporate image showroom.