We often hear in the Back Room of the astonishing prices manufacturers demand for spare parts. Well my Vectra needed a fog light blank that goes in the front bumper. It's about 5 inches wide by about 3 inches high and looks like a grille for an air intake. Vauxhall wanted £1.42 inc. VAT. I was astonished!
Chris M
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Good heavens, Chris M. !! A post confirming it is not ROB (rip-off-Britain) !! Astonishing news, as good news is usually no news.
Or does this prove the adage "exception to the rule"?
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Bet it would have been cheaper in France! You could have saved money if only the ferry companies weren't such rip-off merchants!!!
Are you sure it wasn't a mistake?£14.20 or even £142 sounds much more likely to me!
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I've noticed prices seem either high or low from the same supplier too.
Volvo price for a dashboard bulb - £6, plastic flame trap, 20p.
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Some Vauxhall parts are cheaper than elsewhere, ie oil filter cartridge (not spin on) for 1.8 16v is cheaper at VX dealer than Halfords and not available at other factors.
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I think you will find that parts which are subject to accident damage carry generally lower prices than interior items such as trim fittings.
This is so the manufacturer can obtain a lower insurance rating for his product and then gain competitive advantage.
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I hadn't thought of that, you may well be right. I'm not complaining though.
Chris M
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If you want high parts prices, try ordering a top wishbone for a '93 Lexus LS400.......£324+VAT.....crazy.
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Vauxhall spare parts are very reasonably priced on the whole. If you're in the trade club they're even better. I don't bother with motor factors for my Astra, because they're nearly always more expensive and generally lower quality. I use my local Vauxhall dealer for spares every time.
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I think you will find that parts which are subject to accident damage carry generally lower prices than interior items such as trim fittings. This is so the manufacturer can obtain a lower insurance rating for his product and then gain competitive advantage.
Spot on sean. before a new car hits the streets it goes thro the insurance industries workshops and they price common accident repairs. The car co's keen to get a lower insurance rating for mainstream cars (specially fleet cars) price these things at a realistic manner.
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The cost of minor spares must be mostly to do with cataloguing, distribution and storage, I imagine.
I recently had to order a bolt and spacer assembly to locate one end of an anti-roll bar. The items are trivial, but apart from the bolt itself and a couple of plain washers, are all peculiar to the application, and there are 11 components in all - I made it 10, but the storeman helpfully corrected my assumption that the bolt (£3.33) would include the nut (another £2.21!).
Given that these items rarely fail, the turnover must be
very slow, so one is presumably also paying for all those items on the shelf that are not moving. £20 for a bolt, 4 washers and some small rubber bits still seems a lot to me, though!
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Chris M, There was a guy in Quest Motors, Braintree the other week buying the same part as you and I couldn't believe the price, even after he had gone the parts man double checked because he couldn't believe it either.
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Astra 1997 1.6 16V Ecotec Ignition Leads
Vauxhall price £108.00 Plus Vat
Independent Factor Price £26.00 Inc Vat
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I dont like the idea of Vauxhalls charging £45 to do that engine management check, just to find out whats wrong. Local car repair garage no charge anything to do the check.
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I dont like the idea of Vauxhalls charging £45 to do that engine management check, just to find out whats wrong.
Are you sure no other work was carried out? Mate of mine has within the last week had a Tech2 fault diagnosis done on his Astra and was charged something like £13 at a main dealer.
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A colleague reports £750 for an Audi TT headlight unit (damaged in an accident)
Ouch!, for the insurance company.
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When i worked at a vauxhall main dealer, the Parts department made the most profit for the dealer, the service department the second most profit, the bodyshop the 3rd and the sales made the least.
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If you think car parts are pricey try motorbike bits. They are astonomical. A new mirror for my Kawasaki ZX12R was £100! A front brake disc is nearly £250 and it goes on.
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>>>> Ouch!, for the insurance company.>>>>
And I'll give you one gues where the insurance company get its money from?
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