Main Dealer v Garage for Repairs

nato

Hi all. Apologies if this has been asked before but I can't seem to find it. Can someone with knowledge on this subject give me some honest advice please?
I have a 09 Qashqai. Unfortunately for different reasons left it long overdue a service. Brought it in to a main Nissan dealer last week for a full, NCT ready service and got hit with a bill of €400 (needed new brake pads) as well as a list of other jobs it needs done before being NCT ready. The "definitely necessary" ones being rhf drop link priced €65, both front subframe bushes priced €300 and both front lower wishbone bushes priced €270. I've been quoted a price of €500 for all 3 if I have them done together. I really was not expecting such a list of problems. My question is whether or not I'll save some money going elsewhere and what are the pros of sticking with a main dealer versus a local garage? To my great frustration I'm not motor savvy (might be an idea for a new years resolution) so I really can't make an informed decision on this. Many thanks.

hfallada

My parents had a Mercedes and over the years were ripped off by the dealer ship. Someone would gone wrong and we would be told its fixed, to find out it actually wasn't fixed properly.

So we used an ex Mercedes mechanic and he was a third of the price and generally excellent. He had all the Mercedes testing stuff and knew everything about the car. Plus he was honest like telling my parents to sell the car as there was too much work to be done

nato

Thanks for that. I've heard plenty of those stories. I don't have a clue who else to go to locally though. I'm in the Meath area. Also, on the flip side, I was told a story yesterday by someone who bought all the genuine parts online herself, took it to a locally recommended mechanic and then the car failed the NCT and she had to bring it to a different garage to have everything done again so basically paying twice. For those in the know, is my quoted price reasonable for the work involved in replacing those parts?

nato

Sitec wrote: »

I'd send it for NCT and then get the repairs done afterwards. No point in spending a fortune and then failing on something else. A good indy would do your repairs a lot cheaper than a Nissan main dealership.

Thanks for that. a few people have said that to me actually. Don't suppose you happen to know any good indy in the Meath area??

SCOOP 64

Agreed with Sitec , take it in for NCT first and see what it fails on, might not fail on all the things Nissan have listed., seems alot for 09, must be high miles.

djimi

For a job of that cost I would definitely shop around; you will almost certainly save quite a bit by not going to a main dealer.

I also agree with putting it through the NCT first and let them tell you what needs to be done, however dont take the NCT as gospel (they have been known to miss things) so get a decent mechanic to look over it also, and if they say that something needs to be done then get it done, even if the NCT doesnt flag it as an issue.

LeBash

Ive an A4 06 and the local dealer was 4 times the price of a local lad that came highly recommended. Like an idiot i went to the deal first year. The work was shoddy the car seat was filthy when i collected it and when i brought it up i was told it came in like that.

Following year brought it to the guy that recommended by everyone. It was 1/4 the price. Nice service. I had a lamp that was gone and he replaced it and didnt charge more.

The timing belt came up last year and he was 1/3 the price of the dealer.

Scottie99

nato wrote: »

Thanks for that. a few people have said that to me actually. Don't suppose you happen to know any good indy in the Meath area??

Which part of Meath are you?

4th horsemen

Find a non dealer mechanic. Going to dealer is costly.
Bout 5 years ago had a 2005 SAAB and needed the EGR Valve doing, my mechanic (non dealer and excellent price/service)
Said no prob and it is on top back of engine and will take 10-15mins.
I rang Saab dealer just for the craic and he said something like €150, because will take at least an hour to do!!!

Try find a good mechanic, ask your friends, relatives, workmates etc!

I did and have been using same fella for 8 years and spot on

I could recommend a guy in Louth/Drogheda that I use and find quite good (family use him too, and a few other people I know). He's always been on the ball with me and never anything to complain about (so far, so good, anyway).


Dad had been using him for years, also.

And the dealers wonder why they are closing across the country. Everyone I talk to about fixing cars always avoid dealers like the plague.

They should be doing a roaring trade now in servicing since sales have fallen. Due to the bad reputation they have wrt to prices and ripoff, nobody goes near them.

I wouldn't mind paying a bit of a premium to get my work done in a main dealers. I assume they would have comprehensive training and documentation on my model. But the extortionate prices they quote make my ears bleed.

hfallada

Look at it this way. A local mechanic has to be excellent as he is self-employed and needs to rely on recommendations and repeat sales. A dealership on the other hand can make money off selling cars and services. A local of ex-dealership mechanic generally dont have great things to say about management in dealerships.

nato

Thanks for all the replies. So the general consensus is that I get the NCT done, find out what it fails on and then go to a local mechanic instead of back to the main dealer. The problem is literally no-one can recommend a decent local mechanic for me. For every good story I hear about each place, I'm told an equally bad one.

@hfallada - I don't necessarily share your view unfortunately as there are a few local mechanics going strong for years and yet I hear nothing but horror stories about them so really don't understand how they're still going.

@Scottie99 - I'm based in the Navan/Kells area.

colm_mcm

To get a fair comparison you'd need to get quotes using genuine parts, especially with wishbones etc you want proper stuff going on.

Noccy_Mondy

Main dealer is going to put the best stuff into your car besides a regular garage. I find they tend to be more efficient and explain whats going on to you better. Recently I went to my local garage to diagnose a problem with my own car, couldn't find out whatsoever what it was, and alongside that, they scraped my car to Didn't say anything because I know the lad well. Went to a main dealer, found the problem in an instant, and fixed the scrape free of charge. Gave me the left over paint too!

pepe the prawn

Plenty if excellent non main dealer garages out there. Word of mouth is the best way to find a good one. And don't judge the garage on appearances, some of the best mechanics in the country are working from dirty looking garages.

nato

Just an update for anyone interested. Got a second opinion from an independent garage. 2 mechanics took a look at the car and to add to my frustration over all this they disagree with what the main dealer said needs doing!! The only thing they agreed on was that the drop link needs replacing. In their opinion the subframe bushes and lower wishbone bushes do not need any work. I think the only thing left to do is take the advice of several others here and get it NCT'd to find out what work is actually required. Another shocker was that the 2nd opinion garage actually quoted me €100 MORE than the main dealer and they were offering spurious parts. It's not helping that I'm getting conflicting advice off everyone. I just really can't afford to spend any cash that isn't 100% necessary. (sure who can these days)

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime

Yeah you would think they would use main dealer parts but no....


Ive often seen deliveries from the local motor factors deliver parts into main dealers. From batteries to suspension parts etc.

And still get ripped off ? No thanks.

nato

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime wrote: »

Yeah you would think they would use main dealer parts but no....


Ive often seen deliveries from the local motor factors deliver parts into main dealers. From batteries to suspension parts etc.

And still get ripped off ? No thanks.

The main dealer that quoted me is offering genuine parts. The independent garage quoted me for spurious parts and their quote still came in at €100 more than the main dealer which was a bit of a shocker.

JohnBoy26

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime wrote: »

Yeah you would think they would use main dealer parts but no....


Ive often seen deliveries from the local motor factors deliver parts into main dealers. From batteries to suspension parts etc.

And still get ripped off ? No thanks.

Car makers don't usually make their own batteries though. I wouldn't have any issue with a motor factors battery as long as it's a good brand(bosch, GS,..etc)

Also motor factors can supply good suspension components too. But of course at a main dealer they should be using genuine parts in this instance.

Crackle

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime wrote: »

Yeah you would think they would use main dealer parts but no....


Ive often seen deliveries from the local motor factors deliver parts into main dealers. From batteries to suspension parts etc.

And still get ripped off ? No thanks.

Just on the last point there, it could be possible that said deliveries could be for parts outside of the particular dealers range, ie parts for a Corolla or a Golf at a Ford dealer. Not saying it applies in every case but I'm sure it happens regularly enough.

nct tester

there is a big difference in a car being serviced to last until the next service and a car being serviced/prepared for nct.

TBi

I'd get the car serviced. Oil, filters and new brake pads. Worry about the rest after NCT. Old oil and filters can cause damage while the other stuff can probably wait.

Those bushings should last far longer, they might not even fail on NCT.

Scortho

Noccy_Mondy wrote: »

Main dealer is going to put the best stuff into your car besides a regular garage. I find they tend to be more efficient and explain whats going on to you better. Recently I went to my local garage to diagnose a problem with my own car, couldn't find out whatsoever what it was, and alongside that, they scraped my car to Didn't say anything because I know the lad well. Went to a main dealer, found the problem in an instant, and fixed the scrape free of charge. Gave me the left over paint too!

Independent specialist is going to put in equally best stuff, except in my experience I didn't need to bring a tub of Vaseline with me when I went to pay him. I'm not talking a run of the mill independent garage though, it be talking a well regarded specialist mechanic in the alfa community. 30 quid an hour labour as well

Noccy_Mondy

Scortho wrote: »

Independent specialist is going to put in equally best stuff, except in my experience I didn't need to bring a tub of Vaseline with me when I went to pay him. I'm not talking a run of the mill independent garage though, it be talking a well regarded specialist mechanic in the alfa community. 30 quid an hour labour as well

Ya suppose I was a bit too harsh on the indys, although I don't have much time for the dodgy looking ones that would chance their arm. I always bring our older 2 cars to them, don't really care as much about them, it's just I want the best for my newest car, I feel more at ease when it's with a crowd that know what their at!

Scortho

Noccy_Mondy wrote: »

Ya suppose I was a bit too harsh on the indys, although I don't have much time for the dodgy looking ones that would chance their arm. I always bring our older 2 cars to them, don't really care as much about them, it's just I want the best for my newest car, I feel more at ease when it's with a crowd that know what their at!

Well I know with the alfa, if I had a choice between Agnelli motors or Don I'd be going don baker. Likewise Gerry in ti.
If I had a bmw, it'd be going to mark Allen.

Scouserfan

nato wrote: »

Thanks for that. a few people have said that to me actually. Don't suppose you happen to know any good indy in the Meath area??

Have it tested first and then try Nobber Motors for a quote. We usually email over nct report and they mail back quite. No obligation. But good guys to deal with and reasonable. Ask for service manager, Thomas.