Took my Nissan Primera 1.8 SE to a main Nissan dealer for a major servicing and MOT today. According to the glossy leaflet sent to me by Nissan the cost of a major service is £199 including VAT with the MOT thrown in for free.
A couple of hours later I get a phone call from Nissan saying the car will need new rear brake pads, new front tyres, and new wiper blades total cost £789. 19. I asked if he was pulling my plonker or was it April the 1st already?. Even without the tyres he said it was going to cost £591.
Now I am not daft I expected to pay £100 to £200 on top of the £199 quoted for parts etc. But almost £800 to service a Primera that has only done 17,000 miles. Are they taking the P out of me. Should a car that has done 17k (mostly motorway) need new tyres.
What would people on hear expect to pay for a major service on an ordinary family saloon? Should I kick up a big fuss when I pick the thing up. Its warrnty is up at the end of the month so i don't need to go to a main dealer anyway.
Disgruntled of deleted. {By giving your location, and also mention of using a main dealer, you are potentially naming & shaming by questioning their workmanship - hence the deletion. DD}
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400 quid extra for wiper blades and rear brake pads, something is wrong here, rear brake pads should last 50k plus miles and should only cost £40 ish parts and £60 ish labour. Wiper blades, say £30 for three plus £10 to fit them.
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My first question is did the car fail the MOT? If it did not then all the other work should be viewed as precautionary rather than necessary.
For reference you do not need to go to a franchised dealer to maintain the warranty. You can use an independant provided they follow the service schedule and use original parts (not type parts).
Personally I cannot believe you need so much work doing after 17,000 miles.
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Roger
I read frequently, but only post when I have something useful to say.
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Just take it away from them and get a second opinion. New pads and tyres after 17k seems ridiculous unless your driving style is particularly fierce. If it's too late to stop them, insist on seeing the old parts and tyres before settling any bill. New tyres £60 each, time to fit them 30 minutes? New pads £25 each, time to fit them one to two hours at most?
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Ask for a full breakdown of cost & refer to the £199 Nissan quoted cost. If there is anything not authorised by you don't pay. Ask to see the old rear pads - 17K miles is really soon to be replacing rears (eg my rear pads on BMW changed first time at 85K, and again at 132K, fronts obviously wear quicker).
Again check the tyres yourself, they need to be 1.6mm minimum tread with a recognisable tread pattern but for safety anything near 2mm needs replacing - shop around for tyre prices.
In answer to your question " Main dealer servicing, a ripoff?" - I would think that most people on here would say ...YES
As profit margins on new cars are reduced due to competition from brokers/internet/imports/buyers having access to better price info, etc then the dealers are targeting to increase profit on servicing and repairs (as you have just discovered!)
On the other hand you probably got a coffee & danish paistry & and a "free" car wash........(costs the dealer a couple of pounds to provide this) ..but amazingly there are those who are
impressed by these things & continue to pay these rip off prices, & of course the company car driver rarely complains or even knows how much the company/lease co are being charged.
As you have said - it's soon out of warranty - find a good independent who will value your custom
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"course the company car driver rarely complains or even knows how much the company/lease co are being charged."
Well my fleet screws the servicing costs right down till the pips squeek and the bones crack. Every last nut and bolt needs to be justified, approved and provided at discount.
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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"you probably got a coffee & danish pastry & and a free car wash".
I don't take my car to this kind of place, but if I did I would object to paying for such pointless trimmings - as I clearly would have done.
When overcharging gets as serious as described here, it is even more important for car owners to learn to recognise for themselves when tyres and brake pads need changing. It's not difficult - really!
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Disgruntled
I cannot comment on the costing but, assuming that this is the car's first MOT, make sure that the certificate is postdated to the full three year point.
Jack
PS You could also be a little bit disgruntled that your computer cannot spell "Irish" ......
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Said it before and will say it again - main dealer service depts are there to make money, not because the employees enjoy working on cars.
Everyone is on a target (even the parts guys) and the general idea is sell, sell, sell.
Brakes are a favourite because they are safety related and most customers will authorise the work without arguing. The general gist of it is; "Hello Sir, we have your car up on the ramps right now and have noticed that your discs and pads are badly worn. Would you like us to go ahead and replace them whilst we have the wheels off" etc etc etc.
Have the basic £199 service done and take the car away. Have the other items followed up by local garage. I can get back pads for a Primera for under £20 (Delphi or Mintex) and they take 30 mins to fit. Rear tyres - depends on size - but definitely under £100 inclusive each, absolute tops.
Bosch wiper blades retail at under £20 the pair and DIY fitment.
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I trust you didn't authorise any such work in advance?
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If you have 17" wheels (16" standard on SE) but you may have a limited upgrade, then the Dunlops are about £150 each (dealer price).
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But almost £800 to service a Primera.
Its £800 for the whole job, not just the service!
What would people on hear expect to pay for a major service on an ordinary family saloon? Should I kick up a big fuss when I pick the thing up.
I would expect around £300 to £400 around the South West London area depending on make. I don't see the point in kicking up a fuss, just take it elsewhere!
£199 sounds very resonable.
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Not all main dealers are rip-offs at service time.
My dad's 3.2V6 Vectra went in for it's first service at 10,000 miles and cost the princely sum of £117, and this was at a dealership in London, where labour prices are pretty high!
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£117 to change the oil & filter ??
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Yeah, but CHEAPER when you compare RELATIVELY to similar sized cars at other main dealers. Cheaper than the £199 the dude was quoted for the Primera too.
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The £199 Primera service is a major service at three years which (IIRC) includes air filter and also brake fluid. Poss also coolant change.
The 10k service on the Vectra would be oil and filter only and possibly a check of brakes.
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Yeah, but CHEAPER when you compare RELATIVELY to similar sized cars at other main dealers. Cheaper than the £199 the dude was quoted for the Primera too.
Ford Focus Main dealer service - Reading £159
Audi A4 diesel main dealer interim service Reading £330
So the Vectra cost is relatively reasonable for a main dealer.
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Should I kick up a big fuss when I pick the thing up.
No, discuss the matter with them calmly and rationally, and ask for a detailed breakdown of parts and labour. Then give us the details so that we can make an informed judgement.
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L\'escargot.
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I would almost gaurantee if you took it as it was to a independant testing station it would pass its mot without any additional work.Both Nissan and Renault for an mot ring up the customers with a set speel new pads wipers and 2 tyres and maybe the exhaust is leaking if they catch 20% its well worth there while. The £200 pound if it included parts is a ripp off everything else is theft.
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>> Should I kick up a >> big fuss when I pick the thing up. No, discuss the matter with them calmly and rationally, and ask for a detailed breakdown of parts and labour. Then give us the details so that we can make an informed judgement.
And let us know a bit about the size and location of the dealer. Labour charges depend on wages and overheads, and both of these can vary tremendously from one part of the country to another.
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L\'escargot.
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I quote often walk past the local Citroen Dealer and think I'd quite like a C4 (deeply ingrained the Chevron fascination!), and I could probably afford one now.
Then I remember the £150 oil changes, and I come to my senses!
Mind you, having spent 2 hours in the dark and freezing cold stripping the door lock out of my wifes 94 ZX a few weeks ago; and 3 days helping a friend to change the clutch in his 306 HDi recently, I might be about to change my mind.
Actually, no. The £150 oil change saved me again!
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RichardW
Is it illogical? It must be Citroen....
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Interesting from the OP. I'd be interested to know his location, as I had a similar experience with my local Nissan dealer recently...
At the 18k service on my 54 plate Almera (don't laugh, it's a workhorse):
"Madam, on top of the £217 we're extorting from you for this service, your rear pads are in poor condition and your rear discs are in need of replacement because they're looking heavily corroded"
I didn't authorise the work and said I'd get a second opinion. That I did - and had a good look as well (despite being a female I like to know what I'm talking about to fox these dealerships so intent on extortion - they'll argue it doesn't happen, but I have proof! More later).
Popped to a local brakey tyre place (500 yrds from Nissan dealer), got them to pop it on the ramp and had a good look around. In their words: "at least a year left on those pads, they're only about 50% worn if that", and "discs - not much wrong with them, a small bit of rust but you could easily clear that with a wire brush or at least a clean - you definitely don't need them replacing. Did X Nissan recommend you have it done, perchance?"
Dealership is clearly known for their attempts then...
Incidently, the same Nissan dealership once tried to charge me for a new rear wiper motor when my rear wiper arm stopped working after 3mths on the car. The actual fault? The wiper arm had been screwed on too tight at the factory, and had split the grooved part where it joined the motor nut. X Nissan's projected cost? £141... the actual cost? £11.75 and a pint for dad.
On that occasion, I took it up with Nissan HQ and got my first service free. This time, my answer is never to return. Simple.
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Slightly off topic, but we just had to buy a mirror glass for our company SAAB 9-5 estate. £71.95 + VAT, and it came in a GM box.
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Slightly off topic, but we just had to buy a mirror glass for our company SAAB 9-5 estate. £71.95 + VAT, and it came in a GM box.
Thats because the GM infiltration of SaaB is now complete ! If you are a Star Trek fan I guess it is similar to A Borg assimilation !
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