Gutted.. just had my car back from CVC Cardiff (Subaru Dealer) and in total its cost me £540

They quoted me £270 all in but to my horror when i went to collect the car thay added a few little extras . Tensionor (£121 +vat), 1 x idler (£41 +vat), air con belt (£41+vat???? ) and alternator belt (£24 +vat) (My local motor factor would have done both the belts for about £15)

Grrrrr. I had a look at the belts that came off and they looked fine to me but hay...

On a plus side they did wash the car and hovered inside which was nice just before telling to pull my pants down and bend over coz their going to f*** me up the ***..

just thought id moan a little.. had to be done in the end.

Ok moan over now, going to go for a blast and drink some more fuel before going to the petrol station to get some more... bloody fuel prices are....... here i go again lol...

Cheers
Steve

 

i wouldn't be happy with that, surely you should have been informed about "extra's" before they fitted them.

 

Exactly why I get my mate to service mine.

 

Did they not give you a bell to tell you that they were going to replace the tensioner and idler first?

To be honest, it's the tensioners/idlers that fail most of the time anyhow causing the belt to jump/snap so it's worth changing them along with the belt change if they haven't been done for a while.

Would have been nice to have had a heads up first though.

 

With a cambelt change there is always the the possibility of a tensioner and an idler (or two!) replacement, however, they really should have discussed that possibility with you, and got your agreement.
JohnD

 

I agree. I did have mine changed too, but it was discussed beforehand.
Still bloody expensive though mine was as well! LOL.

 

worth the expence to safe a 2k 3k rebuild though hay.

 

This is ridiculous. Main dealers think they can do what they want & if you don't do anything about it then it just reinforces the idea in their mind that they can carry on doing this.

The person who took your booking quoted a belt only change price just to 'get you in the door'! What if they decided to change anything else while they're at it & then handed you a bill for £2k - would you have still paid it then? They go as far as they think they can push it.

I service customers cars for a living but being just a small independant I would go out of business if I did this kind of thing. I make a point of contacting the customer first before anything 'extra' is done that's not been discussed previously. That way they don't get unexpected inflated bills & always come back.
The tensioners/pulleys are very important & I'm sure I've lost some business refusing to do just belt only changes. Customers often forget quotes for work need to be like for like. I quoted a customer £100 to fit a cambelt kit to a Golf Gti but they went with someone else who did it for £65. 3 months later they came back to me to fix all their valves as the belt had slipped from the old tensioner not being replaced!

Don't get me wrong their price charged is quite good considering the work done with genuine parts & I'd always change the tensioners as well myself anyway, but it's the way they got you in the door which is very underhand.

Unfortunately you've paid & taken delivery of the car already but I would write a strong letter of complaint to them & ask what they are going to do about it.

End of rant!

 

yes agreed, he should have been told when booked in for all belts, and if not a phone call to say that they advise the other belts.
I tuck my car to a dealer cos it was boosting on and off, he said it's fixed it £125 i said for what, i fitted new maff the maff cost £75. so i said why £125 fitting it. I did not pay the fitting as its a 2 min job and i could have done it my self. I caused that much **** i got the bill back to £125.

 

My local Subaru dealer (in Cardigan) are the best garage in my life I've ever had to deal with. When mine failed it's MOT on anti-roll bar drop links & brake pads, they phoned me with the price for doing the work, and asked me if I wanted to proceed (to which I said yes), and then that was the price that they added on. I really can't fault them. Makes a really pleasant change!

That is a bit dodgy tho havin extra work done without being consulted. You could put ur car in for work that you've budgeted for, and then end up with a bill for 3 times that! Not on really, and could cause a big problem for some people. Like me, cuz I never have any money!

 

It just shows how well off we are up north

for £5 less money at my local specialist that most of CS.?TTS use

i had a cam belt change /tensioner and pullys and a new battery and a small service oil ,plugs etc

and new pads and discs !!!

top job as always and i travel 130 miles to get it done

we are lucky up north "

 

You were lucky. My Cambelt service just recently cost me over £600 plus the extras I had done witht he car and M.O.T. came to a whopping £720! And that was a main delaers in Staffordshire.

 

Like I said before, you can only compare prices if the parts used are like for like (& what year Impreza we're talking about).

If we're talking about the earlier versions then did anyone's cambelt kit include the cylindrical hydraulic tensioner as that would add nearly £100 to the bill on it's own as it's not necessarily included within a timing belt kit which is belt, tensioner, 2 roller idlers & 1 toothed idler?

(as an aside it's worth changing the water pump & upgrading the oil pump on older Imprezas at the same time, if they've never been changed before that is, as it will save a lot on labour in the long run).

 

Mate for them to double their quote without your permission is a P155 take on their half. I think a very strong letter and the threat of taking your business else where is in order. Also you probably have legal cover with your car insurance, phone them up and ask their opinion, if nothing else you might get some mumbo jumbo to put in the letter.

 

Sorry, but I do think you've paid over the odds - especially on parts, but then its a main dealer, so your paying RRP despite the trade prices of the parts really cost, then add the above average labour rates, owch.

I think anyone who has been to a Subaru delaer and had a Timing belt service has been stung the same way (me included). Thankfully, I'm alot more savvy than I was nine years ago. And never graced a Subaru forecout since

Just for reference here's some prices for parts sourced elsewhere:

Timing Belt (gates - Same as OEM ): £50.11+vat
Tensioner - not essential,replace based on condition (Blueprint - Same as later type OEM) ADS77611 : £74.99+vat
Toothed Idler - not essential, replace based on condition (Blueprint same as OEM): £23+vat
Smooth Idler - not essential, replace based on condition (Blueprint same as OEM): £21+vat (two maybe required, if both found worn)
Oil Filter (unipart OEM quality) £5+vat
Air filter (unipart OEM quality, usually Denso) £5+vat
Spark Plugs (NGK PFR6B) £4.87+vat (each)

Labour rates should be the normal service hours plus 3hours for the belt, cambelt replacement is a pretty easy affair on these cars, although mechanics with big hands may insist on removing the radiator (not required) to get a impact wrench on the crank pulley, and get better access. But it can be done with rad in situ by a good mechanic (unless the crank pulley bolt is very stubborn).

Oil pumps rarely fail (its a gear running in a gear with lots of lubrication - little there to wear or break), But if the engine is high mileage or shows sign of cruddy oil and varnish deposits its worth checking operation of the oil pressure relief valve - this give far more problems than the pump (also check tightness of pump bolts into the block). Water pumps also are pretty robust (although can suffer if the 3year coolant change intervals haven't been regularly observed- old coolant goes acidic), but should be inspected for leakage, play and smoothness of rotation.

Other unforseen costs can be crank and cam oil seals. If leaking replace, as oil contamination will ruin the new timing belt. Does add more on labour.