Cost of motoring in UK

[worgeordie]

My daughter send me Email about what a VW garage want to charge her,

for fixing her VW UP , just a little car, but she likes it.

told her use Quickfix type place ,must be cheaper ?

 

Hello dad
So I kept forgetting to tell you how the car went last week on its MOT and service.
Maybe cause I kept it to the back of my mind as I didn’t want to think about it and here’s why…..
So MOT he passed but I had an advisory
Bake pads and disc on front VW wants £350 to fix
I’m going to write the next one as they have written.
Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement?????!!
Both sides on the front VW want £438
Next ones have nowt to do with MOT they have just added on their invoice for recommendation.
Pollen filter £48
Brake fluid service £69
Battery test failed £306
Cam belt £669
Air con service £149
What do you make of all that then :

 

Battery 306 quid , A/c service 149 Quid , brake fluid service 69 quid, what's that ,topping it up.

Just checked out prices of batteries over there , AND it's from 20 quid for fitting one , free here

and you get couple hundred baht for old one, 

So it's a choice over there fix your car , heat your home or eat ,  Via Thailand 

I have never been back to UK for 35 years so no idea about prices of stuff , not going back either.

regards worgeordie

 

[Kwasaki]

Like you said take it to Quickfix.

My daughter has found a self-employed engineer guy just asking around when the Honda she had was going to cost more than the car was worth. 

He take care of cars for people who can't afford the overhead prices that main dealers charge. 

[In the jungle]

Tell her to find a good independent VW specialist.

[HauptmannUK]

My family have been in the motor trade for 101 years. For about the last 30 years we've operated as an independent BMW/MB specialist but also doing general all-brand repairs, MoTs and retailing used cars from a 40 car pitch. I was only peripherally involved in the business because I went off to university and became a professional engineer. I was, however, a qualified MoT tester until 2018, when I early retired and spent most of my time in Thailand. Went back to UK during Covid to help at the garage.

Couple of points...

1. Your daughter went to a VW dealer - she will be paying the highest parts and labour prices and they will mercilessly look for work.

2. Manufacturers' genuine parts, in my experience, are similar throughout the world. A genuine VW  dealer-supplied part in Thailand will be a similar price to UK (with modest variations due to taxes etc). Similarly, aftermarket parts are not priced radically differently. The difference in the price of a job is mostly down to vastly differing labour rates between the two countries. However, servicing a German car at a franchised dealer in Thailand is not particularly cheap either!

 

To give you an idea of realistic costs we would charge about £100 for brake pads and discs (Mintex brand) plus about £60 to fit.  £160 total. 

Brake fluid service (bleed all brakes) £39 if done at same time as other work.

Pollen filter about £12 plus a few pounds for fitting.

Battery (Yuasa YX5000 - 5 year warranty) about £85.

Replace cambelt, tensioner, idler and waterpump about £350.

A/C vac and regas about £50 (R134a) or £100 (R1234yf).

 

My advice is find a good indepndent repairer and MoT testing station (definitely NOT Kwik-Fit!!).