Garage recommending work that is not needed.
Discussion
A few months ago I had my car serviced by the main dealer because I wanted them to do some updates and reprogram the service indicator to long service intervals rather than mileage or time.
This was all done fine and the car actually went in a couple more times for a running fault which they duly fixed.
Each time the car went in they said that a number of rubber bushes on the front suspension needed replacing but that it wasn't urgent but would cost around 300 quid.
Anyway six months later and after having a look myself, experiencing no knocks or bangs I was a little dubious of their suggestion that something was not well. On Friday it went in for an MOT at a different place. I was expecting at least an advisory especially given the MOT place has been very thorough with my cars on previous visits.
Of course it passed with flying colours and no mention of bushes. I quite liked the main dealer but I don't think I will be going back as they seem to be making up things to do.
Why do garages need to do this, especially as I do a lot of miles and would have been happy to use them again and again?
I know times are hard but this sort of behavior always strikes me as a bit strange.
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This was all done fine and the car actually went in a couple more times for a running fault which they duly fixed.
Each time the car went in they said that a number of rubber bushes on the front suspension needed replacing but that it wasn't urgent but would cost around 300 quid.
Anyway six months later and after having a look myself, experiencing no knocks or bangs I was a little dubious of their suggestion that something was not well. On Friday it went in for an MOT at a different place. I was expecting at least an advisory especially given the MOT place has been very thorough with my cars on previous visits.
Of course it passed with flying colours and no mention of bushes. I quite liked the main dealer but I don't think I will be going back as they seem to be making up things to do.
Why do garages need to do this, especially as I do a lot of miles and would have been happy to use them again and again?
I know times are hard but this sort of behavior always strikes me as a bit strange.
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delmatt said:
Why do garages need to do this, especially as I do a lot of miles and would have been happy to use them again and again?
Maybe looking for the good in everyone, but were they suggesting that they would need replacing before the next time they saw the car, especially as you've moved to long-life servicing?Chris
Its not strange,immoral yes. I had a friend who had a job as a service manager at a large main vw dealer who was under constant pressure to up parts sales and was told what he needed to do! He packed it in because it was constant grief from his boss and then constant grief from customers when they got the bill!
ScoobyChris said:
delmatt said:
Why do garages need to do this, especially as I do a lot of miles and would have been happy to use them again and again?
Maybe looking for the good in everyone, but were they suggesting that they would need replacing before the next time they saw the car, especially as you've moved to long-life servicing?Chris
delmatt said:
They said they should be done as soon as possible.
Eh? Earlier you said they said it "wasn't urgent".Why not get the dealer to show you the defective bushes? If they're honest, they'll have nothing to hide. Something I was happy to always do at the dealership I worked at when a customer queried something.
Advising something at a service is in the interest of keeping the car in the best condition it can be (realistically), so I guess the bushes are probably showing signs of cracking and perishing but probably don't have excessive movement in them.
An MOT is minimum requirements for road worthiness and is not the same thing at all.
An MOT is minimum requirements for road worthiness and is not the same thing at all.
My worst experience was when I ran an Audi A3 for a short while as a company car. Every time it went in they said 'new discs and pads' and every time I told my company bollix did it need them. The company secretary just said go ahead every time.
Put me off Audi main dealers for life to be honest.
Put me off Audi main dealers for life to be honest.
Many years ago I had a Citroen ZX from nearly new and had it serviced at a local main dealer until it was about 4 years old. I had them do the first MOT as well and they gave me some friendly advice that there were some bushes that were ok this time, but would need doing before the next MOT. Like the OP, I had quite liked the dealer up to that point!
Now I think about it, I took it to a different main dealer for the next service (one near work) who didn't pick it up and nor did the next three MOT testers. I sold the car to my Dad who kept it for another 3-4 years and, to the best of my knowledge never had any bushes replaced.
I just put it down to the dealer just knowing the cars a bit better than the independents who looked after it later, but maybe they were trying it on!
Now I think about it, I took it to a different main dealer for the next service (one near work) who didn't pick it up and nor did the next three MOT testers. I sold the car to my Dad who kept it for another 3-4 years and, to the best of my knowledge never had any bushes replaced.
I just put it down to the dealer just knowing the cars a bit better than the independents who looked after it later, but maybe they were trying it on!
[quote=otolith]I guess a main dealer might want to replace the bushes long before they get bad enough to fail an MOT - the assumption being that you want the car to drive as it should rather then just to keep it on the road.
I reckon you are probably right here....it is now 5-6 years old and just pootles up and down the motorway so I am not too concerned about the last few percent of its fine handling and road holding capabilities.
I reckon you are probably right here....it is now 5-6 years old and just pootles up and down the motorway so I am not too concerned about the last few percent of its fine handling and road holding capabilities.
I've had several self-mending vehicles over the years. Only last week my Audi passed it's MOT with no word on last year's advisory on a leaky exhaust. I'd been quoted £300 for the job the year before as it involved (If I'd agreed) replacing the Cat. No part of the exhaust has been touched since it was first mentioned, and in the 13K miles since it was "advised" it has cured itself so effectively that the same MOT tester at the same garage didn't think it worthy of an advisory this year.
Ford dealer gave me an advisory on Bushes on the MOT for the Focus ST about 18 months ago (£700 worth of work quoted IIRC).
This year, no mention on the service and I took it for an MOT elsewhere, and again it sailed through no problems. My brother's ST is on nearly 100k (3 times my mileage), 2 years older than mine and I don't think he has ever had the bushes done on his.
Speaking to a guy I work with who now has an RS, they did exactly the same with his ST saying bushes needed doing. He paid out extra for alignment checks by Ford and took it to an independent who said there were no problems at all. He took it back to the aforementioned dealer and they wouldn't remove the advisory from the MOT, even though there wasn't anything significantly wrong. From what he gathered it was just something they add to the advisories when the car gets to a certain age/mileage, rather than there being anything wrong with the car. A bit naughty of them to add to the MOT certificate though. I suppose some will panic and pay for the work to be done.
I do think some dealerships try it on/try to look for work though.
One of the best ones I had was when they offered an aircon check/regas/check for leaks for about £80. It was still blowing cold air so I declined. They then offered to do a budget type check for £30. What they do for that god only knows.... probably push the a/c button, feel it is cold and that is it. I can do that for free!
This year, no mention on the service and I took it for an MOT elsewhere, and again it sailed through no problems. My brother's ST is on nearly 100k (3 times my mileage), 2 years older than mine and I don't think he has ever had the bushes done on his.
Speaking to a guy I work with who now has an RS, they did exactly the same with his ST saying bushes needed doing. He paid out extra for alignment checks by Ford and took it to an independent who said there were no problems at all. He took it back to the aforementioned dealer and they wouldn't remove the advisory from the MOT, even though there wasn't anything significantly wrong. From what he gathered it was just something they add to the advisories when the car gets to a certain age/mileage, rather than there being anything wrong with the car. A bit naughty of them to add to the MOT certificate though. I suppose some will panic and pay for the work to be done.
I do think some dealerships try it on/try to look for work though.
One of the best ones I had was when they offered an aircon check/regas/check for leaks for about £80. It was still blowing cold air so I declined. They then offered to do a budget type check for £30. What they do for that god only knows.... probably push the a/c button, feel it is cold and that is it. I can do that for free!
traffman said:
Our local Honda dealer wanted the Type r in for a cam belt change as it was due...so they said.
I took great delight informing them it actually had a chain.
I took great delight informing them it actually had a chain.
Similarly but slightly OT seen a few cam chain Audis (same engine as mine) for sale with dealers proudly proclaiming "cam belt done"
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