Main dealer repair rip-offs

sedgley

My water pump is gone on my 04 Golf, rang northside main dealer for a quote. Just under €600 to replace the timing belt (has to be removed to replace the pump) and the pump. Got the parts myself from the motor factors for €90. Local mechanic is doing it for me for for €150 incl warranty. I know the parts from the motor factors are spurious but thats still a ridiculous mark up from the main dealer.

Anan1

I wouldn't be using spurious parts for water pump & TB myself. Also, I can't see how any mechanic would guarantee parts supplied by you?

Mr.Diagnostic

For €90 I assume you have only bought a belt and pump. The dealer would probably have been fitting a complete kit. It is advisable to fit the complete kit however I would imagine the indy would still be cheaper.

EPM

I just got a quote from a main dealer for timing belt and tensioners, water pump and coolant change and a minor service of €545 for a similar car. Moral of the story shop around. And €90 seems cheap for the parts - even when I was pricing them up myself they came to more than that

Moanin

sedgley wrote: »

My water pump is gone on my 04 Golf, rang northside main dealer for a quote. Just under €600 to replace the timing belt (has to be removed to replace the pump) and the pump. Got the parts myself from the motor factors for €90. Local mechanic is doing it for me for for €150 incl warranty. I know the parts from the motor factors are spurious but thats still a ridiculous mark up from the main dealer.

Did it do any damage to the engine as a matter of interest?

voxpop

Anan1 wrote: »

I wouldn't be using spurious parts for water pump & TB myself.

Ive heard that some of the OEM kits still have a plastic impeller for the water pump, which splits, where as the spurious kit have a metal impeller. Just because its oem doesnt mean better quality.


OEM parts are generally more expensive and can be alot more expensive - so the dealer might not have been ripping you off to a huge extent. A prime example is a vw replacement wishbone. Spurious is ~40 quid, OE is ~200.

mick.fr

voxpop wrote: »

Ive heard that some of the OEM kits still have a plastic impeller for the water pump, which splits, where as the spurious kit have a metal impeller. Just because its oem doesnt mean better quality.

Indeed

Anan1

voxpop wrote: »

Ive heard that some of the OEM kits still have a plastic impeller for the water pump, which splits, where as the spurious kit have a metal impeller. Just because its oem doesnt mean better quality.

Fair enough, I thought that was BMW. I assumed from the tone of the OP's first post that saving money came first - I may have been (and hope I was!) wrong.

colm_mcm

VW uses plastic tensioners as well for the Golf don't they? they'd need to be replaced too.

mondeo

I have used many spurious parts over the years and there is nothing wrong with them...On a 04' car thats half a decade old is it worth putting main dealer inflated price components into it when a spurious one of similar quality or better will do the job? Main dealer my arse, spurious is common sense to me. I'm Mr Spurious car parts and I have never had a car break down with these parts...

old boy

a steel brake pipe for my 190e quote from the main dealer was 240 lids, (its the one running from the front to the back axel), the back street mechanic got a lenght of brass piping, made a replacement, fitted it, total cost 50 lids.

thetoken

dropped my 10 year old megane in for a pre NCT check and service. guy said i need new discs and pads €300. i said no will wait.

had nct today in fonthill and tester says brakes and discs are fine and I have a slightly worn cv joint.

how are we supposed to trust dealers

rebel.ranter

thetoken wrote: »

dropped my 10 year old megane in for a pre NCT check and service. guy said i need new discs and pads €300. i said no will wait.

The guy in the garage may have assumed that you were a regular "joe punter" that thinks a service is a "fix-all" event. He also may have assumed that the car would only see the inside of the garage at scheduled service intervals & though it prudent to mention to you that they should be done because they would be past replacing before the next scheduled service.
Just bear in mind too that he offered you the option of doing the discs & pads.

Also the NCT are not the king of maintenance checks either. The tester may only have glanced at the discs & pads, you can be fairly sure he had not got any measuring tool there!

I'm not a mechanic but I do think some get a bad rep for simply advising customers.

Mr.Diagnostic

OP, brakes that are 80% or 90% worn can still function well enough to pass an NCT. The NCT do not remove wheels to inspect brakes. It might be better to have someone else check them if you don’t trust the first garage.

thetoken

rebel.ranter wrote: »

The guy in the garage may have assumed that you were a regular "joe punter" that thinks a service is a "fix-all" event. He also may have assumed that the car would only see the inside of the garage at scheduled service intervals & though it prudent to mention to you that they should be done because they would be past replacing before the next scheduled service.

Thanks, thats a valid point, I had not thought of it. The car is only in once a year for inspection. Just glad I asked to be phoned before any work was done. Will drop it to fastfit today.

NCT guy spent ages with his light on both fronts.

How did pre NCT check miss CV joint?

sedgley

Moanin wrote: »

Did it do any damage to the engine as a matter of interest?

Not that I know of, was overheating but didn't let it get into the red. tried changing the thermostat but could feel the impeller was damaged.

BTW the OEM pump impeller IS plastic, spurious one is metal.

gibbon75

mondeo wrote: »

...On a 04' car thats half a decade old is it worth putting main dealer inflated price components...

It's not the main dealer who comes up with the prices.They have to work with prices set by the importer (Honda Ireland,Land Rover Ireland etc.)
This is a common misconception here,that the parts are coming straight from the factory dirt cheap,and then the main dealer puts a huge profit on those.

So blame the importer and the mother company over in UK,Germany etc. to using a lot higher markup over here.
Just take a look at the computer,electronics,clothing etc. market : the very same thing...