[Closed] Increasing costs - car servicing....

What's included in the service?

Volvos have always had a reputation for pricey main dealer servicing but a 2.5 times difference between a main dealer and the independent sounds more like one is quoting for a routine oil and filter change and the other is quoting something much more substantial. At 150k miles I would assume it's the latter so worth exploring. Either that or the name 'Arnold Shark' is the more relevant component to the quote!

EDIT - the price from the main dealer may well include a DPF, which would be where the extra £600 comes from. That's about how much they cost!

My L200 always hits near £1k service cost by the time the ERG has been cleaned out.

I do about 4-6k PA and the truck is on 32k mileage. My old L200 that i bought new in 2005 and kept for 13 years cost half this to run. I used to do interim oil changes and then full service every 2 years/c10-12k. When it was in warranty they pretty much forced me to do 12k services every year even though I was doing less than 4-6k pa.

Merc EQA on its way so the truck will go back to the odd trip and family holidays/mtb'ing again..

The increased cost of oil will be quite a chunk of the increase

Volvos have always had a reputation for pricey main dealer servicing but a 2.5 times difference between a main dealer and the independent sounds more like one is quoting for a routine oil and filter change and the other is quoting something much more substantial. At 150k miles I would assume it’s the latter so worth exploring.

Nope, they seem to be the same.
I am also shocked at the £100 increase in service costs at the independent I use. Apparently it is all in parts, their labour costs have not risen this last year.

I need rid of a car...

Parts have shot up, and has delay in supply/stock.

Parts are very expensive now, as is the price of engine oil.

As well as the cost of parts etc going up don’t forget as well their base costs will have gone up a lot (energy in particular) and likely wages etc.

My service is due soon. Not looking forward to it! Not a major one thankfully but still not expecting change from £300 ish

Would love to see what you are getting for £420. Oil, oil filter, air filter, pollen filter. Top up screen wash, then it will be 30 checks on tyres, pads, discs, wiper blades, anti freeze concentration etc. Then a phone call to sau, all serviced but our technician has found some issues that need attention at extra cost.

Would love to see what you are getting for £420. Oil, oil filter, air filter, pollen filter. Top up screen wash, then it will be 30 checks on tyres, pads, discs, wiper blades, anti freeze concentration etc.

They are generously throwing in a new sidelight bulb as well...but yes, you are right.

Cost 900 to service our aging Skoda! Major service inc cambelt.

Main dealer Kia once quoted me a v high service cost estimate, so I asked for a print out of what it included. Took said pages to my usual indie to do to make sure everything covered.

I use the same indie each year, will report back if prices increase.

My L200 always hits near £1k service cost by the time the ERG has been cleaned out.

I do about 4-6k PA and the truck is on 32k mileage. My old L200 that i bought new in 2005 and kept for 13 years cost half this to run. I used to do interim oil changes and then full service every 2 years/c10-12k. When it was in warranty they pretty much forced me to do 12k services every year even though I was doing less than 4-6k pa.

Merc EQA on its way so the truck will go back to the odd trip and family holidays/mtb’ing again..

This felt like some sort of riddle or aptitude test, "How many peopleL200s were going to st ivesthe scrapyard?"

Use a trusted Indy BMW specialist for my X1.
Gives me a price using genuine BMW parts vs generic parts. Labour is always the same. About 1/2 dealer rates. He is superb and I wouldn’t use any body else. Knows more than the dealers about faults and problems. I’ve tried sourcing the parts cheaper than he can, not a chance. I would be paying the same for generic parts as he does for genuine.

We recently paid £320 for a major service on the Smax, which was less than I expected. We also have a poverty-spec Ibiza with a 1-litre engine that cost £700 to service, but that did include a cambelt.

My L200 always hits near £1k service cost by the time the ERG has been cleaned out.

Dafuq? 10 minutes with some sockets and clutch cleaner will do the transfer pipe, if you're driving it properly it should never need done annually.

@matt at 150K I'd just be buying a vac pump and do it yourself with decent parts from the factors, the time it actually takes will be minimal as long as your fuel lines have a priming bulb. That's absolute robbery, a competent mechanic should have that done in an hour (lets be generous and say £100) then parts.

I'm paying £170 for a minor service (Oil and filter) and a brake fluid change at my local indy for my diesel Octavia. Will change the air and cabin filter myself as they're a 5 minute job.

Can't be bothered to do the oil change as it's a nasty messy job 😀

Sounds like my independent - very good and I trust them.

But, like so many things, is getting chuffing expensive....

Worth remembering, engine oil can be very expensive. I spent over £100 in oil alone to do mine myself. (7litre capacity).
A colleague just changed the oil on his BMW 535, 9 litres of oil. Don't know what it cost him.

Then you have brake fluid change and whatever else is due on the service plus disposal.

I got accused of being trade by the local tip as they only allow one 5 litre container. Yeah, whatever mate, I'm unlikely to keep driving to the tip for every oil change if I was trade

Transit oil change and filter 7am this morning using genuine Ford oil £150 + vat, the ford garage over £300
The sump probably holds a fair drop of oil

Audi in Brighton quoted me £230+vat for an oil change service. Which is pretty much just changing the oil and filter!

Merc E Class last week - Main dealer approx £750 to do oil change + fuel and air filter. Independent doing it for £275

I quite like having a car outside warranty so I can just change the oil and filters myself for under 50 quid lol. Air filter cosfs about 12 pounds and takes 30 seconds to change, oil gets sucked out with a vaccuum collector that cost 30 quid and has done around ten oil changes for me so far so more than paid for itself. Good quality manufacturer spec oil is about 30 quid a gallon which is enough for one full change and the oil filter is about 8 quid and screws on and off by hand. Never had to get under the car to do any of it yet.

The only services I can understand there being a high cost to are major ones where spark plugs are changed and cambelts checked as they take more time skill and tools to do.

Had my m4 serviced last month by the main dealer, cost £355 for engine oil and filter, air filter , cabin pollen filter, brake fluid, and rear diff oil.

I thought that was actually surprisingly good value for a main dealer.

I quite like having a car outside warranty so I can just change the oil and filters myself for under 50 quid lol

You'll potentially (depending on age of car etc) still get hammered for not having a FSH. An FSH doesn't have to be main stealer but can make a big difference to the second hand price with none at all or only partial.

Personally I am happy to pay a good indie to do the work. I know it's done right and I just factor it in to cost of ownership.

A colleague just changed the oil on his BMW 535, 9 litres of oil. Don’t know what it cost him.

Back in the day when I had an e39 535i the 9 litres of Mobil One for it cost less than the 4.5 litres of oil in my OH's diesel.

Thing is oil + filter change is already quite cheap at most places if you actually ask for it (instead of a service). Halfords have it as starting from 73.99.

You’ll potentially (depending on age of car etc) still get hammered for not having a FSH. An FSH doesn’t have to be main stealer but can make a big difference to the second hand price with none at all or only partial.

Yes true depending on factors like how long you own the car and if you run it into the ground or not. I tend to keep mine longer and run them until they're not economical to repair anymore though. My car is seven years old now and at two services per year at 250 quid versus 50 quid I've saved 1600 quid (had to get the stamps the first three years for warranty) but only lost around 750 quid in value by not having a full service history. The longer I keep it the more those numbers will be in my favour too, although I appreciate these days a lot of people only keep their car three or four years so this doesn't work for them.

I used todo my own servicing on my Accord Diesel. Mainly because I got a massive drum of oil cheap and also it needed doing every 12k by the dealers but the feeling was that it should be every 6k as that helped lengthen the life of the cam chain. I believe the Japanese service intervals were every 10,000km/6000 miles.

Anyway when I came to sell it, people were happy to see the receipts for filters and oil etc. I just wrote in the service book the date and mileage.

Always done my own servicing too. Thought I'd splash out recently and take it to the garage thinking a 'Major Service' would include a timing belt.

Nope. It doesn't. So I'll be doing it myself again 🙂

I was thinking, what with the crazy increases in energy costs, can you recycle old engine oil by burning it for heat?

You'd have to get it pretty hot to burn it 🙂

I was thinking, what with the crazy increases in energy costs, can you recycle old engine oil by burning it for heat?

yes you can - I used to have a Thermomobile used oil burner in a commercial building I had. Was a few KW capacity, had a small pump that trickled oil into a metal pan that you lit with a piece of paper and a squirt of brake cleaner and a heat exchanger and blower to distribute the heat.

https://www.industrial-equipment.co.uk/online-tools-store/r096-6004-waste-oil-heater-info.html

I was thinking, what with the crazy increases in energy costs, can you recycle old engine oil by burning it for heat?

I thought they'd banned that now?

My old garage used to heat the workshops from old oil in winter.

https://garagewire.co.uk/news/garages-face-dilemma-ahead-of-small-waste-oil-burner-reg-changes/

A service isn't just oil changes. Brake fluid needs to be changed between 2+5 years too. A bit more aggro than hoovering the oil out and slinging on a filter.
Coolant also has a service life.

Etc etc etc

Jeez. While now I'm older and more 'cash rich, time poor' then when I was a younger, single man, and off course cars are much more complex than the cheap *boxes I used to drive, I'm still happy to do oil and filter, brake pads, brake fluid. When I read the cost now I'm for ever greatful my dad taught me a bit about cars helping me keep those *boxes running!

Transit oil change and filter 7am this morning using genuine Ford oil £150 + vat, the ford garage over £300
The sump probably holds a fair drop of oil

not sure about the older ones but the 2.0L custom takes at least 9L, will be about £100 at a garage just for the oil if its decent/correct spec.

Engine oil doesn't have to be stupid prices

20L of fully synthetic VW long life for £3/ l

https://www.onbuy.com/gb/mannol-20l-fully-synthetic-engine-oil-longlife-3-5w30-ll-04-504507-c3~c10488~p22336289/?ag_qid=1816898a81033cc23ce0741e35d3a99c&ag_idx=frontend_product_search_2000

I bet most garages by in bigger quantities at lower prices then that.

Coolant also has a service life.

Not on a VW, as long as it's got the factory stuff.

20L of fully synthetic VW long life for £3/ l

Trying to pour that will be a right pain in the anoos.

Can’t be bothered to do the oil change as it’s a nasty messy job

Pump up vac pump, walk away, drink tea, come back, refill, change filter, take oil to tip.

Mmmm hard.

Similarly brake fluid change is exactly the same as how you bleed (proper) bike brakes. Coolant is as difficult as pulling a hose or plug and knowing where the bleed points are. None of these are difficult jobs in the slightest and can all be done with minimal tools. Barring the oil filter it can all be done with a 1/4 inch drive set and a decent size container. None take particularly long to do and you could do the lot in an afternoon if you were so inclined.

Pump up vac pump, walk away, drink tea, come back, refill, change filter, take oil to tip.

Mmmm hard.

Never said it was hard 🙄

Pump up vac pump, walk away, drink tea, come back, refill, change filter, take oil to tip.

Mmmm hard.

Similarly brake fluid change is exactly the same as how you bleed (proper) bike brakes. Coolant is as difficult as pulling a hose or plug and knowing where the bleed points are. None of these are difficult jobs in the slightest and can all be done with minimal tools. Barring the oil filter it can all be done with a 1/4 inch drive set and a decent size container. None take particularly long to do and you could do the lot in an afternoon if you were so inclined.

+1 but I have the time luxury of not having children, my own workshop and the skills from being a Natural Born Tinkerer.
Spannering my own cars (both 18years old with 280k miles between them) must have saved £10k's over the years.

Spannering my own cars (both 18years old with 280k miles between them) must have saved £10k’s over the years.

I'd rather pay someone to do jobs I don't want to do, mainly using the theory that I can earn more in the time it'd take me to do the job than it costs me to pay someone else to do it.

It's a bit like cleaning the house, we've a cleaner and I/we have pretty much had a cleaner since I was in my 20's (so getting on for +30 years). Sure I/we could do it, but I've zero inclination and never have had plus I/we have never had to 'waste' evenings/weekends doing it. I've always had time-heavy jobs, so the last thing I want to do with my 'spare' time is clean a house - or mend a car.

I have home spannered before - however it is not as simple as some of you are suggesting.

I don't have garage or flat drive, nor some of the kit like vacuum oil pump and oil filter spanner. Even then, oil can be uber expensive now etc etc. I need jack and stands, socket sets and more. Been there, been stung by 'little jobs' that ended up taking hours and hours and needing 'one more tool'.

The most valuable part - I also get someone who is properly trained to look at something and go "oh, that is not right", rather than my amateur eye going "she'll be reet". Eldest_oab's van was also serviced yesterday by same place - and they took one look and noted the tracking off. Under my car they also went 'track rod is wearing' - things I would find hard to spot without knowledge and a lift.

I am not complaining about the price the garage charges - at the end of the day their expertise is what I am really paying for. Just observing how much of a rise in costs there has been...

I service both my cars myself and always have, apart from very occasionally using a garage which just confirms I've been doing the right thing. Oil isn't particularly more expensive and I buy mercedes branded stuff along with genuine filters etc from a main dealer, or eBay etc.
There's much less choice when it comes to sourcing parts, as the big fish keep swallowing the small ones eg LKQ ECP (think Wiggle and CRC), which isn't great news when it comes to shopping around.
With garages I imagine raging inflation is pushing all their costs up- heating, electric, wages, rent, etc, so they're passing it on to the consumer.

Even as a home tinkerer my costs have gone up about 1/3-1/2 based on buying the same service kit for the last 5 years ....

I could service it cheaper with cheaper filters and cheaper oil..... But it's not a rental car I'm keeping short term so for the extra 20 quid I'll pay my pennies for the placebo effect.

I don’t have garage or flat drive

I've done plenty of spannering (as long term forum regulars will remember) and honestly, not having a flat drive is one of the worst problems I've faced. It's been a stressor since a car started to fall of its jack stands whilst I was walking alongside between the car and the house. Fortunately I was able to push it back on, but it was a lesson in how things could go wrong. It was because I hadn't paid attention to the way the car tilts and moves when you jack it up on one side. But you know what? I didn't go to car lifting lessons so I had to work it all out for myself.

All of the above assume that the garage will do a better, more conscientious job than the home mechanic
It isnt aleays so.
Just because you are paying a person to do a job doesn't mean it will be in any way better than what you would do.

I have had double oil in the car
Upside down brake calipers
Oil drain plug threads stripped (brother)
Bolts from engine mounts missing
Illegal mots

Matts volvo
45 mins start to finish, and most of that would be letting all of the old oil out rather than some of the old oil out. New filers whilst its draining, wang plug back in, fresh oil, sump guard back on. Job jobbed.

Absolutely. I posted a photo on a thread a couple of months ago of the brake fluid I'd just changed.... The previous change had been done by a Skoda main dealer but the fluid I got from the rears was black, they obviously just flushed new stuff in the fronts.

I find this lack of concern from a garage, plus the faff of dropping off and collecting the car, means it's not much easier than doing the job myself. So for simple oil changes and brakes stuff I do it. I tend not to go any further than that these days though.

Never said it was hard 🙄

No, you said it was a nasty, messy job. Which it is if you're content to let it run all over the place and don't keep on top of things as you go. I'm not, which was why I made the point that I did.

I don’t have garage or flat drive, nor some of the kit like vacuum oil pump and oil filter spanner. Even then, oil can be uber expensive now etc etc. I need jack and stands, socket sets and more. Been there, been stung by ‘little jobs’ that ended up taking hours and hours and needing ‘one more tool’.

There is a cost to entry but Halfords do a perfectly good kit for not a lot. My filters have all been paper so is a 30odd mm socket for the bowl lid. You're right about small jobs turning into nightmares but servicing shouldn't be one of them (pollen filters aside). I also don't have a drive or garage, it's far from ideal and I'd rather not (usually park up on the hard standing) but it is possible to work with.

Not dismissing the rest of your point of course.

I’d rather pay someone to do jobs I don’t want to do, mainly using the theory that I can earn more in the time it’d take me to do the job than it costs me to pay someone else to do it.

We don't all have £420ph salaries. I make a tenth of that on double time, gross. So I can either work an extra 12h shift (and then some) or take an hour out my day and just do it myself for 1/4 of the cost, easy.

Pela vacuum pumps remove a lot of hassle - I doubted mine at first but whipped the sump off after using it for a few changes and it was clear with no sludge.

The VW - PD engined Golf I had was brilliant for oil changes as the oil filter was on top of the engine.

Tbh I've seen that many issues on family and friends from garages I'm happy to fix my own on the premise of I **** it up I'm fixing my **** up. I dispise paying for others **** ups. Many of which go unnoticed till the next time someone looks at it.....

(Loose brake caliper bolts and anti rattle plate acting as a parting tool when fitted backwards was one of the more hi potential items I found on my old man's van)

This all seems quite mild compared to my Golf service (at a local indy, not main dealer) that cost £1300, it was pads and discs all round plus major service so plugs etc. Still made me feel broke as the Octy also needed a service the week after. I love/hate owning cars and probably could do the work myself, but when it comes to cars and brakes I'd rather have a professional do the work!

when it comes to cars and brakes I’d rather have a professional do the work!

Do you work on your our bikes disc brakes? Cars are exactly the same - (drums are often a faff) discs and pads are easily within the realms of DIY. A Haynes manual is worth buying for <£20 and nowadays YouTube video or owners forum for extra info.
Autodoc (EU supplier of car parts) have good model specific how-to vids) as well.

The newer the car the less chance of corroded fasteners but my 18year old Volvo has only ever had two snapped fasteners during its full rebuild.

I promised myself I wouldn't do any more spannering after getting rid of the Passat. I did do the engine mounts, but I didn't do the service. A bit steep, really, but I just don't even want to get started down that road.

That said, I may change the shocks next year or so, and I might do that as it looks pretty easy being RWD and air springs at the back.

And talking of brakes
Toyota Celica with abs has fatter discs than the non abs model.
The fitment is the same and the brakes work perfectly, till the pads wear.
Then the pistons pop out the caliper. Which is never a good thing.
But yes, i would always pay someone else to look after essential items, like brakes

The DIY route is fine if you have the tools and the time.
I just re-piped the brake lines to the rear of OHs Astra estate and some other bits for the MOT, plus a service. A nice relaxing job with the correct tools and no time constraints as she didn't need it for work.

I remember a few years ago popping a wheel cylinder for some reason during a job on the car, getting brake fluid all over the rear pads and rushing around trying to find bits to make the car safe for Monday morning.

As for garages I drove a short distance in a van they'd forgotten to put the brake pads in once.

Asked another garage to look at some brakes as they felt a bit tired. Picked up van, declared brakes to be fine. Two days later, pads down to the backing.

Had a diesel injector exit out the engine after a head gasket job. Quite spectacular sound and carnage.

There are plenty more, but I drive many miles in work vehicles so I guess my exposure to errors is more likely.

Pela vacuum pumps remove a lot of hassle – I doubted mine at first but whipped the sump off after using it for a few changes and it was clear with no sludge.

The VW – PD engined Golf I had was brilliant for oil changes as the oil filter was on top of the engine.

I can honestly say I had no idea such a device existed. Was gonna say what's the point when you have to jack it up and get dirty to change the filter. But if the filter can be had from above then that pump is getting bought!

I got a marine diesel oil pump (no sump plug on a boat), cheaper than a car one.

Have been servicing my car every odd 10k and into the garage for the even 10k. Recommended gap is 12.5k, car is the 1.6hdi with 200k miles on it.

Add an engine flush to the oil, quick zip along the motorway to get it all hot and then vacuum it out. Change the three filters (a big socket for oil) replace oil and I'm good to go. Under an hour with no jack stands (I have them) or mess. And outside the house as I have a sloping drive. So car is over serviced but costing me less than following the recommended intervals.

Used to do my own but CBA over the last few years and I get mates rates with a local garage as I've known the owner for years, Did a major services on the wifes Volvo (belts too) for about £600 IIRC. The vans 14 years old with 160k on the clock so the money that gets spent on that old bus is minimal!

Just had my Mazda3 serviced at my local Mazda dealer for £250 which was plugs, oil, filters.

Do you work on your our bikes disc brakes? Cars are exactly the same – (drums are often a faff) discs and pads are easily within the realms of DIY

They are not these days.
To reset electric handbrake, you need the right digital tool. Depending on make and model, even other calipers need mechanical tool to reset.
Then you find the disc and wee retaining screw are rusted on, and then the caliper bolts are also rusted on. Cue needing impact driver or big leverage bars, car wobbling in axle stand.
Then you find that the pad sensor wire is duff or ABS sensor is packed in, and you end up wiring bits of the car...
(Etc).

It's not these days in the realm of single tool, pad out and pad in that a bike is. Some are, but fewer.

Up until my last car change I did all my own work, I genuinely used to enjoy working on it. If something needed doing underneath I would go to my local rent a ramp which cost about £50 for a half day, made life super easy and also allowed me to fully inspect everything underneath,

But since moving to the new car I simply cant be bothered. I have software to talk to the car if a warning comes up, but other than that I now go to a local specialist. Fortunately they have so far been pretty reasonable.