Car repair/service costs

T

taung

Guest
There would appear to be something funny going on in the Dublin car repair/service business. Over the past few years I've had experience of Dublin based garages over-charging (usually double) with respect to garages down the country.

I'll tell you about my latest experience; I got a quote from a SEAT garage in Dublin to fit a 2nd hand power steering kit for €1200. Then I rang a SEAT garage in my homeplace and was quoted €500 euro. Needless to say I got the job done in my homeplace!

Has anyone else had experiences like this?

It would appear that there is some sort of a cartel in operation in Dublin regarding car repair/service charges. I believe it extends to new car prices as well as you can always get a better deal from a garage outside Dublin.

How would one take this issue further so that it could be investigated?
 
Service

Just got my car serviced today in Dublin...Alfa 147. Service and Brakes €600...Thought it was pricey myself...and they didn't even clean the car for that !!!
 
Re: Service

Jildy,

What did the service comprise?
Did they give you an itemised bill?

That sounds outrageous
 
Re: Service

Mrs Bear is from Tipp, went to a local chap, did a full pre- NCT service and check (except headlamps) , he put on 4 new types , full service and general check for 95yoyo's! Got me tyres cheap too off t'internet.
 
Car service

€ 600 is a complete rip off for a service. Are you sure that it was a standard 'full service'? What parts did they replace. Normally, a full service would cost € 150 to € 200, depending on type and year of car. Service includes change oil, replace oil filter, replace air filter, change spark plugs, tighten hand brake, remove all wheels and check brake pads / disks, check all pipes / hoses for wear and tear, top up all fluids, check lights / bulbs , check fuel filter, adjust idle timier etc. Some would tune engine but not all.


Ps
 
Service & Brakes

Got both sets of brakes done as well as the full service for the €600... Was still steep though. Said I need to get the timing belt done as well so I might get that priced elsewhere !!! Was an Alfa Garage.....
 
Re: Service & Brakes

Would definitely advise pricing the timing belt elsewhere.

Or else see Best Buy's link for some competitive lenders :)
 
moternet forum

If you go to the Motornet.ie forum I'm sure someone can recommend an Alfa specialist mechanic that would be much cheaper than the main dealer.
A lot of guys in that forum own or have owned Alfa cars.
 
service

Got my laguna serviced 2 days ago. Full service, replacement of brake pads AND disks for 400. Mechanic rang me before replacing the disks to let me know they needed to be done. He collected the car from my door at 9, had it back at 2.
I heartily recommend him.
Dave Murphy, city west motors.

If youre going to a manufacturers garage (audi, renault etc) then youre going to pay the price. A full manufacturers service history can help when selling the car but theres also a price to pay to have the FSH from the manufacturer as in jildys case. Is it worth it? IMO not.
 
Count yerself lucky.

I've an Alfa 166. The first service I got was over €900 (Tractamotors) but the brakes had to be done. Last service was about 400-500 (Victor Motors).

I'd a Citroen before that cost me 1500 punts at in service. The car had a sticker saying "Everything about it says quality". It spent more time in the garage than on the road. Never ever ever ever buy a Citroen.
 
Service

Got the car back today. Was €577 in total. Got the full service, front and rear brakes changed. Airton Motors. They recommended that I get the timing belt done soon as well as there is 40,000 on the clock. They quote me €801 for supply/installation of this. I rang Tractamotors and they quote €500 for the same job.... I know where I will be taking it !! Ridiculous. Best 20c I ever spent on a phone call !!!
 
I caught out the garage soooo good

I brought my car into kingstown motors dun laoighre fot the first few services.
First one was at 10k miles and he rang me to say it needed brake pads. i went balistic and told him not to try that on me.
next service 18k i was too busy to find another garage so brought it back.
Looked at the receipt when i collected the car and it said there was a charge for checking lights, wipers etc.
So i turned on the lights and a bulb that had been blown for the last 3 weeks was still blown.
I went ballistic again and got yer man out to read the receipt where they charged me for checking lights etc. Then showed him the bulb.
He brought out a new bulb and changed it and said that the other one had just blown before i arrived and there was no charge for the bulb.
I said 'you've already charged me you lying plonker.


next service was 27k and brought it to another garage. When i pcked it up it was half the price of kinstown morotrs services and the guy said to me 'we thought we'ld have to change the brake pads but unusually for that many miles they were ok'
Now thats honesty, since the pads had never been changed o would have believed him if he said they needed changing at 27k.

The last few services have been with the same garage and i pay way less than kingstown. Even if the guy tells me i need something i just trust him because he has earned this trust.
 
If it ain't broke then don't ......

Years ago I bought a new Renault from Renault in Dun Laoire. I can honestly say that the car never went right after I had left it in for its first service.

It leaked oil, had problems starting and I got it back with a nice dent in the door and scratched wheel. There were also some unexplained extra miles on the clock. I was told that this was as a result of bringing the car for a test run.
Since then, whenever I get a new car I don't bother with the first service anymore. I know that this can result in problems with the warranty etc but so far so good.
 
Jildy, beware Tractamotors.

They have done some really poor work for me and others I know in the past.
If you value your car find a good independent Alfa specialist and they will do the job cheaper and properly.
 
Car Servicing

Been caught by garages a few times myself - had got my car serviced for the first few years by the garage where I bought my car and eventually got p*ssed off paying for new brake pads every time (and I'm no michael schumacher).

Was somewhat shocked recently then to find out that the camshaft was screwed (after only 43k!) and was quoted between 1100 and 1500 to get it fixed.

Eventually got referred to a friend of a friend who did it for considerably cheaper - and during the fix found so much crap in the engine that he had to flush it out twice - he reckoned the oil had NEVER ever been changed during the previous years servicing!

To cap it all I found one of the service invoices and it included a charge for disposal of the oil they had never changed!!
 
Any suggestions?

Hi Geoffrey

"If you value your car find a good independent Alfa specialist and they will do the job cheaper and properly"

Have done the main dealsership thing with Tractamotors (wasn't overly impressed). Do you know any reliable Alfa specialists.
 
Alfa

I also would be interested in sourcing an Independent Alfa Specialist in the North Dublin area.

If anybody could recommend one, that would be great...
 
can't recommend a mechanic

I can't recommend one as I had a FIAT, not an Alfa.
My Punto was maintained by a qualified mechanic I know.

As I said before the Alfa fans hang out on the forums on Motornet.ie - there is a lot more to look for on an Alfa engine than the simple 1.2 litre engine I had which is why you are better off finding a specialist.
 
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