VW Dealer @ Servicing: "Your Anti Roll Bushes are worn..." £££ please
- Thread starter Heofz
- Start date
10k service from VW, includes an air filter, oil and oil filter (all of which they may or may not have changed!).
Jabba did the same 'lubrication' service for £140, changed everything in front of me and I had my car back in 1 hour.
Maybe 5 years ago, IME most good independents charge a lot more. Still, I suppose it does depend on your definition of a good independent and your location in the country.
I was quoted that rate last week when i rang one of our local garages looking for somebody to change my clutch
Although I agree with the extortionate amount you've paid for the service, the issue with the ARBs is common on the Mk4. My S3 went through the same thing earlier in the year (although higher mileage). The problem, as they've mentioned is they found a design flaw with the original ARB hence why they no longer do bushes for the original. Even then though, you were being given a HUGE price for replacement. I purchased uprated ARBs for front AND rear for £360 and 3 hours labour (I think) which at a local garage is about £150. I think you need to find a new garage, but at the same time, the work on the ARBs may still need doing...
Edit: If they can't find a replacement bush, consider buying a powerflex (or similar) uprated one. They won't cost more than £40 ish I'd have thought, but they are a pain to fit so expect a reasonable labour charge...
Edit: If they can't find a replacement bush, consider buying a powerflex (or similar) uprated one. They won't cost more than £40 ish I'd have thought, but they are a pain to fit so expect a reasonable labour charge...
OP here... hmm well I've already agreed for them to do the work and I think they've probably finished it all by now. I think the spark plugs are being changed too, that's what I forgot to mention in my first post.
So £750 for all that (not incl any ARB work), complete rip off you say?
I will scan in the invoice when I get the car back this evening and post it here.
Edit: The track leading up to my house is full of pot holes and I've lived there for 4 years now, had a few nasty bumps on the potholes here and there, so perhaps that could have accelerated the ARB bush wear?
Edit 2: LSPIII your quote for ARB work is for a whole new ARB? not ARB bushes?
So £750 for all that (not incl any ARB work), complete rip off you say?
I will scan in the invoice when I get the car back this evening and post it here.
Edit: The track leading up to my house is full of pot holes and I've lived there for 4 years now, had a few nasty bumps on the potholes here and there, so perhaps that could have accelerated the ARB bush wear?
Edit 2: LSPIII your quote for ARB work is for a whole new ARB? not ARB bushes?
Last edited:
Yes, I purchased whole new ARBs front and rear, both including new poly bushes for £360. The labour is whatever you get charged, but for me was about 3 hours roughly.
Soldato
- Joined
- 5 Sep 2005
- Posts
- 11,742
- Location
- Northern Ireland
Last time I was in a VW dealer I told him he could take his ABS speed sensor and shove it up his ass. Wanted to charge £45 for the sensor and £70 labour per hour they faffed about with it. Drove to a VW trade parts dealer 5 minutes up the road bought the sensor for £14 and took it to a wee local garage who fitted it for £20.
They also wanted to charge me £70 each for rear shocks (So £210 overall incl labour) Went and bought the pair of shocks for £60 and some chap again fitted then for £35. Gave me a cuppa tea too.
Never going to a dealer again.
They also wanted to charge me £70 each for rear shocks (So £210 overall incl labour) Went and bought the pair of shocks for £60 and some chap again fitted then for £35. Gave me a cuppa tea too.
Never going to a dealer again.
So £750 for all that (not incl any ARB work), complete rip off you say?
Depends, did he throw in a reach around?
Ye but did he also clean the car inside and out?
And did you get a courtesy car free for 3 days?
(3 days because we couldnt collect as we were out of town)
Yeah, if my car isn't spotless inside and out I will refuse to pay the bill until they do it.
£750 for a "service"... I should be able to eat off the floor after that
They should provide the meal or eastern european girl to eat off the floor for that!
Right just got off the phone to the guy, turns out he went and sorted out the new bushes... just like that eh? £168 on top of the £750. Not sure where I stand here as I didn't expressly tell him to do it after my conversation with him on the phone last night, I said I wanted to leave it and see if they can sort it out. Would've appreciated a ring first before they went ahead and fitted the new ones. 
So in total I think i'm gonna be charged about £920 for:
General "Variable" Service (Long life) + Wash, whatever the hell that means
Brake Fluid Change
Replacement Rear Nearside bulb (no labour charge here, just £2 for the bulb, whoop-de-do)
New Cambelt + Tensioner
New Spark Plugs
New Engine Air filter
New Front ARB Bushes
How much should all that normally cost do you reckon? Also I want to check 100% that these guys have in fact put the new bushes in and didn't just lie to me and did nothing for £168. Is there an easy way I can do this?
Also when they discovered the problem they just "happened to notice" this issue. Exactly how easy to spot are "worn out" ARB bushes?
So in total I think i'm gonna be charged about £920 for:
General "Variable" Service (Long life) + Wash, whatever the hell that means
Brake Fluid Change
Replacement Rear Nearside bulb (no labour charge here, just £2 for the bulb, whoop-de-do)
New Cambelt + Tensioner
New Spark Plugs
New Engine Air filter
New Front ARB Bushes
How much should all that normally cost do you reckon? Also I want to check 100% that these guys have in fact put the new bushes in and didn't just lie to me and did nothing for £168. Is there an easy way I can do this?
Also when they discovered the problem they just "happened to notice" this issue. Exactly how easy to spot are "worn out" ARB bushes?
Last edited:
Soldato
- Joined
- 5 Sep 2005
- Posts
- 11,742
- Location
- Northern Ireland
Ask them to give you the old parts that they removed from your car.
£920 for what you got done is a complete rip-off.
That means that they've got the lad thats with them on work experience to throw a bucket of cold water over your car and then wipe at it with a sponge with a texture like a brillo pad, leaving lovely scratches all over your paintwork. If you're really lucky it just means they've topped up your screenwash.
Sorry
£920 for what you got done is a complete rip-off.
That means that they've got the lad thats with them on work experience to throw a bucket of cold water over your car and then wipe at it with a sponge with a texture like a brillo pad, leaving lovely scratches all over your paintwork. If you're really lucky it just means they've topped up your screenwash.
Sorry
Last edited: