....been quoted £140 for a service assuming no extra work or parts, then £53.10 for MOT at Skoda in Worthing (down the road from me). As my MOT is due next month, they are suggesting putting it through the MOT first, then the service if I want to go ahead...

.....what do you guys think of the prices please? Ta

:rubchin: depends on what the service includes. They're charging the max fee allowable for the MOT.

Cost estimates for regular DIY service... Can of oil £10, oil filter £5, sump plug and washer £2, air filter £5, spark plugs £20 + tools needed to do the job a good socket wrench set (can't recall the size needed for sump plug, think it's 21mm?!) vary greatly in prices but something maybe £20-40 should get all the size sockets needed (go for metric only, imperial not much use), 10mm thread spark plug wrench or socket £5, wheel ramps if more ground clearance needed for oil change £30, oil drain pan £5. A Haynes manual £18 details what needs doing and how often. So total should be less than the £140 and you'll have the tools to do it again next time.

For MOT's if you can find a good back street sort of garage that does ONLY MOT's they have no reason to fail it just to drum up business for themselves. Moneysavingexpert.com site suggests to use local authority/council MOT test centres for this reason, but when I called mine with plenty of time left before the end of MOT the next available date was absolutely ages away and past the end of the MOT. The only downside to this approach is if anything is wrong with the car you may need to pay the 50% retest fee. I pay £45 and 50% retest fee, probably quite high in comparison with the cheapest MOT's around - but I trust the garage.

Whats being done on it?

My mechanic charges £10 labour for an oil change (inc parts you're prob looking at £35/40)

For a full service it's about £40 labour plus parts.

The garage I get my MOT done charges £35 (free retest if taken back within the alloted time)

Servicing i do when the mileage demands it MOT time or not.

My local Skoda garage for servicing they prob charge about £60 for an oil change, and prob £100/120 I think for a full service.

The VW garage wanted £120 just for an oil change on my cousins Fabia 1.4 16v!!!

If you're in the know you can save a bit of money by going to independants/DIY.

I will give them a call tomorrow, ask them what that service includes. I need to do something though - died twice on the way to work this morning :( I haven't had much luck with local garages hence going to the main dealer this time, but not looking like I'm going to do too brilliantly there either :confused:

I should say part of the problem is that I can't do it myself - I have two slipped discs, so can't really manouevre around very well. I did the radio on a good day, but don't think I'd be able to do everything listed here :(

Looking at price of oil- looks like it's not a special like Fabia - might be worth a word in somewhere like Kwik fit (oil change from £25 ,inc filter).Don't know what else they do -but that's get under bit done cheaply .BTW- they also do MOT -don't know price though .

MOT test will be £35 or £40 at Kwik Fit.

Some Kwik Fits/Garages are better than others so you gotta be sharp.

My mechanics garage looks scruffy/dirty/grimey a proper garage without a "smart" front end desk.

But I get to see all round my car, help out etc. keeps me from getting bored waiting.

£200 for a service and MOT at a main dealer. It's the MOT they'll prob flag up for parts TBH.

If you got the time (and free calls) then you ringing around for quotes might be worth it.

I'd say you could save a fair bit by not going through the dealer.

Basing servicing on my parts I bought

£20 spark plugs from Jorily (£12 set available)

£2 Sump plug seals

£5 air filter

£3 oil filter

£12 oil (10w/40 Semi Synth 5l)

£40 labour

£82

Few basic MOT checks can be done yourself like CV boot joint gaitors, lights, seatbelts, wipers and tyres to make sure they all work ,correct colour and no abnormal bulges/uneven wear.

Thanks VWD. Normally Kwikfit have a bad reputation - dunno if it's deserved though :confused:

Right, looks like tomorrow afternoon is taken up calling around a few garages - find out how much they will charge for a service, etc. Thanks again peeps

Think you have to be careful - never been to one other than for tyres for firm van ,and as we are a good customer get decent treatment .Though the managers seem switched ,but pity is that they don't get involved unless there's problems .Thought that if you were watching them -oil change can't cause that many problems .

From all I've read I would avoid kwikfit. I'm sure there are good ones around but heard too many bad stories. I think National tyres does cheapie oil changes?

Sucker for advertising!! Prestige car servicing - £125 for service, including parts, MOT for £49 - they collect your car, and bring it back??

I clicked on an advert under one of my posts. Anyone had any experience of them please?

OK, have emailed Rivervale Skoda in Portslade which is a bit closer - will see if they match the prices of the West Sussex one.....

here there are places where they do labour for free (cuz they sell you everything thus earning a good profit, but still only charge the same price) maybe i should go there and start a business like that

Where's there cause it's not here :confused::confused:

What did Rivervale say?

Prestige Car Servicing - some dodgy reviews online....

....not heard back from Rivervale yet....

:)Be aware that some of the fast fit type places won't know that there is a fuel filter hidden near the fuel tank, or that the valve clearances need checking, or that the rear brake adjusters need setting [they hardly ever actually auto adjust like they should] ect....I'm not knocking anyone else, but I guess you can see what I mean?

Cheap isn't always good value. You won't do what I call a PROPER service on a Felicia 1.3 in an hour.

If it came to the garage I run I would charge 1.5 hours + parts. It wouldn't be the cheapest quote, but it would offer good value for money and be done thoroughly. We charge £42.50 for the MOT test or £30 if carried out on the same invoice as a full service.

I agree with doing the MOT test first. It'd be a shame to drain the oil out, change the plugs ect only to find on the MOT that it needs stuff doing for the MOT that might write the car off. Unlikely maybe, but it does happen.

:)Just looked on Autodata, the book time for a full service on a 1998 Felicia 1.3 is 2.2 hours, so what I would charge is quite fair IMO.

:)Be aware that some of the fast fit type places won't know that there is a fuel filter hidden near the fuel tank, or that the valve clearances need checking, or that the rear brake adjusters need setting [they hardly ever actually auto adjust like they should]

I suspect a good few Skoda Dealers don't know too

Thanks peeps. I think I'm probably going to go for a MOT then service at one of the Skoda dealers. And I will probably print this whole thread off (plus some of the others you guys have helped me on) to make sure when she's serviced I ask for all the stuff you have mentioned

I would not go near KwikShark for anything other than tyres or exhausts, and specifically refuse to let them do any other work on the car!!

As for costs, well labour rates down your way seem painful! Octy says £100 for an inspection, £200 for a 40_000 (but no cambelt cos it was 3yrs, 30k since done) at a dealership!

Sigh, yep it would seem labour costs down here are high!! Maybe I should trundle up to Birmingham to visit family and get the car seen to at the same time Can't do it though - what if something mega was wrong and they had to wait for parts, etc?!!! :eek:

Finally rang Rivervale and they quoted me the same for the MOT (£53.10) but I hope you're sitting down, £228 for the service, going up to £298 for major service :eek::eek: I think I hyperventilated down the phone!! Told her I would get back to her, and rang the Worthing branch and booked Cutie in for next Friday!

So MOT first, then see what needs doing for a service. What I obviously need is to cultivate the potential mechanic in my man :rofl: Yeah right!! :P