Car service and MOT

[DontWatchThat]

Can I just check im not going mad?!

Bloody old rust bucket in for its service. Got a phone call saying there are loads of things that need doing 'red' alerts

Bear in mind last year I spent about a grand on the thing with brakes etc.

I asked what all these things are. They said as the car is now 9 years old there are lots of things the manufacturer says need doing. It's a low mileage. About 45k. So we've not hit the milestones for changing them mileage wise.

I asked why they weren't mentioned last year. Or the year before. Or even at the six year check. He doesn't know.

I asked if they're all physically okay - brake fluid, valve clearance, spark plugs etc. And he said yes it's just how old they are.

Am I going mad?! Is this just insane? I want to Replace the car soon anyway so spending nearly two grand in two years seems excessive.

Any help appreciated...

I had a 13 year old Matiz had it for 9 years 57,500 on the clock, excellent runner but the last MOT it had advisories. When I asked the garage for an estimate they came up with £600-900 depending if it needed a new axle or not. I was gutted. Everything else was fine except the bits that held it up. Damn you Council for placing an excessive amount of speed bumps into my estate just to get rid of money by the end of the financial year.

I've now got a Citroen C1.

Have they tested the brake fluid? When was it last changed? That’s probably the only thing I’d bother with out of that list if it’s otherwise running ok and you’re about to get rid. Brake fluid change should cost about £50, assuming that this isn’t a main dealer?

Go and get your car. There’s nothing wrong with it. Take it elsewhere for a second opinion.

This is why it's so vital to know a car mechanic that you can trust. I would take the car somewhere else to be honest. My mechanic is excellent, he will advise me if something is very urgent or not. If not urgent then when he thinks things should be done.

They said as the car is now 9 years old there are lots of things the manufacturer says need doing. It's a low mileage. About 45k. So we've not hit the milestones for changing them mileage wise

He might be right about the timings. Service schedules are mileage or age, whichever comes first.

I asked why they weren't mentioned last year. Or the year before. Or even at the six year check. He doesn't know

Unless he knows the service schedules for every model he deals with it's not something I'd expect him to mention. You should know yourself when you are heading towards major servicing and things like cam belt changes etc. Thats part of motoring.

I asked if they're all physically okay - brake fluid, valve clearance, spark plugs etc. And he said yes it's just how old they are

And again he'd be right, 9 year old brake fluid probably does need a change.

Am I going mad?! Is this just insane? I want to Replace the car soon anyway so spending nearly two grand in two years seems excessive

When you sell it the buyer, if they have any sense, will want to see a car thats been looked after and serviced to schedule, be that age or mileage. As a buyer I'd be doing my research and if you hadn't had those services done the price I offered would be reflected in that. I bought a car last year that was a few hundred miles off a £500 serviceable part, I took that into account with my offer.

For things like replacing the cam belt, I'd do it, because otherwise you risk your whole engine.
Non-vital stuff, I'd have a think about, but maybe put off.

Thank you!

It's the main dealership. My dad has this idea that when it comes to sell it it'll be better if I've had everything done by them.

I'm going to get the car and then take it to a family friend... just hate the heavy pressure. It's all Red emergency danger. But when I press there's nothing physically wrong with any of it.

It also gets my heckles up they wouldn't deal with my ex like this if he was still dealing with them.

@AdobeWanKenobi I specifically asked what the manufactures timescales were for all of them if they were so important to be flagged up as red. He said six years. That's why I asked why they weren't raised then. Or the year after. Or last year. He said he didn't know.

That's what gets me. It's gone from all clear tickety boo to danger danger change now

If the car has been regularly serviced then the brake fluid would have been changed every 2 years so I'd be shocked if it hasn't been changed in 9 years.

That alone would make me a bit suspicious of the 'age related' things that need doing.

Have you always had its services done at the main dealer? If so they've screwed you over by not doing some of these jobs when it was actually required. OR they have done them and charged you but they're saying they need done this time round for the extra cash. I've never trusted a main dealer since my regular mechanic marked some filters and when he checked it after the service (which charged for the filter changes) they were the same, old filters he had marked.

It's the main dealership.

Why on earth are you taking a 9 year car to a main dealer? That’s half your problem!

9 years old? That's nearly new around here!

@Shade17

It's the main dealership.

Why on earth are you taking a 9 year car to a main dealer? That’s half your problem!

See above. My dad reckons it's better for resale

This is my first car. I only learnt to drive a few years ago. When I was married my ex (reluctantly) did most of the dealings. Not because he has more knowledge but because they were less likely to screw him over.

Can't comment on prices without a full breakdown of work but nothing seems untowards tbh. Manufactures have year/mileage change intervals for most components.

Spark plugs can be anywhere from 2-4 years, or 12,000-100,000 miles, depending on the make. They are service items and should be changed according to manufacturers spec as a minimum. If they fail the consequences range from a mild inconvenience to goodbye car depending on how it happens.

Brake fluid is usually on a 2 year change cycle going by manufacturers spec, the longer it's left the more water it absorbs which lowers the boiling point, but you can analyse it to see if it's still safe.

Valve clearance are a service item too on some vehicles, over time the seats wear (they're being opened and closed thousands of times a minute so friction takes its toll) and after X amount of time need readjusting/reseating. If they wear too much they won't fully close, which will again result in either a mild inconvenience or goodbye car scenario.

If its like my car (and other cars I've had) unfortunately there are things that manufacturers advise doing at the 100,000 mile mark or if you dont do so many miles at the 9-10 year mark. This is just super cautious regular maintenance - a stitch in time saves nine type thing but it can be a bit excessive.

At 10 years things like cam belt, spark plus, exhaust pipe, tyres etc will probably need replacing almost regardless of mileage . You will more than likely be fine not replacing them but the manufacturers rely on people fearing that they will suddenly go.

Its only certain components such as the cam belt that are actually crucial - if it goes it will probably destroy the engine costing several thousand to replace. Others such as brakes, exhaust etc will be obvious if they need replacing as you will be able to hear the noise/ feel the brakes not working. If you have had it regularly serviced there shouldnt be any problems.

As long as your car passes its MOT you dont need to do anything but bear in mind as others have said that if you are planning on selling a new buyer will want to be sure that the cam belt has been replaced or will want a discount in anticipation of this known cost.

In my experience its best to take cars once they're out of the warranty to independent places or even places like Formula One autocentres/ National Tyres/Kwik Fit etc as they have a much more pragmatic approach to replacing things not being reliant on the manufacturer's schedules.

In my experience its best to take cars once they're out of the warranty to independent places or even places like Formula One autocentres/ National Tyres/Kwik Fit etc as they have a much more pragmatic approach to replacing things not being reliant on the manufacturer's schedules

I know my schedules, and personally I think everyone should, but when something is due I can ring around for the best prices. The service I mentioned above is niche and I called a few places where it varied from £350 to almost £700.
The places you quote tend to get a bad reputation on here but tbh when I've called National for simple stuff like oil and filter or brake fluid changes etc they have been extremely cheap.

Thanks @teass for the detailed explanation.

I do totally understand. And I'm normally on board with the stitch in time premise.

It just sticks in my craw that they gave this spiel last year when I had a grands worth of stuff 'urgent' ...

Cynical side of me just thinks they see me as an easy touch.

To the pp asking theyve done the regular service annually for the last seven years. (It was my parents car before me) so if a lot of these things were 'missed' they have no excuse.

@AdobeWanKenobi

In my experience its best to take cars once they're out of the warranty to independent places or even places like Formula One autocentres/ National Tyres/Kwik Fit etc as they have a much more pragmatic approach to replacing things not being reliant on the manufacturer's schedules

I know my schedules, and personally I think everyone should, but when something is due I can ring around for the best prices. The service I mentioned above is niche and I called a few places where it varied from £350 to almost £700.
The places you quote tend to get a bad reputation on here but tbh when I've called National for simple stuff like oil and filter or brake fluid changes etc they have been extremely cheap.

I know a trusted local garage/mechanic is best for not being ripped off but I've never had any problems with the chains - have used them all and always been confident they knew what they were doing.

Only problem we had recently was sourcing a specialist part for our power steering (Peugoet) but that seemed to be a problem with importing due to covid/brexit/Easter, they said I could try the local Peugeot dealer who would probably have it but when I contacted them I was quoted a price double what I was being charged at the chain so I was happy to wait a day or two for it to arrive. And you cant argue with a £26 MOT test!

^See above. My dad reckons it's better for resale

This is my first car. I only learnt to drive a few years ago. When I was married my ex (reluctantly) did most of the dealings. Not because he has more knowledge but because they were less likely to screw him over^

Unless it's a large and/or high end model, it's worth a couple of grand or so at that age, if that, so sorry, but your dad is talking out of his arse as it's really not worth paying main dealer prices to service a 9 YO car when you can get it done at an independent for far less.

Never go to the main dealer. They just rip you off. Go to a local independent garage.

@teass Kwik Fit are very well known for ripping people off. I would advise anyone to stay away from them.

I hate to say this but you're less likely to be ripped off if it's a bloke who books it in and takes it too.
I've rung around garages for quotes before and DH always manages to pay less. Thing is, DH knows less about cars than I do.

Get a mech you can trust. This may take a while. My car is 15 years old and still ging strong. But then I bought a reliable brand, with a full service history, which may also play a role in this.

My mechs tell me exactly what needs doing, why and, if expensive, phone me up with a quote, get my okay, and then show me the parts afterwards. Because they are that good I stayed with them and now they will even do the odd job for free to keep my custom. You just need to find your tribe.

Bollocks to resale. There's no point getting an extra £200 for a car that's cost you an extra 5 grand in needless main dealer charges!

Good Garage Guide. Find a local member.