Suspicious Garage

[Churchill]

nicked car

Milan's car

[Spacecadet]

If its a main dealer and based on the low miles I assume it is, main dealers will try anything on, when I took a newish car to a Ford main dealer for a service I was told I need a new exhaust and a few other bits, 20k miles later they were still going strong.

I had a similar experience with Ford. Rear brake discs were apparently in need of replace when I had the car serviced, told them i'd phone round for quotes and they weren't to do anything to them.
6 months later at the next service the brake discs had magically thickened themselves to the point where the Ford mechanics didn't need to warn me about their condition.

[VectraMan]

I wish I could get rear tyres on my S2000 to last 6000 miles.

If the suspension geometry is badly out it may eat tyres much quicker than normal, which might happen if your wife likes to bash into kerbs. But they'd be able to tell that by looking at the tyres, assuming they can be bothered.

[DimPrawn]

Have you ever tried taking the same car to several MOT stations on the same day?

I have and found that there is very little in common with the list of faults between the garages.

I think they all just make the test results up.

[VectraMan]

I had a similar experience with Ford. Rear brake discs were apparently in need of replace when I had the car serviced, told them i'd phone round for quotes and they weren't to do anything to them.
6 months later at the next service the brake discs had magically thickened themselves to the point where the Ford mechanics didn't need to warn me about their condition.

Happens a lot with brakes. Easy money for them, as most people won't question anything about brakes. I was told I urgently needed new pads and discs (£400), but went home and looked at them and there was loads left. I did another 15,000 miles and then changed them myself: cost about £50 for the parts.

[shelby68]

Happens a lot with brakes. Easy money for them, as most people won't question anything about brakes. I was told I urgently needed new pads and discs (£400), but went home and looked at them and there was loads left. I did another 15,000 miles and then changed them myself: cost about £50 for the parts.

I've been scammed with that one too at Kwikfit, we won't change the pads because the disks are scored, yea if you look at them with a frigging electron microscope they are!!!!

[Bagpuss]

I wish I could get rear tyres on my S2000 to last 6000 miles.

If the suspension geometry is badly out it may eat tyres much quicker than normal, which might happen if your wife likes to bash into kerbs. But they'd be able to tell that by looking at the tyres, assuming they can be bothered.

mine lasted 17k miles you wheel spinning maniac !!

Took car in for a service and as expected had the usual phone call to say something else was wrong , only this time they are telling me the back tyres are illegal and require replacing.

The car has only done 6000 miles from new , is used by the wife to take kids to school and has barely been on the motorway.

The tyres are 132 quid each according to the garage , so I told then to forget it.

Now I am wondering if they have changed them for some worn ones , so when I go to pick it up it will be illegal

They could be illegal for 2 reasons,

1/as above, your Mrs bashes the car up an down kerbs and hence has knocked the tracking out and caused uneven wear
2/ at 6k the car would have been standing a lot, that can cause the side walls to crack, which is illegal

on the whole I'd be suspicious though and ask to see the tyres

132 is a lot, mine has very wide low profile tyres and were not much more than that. For an average car £80 should be about right for a top brand

[Peoplesoft bloke]

Was in my garage today when this geeky nerd came in with his nearly new car. I can smell 'em a mile off, so the kerching signs swam in front my eyes. I'm now busy replacing all his parts with some from a wreck I had in the back yard. You should see the state of "his" rear tires. We're doing most of the engine parts now...
Kerching!!

Tyres

[motoukenin]

Mazdas RX not for permies

The cars a Mazda RX8 231BHP rear wheel drive , with crappy bridgestone's on which would slide all over the place in the wet if the electronic widgets didnt stop it.

If they are worn at 6000 miles , plus all of the oil I am forever pouring in this thing, will make this the most expensive car on the planet to own.

[WotNxt]

For an average car £80 should be about right for a top brand

I always go for the cheapest available myself. Usually around £35-£40 per tyre fitted and balanced. Never had any problems with them and they seem to last just as long.

Walk into Kwikfit, point to the poster on the wall for the super-cheap tyre deal and say you'll have those thanks. When they inevitably say they don't have any left then look dishevelled and meekly ask how much the next cheapest ones are - they know they aren't going to be able to sell you the top brands so at that point they usually give in and you get something for around the £35-£40 mark.

Note: it also helps to go in looking poor and harassed by financial worries - not difficult for me!

Another tip for using garages: never go to the same one twice if you can help it. If you allow them to get used to you and your car they can work out what scams they can get away with. They'll know you haven't had another garage look at the car because you always go to them so they can make up anything, especially once they've sussed out that you know f'all about maintaining cars. If you turn up at a garage you've never been to before they mostly don't DARE try it on - you could be Trading Standards in disguise at worst, and really they want to sucker you in for the long term.

Strangely enough, I believe my new (NHS) dentist has tried this same trick on me in the last year trying to get me to have a filling I don't believe I need. That's Life reported this dentist scam to extract maximum possible money from NHS by performing unnecessary work decades ago.