How much??

[GKP]

We took my Good Lady's 2004 Td4 Freelander to our local main dealer last week for its' 24k mile service. Normally I'm reluctant to use a main agent simply because of the enthusiastic pricing scale they seem to use in the service dept.

This time, however, Louise was keen to have a 'Genuine' stamp in the service book hoping that it would add something to the car's px value in the next year or so. Fortunately, our local dealer has a fixed price menu so you know exactly what you're going to have to pay beforehand for the job with a promise of a phonecall if they have to any extra work. The price for this glorified oil change is a wallet melting £480.

If that wasn't enough of a sharp intake of breath, we got a phonecall around lunchtime telling us that her front brake pads were worn to the point of needing replacement and would we like them done while they've got the wheels off? So, bearing in mind the car is already in the air and the wheels are off how much do you think the dealer wanted to charge for swapping her worn pads for set of new ones that they'd supply (I'd guess an extra 30 mins labour, max)?

£125. Yep, one hundred and twenty five pounds. To undo one bolt on each caliper, push the pistons back and replace the pads.

Needless to say we declined the dealer's offer and I did the work Sunday morning (using a set of pads from a local factors for 24 quid) while Louise was cooking breakfast.

Hundred and twenty five quid. Cheeky whassnames. Is a fLRsh worth that much?

[xjsjohn]

Sounds about par for the course, and i dont think a main dealer stamp makes your car worth more, but it does make it easier to sell as for some strange reason, your average muppet on the street thinks that this suggests a job well done.

Personally i prefer an independant marque specialist stamp or a big fat wallet of reciepts for all the bits done by the owner and a greasy hand shake to suggest that he knows what he is doing.

FWIW the nosebleed inducing last service i had done on my Audi A2 (thing lawnmower engine) before i chopped it in was £450 and they kindly suggested a further £300 for brakes and disks. (i am sure you wont need me to spell out my suggestion to the dealer on that one!)

Unfortunately due to the rather "sealed" nature of the engine, most independants dont like touching them!

[steve_d]

Question for you both.
Did the pads/disc really need doing?

Steve

[GKP]

steve_d said:

Question for you both.
Did the pads/disc really need doing?

Steve

Yep. They weren't the '95% worn' as quoted on the phone but they certainly wouldn't have lasted until the next scheduled service.
I don't for a second think my local dealer is a crook or a fairytale teller, but I'm just not convinced that the service dept gives value for money and quoting a frankly ridiculous amount of money for a very simple and straightforward pad replacement, won't have me rushing back there with my chequebook poised...which is a shame 'cos they're a nice bunch of people.

[Graham]

I think half the con is the longer service intervals.. your disks might quite easily do another 10k miles but if the service interval is 12k+ they need changing...


My disco is now 3 yo and its going straight to the specialists to put right everyting 3 services at a main dealer has missed !!!!!

[beedj]

So is it a straightforward job to change the front pads yourself ? (2005 TD4 Freelander)

Thinking I might change mine myself before goes in for service in a few weeks

[beedj]

Anybody ?

[rustybin]

beedj said:

So is it a straightforward job to change the front pads yourself ? (2005 TD4 Freelander)

Thinking I might change mine myself before goes in for service in a few weeks

http://www.freelanderowners.com/frontbrakes.asp

Doesn't look too tricky. Not as tricky as reading their website with that awful background.

[Gazzab]

Front pads are easy on most cars! There is probably a freelander forum on the web that can give you the full low down? You could buy the proper pads and then get a local cheapo garage to fit them?