New Gearbox

[egoold]

I took my MX-5 in to my local Mazda dealer on Thursday because of a bad whining noise from the Gearbox. Just got a phone call from them to tell be that I have split the gearbox casing and I require a new gearbox at a cost of over £4000 fitted, Ouch. Obviously this is going to have to be an insurance job. However the Mazda dealer hasn't any courtesy cars available and the insurance company won't supply me with one unless I use there approved body shop. So the question is do I have it repaired by Mazda and get no car or have a bodyshop repair it and get a car?

[Bonce]

Ouch, bad news indeed.
How will you be able to claim it on insurance?

[kevinday]

I'd get a gearbox from a breaker's yard if I were you. Four grand for a box for an MX5 is rather steep I think. Another alternative to consider is a repair to the casing (if at all possible).

[egoold]

Ah sorry should have explained I was driving along a something (exhaust or part of his engine) dropped off the car infront of me and went straight under my car bouncing up and splitting the gearbox casing, didn't think too much of it at the time, stupid I know. It wasn't till three days later that I started having bother with the gearbox.

[Aprisa]

As you have no-one to claim from on the insurance? if you have a full no-claims, I would take the hit and go for a repair. Should get it done a lot less than the increase in premiums over three years?
IMHO Nick

[incorrigible]

How old's the car, no info in your profile, I'd reckon on £500 tops for a s'hand box, MX's hardly rare

[egoold]

The car is only a year old thus still under warranty, and as for the insurance it is part of my company's fleet policy so it a bit of a no brainer that it is going to be an insurance job.

Get this though, I have just had a phone call from the 'approved bodyshop' and they basically told me that I would be best getting it done at the approved dealer and got the impression they weren't interested in doing the job.

[Psychobert]

Recently replaced the box on a Saab 9000; part was £800 as a recon, new one more like twice that. Not a difficult job to do; think £4000 is way too much..

[GregE240]

You might wish to speak to your insurers about getting it done at the dealership. Most will let you do that, provided the dealership provides an estimate of the work involved. Also worth mentioning that your warranty may be worthless if a so called approved garage gets their hands on it.

I've just had to renew the premium on our Porshce; no problems with getting a Porsche dealer to do any remedial work, as long as the estimate is okay and they are not obviously "taking the piss" - insurers words, not mine!

Best of luck.

[Agent006]

You could try a different dealer. Tell them that garage x will be losing the business if favour of them, and they'll usually fall about (no laughing), trying to be helpful. For a while at least.

[egoold]

Just done exactly that phoned up another Mazda Dealer 6 miles away told them the story. They have sent a low loader to pick my car up from the dealer its at just now and are going to supply me with a courtesy car. Surely an insurance job is a license to print money for a garage can't understand why they aren't more willing to help. At least it is getting sorted now.