Works Mondy was serviced today, and as brake were 70% last time got pads and disks all round.

Inc the service (£160) bill came to £606.

Having been out of the private motoring lark (Octy is on private lease inc servicing) are Ford having a laugh, or is that about right?

I know I'm not paying the bill (works CC) but might have to justify costs as quite alarge sum on the CC statement.

I'd say so on my experience.

Had been quoted one price per dealer, then went along to Budget and National and they were 25-30% cheaper. I never ended up having to change them as car was sold before they needed changing, however it taught me to ring around for everything they want to do above the agreed service (which has been haggled down as well)

Well and truly having a bath!

Cost me about £130 parts and labour (1 hour @ £23-50 an hour inc VAT IIRC) for brakes and pads all round on the Octy.

Works Mondy was serviced today, and as brake were 70% last time got pads and disks all round.

Inc the service (£160) bill came to £606.

Having been out of the private motoring lark (Octy is on private lease inc servicing) are Ford having a laugh, or is that about right?

I know I'm not paying the bill (works CC) but might have to justify costs as quite alarge sum on the CC statement.

IIRC main dealer prices for a focus (Similar to mondy I'd guess) are about £100 for a pair of front discs and £75 for the rears. Pads are about £40 and £25 so that's £240 all in for parts.

£606 - £160 for service = £446 for brakes approx

-£240 for parts

That leaves a labour bill of about £200, which is quite high IMHO. Do you know what the dealers hourly rate is as IIRC it's about 2 hours, by the book, to do all 4 sets.

Also did they do a fluid change with that, if so that's another £50.

You can do it cheaper, but it's not the worse I've heard of from a main dealer

I don't see how you justify 2 hours labour to do them, unless the book includes bleeding afterwards. I mean, I can do discs and pads in about an hour, using the standard wheel change jack, an axle stand, and olde-fashioned pads with pins on them.

Seems high, but parts costs can be quite expensive on seemingly ordinary cars. I put new front discs and pads on my GT at the weekend and they set me back £125, just for the fronts. That was from Partco (Unipart) too so hardly the world's most expensive parts. By comparison, when I did the Furby a few years ago, front discs and pads came to a grand total of about £50. The GT must have an oddball disc size.

I don't see how you justify 2 hours labour to do them, unless the book includes bleeding afterwards. I mean, I can do discs and pads in about an hour, using the standard wheel change jack, an axle stand, and olde-fashioned pads with pins on them.

but have you got both rear caliper piston tools ?

I don't see how you justify 2 hours labour to do them, unless the book includes bleeding afterwards. I mean, I can do discs and pads in about an hour, using the standard wheel change jack, an axle stand, and olde-fashioned pads with pins on them.

Don't ask me, but that is what the book says.

I'd have a guess at 20 minutes to drive car on and off ramp and raise/lower it, plus removing the wheels and taking everything off, cleaning it all, putting it all back with new parts bleeding the callipers and putting the wheels back on.

2 hours for all 4 isn't that crazy really when you consider that some will be rusted on like a bi*tch and others will be easy to get off.

2 hours for all 4 isn't that crazy really when you consider that some will be rusted on like a bi*tch

don't they just , PITA

Skoda book time is 1.3 hours for front brakes and 1.1 for rears IIRC.

2 hours @ £67.50

There was (exc VAT):

kit brake lining 1x £45.20

Discs 2x £43.76

Kit (caliper 'B') 1x £44.19

Set brake/discs 1x £68.00

Labour - Rear brake renewal 1x £67.50

Labour - Front brake renewal 1x£67.50

Plus the usual servicing stuff which is around £160.

As I say, company pays but just ensuring as a Co car driver the stealer hasnt pulled a fast one IN CASE firm questions it with me. Shouldnt, but given the current economy, are trying to save.

Brakes were 70% worn at last service and warped, and this time needed doing immediately as 90% odd worn (detailed on works sheet). So had previously authed them to do the brakes when I dropped it off.

Just a shock as they said £300 odd, but I guess that was exc VAT and labour.

Skoda book time is 1.3 hours for front brakes and 1.1 for rears IIRC.

My figures were own experience on other makes, and billed time for the Octy at a local garage. Looks like I saved even more than I thought by not getting the "nearly worn out" rears replaced by Henry's then.

Skoda book time is 1.3 hours for front brakes and 1.1 for rears IIRC.

Fairly sure you're right and I got it reduced down to 2 hours on a quote as they took off the car going up on the ramps twice and the rest.

I was quoted 2 hours everywhere for the Octy I ken and the front discs with the FSIII really really didn't want to move at all.

I paid £30 to have my rear discs and pads replaced and sourced some mintex from ebay for £35

I paid £30 to have my rear discs and pads replaced and sourced some mintex from ebay for £35

That's great and all but we are talking about using genuine parts as required by a lot of lease companies and paying main dealer rates.

£30 to change rear discs and pads and make sure the handbrake mechanism is all serviced. To clean it all up and check the callipers make sure the pipes are all in good condition etc is very cheap.

That is £30 an hour so I would assume is a cash in hand job or a very very cheap guy. £30 an hour won't pay for the main dealers workshop rent and training costs and allow them to make a profit IMHO.

Sorry, just thought I would give an indication of just how much main dealers rip you off

1) I do not use main dealer; a trusted independent will usually charge less AND do a better job

2) I actually find the Mintex are BETTER than OE

Sorry, just thought I would give an indication of just how much main dealers rip you off

1) I do not use main dealer; a trusted independent will usually charge less AND do a better job

2) I actually find the Mintex are BETTER than OE

I know of a "trusted indy" on here that quotes far more than a main dealer

The main dealers have training, give you 2 year warranty on genuine parts fitted for VAG and have other things going for them.

Also the mintex discs are made by mintex/pagid (TMD Friction) and of a similar quality to the OEM ones. However you got them on e-bay and took a risk that you could have bought carp. You had to arrange this and collect/wait for delivery (Call that £20 in time)

Then call the dealer take the parts, if they are wrong deal with the hassle and if they are right have them fit them usually without a car if you need one.

I'm not saying dealers are the cheapest, but you basically have two options:

- Spend Time

- Spend Money

It just depends what your priorities are IMHO.