how much ?

[pistonbroke]

Daughter has a 54 reg Renault Megan just been quoted for MOT repairs ,these are the major faults they say will need doing

Off Side front road spring broken approx £238 inc

Slight play in off side front top suspension mount approx £225 inc

Play in off side lower arm ball joint approx £184 inc

Not seen the car myself she lives down south ( Reading)

Prices seem a bit extortionate to me wondered what does the collective think ?

[FILFAN]

they know how to charge 

[Captain Colonial]

Extortionate IMO - particularly the highly vague second one.  Dealer or independent garage?

 

Bear in mind it could well ramp up on the first if the strut is also gone, and standard good practice is to replace both sides (although I will undoubtedly be told this info is wrong, so ignore that bit).

[FILFAN]

would have thought the slight play in tom suspension mount would be an advisory. my landy  was about 3 months ago. i also thought it was the boots that were a fail on ball joints now not the joint its self. the joint can be fine but if the boot has split its a fail.

[Norman Verona]

I'm assuming it's a main dealer and they will be charging £100+ per hour.

 

My advice is to get a second opinion and take to an MOT station who do nothing else but MOT's. Temptation for those with workshops is.....

 

Scott, I agree, you can go to top of the class. In this case, depending on mileage and seeing as the spring is broken, not worn (springs don't wear, they sag - like me) it may be acceptable to replace one. Risk is the car will be lopsided.

[Pantherman]

Get it brought up north she will save a fortune.

My foster daughter has an old Punto which I bought for her, her insurance is due next week and the MOT is due end of August I had a feeling it would fail therefore would have a dilemma over renewing insurance.

Took it into a mates garage today and asked him to do a dummy Mot.

Needs back box on exhaust , 2 rear tyres and front brake pads.

He checked prices while I was there.

Back box £12.98+ vat

Tyres £26.00 + vat

Pads ?

He said £ 100 all in , I suppose this was a bit of mates rate.

I know he quoted a guy I used to work with ( when I was employed ! ) less than half the cost of vw dealer to change a broken spring on a Passat.

He his old school Merc trained technician with nearly 40 years experience and doesn't tell people they need stuff when they don't .

[jeff oakley]

We use a mobile mechanic for our vans which are in Reading. He is very good and cheap. Do you want his number?

[peterg]

I recently used a mobile guy - Matt Green Auto Solutions to fix my car quickly as I was p/xing it and needed to get it working properly, link here: http://www.mgautosolutions.co.uk/?gclid=COW0lJTR_7cCFVMetAodExIARg

 

I can highly recommend him for the standard of work and price   Reading isn't far from his quoted 'area' and for an honest and reliable job he is a level above a lot of people I've come into contact with.

[ALLADDIN]

They are charging several times for same work on offside if its a strut ?

[Atlas12v]

^^^ Exactly 1 hours labour plus parts. £200 all in would be fair.

[pistonbroke]

Thanks for the replies , Not sure if its a main dealer but will ask , not that it makes much difference as I wouldn't be paying that sort of money out , more than the car is worth I suspect .

 

I think part of the problem is she is a woman driver with 2 kiddie chairs in the car so a sitting duck in any unscrupulous garage owners eyes , either that or they don't want to do the job so quote silly money  

 

She will bring the car up to mine next month during school hols when I will get my local MOT garage on the case

 

Jeff

 

would appreciate the number of that mobile chap for any future problems thanks  

[ALLADDIN]

send here via m4 and i will sort her a cuppa while its done at a price you will find hard to beat

[Norman Verona]

Do we not think it should get a second opinion that these items need replacing? Wouldn't be the first time another testing station has passed something the first has failed on.

 

If they do need replacing then you can find a cheaper option.