Service Invoice Sense Check!
Discussion
We've used the local garage for 20 or so years, but their prices recently seem to be getting a little on the ouchy side! My wife's 15 year old Civic's just had a service and the bill was £311.
Can anyone advise if this is in the right ball park now? I know the cost of living etc has increased prices but this seems rather expensive? Garage is near York if that makes any difference?
Can anyone advise if this is in the right ball park now? I know the cost of living etc has increased prices but this seems rather expensive? Garage is near York if that makes any difference?
I mean it's not horrific considering all of their overheads, convenience for you etc....but here is my sense check....The standard "Honda 12" annual service, at Honda main dealer, using genuine Honda Parts is £240. ATheir "Honda 12 Plus" service, which includes cabin filter and brake fluid (every 2 years), is only £350. My local is good as gold and has replaced the odd bulb and wiper for me in the past FoC too, not to mention full clean inside and out plus any software updates/recall work done at the same time. (Even on a 13 year old CRV).
Therefore, my conclusion is that yes, at £311, your local is charging top whack for an independent...with all due respect, they are reliant on people like yourselves bringing old/easy cars to them for "servicing" and making top profit. (I would assume they have fitted fairly cheap filters, cheap oil etc too).
If nothing else, on a 2008 car, I would do a little price compare for a basic service online locally (probably £150-180) then have done the air filter, pollen filter and headlight bulb myself - easy 10min job each on a Civic, if that.
Just depends how much the convenience is worth to you I guess?
Therefore, my conclusion is that yes, at £311, your local is charging top whack for an independent...with all due respect, they are reliant on people like yourselves bringing old/easy cars to them for "servicing" and making top profit. (I would assume they have fitted fairly cheap filters, cheap oil etc too).
If nothing else, on a 2008 car, I would do a little price compare for a basic service online locally (probably £150-180) then have done the air filter, pollen filter and headlight bulb myself - easy 10min job each on a Civic, if that.
Just depends how much the convenience is worth to you I guess?
Edited by MattyD803 on Monday 20th November 15:33
Doesn't look too bad to me, the parts costs aren't too different from what you would pay for OEM quality at a motorfactor. The labour, well, that's a luxury Vs spending the afternoon in your overalls DIYing it.
If you want to see horrendous Honda costs, look at what it costs for a cambelt change on the later Civics with, I think, the 1.0T engine... A family member was just charged £1,600 for that little engineering decision (a wet cambelt - it's the worst of both worlds!)... On top of the rest of the service.
If you want to see horrendous Honda costs, look at what it costs for a cambelt change on the later Civics with, I think, the 1.0T engine... A family member was just charged £1,600 for that little engineering decision (a wet cambelt - it's the worst of both worlds!)... On top of the rest of the service.
_Hoppers said:
Parts prices look about right to me. Possibly on the high side but not bonkers. I think I'd be asking why a "Manufactures Service" doesn't include parts; given that the parts are added on top then this price is labour and labour alone. Which, at £162 for what is probably not much more than an hour's work, is a bit steep for an independent garage.
And you add the VAT 20% on top (have to keep them government gravy trains a-rollin') and it's all .... steep.
Reminds me why I have a trolley jack and a set of overalls, but that's not the point of this thread.
911Spanker said:
Is that £162.50+VAT per hour?
yeah that's what I was thinking.I am also thinking that the bill has been invoiced twice, that is the total cost of the service is £162.50, with the parts laid out as you can see. And then they've added them to the labour rate.
it's a max of 2 hours to do a service like that, and more than likely 45 mins.
I think they are trying to disguise their hourly rate with the use of the “manufacturers service” item on the invoice, which presumably equates to around 2 - 2 1/2 hours at the their standard rate? It would be more transparent if they said it took x hours at whatever their rate is. Next time ask for a quote, but it doesn’t seem that outrageous to spend that amount of time on servicing your car.
MattyD803 said:
My local is good as gold and has replaced the odd bulb and wiper for me in the past FoC too, not to mention full clean inside and out plus any software updates/recall work done at the same time. (Even on a 13 year old CRV).
They have been good to us in the past. When my wife was driving home the brakes started making a screeching sound. She was about 10 mins from the garage but they came out, followed her to the garage, had it on the ramp and found a stone lodged in the brake caliper. No charge.I've an engine code read and brake fluid checked for my Beemer at no charge too (and I don't take that to them!).
2Btoo said:
Reminds me why I have a trolley jack and a set of overalls, but that's not the point of this thread.
I've got a friend with a lift and all the tools I could ever need but spare time do do this stuff myself is usually a bit scarce! Maybe I should plan ahead next year and make time to do it myself?_Hoppers said:
I've got a friend with a lift and all the tools I could ever need but spare time do do this stuff myself is usually a bit scarce! Maybe I should plan ahead next year and make time to do it myself?
I'd say so. £30/35 for 5L of good quality oil, £10-15 for a genuine Honda filter and sump washer and your done for <£50 in parts. Brake fluid change might be on the cards depending on when it was last done (every 2 years), but that's another fairly straight forward job...only £12-15 for 500ml of genuine Honda stuff......A good poke and prod about on the ramps and your laughing. _Hoppers said:
No I didn't, it's something they've always done. Is there a problem using it?
Well aside from the (admittedly small) extra cost you didn't specify, I do worry about if any sludge that is dislodged by the properties of this stuff, how do they make sure it all comes out? If you're even remotely close to the specified intervals, there's no reason an engine should need a 'flush'.I am particularly picky though, but the only thing that goes in the cap marked Oil, is oil on my engines.
MattyD803 said:
_Hoppers said:
I've got a friend with a lift and all the tools I could ever need but spare time do do this stuff myself is usually a bit scarce! Maybe I should plan ahead next year and make time to do it myself?
I'd say so. £30/35 for 5L of good quality oil, £10-15 for a genuine Honda filter and sump washer and your done for <£50 in parts. Brake fluid change might be on the cards depending on when it was last done (every 2 years), but that's another fairly straight forward job...only £12-15 for 500ml of genuine Honda stuff......A good poke and prod about on the ramps and your laughing. Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff