Service shocker

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CorneN

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I took my 2006 1.4 Polo in for a 60K service yesterday at Lindsay Saker, and this what they quoted me:

R2,745.31 Service
R1,107.62 Front brakes (Warning light never came on, andf they were metal on metal!)
R1,346.81 Rear brakes (Er, does a car not mainly break in front, how can these be shot after 60K?)
R2,026.09 Door lock barrel (Thief broke it trying to steal the car)
R 526.00 Break fluid service (LOL@the price!)
R6,027.33 Clutch service
-------------------
R13,780.48


That boys and girls, is 10% of what the car will cost if you buy it new today.

Question though, does a clutch not fall under the warranty, or is it seen as a wear and tear item? And why does it only last 60K? (I dont abuse it at all)
 
2006... your car might be out of its 3 year warranty.

I like this part:

R2,026.09 Door lock barrel (Thief broke it trying to steal the car)
Click to expand...

One of the main reasons why I would never think of owning a Polo - everyone wants to steal them.
 
November 2006 ;)

Yep, people likes stealing Polos. This is now second time somebody tried to nick it. :(
 
Serious cause for pause.
If you were driving a Jag or one of the 'big three' it might be plausible but youre driving a Polo... that just aint right 'Playa' :D

EDIT: +1 for taking it somewhere else if the stealership claims out of warranty.
 
um doesnt it have barrel brakes on the back ? surely those just need to be adjusted.. usually last till 100000km, if you drive normally i.e dont speed up to a robot then hit brakes every time like most people...
 
Nope, I drove like and old man. lol


Phoned them on the clutch warranty. Apparently it is only under warranty till 45000KM, therefater it's seen as wear and tear due to driver style.
 
Clutch would never be covered at this mileage, but that price is a whole new clutch, plus the trimmings.

Please do yourself a favour and start getting the car serviced at the local garage, or learn to do it yourself.

With the possible exception of the clutch, that entire operation would take up a couple of hours on a Saturday, and should cost a few hundred rand!

Brake pads - easy job, buy them over the counter at Midas.
Brake fluid - Midas as well - R 12.50
Oil for Service - Midas - Good quality oil, R150
Finally, clutch. Take the old one to get reconditioned for R350 max, and get a mate who can work on cars to help you.

When I worked for Sakers years ago, servicing costs were created from a thumbsuck guess by management at budget time every year. I cannot see that that system would have changed much. The thumbsuck was always accompanied by much laughing from management, much like you see in the Outsurance advert...nuff said! :mad:
 
LOL - yeah - thats what I'm doing with both my Hilux and S2000 - everything possible, I do myself.

Honda charged me R1,200 for a simple oil change :eek:
 
I'm curious as to why your car supposedly needs 4 new brakes and a clutch at 60 000 km? If you are not an abusive driver, then either the previous owner was (if the was one) or they are taking you for a serious ride.


My sister just paid R1900 for her 60 000km service at LS Woodmead.
 
Tell them you can't afford it this month, and take your car somewhere else for a 2nd opinion :)
 
Gaz, I am the only user of the car so far. The price for the service itself (R2750) is apparently the standard price as I confirmed that with them before hand.

As for the breaks / clutch, I think it's probably the fact that I do a 120Km round trip to work and back every day on the R59 between JHB CBD and Meyerton. The last bit of the R59 where it ends in steeldale is a 500m uphill that you sometimes sit in traffic for 15 minutes. I wonder if it's not that, that's killing the clutch.

Anyhow, the damage is repaired and I am getting a new car in November. Netx time I'll remember to look at propper service plans :( :)
 
Vehicle agents are a bunch of crooks - plain and simple.
It doesn't matter if it's Toyota, Mazda, VW, Mercedes, BMW ... they're all the same.

Case 1:
My fiancee's RunX needed to have the front and back brakes done. Toyota wanted to charge her R4000 to skim the discs and replace the pads.
I took a look at the car and saw that the back discs were fine and the front were badly worn so I bought new discs for the front and Ferrodo pads for the front and back and it all came to about R1600.
If Toyota had done it, they would have charged R2400 more and that was just for skimmed brakes and not brand new discs on the front. Skimming ventilated discs is a bad idea anyway - they tend to warp and there is the risk of disintegration if too much material is removed or they wear too much.

Case 2:
The central locking on the left passenger door on my Mazda Etude just broke.
The agents won't sell me the actuator - they only sell the entire lock for R3000+ !
I'll get a second hand one and fix it myself.
R3000?! What are they smoking!

Case 3:
The alternator pulley wore out on my Mazda Etude due to a previous service not mounting the alternator correctly. The agents want R667 for a new pulley or R3000 for a new alternator. Makes me flipping mad!

They are all a bunch of thieving crooks!

BTW: A new LUK clutch kit costs about R1000 for most small cars. They're going to charge you R5000 for labour.
 
CorneN said:
R1,346.81 Rear brakes (Er, does a car not mainly break in front, how can these be shot after 60K?)
Click to expand...

Cars tend to break at whichever end takes the impact. Rear-end collision - the rear will break. Drive into a pole - the front will break.

R6,027.33 Clutch service
Click to expand...

Consider yourself lucky. My car has a dual-mass flywheel which can't be skimmed, so it has to be replaced at clutch changes; the last clutch job came to R10500.
 
Last edited:
Go to Midas and buy the brakes and take it to Hi-Q to have it fitted. Cost me R370 for my BMW E46's front brakes, and then R100 to have them fitted. And those are more expensive than the rear ones.

EDIT: Why does the service not include the brake fluid service? :erm:

Fsck the agents. They are out to rip you off.
 
Slootvreter said:
Go to Midas and buy the brakes and take it to Hi-Q to have it fitted. Cost me R370 for my BMW E46's front brakes, and then R100 to have them fitted. And those are more expensive than the rear ones.

EDIT: Why does the service not include the brake fluid service? :erm:

Fsck the agents. They are out to rip you off.
Click to expand...

+1
That's what I do on certain stuff I can do myself, or with a help of some guys next door. Things like brake pads, air filters, etc, I buy them from Midas or AutoZone. Save myself some moola.
 
Heita_Hola said:
Save myself some moola.
Click to expand...

more like lots!

The prices these guys charge for a service is shocking. I do my own.

Did a citi/chico golf service for a friend once and nearly fell on my back when I saw the price at the till for all the parts, cheap as chips!
 
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