1. Home
  2. Car Maintenance
  3. Stitched up?

Stitched up?

Would welcome thoughts on this...

I took my Nissan Note in to a local garage (where I'm a regular customer) for replacement rear wheel bearings and springs. Labour charge for this was £100+VAT (broken down £60:£40 respectively).

Not long afterwards, one of my front springs also expired with a bang, so I went back again to get the front pair renewed too. Unfortunately I didn't get a quote up front, thinking, well I've only just had the rear springs done so I know roughly what to expect. Anyway, the labour bill for this came in at... £120+VAT. AT the time I thought, shit that's a lot; however I had forgotten to pick up the previous bill on the way out of the house, and had a complete blank on what I paid before. So I coughed up; and on getting home and checking, obviously now feel that I've been stitched up like a kipper.

Am wondering whether to go back and have it out with the garage; but that said, I know damned well what they'll tell me (the same as if I'd quibbled on the spot), which will be that "Well the front ones are much harder to swap and take far longer to do". "Especially on a Note - they're buggers to do". With no personal knowledge or expertise, I'm in no position to argue - sadly, the usual story for the ignorant motorist.

Suppose it might be true, of course. Any comments from anyone who knows? I've been using this place for a few years now, and don't want to take my custom elsewhere (anf out of the frying pan into the fire no doubt) if my suspicions are unfounded.

Reply to
Lobster
Loading thread data ...

Changing rear springs is often a really simple, quick job, just lower the suspension arm, pull the old one out and pop the new one in. (some cars are more complex, but most modern cars are easy) Front springs usually involve dismantling the drive shaft, brakes, ball joints before removing the suspension strut, then to change the spring you have to have several special tools including spring compressors (usually a hydraulic press arrangement these days) and then rebuild it all. The complication and skill needed is far higher at the front than the back.

On most cars, for both front springs I would charge a minimum of two hours for labour plus the parts. For rears an hour maximum for both. In a garage with several mechanics rears might be changed by 'the boy' , but fronts by a more experienced mechanic.

Reply to
Mrcheerful

Rear springs are very easy, undo a bolt, srop the arm carefuly, remove &= =

replace, refit arm, Fronts involves breaking apart ball joints, drive =

shafts etc.

Reply to
Duncan Wood

vely).

Even the £120 bill sounds cheap to me, considering what is involved in a front spring job on a modern car.

Reply to
Davey

On Thu, 02 May 2013 00:53:15 +0100, Lobster panted, in an erotic manner:

Is this for a pair of fronts?!!?

If so, please tell me where the garage is. I'll get my own done there next time.

£240 + Vat is what I was quoted to do both front springs on my Berlingo Multispace. Sod that, bought the parts from GSF and did it myself.
Reply to
Mike P

On Thu, 02 May 2013 11:03:05 +0100, Davey panted, in an erotic manner:

Well, quite! We didn't have to split the balljoint when I did them on the Berlingo, but it was a wiggle to get the strut out without doing so.

Reply to
Mike P

Many thanks for the replies - that's really good to know. I like the garage and really didn't want to end up going elsewhere, so am relieved they were playing it straight.

(Gotta wonder though - why don't they explain this stuff to their punters? In my case, it was only 10 days between having my rear and front springs changed. Do they just assume that anyone who's less than happy with their bill is always going to kick off, rather than just grump off and decide never to return?)

Reply to
Lobster

No. To them, what they quoted and charged were the correct prices, so they had no idea you would have any problem with them. Especially as they were very good prices.

Reply to
Davey

Yes, but my point was they didn't quote for the second job (I didn't ask); but as I did as ask for a quote first time, i think they might have maybe forewarned me of the substantial difference in cost for what to the layman was a repeat of is the same job...

Reply to
Lobster

Rather than depending on the psychic abilities of the garage, I think you would be better off simply asking for a quote if you want one.

Reply to
David Taylor

Whoosh...

Reply to
Lobster

So you think that the garage should have:

- recalled that you had previously asked for a quote; and

- chosen not to aske for a quote this time

And deduced that, really, you wanted them to give you a quote?

Reply to
David Taylor

David Taylor put finger to keyboard:

They could have mentioned that it would be more expensive than the previous job due to the added complexity.

Reply to
Scion

MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.