Punto 1.9D 5 yrs old.
Just got a Fiat dealer quote for £455.99 to fit a cambelt kit and a new waterpump at the same time.
This breaks down as £255.99 for the cambelt kit fitted inc vat and
an *extra £200 for the waterpump fitted*.
I asked why £200 as surely the stripdown for the cambelt also exposes the water pump?and was told it was because the cooling system needed to be drained and refilled.
I later rang parts at the same Fiat dealer and found the actual waterpump costs only £53.76
I Can`t really understand the £146.24 above the parts cost of the pump when its sitting there exposed during the cambelt change......
labour rates at around £50 per hour.
Any thoughts?
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He is pulling your leg find an independant who will do it for half this price.
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A lot of dealers have a 'menu' price list for various common jobs, clutch, discs & pads etc. Is the quote you have been given from such a menu, in which case it will be pretty much the same at all dealers, apart from labour costs, or is it a one-off for your job? Cam belt would seem to be a common enough job and the point you make about the high extra costs for doing the pump, when the engine area has been stripped down, seems valid = the extra cost is high. Draining and refilling the cooling system is neither expensive nor time consuming SFAIK.
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Yep tooooooooooooooooooooo expensive try another dealer for a quote & go back to the original if its less & see what they offer or find a good independant
Regards
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When i was getting quotes for the clio, I deliberately didnt ask for the pump to be changed, but waited for the garage to advise it (shows they have some knowledge)
Those that did (and to be fair most did) would add an extra 30 minutes or hours labour on top & the cost of the pump. - about an extra 75 or 100 quid all in. (pump was bout £50 i think)
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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Thanks for the interest in my situation, this is the outcome.
Fiat dealer (1) who we have loyally bought 3 new cars off in the last 5 years and have done our best to support by giving them out of warranty work, wants £455.99
for a cambelt kit and new waterpump fitted.
They do free body/corrosion stamps if in for a service, but not if in the workshop for this expensive repair. " Its not a service is it" ( service reception)
Fiat dealer (2) who doesnt know me at all quoted £330 all in using Fiat parts.
and free body/corrosion stamp.
Thats a saving of approx £150 when you add on the labour charge for the corrosion inspection......
I`m not going to name dealer (1) but you can imagine how I feel about it..... :(
( the indi was only £60 cheaper using none Fiat parts and of course no corrosion/body stamp)
Its going to dealer (2)
I mean with the Fiat dealer network shrinking, I thought loyalty to the firm who sold you the 3 cars new by giving them out of warranty
work would be mutually beneficial.
Regards
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I would approach dealer 1 and ask them why they want to charge a loyal customer £150 more than a dealer who has never seen you up till now.
If it was me I would tell them politely but firmly that I was most put out that I was being taken advantage of as they believed I would accept whatever price they quoted.
If they offer to match the other dealer's price I would refuse their offer on the basis that they were all too happy to overcharge you before you challenged them and have most likely done this every time your previous repairs were carried out by them.
I would also tell them that your next new Fiat will be sporting a rear window sticker with dealer #2's name on it. (Even if you have no intention of buying another one....)
Maybe I'm just a grumpy old man but I take exception to being taken for a ride............
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"Maybe I'm just a grumpy old man but I take exception to being taken for a ride............"
Well thats me too :)
I have to be careful not to burn bridges though, as the dealer we bought 3 new Fiats from in 5 years,who wants £150 extra for the cambelt/waterpump/corrosion warranty job, is within a 5 minute walk of home and I may just need them in an emergency or for parts.
I will just quietly switch to the other, out of area, Fiat dealer, which unfortunately is a 30 mile round trip..........
It seems our local (+£150) Fiat dealer now has a monopoly in our area following closure of his competitor last year.....
But at least I`m aware now and can buy our new cars elsewhere :)
Regards
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This sounds like the problem with "menu pricing" - they simply add the prices for two jobs together and give no allowance that most of the labour in the second job is already done during the first.
Find a good independent garage.
I fell out with my local franchised dealer a long time ago but I won't cut off my nose to spite my face - I still use them for small genuine parts.
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RT - that is very perceptive comment if I may say so?! As you correctly say, adding the prices of 2 jobs together, without thought, could be a nice little earner.
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It was done `with thought` though because I specifically questioned why the cost of fitting the waterpump was so high, given the exposure of the waterpump during the stripdown for the cambelt.
The answer was " the cooling system has to be drained and refilled" :)
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Drain and refill cooling system, even including the cost of new coolant, is not a £200 job IMHO.
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The 'loyalty' of one private customer is not worth much. It is worth more to rip them off for repairs than the profit on a new car.
Forget loyalty, get the best deal everywhere , evertime. What if they went bust, moved ,sold their plot for housing next week?
They would not consult your first to see if it put uou out!
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Well put , TurboD :)
Regards
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