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I was talking to a mate who had just had a routine service on a Bmw 3 series 3 litre W reg and it set him back around £1200. Of course the actual service was no where near that but with extras like a brake caliper and pads etc it soon added up. Safety items can't be ignored of course but I am curious as to what people expect to pay when the garage gives you the bill.
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That cost is almost what the car is worth.!
A good local indie would have been much cheaper even Bmw specialist.
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A good local indie would have been much cheaper even Bmw specialist. <<
I don't think the OP mentioned if it was a dealer or indie that did the service. His friend should have been contacted about any work required before it was added to the service.
re. prices of calipers - I've had mixed success with recon calipers in the past, and if I was planning to keep a car for more than a couple of years I'd be inclined to stump up the extra for new branded components.
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To be fair the main dealer did make contact before commencing the extra work.
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My next service would cost 130 quid. Main dealer.
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Even at its advanced age, my Volvo has been out of the main dealer network only for tyres and the occasional bulb. A service typically costs me a little over £300; last summer's, which included the belt replacement, came to £460.
Some may be horrified and insist I should take a seven-year-old car to an independent, but what's the point, when I can take the car to the dealer in the morning, have a pleasant walk home to work for the day, then walk back at teatime to collect it? I take the precaution of ringing the other two dealers within easy reach to check prices before booking in, and so far mine has always been willing to match their price.
More important to me is that servicing isn't a huge expense in absolute terms, so I'm happy to pay main dealer rates for the convenience and confidence I get in return. The car has run faultlessly for 103,000 miles, so why change?
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To be fair the main dealer did make contact before commencing the extra work.
What were the major tasks undertaken during the 'service'? Many of them could well be have been 'repair' items as opposed to 'service' items I suppose.
I think expert backroomers are more likely to respond in higher numbers to your post if you're able to give a brief breakdown of what the main dealer actually charged for.
Ultimately, though, I doubt that I'll be taking my car to a BMW dealership for any work at all when it's 9 years old.
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The labour charges are the expensive parts of the bill much cheaper at a indie if not half the price.
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It's meaningless in comparison to the OP's £1200 which is more a repair bill than a service one but....
I'm using main dealer services for three years on my new car and expect £130 for a small service, £200ish for a medium and £300ish for a large. Of course it is quite likely that the large service will coincide with brake pads or similar so that will rise if I allow them to do the work.
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It depends on the make of car surely ?
Ford services ranged from £150 to £250 when we ran them, VW from £200 to £250 and Honda from £200 to £350 (for the second standard service, no 'Honda happiness' there....).
Latest Golf is going to be £250 for 3 years and I don't see the bills on my BMW but don't think they're extortionate until major things wear out (it will have done 23K miles before it's first service anyhow).
The OP's £1200 implies a lot of work to me, the owner must be attached to the car I guess ? A colleague who runs 5-6 year old 7 Series uses an independent BMW specialist and saves a packet.
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Hyundai ranged from £170 for a short service to around £250 for the bigger ones, so in line with what others have said.
Local indie charges £120 for a fairly comprehensive job.
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My wifes Sirion had a 9000 mile service for £120 and an 18000 miler today for £172. Anything over £200 and it makes the wife frown ya know :-)
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I paid just over £200 for the last main dealer service (7 years) and MOT for my Mazda6, with a further 12 months MOT insurance thrown in for good measure.
Clk Sec
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I would expect change from £100 for a full service (including plugs) unless other work needed doing too.
I mean how much can quick 10 minute check around, oil change, filter, and new plugs actually cost?
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Just had the Megan done at Nationwide Autocentre. Full Service was £179. I had a few extras done like sidelight and rear number plate bulb and rear window wiper, plus two new Pyreli 6000 tyres - all of which I knew about before hand. The "extras" were £158. However I converted £30 of Tesco vouchors into £120 of servicing "pounds", plus AA discount, meant that I only had to pay for the extras. Very happy. Garage was 8 miles from home so I had a good run in the sunshine (I know I'm mad, but at least fit).
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£35 for the jag...
£10 air filter - DIY
£25 oil change - national
If i ever end up buying a nearly new car it would kill me to take it to the glass house palace and pay £200 odd quid to have an oil change.
Edited by audiA6tdi on 02/02/2010 at 23:02
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Just had the Megan done at Nationwide Autocentre. Full Service was £179>>
I have had the Mondeo done for £99 at the Ford dealer, a price for a minor service on cars more than three years old.
Garage was 8 miles from home so I had a good run in the sunshine>>
They do it while I wait reading their papers and drinking their coffee ....
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Rattle, a good indie will do a lot more than that.
My indie retightens all the belts, replacing where necessary and usually at no charge, cleans, inspects and descales the brakes and generally gives the car a good going over.
The £120 includes at least an hour's labour, plus around the same amount in parts. I don't begrudge him his profit as he does a good job.
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I have been quoted £340 for a 20k service from the main dealer.
Guess where I am not going.
My local indie will certainly do the job for less and keep the warranty.
Just who do these dealers think they are ?
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Same situation with me. I own a Mazda 3, and have been quoted £345 for it's 4th service.
Thanks but no thanks.
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I think you need to get yourself a few more quotes, hj cpe. See my earlier post.
Clk Sec
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Really depends on the make and individual dealer.
A major (B Service) on our Scenic was £260 at a franchised Renault dealer. Came in to the penny of the original quote, and were very honest about things like brake pads and discs which many other dealers are not, in my experience. "You'll need front pads before the next service, but they're fine for now sir. Bring it back in 6 months, or any time before if you're concerned, and we'll do a free check for you". I appreciated that.
A work colleague who owned a Mercedes C Class reckoned despite "menu priced" servicing of £250-£350, he never got a final bill under £1,000 by the time they'd found all the little bits that needed doing at the same time.
The last (major) service on the S60 cost me about £80 in parts and fluids, and a couple of hours on a sunny Sunday afternoon.
Edited by DP on 03/02/2010 at 10:40
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It still amazes (and pleases) me how good value Ford main dealer servicing is.
We've just had our 2007 Focus 1.6 Ti-VCT serviced and MoT'd. Car is just three years old and done 24000 miles but the standard service is the 36000 mile one at the three year point. When I was presented with the bill I thought they had made a mistake and was looking to make a quick exit before they realised. £253 which included the MoT (it passed). I thought that was a bargain to have it officially serviced, book stamped and the bodywork warranty maintained.
I also like this particular Ford dealer since they don't try and upsell. They don't try and fleece you with a charge for topping up the screenwash or say the wipers need replacing when they don't.
As Cheddar say, when your Ford is more than three years old then you qualify for the £99 service.
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As Cheddar say when your Ford is more than three years old then you qualify for the £99 service.
Does the Ford dealer stamp the book for a £99 service?
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We've not had the £99 service yet but I have no reason to believe they don't stamp the book.
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>>We've not had the £99 service yet but I have no reason to believe they don't stamp the book.
A potential buyer might hope that the book would not be stamped for anything less than a full scheduled service.
Clk Sec
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Indeed, I can't imagine that even Ford would be able to stick to the book and come in under £100.
The service will doubtless be little more than the £55 "short service" that my indie offers.
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