Go Back   The 75 and ZT Owners Club Forums > Social Forums > Social Forum
Register FAQ Image Gallery Members List Calendar Mark Forums Read
Notices

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 7th November 2012, 06:03   #1
.....
Loves to post
 
Black ROVER 75

Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Somewhere
Posts: 339
Thanks: 5
Thanked 17 Times in 7 Posts
Default Ford garage- Result

My girlfriend has always taken her Ford Focus to the local main dealer. They know she is a single woman and has always thought they were going out of their way to help her. She was even paying monthly for a Ford service plan.

Three weeks back the car developed a misfire and the engine light came on. She took the car to the main dealer on a Friday and they had it for the weekend. They rang her and said the problem would be fixed by Monday and also that the car had a slight coolant leak from the thermostat housing which they could fix for £400.She declined the extra work.
On Monday she picked the car up..along with a bill for £264.
She drove to work and found the car was still misfiring, rang the Ford garage and was told to drive it for a few days and see if it got better. (Obviously cars fix themselves)

Now the work Ford said they had done was to fit new spark plugs, they also said the car had a coolant leak from cylinder head core plugs which they had fixed and also that bolts under the cam cover had sheared due to the coolant leak.

I thought this sounded suspicious so I took the car to a friend of mine who runs his own garage.

Surprise!!

He said the only new part he could find fitted to the car was a jubilee clip on a hose. He also gave me the spark plugs he removed which he said looked like they had several thousand miles of wear including cracked enamel.Car now runs perfectly... total cost £40
Also he pressure tested the coolant system and said there is no leak so no need for a thermostat housing which Ford quoted £400 to do.

I went in to ford who initially said all work had definitely been done. But I then showed them the spark plugs that had been removed. They said they would speak to the technician who of course said all new parts had been fitted. After then coming out to look at car and check the new spark plugs that had been fitted they eventually agreed that the spark plugs 'may not have been changed' and offered to refund the cost of spark plugs to my girlfriend.
I refused and said they could refund the whole £264 or I would take the case to trading standards.

Yesterday Ford refunded the full £264.

So don't trust main dealers to do work.

Rant over.

Last edited by .....; 7th November 2012 at 06:29..
..... is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 7th November 2012, 06:19   #2
Alan_G
Posted a thing or two
 
MG3

Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Falkirk
Posts: 1,507
Thanks: 242
Thanked 153 Times in 123 Posts
Default

I hate that, glad u got a refund, well done!
Alan_G is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 7th November 2012, 08:49   #3
tigers1941
Loves to post
 
tigers1941's Avatar
 
Rover75 Saloon

Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Worksop
Posts: 273
Thanks: 11
Thanked 28 Times in 20 Posts
Default

I have worked in the car trade, it amazes me how some of the rogue garages operate,the last one I worked for went out of business, I was a happy man when I heard.
tigers1941 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 7th November 2012, 09:10   #4
Frank Incensed
Ex 75 Owner
 
Frank Incensed's Avatar
 
75 Tourerless

Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Manchester
Posts: 2,147
Thanks: 60
Thanked 156 Times in 93 Posts
Default Pedestal or Gallows?

That's the key - If you can't do the work yourself - finding someone you can trust. Those peole who offer their services through this forum very publicly place their reputations on the line and have my utmost respect.
In this case what makes it all the more galling is the amount being charged for labour when in fact nothing was done. To my mind they should be done for fraud. Main dealer garage prices must be what, £50 per hour?
__________________
Beyoncé's Green Light Used More Rubber

355188 of 355194
Frank Incensed is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 7th November 2012, 09:41   #5
mh007
This is my second home
 
mh007's Avatar
 
MG ZT260 SE, MG ZT190+, MG ZTT 160, R75 Conn SE 2.0, R75 Conn SE 2.5 X 3, R75 Club SE 1.8, P5B Coupe

Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Keynsham, Bristol
Posts: 4,211
Thanks: 65
Thanked 635 Times in 499 Posts
Default

Some main dealer labour prices are £80 & above plus VAT & have been for some years.

£50 per hour including VAT is about right now for a lot of places (as said, main dealers are more)

I've been in the motor trade now for 40yrs & have had many arguments with dealerships over work charged for but not carried out & parts fitted that were not required.

I've always said that main dealers are the biggest crooks out there & that has never changed & probably never will.

With reference to the dealership in the original post, I would still persue it even though you have had a refund..............what about the next person who gets ripped off there ?
mh007 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 7th November 2012, 11:44   #6
MrDoodles
Banned
 
MrDoodles's Avatar
 
MG ZT+ V6 190

Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Spalding
Posts: 13,245
Thanks: 369
Thanked 1,196 Times in 818 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by mh007 View Post
Some main dealer labour prices are £80 & above plus VAT & have been for some years.
Blimey!

I think some of you need to ring some Main Dealers and ask there Labour rate!

When I last worked for BMW, their labour rate was already £100+vat and that was 6 years ago!
MrDoodles is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 7th November 2012, 13:40   #7
Frank Incensed
Ex 75 Owner
 
Frank Incensed's Avatar
 
75 Tourerless

Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Manchester
Posts: 2,147
Thanks: 60
Thanked 156 Times in 93 Posts
Default I Took A Wrong Turning !

Wow! I had no idea! Almost up there with call-girls, medical consultants and ....and...........solicitors!
Makes the apparent altruism of some club members even more heroic.
Wish I'd had better career guidance at school.
__________________
Beyoncé's Green Light Used More Rubber

355188 of 355194
Frank Incensed is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 7th November 2012, 13:53   #8
ahp
Avid contributor
 
ahp's Avatar
 
'04 Rover 75 Tourer Connie SE CDTi,'74 BMW 1602, '72 BMW 2002,'97 LR Disco 300TDi, Volvo XC90

Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Armagh
Posts: 128
Thanks: 1
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Default

Yes that is correct, the BMW rates charged 2 years ago was £100 + VAT / hour!! Thankfully I wasn't paying it.
ahp is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 8th November 2012, 00:26   #9
sworks
Been absent for a while…
 
sworks's Avatar
 
Rover 75 Tourer, Classic mini Cooper S, Abarth 595 competizione, MG TF and a Hyundai Tucson PHEV

Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Cumbria
Posts: 13,057
Thanks: 1,033
Thanked 1,686 Times in 1,040 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Flintstone View Post

So don't trust main dealers to do work.

Rant over.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mh007 View Post

I've always said that main dealers are the biggest crooks out there & that has never changed & probably never will.
I'm probably the minority here but I find 'don't trust' and 'crooks' quite offensive! Surely a main dealer is the place to go for up to date info as it would be straight from the manufacturer regarding updates and recalls. Main dealers have to meet standards set by the manufacturer which includes training. Not all main dealers are the same and there are some very good ones out there, you could always try here http://www.automotivetechnician.org....sts/index.html
__________________
.................................................

'Marmite' Possibly one of the most famous 75 tourers produced! left the production line as the last of only Three Rover 75 tourers produced in Trophy Yellow. 48 hours later Longbridge closed. The last sold ordered 75 Tourer. Paid for by the Phoenix Four and handed over by John Towers to the Warwickshire Northampton Air ambulance service as a Rapid Response vehicle
sworks is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 8th November 2012, 00:45   #10
AURORA MG
Banned
 
AURORA MG's Avatar
 
(EX)-ZT-T190SE in Aurora.

Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Medway
Posts: 2,954
Thanks: 42
Thanked 53 Times in 46 Posts
Default

Landrover are approx £100 an hour labour. I am on the Evoque forum & quotes vary for the 1st service (oil change) from approx £280 to £450.
AURORA MG is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 05:09.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Copyright © 2006-2023, The Rover 75 & MG ZT Owners Club Ltd