Car Maintenance Cost....

[abghk]

Any recommendations on where to have routine maintenance done on a car. Dealership or private garage? What should I expect to pay for an oil change for a 1.6 liter engine. We have got quotes as high as 1500 baht for changing engine oil (with new filter), which seems high. Thanks for the advice.

[issanpaul]

Any recommendations on where to have routine maintenance done on a car. Dealership or private garage? What should I expect to pay for an oil change for a 1.6 liter engine. We have got quotes as high as 1500 baht for changing engine oil (with new filter), which seems high. Thanks for the advice.

Hi we just got oil and filter change last week (Toyota Vigo) still under warranty at main dealer Toyota , there charge was 1200 Baht , I was shocked too but you need that official stamp in your service warranty book.

[basjke]

Any recommendations on where to have routine maintenance done on a car. Dealership or private garage? What should I expect to pay for an oil change for a 1.6 liter engine. We have got quotes as high as 1500 baht for changing engine oil (with new filter), which seems high. Thanks for the advice.

Hi we just got oil and filter change last week (Toyota Vigo) still under warranty at main dealer Toyota , there charge was 1200 Baht , I was shocked too but you need that official stamp in your service warranty book.

You were shocked?Been in the western world lately for a service?You can bet that for that money you will get not passed the reception desk.

Had a 50.000 service for a toyota yaris at the pattaya toyota dealer last week.Oil,oilfilter.new windscreen wipers-total 1248 baht.

I think it was little over 400 baht for the wipers only.

[abghk]

We are from San Francisco, and we've been here only for 4 months.

So, we have been to western world recently

For small car like we have now, changing engine oil will cost about 30 USD at most oil places(Jiffy lub, express lub, meinekes, or sears auto will change for 20) and about 40 USD at Toyota, Honda and Nissan dealer.

We had a Lexus SC430 back home and it cost us only 60 USD to get new engine oil and filter at Lexus dealer in San Francisco.

So 1500 Baht for oil change in Thailand seems quite high, since labor is almost free in this country.

But if 1500 Baht is the price to pay, we would not mind paying to get the job done.

[issanpaul]

Any recommendations on where to have routine maintenance done on a car. Dealership or private garage? What should I expect to pay for an oil change for a 1.6 liter engine. We have got quotes as high as 1500 baht for changing engine oil (with new filter), which seems high. Thanks for the advice.

Hi we just got oil and filter change last week (Toyota Vigo) still under warranty at main dealer Toyota , there charge was 1200 Baht , I was shocked too but you need that official stamp in your service warranty book.

You were shocked?Been in the western world lately for a service?You can bet that for that money you will get not passed the reception desk.

Had a 50.000 service for a toyota yaris at the pattaya toyota dealer last week.Oil,oilfilter.new windscreen wipers-total 1248 baht.

I think it was little over 400 baht for the wipers only.

So thats my point also , you take away your wipers and that only ammounts to 848 Baht.

[basjke]

We are from San Francisco, and we've been here only for 4 months.

So, we have been to western world recently

For small car like we have now, changing engine oil will cost about 30 USD at most oil places(Jiffy lub, express lub, meinekes, or sears auto will change for 20) and about 40 USD at Toyota, Honda and Nissan dealer.

We had a Lexus SC430 back home and it cost us only 60 USD to get new engine oil and filter at Lexus dealer in San Francisco.

So 1500 Baht for oil change in Thailand seems quite high, since labor is almost free in this country.

But if 1500 Baht is the price to pay, we would not mind paying to get the job done.

Are you talking now about the price of the labour or the oil included?If sears charges 20 us$ included oil then I would worry a bit what they are pouring inside.Keep in mind that a somewhat decent multigrade oil will cost at least 150 Baht a liter.At 4 liters that will be already 600 baht,equivalent to the 20 us$ they charge you in total.For the lexus dealership I can understand as they probably only charge for the parts and do the labour for free because the car is in warranty.

I know that in Belgium the current hourly labour charge at the dealership is 44 euro,or 2200 baht converted.Take in consideration that a check up takes about an hour and oil at 7-8 euro a liter and an oilfilter about 20 euro,add some enviroment taxes and other goverment stuff and you will be set back 100 euro easily or 5500 baht.

[Thaifan2]

Seems a motorcycle oil change and general lubrication is good value then at 100 baht .( that's what i have been charged recently on two occasions .)

[Hssl]

Just one thing to keep in mind - how much is the oil gonna cost you, double or more from a year ago, labour rates only a little more than a year ago and still peanuts compared to the west.

[Chaichara]

This is the place I use. I have had several cars repaired there, several times. Extremely friendly service, highly professional, and only a tiny bit more expensive than a backyard Thai shophouse outfit. Tell the owner you were given the tip by the Austrian's Limey friend from Isaan

Car-Repair-Pattaya.com - Fahrzeugreparaturen Pattaya

[eatmichael]

We offer Professional diagnostic tools(Ford VCM, Benz Star, BMW Gt1, X431, ect), Odometer Programmer, Key Programmers, Airbag reseters, ect.

Edited November 7, 2008 by soundman
No email addresses as per forum rules.

[soundman]

We offer Professional diagnostic tools(Ford VCM, Benz Star, BMW Gt1, X431, ect), Odometer Programmer, Key Programmers, Airbag reseters, ect.

Please try Thai Visa classifieds for advertising.

[golferchin76]

Any recommendations on where to have routine maintenance done on a car. Dealership or private garage? What should I expect to pay for an oil change for a 1.6 liter engine. We have got quotes as high as 1500 baht for changing engine oil (with new filter), which seems high. Thanks for the advice.

Hi we just got oil and filter change last week (Toyota Vigo) still under warranty at main dealer Toyota , there charge was 1200 Baht , I was shocked too but you need that official stamp in your service warranty book.

Under warranty, the cost of oil change stops (materials + labor) should be a little more than 1000 baht. My wife has an accord (2000cc engine) and that's the cost.

Of course, Toyota and Honda have very competitive after-sales maintenance program.

I have been living here for 20 yrs now. Here before you get into any type of transaction, it is best to double check for prices, details, in advance. Best case senario in the above case is ask for a proforma-invoice for quotation of parts, labors, etc. Before you purchase something that requires periodical service, ask for estimation of costs for the years to come. Always compare various sources, ask for friends' comment, and be a smart shopper.

To share with you my not so good experience. I recently did a 10k service on my Nissan Navara, a 4x4 kingcab pick up truck. It cost me a little more than 5000 baht!!! I asked my wife to read for me the items on the bill. There are items such as oil additive, injector cleaning fluid which I think are just there to make it expensive. I mean a 5000 baht 10,000km oil service seems just way too much.

I will be writing another post with a series of problems I encountered after paint job done at dealership.

Some strange information for you:

A piece of medicine in top-grade private hospital could cost 3-4 times more than you would spend in normal private hospital. Yes I know you pay more expensive at top grade hospital for better medical care, but is it really?

Do you know that in many places in Thailand, the admission fees for the foreigners are different compare to the locals. And the prices for the locals are printed in Thai numericals so the newly arrives can't read. In some golf courses it may cost Thais 1200 baht around but you for 3-4 times of that.

[Mattd]

Recently had my car serviced at the Toyota dealers, it was it's first (1,000 K's) service and the car uses synthetic oil, the cost of the oil with the filter was 3,058 THB, no complaints though, this is still cheap compared to Europe and it is at the end of the day the car's blood that will keep the engine alive.

In fact I requested to change the oil, even though Toyota say it is not necessary.

Part of running a car is accepting the costs that go with it, this applies anywhere in the world.