comparing repair costs

[swedishskoda]

comparing costs between different countries is difficult (differences in income, tax &c are also important). From what I have picked up here it seems as if prices on second hand cars are lower in the UK than in Sweden, while petrol and insurance are more expensive. But what about service costs?

I bought my '98 Felly with 45,000 miles on the clock this spring. Today I left it at my local and very reliable garage (not a Skoda service) since it needed a bit of tlc before winter strikes with full force. He just called to say it was ready to be picked up. Following have been sorted:

new fuel, air, oil filters
new spark plugs
new thermostat
new brake pads and one new brake disc
fresh motor oil, coolant, and brake fluid
new shock absorbers front (spring cups corroded, wouldn't have passed MOT)
new alternator belt

cracked rear light changed (I had got one from the scrappie)

He also fitted an electric parking heater.

Total cost (incl VAT): £ 740 of which the parking heater took appr. £ 200

How does this sound to a Brit? Terribly expensive or reasonable?

[TeflonTom]

Originally Posted by swedishskoda

one new brake disc

a pair surely???


even so, sounds very expensive you could buy a whole felicia for half that price here easily on ebay

[Skoda-Msport]

How does this sound to a Brit? Terribly expensive or reasonable?

...Terribly expensive there mate. I agree with Tom, you could buy a new Felicia for that. In fact I was looking at a 1999 Felicia SLXi (top of the range) car for £700 not so long ago.

Crazy price to pay for all that, even if you remove the parking heater, its still damn costly!

A full service from local garages where I live is only £100-£120 and that includes all the service items!

Move to England buddy LOL

[swedishskoda]

Originally Posted by TeflonTom

a pair surely???

Hopefully. I've never knew him to do scam jobs. What he said on the phone was that one of them was badly worn. Or maybe the previous owner had changed just the one recently so that it was in very good condition.

Second hand cars are expensive here! I just checked a Swedish "ebay site" - can get a 1997 estate with 155,000 (!) miles on the clock for £ 750, or a '96 with broken cambelt (!) for £ 500.

I take consolation from the fact that I pay £ 120 p.a. for insurance (third party, theft, fire). From what I've read here on UK insurance premiums I don't think you could match that.

[swedishskoda]

Originally Posted by Skoda-Msport

that includes all the service items!

Not new shock absorbers surely?

And I wouldn't mind moving to the UK - but what I save on car costs I will probably have to spend on mortgages...

[WoodieGuthrie]

I'd say that was actually a fair price.

dependant on the labour rate and total number of Hours to do the job. Cost of living is higher in Sweden too, remember (not as bad as norway though!)

[bobob]

£540 without the parking heater
I'd expect and know i could get it done for half of that.
It would be a backstreet garage and not a Skoda dealer though.

[Skoda-Msport]

Not new shock absorbers surely?

No, sorry, didnt include shocks was just quoting on what a full service would cost, but OE shocks arent that expensive anyway. Garages where I live charge £30-£35 per hour, however, I normally use a mobile mechanic and he charges £25 per hour.

Example, I had a water pump, alternator belt and clutch slave & master cylinders done on my Saab 9000 Carlsson which isnt an easy job because the gear box and subframe have to be dropped.
It took them 5 hours to do all that, inclusive of parts and the dreaded VAT it cost me £450, and we are talking Saab parts here, so not cheap, but still cheaper than doing a full service on a felicia and replacing a pair of shock absorbers.

[anewman]

Also don't compare prices like for like, you might get what you pay for. Can't think of specific examples but I'm sure that *some* garages do bodge jobs. Cable ties come to mind.

A relatively common thing in the UK (common in that it happens more than it should, which is not at all) is for garages to do unnecessary work as it brings them money in and for the big companies like kwikfit they get their commission wages and meet their targets.

This often involves the garage offering some service cheap or free (to get you in), then claiming work that doesn't need doing does. A common thing is to claim brake pads or discs need replacing as they're illegal, and these are easy jobs to do which bring them lots of money due to the markup on the parts cost. They hope the car owner will know nothing about the brakes and therefore have no reason to believe otherwise and OK the work and pay up.

The other is the MOT, where legally you have to have an MOT so a garage that does the work has the incentive of failing your car. It isn't unheard of for a car to go to one garage, be quoted £1000 worth of repairs to get it to pass, car taken elsewhere, passes first time no work done.

My guess is perhaps these types of things don't happen so often in Sweden.

[philje123]

I know that in germany there is set price banding for all mechanics, electricians etc. So that you know that no matter where you go you'll be getting charged more or less the same as any where else.

Don't know if its the same in sweden though.

[Felicia racer]

however in germany parts are cheaper!
for example; my sisters Italian moped (piaggio) the prices of parts in th uk are really expensive, but if you order from germany they are so much cheaper!

Also germany has the advantage of autobahns for quick transportation!


Or speed freaks

[pinkskud]

£540 take away the new shocks at, say £30 a go.
£480 take away the labor to fit the new shocks, say two hours at £40 an hour
£400 thats quite a lot for a once over.

[philje123]

Yes parts are cheaper in germany... seen quite a lot of parts on ebay a lot cheaper... and even with increased postage, still cheaper than buying from somewhere in UK.

Good breakdown of costs Pinkskud... do seem a lot for a service... £400!!!! More than double what you would pay here!

[swedishskoda]

Thanks, everyone, for comments. OK, I would have got it cheaper in the UK. But remember, it was full service plus new shocks and new brake discs (don't worry, TeflonTom, he did change both) and new thermostat + housing (OK, that one is fairly easily done).

Job was £ 230 plus VAT = £ 288. Parts were £ 452 of which the parking heater was £ 140, the shocks £ 92. And the garage uses quality parts (but without the VAG logo). I could get shocks for £ 60 the pair from a chain of stores specialising in cheap parts but I know from experience that quality and quality control is below standard (exhausts lasting two years maximum and shocks sometimes giving up after a year).

Cost of living has been higher in Sweden, but I don't think the difference is that big any longer. Food slightly more expensive. Beer more expensive. Fags and petrol cheaper. And housing! Right now yopu could get a nice house in my home town, built in the 30's, four rooms + kitchen, 1,580 sq ft and a garden of 12,300 sq ft for £ 181,000. So all in all we're probably in the same boat, just grumping over different bills...

[KenONeill]

Service bill very much dependant on where you go; I've seen labour rates as low as £20 an hour, up to £80 (for reputable independant garages).
Insurance - With the age of my car, it's got fully comp cover, including glass, legal protection, protected NCD and business cover, for £235 (ok on 9 years NCD).

[Skoda-Msport]

Il let you know how much my fav is to insure when its up for renewal next month, but I insured my Saab Carlsson which is a group 17 car for £300 fully comp with a £200 excess. Now I think that is cheap considering it was a 204bhp performance motor.

[KenONeill]

I'd need to check what they are, but I'm sure my excesses are all lower than £200 as well.

[philje123]

Ive just renewed my insurance to start today.

3 years no claims
6 Points
Kept on road
Up to 8,000 miles a year

£550 fully comp... im 21 too btw.

About about £290 cheaper than last year!!!