Main Dealer labour rates

MatteH Oxford

MatteH Oxford

MatteH Oxford

Associate
Joined
26 Jul 2010
Posts
1,727
Location
Wiltshire
Just a thread to discuss what hourly rate dealers are charging for service and repair these days, it is a long time from my £49.50 + VAT memories of the mid 1990s !
 
I find that BMW / Mini are just about the most ludicrous I’ve come across for not only the cost, but the ridiculous amount of time they want to do the smallest job.

For example, replacement EGR valve on my sister’s Mini Cooper D they wanted to charge for 3 hours labour. I’ve literally just had mine replaced, on my driveway, by Mini Emergency Assistance under warranty - it took the guy less than an hour in heavy rain. That’s on my Mini Clubman SD - so unless it’s that much easier to do on my car I’ve no clue how they can justify it at the dealers.
 
Spleen Sauce said:
I find that BMW / Mini are just about the most ludicrous I’ve come across for not only the cost, but the ridiculous amount of time they want to do the smallest job.

For example, replacement EGR valve on my sister’s Mini Cooper D they wanted to charge for 3 hours labour. I’ve literally just had mine replaced, on my driveway, by Mini Emergency Assistance under warranty - it took the guy less than an hour in heavy rain. That’s on my Mini Clubman SD - so unless it’s that much easier to do on my car I’ve no clue how they can justify it at the dealers.
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Pretty sure is down to the complexity and skills to plug a cable and replace whatever part the computer tells them. When the greasy monkey walks around, sorry, I meant the engineer, and is adamant that any issue where the customer can't be charged for it, is characteristic of the car... Too bad it's simpler to keep the warranty using them.
 
General procedure is they will charge you for "inspection" of the problem by plugging into OBD and read from the computer, they might not charge you though for the inspection if you let them carry the work if you argue with them over the price they charge.
Labour hour generally go between 50-100+ per hour in the common dealers(no idea how much exotic dealers charge but way too much for obvious reasons), they may inflate the price on parts aswell and then try and explain there is a "slight" discount by them not charging the "inspection".
Also the price vary depending on the car itself, I do recall one of my previous employees trying to get engine oil or brake pads for his R35 GTR from Nissan dealer part department and they inflate the price of oil automatically if you tell them its a R35 GTR.
 
kurosagi01 said:
General procedure is they will charge you for "inspection" of the problem by plugging into OBD and read from the computer, they might not charge you though for the inspection if you let them carry the work if you argue with them over the price they charge.
Labour hour generally go between 50-100+ per hour in the common dealers(no idea how much exotic dealers charge but way too much for obvious reasons), they may inflate the price on parts aswell and then try and explain there is a "slight" discount by them not charging the "inspection".
Also the price vary depending on the car itself, I do recall one of my previous employees trying to get engine oil or brake pads for his R35 GTR from Nissan dealer part department and they inflate the price of oil automatically if you tell them its a R35 GTR.
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50-100 uwot? BMW are 140/h + VAT. Won't find a backstreet shed garage for under 70+VAT here.
 
[TW]Fox said:
I hedge against it with a service pack and BMW warranty.
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I bought an X1 in 2012. Owned it for just over 7 years. Only claimable item was probably the exhaust clamp I had replaced last year. At £500 or whatever a year they wanted for the warranty, I was £££ in without it. The car covered below average miles, trading it recently with about 59500miles on it
Warranties are okay for those who really fear repair bills/cannot afford sudden bills. But most probably better off financially without it, unless unlucky.
My local dealer in Plymouth are £120 an hour. I remember when safety related issues would be investigated free of charge but that's not the case now.
 
I think people forget to factor certain things into the cost for car repairs

  • Staff training which is ongoing.
  • Equipment costs e.g. The OBD machines, tools etc
  • Building costs e.g. Electric, rates etc
  • Staff salaries
As well as other things.
 
We recently took an Audi A6 (17 Plate) to the local Audi Dealership here is what they wanted to charge us ;

What we found
Requires urgent attention3 items
Other
Insp svc due in 400 miles, requires history checking.
£482.48 INC. VAT


Check Transmission Oil Change Due Date
Above 36,000 miles, Trasnsmission Oil Change due - requires history checking.
£190.30 INC. VAT



We advise this be carried out2 items
Visual Check of Brake Pads - Front
80 % Worn - Front Brake Pads
£243.07 INC. VAT


Visual Check of Brake Discs
Discs Front Worn - recommend measuring when pads replaced
£327.22 INC. VAT

Total £1,242.77.

Took it to our local Halfords Autocentres did it all for £550.00 saving of £692.77
 
I personally would absolutely not want Halfords changing my transmission fluid :eek:

To be honest that receipt seems less than useless in terms of service history, you might as well have done it yourself for half that again if you didnt care to maintain it. I'd actually say that a main agent headed parts receipt would actually look much better than a Halfords one.
 
Jez said:
I personally would absolutely not want Halfords changing my transmission fluid :eek:

To be honest that receipt seems less than useless in terms of service history, you might as well have done it yourself for half that again if you didnt care to maintain it. I'd actually say that a main agent headed parts receipt would actually look much better than a Halfords one.
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I'd walk from any car that new with that history, not worth the effort.
 
Jez said:
I personally would absolutely not want Halfords changing my transmission fluid :eek:

To be honest that receipt seems less than useless in terms of service history, you might as well have done it yourself for half that again if you didnt care to maintain it. I'd actually say that a main agent headed parts receipt would actually look much better than a Halfords one.
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Yeah to be honest the service is good and competitive. They even collect and deliver the car back to us F.O.C.

They update service history digitally and stamp the book for us.

We used to get them done by a guy in a white van.
 
Hourly rate depends on location too, not just manufacturer/dealer network.
Recently looking for service for Mercedes, Cambridge was about 30 pounds more expensive than Harlow.
I don't keep my cars for too long, but would stick with the dealer for the first 6 years, even when the warranty is the usual 3 years, as any major faulty would be the pressure back in then, not me looking for receipts and trying to prove that the car was serviced as required using genuine parts.
But won't use dealer for tyres or any odd thing not covered by warranty.
 
Bounce said:
Yeah to be honest the service is good and competitive. They even collect and deliver the car back to us F.O.C.

They update service history digitally and stamp the book for us.

We used to get them done by a guy in a white van.
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I guess this depends entirely on the way that you own the vehicle, do leases merely require any VAT registered garage to follow the schedule?

I have never needed to maintain a VAT compliant service history so perhaps i missed this obvious point, if this is the case then i'd do the same as you to be fair. If privately owned, personally, i would consider paying Halfords to be a waste of money, the receipt and the "full main agent history" tag is the reason to pay a garage, with a Halfords receipt and stamp, you get nothing?
 
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