From time to time people post here about quite astonishing costs of certain parts or servicing items. £700 for a Mondeo abs control unit and £2500 for a 60k service (cambelt replacement) on an Espace are recent examples.
Some of these huge costs relate to \'consumable\' items or parts that tend to require periodic renewal within the life of the car yet their costs are astronomic. Wouldn\'t it be a good idea therefore for all those BackRoomers who\'ve had a major shock in this manner to post details of just how much these parts have cost so that it would be possible to compile a listing of horror costs for various cars and add these costs to the CBC breakdown.
I\'m sure most people fall in love with their shiny new motors and haggle about the price but never find out or even consider in advance just how costly that new clutch, cat, cambelt etc. etc. is going to be when it\'s eventually required. If the costs of such items were easily available, people might choose to base their buying decisions on more than the looks and otr cost of their purchase and the manufacturers might find it just a little harder to rip us all off.
Come on chaps (and chapesses) - post details of your car\'s hidden horror costs.
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Good idea in theory Volvoman. I warn however if this thread turns into too much of a discussion, I may have to move across to Mark's little emporium next door.
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Agreed DD - don't want any discusssion here, just the plain facts e.g.
60k Cambelt change on ???? (make/model)= £???
Complete exhaust system on ??? (m/m) = £???
etc., etc.
BTW - I'm most interested in main dealer prices for OEM parts, not back street prices for dodgy parts.
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How about the following:-
1995 Ford Probe Distributer £650 fitted
1999 Xantia Clutch £580 fitted
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carlton headlamp wiper motor : £167
cavalier power steering pump : £350 ish (more then the car is worth)
omega V6 HT leads £175 ish
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Are we talking the prices of parts or the price including fitting as well? There's a huge difference between the two. I reckon that both are worth quoting as the majority of us are at the mercy of labour charges but I think it would also be worth keeping them separate. Any thoughts?
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Nissan QX
Battery = 52.00 inc.VAT (parts only)
Spark plugs x6 = 62.11 inc.VAT (parts only)
Complete OE stainless-steel exhaust system = 315.00 inc.VAT (fitted)
Michelin Primacy 205/65 VR15 x4 = 256.36 inc.VAT (fitted)
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This is just the stuff folks. We all know catastrophic events can occur from time to time but what we need to find out is just how much the
parts that are gonna need to be changed from time to time cost. Might be a good idea to list the cost of the part(s) and fitting separately though if you have the details.
£600 for a Probe distributor !!!!!
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BTW - anyone in the trade please feel free to post details of as many horror part/labour prices as you can. Ta.
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Cavalier V6 money pit. All Vx dealer prices I have shelled out for..
cambelt change - £300
clutch change - £300
Air com compressor + sundries - £600 (not Vauxhall)
Tyres - approx £55 a corner
TC Motor - apparently £450. Not been able to stomach this yet!
HT Leads + DIS-pack - £165 + delivery from www.autovaux.co.uk. DON'T EVER BUY THESE ITEMS FROM Vx. THEY ARE A RIP-OFF.
Ford Ka3.
Major service £179 from Ford Dealer. Is this a joke or what.
CavV6 and cavWeb fan.
www.cavweb.co.uk
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Hmm I could write a book on this.
But for now here is tomorrows job as an example...
Oldish base model P.306 wiper motor failed. Chap wanted local dealers to do it until they quoted £200 plus vat all in.
A £10 motor from the scrappy and some simple DIY would sort it.
And by the way I reckon a major service for a Ka at £179 is OK at a main dealers, many larger cars are creeping to £300 and above for such a visit.
MM
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MM - I suppose creeping escalation in repair costs is just another factor shortening the working life of cars which decades of government (and other) pressure has made theoretically much longer than it used to be? Good for the crushing/scrapping trade but not good for landfill sites. Of course about half the viable car population can be seen in used-car sites and other 'car parks' already.
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Ford Fiesta - Major Service about £140 at main dealer IIRC.
I think this is also gonna highlight the differences between dealers... I'll try and find out the exact correct price for it.
Blue
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Come on folks! This was meant to descrbe horrific, unbelievable prices. I wouldn't call £140 for a major service, £55 for a tyre or £52 for a battery horrific.
Try £828 for an engine change on an Alfasud Sprint a year ago, excluding engine which I supplied.
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Good point AlfaFan. Got mixed up between genuine horror Cav V6 prices and acceptable costs. cost of HT leads is most obscene I think.
At least my Ka's plugs had not rusted into the head (copious WD40 applied before taking it to the garage)..now that truly would be horror expenses.
CavV6 and cavWeb fan.
www.cavweb.co.uk
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A full suspension sphere change at a Citroen dealer - about £400 for an older 5 sphere car - over a grand probably for a 10 sphere Activa. Parts available at £25 a each, and job can be done on ramps in under 2 hours. MAJOR rip off!
Richard
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Spare key for BMW Compact 1999 - £70 !!!
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Nissan QX Michelin Primacy 205/65 VR15 x4 = 256.36 inc.VAT (fitted)
I actually thought that Michelin Primacy at £64.09 inc VAT were a good deal - I recently bought 4 BFGoodrich "Profiler"s in exactly the same size for my Omega for around £59 inc. each.
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Volvoman, after some consideration, I think you'll get a better response in Discussion than in Technical Matters. DD.
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02 shogun 3.2 DiD 18000 mile service £382.00 (ouch!)
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Pug 309 window winder motor and operating arm: £120 for parts, plus fitting which I can't remember.
The guy next to me at the counter was having kittens on being quoted £200 for a heater fan motor.
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Why don't people fixing elderly motors of low market value use their local dismantlers more? (though even they realise that old parts still command good prices).
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Replacement central locking relay on a Volvo 850 T5 @ £280 plus fitting !!
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Spare key for Megane - £100!
Baz
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Thermostat for Astra - current shape £40 + vat, I always thought Vaux parts were cheap - not any more! Someone's kicking the you know what out of it!
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Jaguar drive-by-wire throttle unit - £800 (parts only) 98 V8
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Replacement NGK glowplugs for Cav/Astra 1.7TD at £40 EACH + VAT
Sold solely through Vx dealers through a licensing agreement with NGK
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Well
I was certainly shocked today
A wapping £295 for a Xantia 1.8 16v Engine with a horrendous 18,000 miles use, 6 months warranty and free delivery!
Seriously though, I think that the manufacturers are sending a message to us consumers - along the lines of 'we don't want to know except at a price when your motor's a few years old'.
So, in future I shall be running on 2nd hand or patterned spares cos I recon that price for the engine is pretty reasonable. It is being delivered on Monday to my mate's place of work where he's going to fit it. All I need now is a white Mk 2 bonnet (P reg).
On a separate note, my local Citroen dealer quoted over £600 for an ABS ECU for my 2.0l L reg Xantia a year ago. A few hours on the phone and I eventually found one for £80 incl with delivery from a breakers in Redruth. That is the difference between scrapping a cer and getting another 5 years out of it!
I have noticed though that spare part prices for older cars do get droppen from time to time.
H
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Sapre key for passat : 274 quid
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Can we end this thread its giving me nightmares! The more i see of this stuff the more interested I am in bangernomics! I have just lost £13k in depreciation on my car in 3 years. I only use it once a week to go to footie. Thats about £83 a week in depreciation alone. If I add in the costs incurred for servicing, petrol, new tyres and replacement catalytic converter its about £120 a week. I know HJ keeps saying cars have never been cheaper but I still think I am being ripped off and seduced by these shiny liabilities!
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'breath - yes you are!!
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1993 Audi 80 S2 120k service - £375
Quoted £550 for a back box - dealer only part. I can get a custom stainless steel full system for less!
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I only use it once a week to go to footie ... I still think I am being ripped off and seduced by these shiny liabilities!
You don't support Man United, do you? :)
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Landcruiser steering box - £1500 (parts only)
Landcruiser radiator - £550 (parts only)
Merc S class evaporator - 22 hours labour
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>You don't support Man United, do you? :)
Maybe he's Fabien Barthez.
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Here's another 2 examples borrowed from other threads today.
Renault Megane ignition coils - £182 fitted.
Toyota Carina oxygen sensor - £350-400 fitted!
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Colour coded rear housing for wing mirror (BMW 3) £90
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Ooooohhhh that's good value !!!!
BTW - Hope all's OK with the little 'un CM.
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Non colour coded housing for said mirror £21.
replacement re-chargable torch £16
(Little one - no change therefore OK - thanks)
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Four injectors for classic Saab 900:
£127 + VAT each + £80 labour from Saab dealer.
or:
£27 + VAT each + £80 labour using Bosch OEM injectors from eurocarparts, fitted by the dealer.
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32 quid for a haircut which took 20 minutes and judging by the look of it she never even finished.
Has anyone noticed the incredible rising cost of various useless motoring fluids and additives. e.g. the ones that make your car go faster, quieter, less smoky, etc.
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Now I know why I don't live in UK!
I get a nice little US Marines jar-head buzz-cut (nose, ears and eyebrows included)from my pal Dante down the street for the equivalent of 80p which I round up to a Pound. He's a billy-boy admittedly but I've warned him off. They have cold beers in the salon for 20p each as well and the old dragon out the back in the massage room will give you a pedicure for another 50p if she hasn't been bashing the Gilbeys overmuch (80p a bottle).
Motoring costs! Joe down the road does my F-150, wash and valet for 60p. Ferdie's Car Heaven on the main drag charges about 2.20p but he has girls in bikinis doing it, the wash I mean. Unsurprisingly you have to wait.
BUT: Ford parts: some retard with a gun shot my rear quarter window glass out for target practice: Ford here quoted USD550 equivalent for new part plus fitting. My mate in the US sourced same glass with opaque tint for USD85 plus USD70 FedEx and customs duty, and I fitted it in 10 mins (3 screws only).
Women don't know to cut men's hair anyway....
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What's a billy boy?
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Glutton: a billy-boy is, well, he's, well, er, of an alternative gender orientation.....
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''Now I know why I don't live in UK!''
''some retard with a gun shot my rear quarter window glass out for target practice''
Now I know why I do!
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Another example borrowed from 'technical' today -
Replacement of1 failed dashboard bulb:
Bulb £1.99
Labour £100 oh yes, and all PLUS VAT !!
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Bit late in the day, but this is a good one -- replacement radio/cassette unit for a 1991 Toyota Camry, supply-only, £1416 plus VAT.
(More than the car would fetch as a trade-in.)
MWH
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Mercedes V220cdi Assyst B service £307 Merc dealer
£95 Motor Depot
Mercedes C270CDi oil ang filter change £125 MB of Hull
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£2,000 for a head gasket on a Calibra worth £3,000.
OK, I passed on the offer and traded it in instead!
clariman
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New fuel pump & injectors for a Clio - £1200. (Someone sold me some fuel which contained water. As well as kerosene and bleached red diesel. Small claims court beckons.)
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Audi 80 S2 Wastegate blow off valve - quoted £890 + VAT (part only). Would still require fitting.
Surprisingly enough I declined.
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Talking of Calibras and probably Vauxhall main agents. A mate with a calibra 4x4 was quoted £3k to fix the 4 wheel drive system as the warning light was on. The vauxhall garage basically didn't have a clue as to why the light was on and what the actual problem was. The problem turned out to be a less than a £100 part that he fitted himself....
teabelly
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Keeping with Vx's...
Omega headlamp washer nozzle - £40+VAT each. Just for a small bit of black moulded plastic!
I'm missing the passenger side one - some *@!$ nicked it a few weeks ago -tried sourcing one from a breaker but no luck so far.
Chad.R
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I have just received an invoice for two windscreen washer jets and two 'adapters'(small flat plastic washers about the size of a 5p piece)for a Honda Civic. The cost was £39.80!
The adapters were £4.50 each. Cost of material probably .0001p.
How can Honda justify such blatant profiteering?
Can any Backroomer top this for extortionate cost of spares?
P.
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Sorry,- this should have been added to the 'Horror Expenses' thread.
P.
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Oi! don't knock Honda. Their cars are cheap, they never break- down. Hell, they have to make their money somewhere.
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Dogbreath,
I'm not knocking Honda, we've got three of them -just the disproportionate cost of tiny 'bits'. The larger items(driveshafts,etc.)are very reasonable.And, yes, they go on and on. Eldest son uses a G reg.Civic (150K miles) to transport his double bass to gigs all over the country, puts oil and water in when he thinks about it, and it's running as well as it did 18 months ago.(Beautifully!)
P.
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Quite right. With tighter margins on sales and longer service intervals, the days of wine and roses are long gone for dealers.
Even so, some of these charges really are unrealistic. When SWMBOs Civic had its rear wiper torn off by a supermarket carwash we had to get two estimates before the supermarket coughed up. Damage was to wiper arm and bodywork.
One was from a dealer, one was my tried and trusted independent. £350 versus £170. No contest.
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Not a car item, but I thought that I'd mention it anyway.
Bulb for a Hitachi Data (Computer) Projector. £400 !!!
I know, just had to order one, thankfully for work, and not me personally.
£400 !!! I was horrified. Thought it would be about £50.
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Get the numbers from the old lamp and try Osram or Maplin. Bet you get change from £20.
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wing mirror casing (not coloured coded bit) including fitting £145 at pug dealer!
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1999 Civic 5 Door
£375 for a rear wheel bearing !!!!
£400 + for 63,000 service
phewwwww
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Seriously? These data projector bulbs (well complete lamp assemblies), actually are all pretty expensive - regardless of projector make. Do Maplins stock 'pattern' bulbs?
Graeme
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We used to get lamps like these from the International Lamp Company and they were normally about 50 quid. They are very similar lamps to the ones used on stage lighting projectors so you could also try a stage lighting supplier.
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