Failed MOT - £350 for new rear trailing arm bushes

[chippenham_touring]

Car failed its MOT today- Radar detector blocking windscreen and rear trailing arm bushes gone, garage want over Ԛ£300 in labour to change the bushes - how long should it take?

[Ant]

trailing arm bushes can be a PITA if the sleeve is rusted to the bolts, quick dose with the grinder will soon sort those, the old bushes are easily burnt out and the new drawn in with some studding and washers

Ԛ£300 is not too bad TBH mate. not a job you'd want to do on the floor in your garage for defo

[Simon]

Sorry Ant, I know your a mechanic, but I think Ԛ£300 is a rip off!!

I've had this job done 4 times now (different cars!) in the last 2 years, and not once have I been charged more than Ԛ£60 for the labour.

Agreed not a job you'd want to do at home though!

[Jon_Bmw]

Don't know if anyone else is interested but i certainly am, radar detector blocking windscreen-what is that and where do i get one Never heard of such a thing. Ԛ£300 does seem steep but then Ԛ£60 sounds cheap simon-you must know the right guys! Seem to remember numerous threads with quotes of anything between Ԛ£120-Ԛ£180 for the rear trailers.

[E30Mark]

I paid Ԛ£120 for my bushes supplied and fitted.

Get a quote from BMW, i'm sure Demlotcrew had his done at the dealer for around Ԛ£140...

Ԛ£300 is way over the top IMHO.

[Brianmoooore]

I'd be interested to know what a 2radar blocking windscreen" is as well, and what it's got to do with a MOT test. I always play assisant for my MOTs , and all the screen gets is a cursory glance for chips in the prescribed area.

[dobbie82]

is it only me that can read (though my grammar is sh*te)...

I assume its a road angel or similar radar detector mounted in the wrong place? my friends car failed MOT for having a "little miss naughty" air freshner mounted on the dash... blocked drivers view???? though it was a Saxo, must have hunted for a reason to fail it!

[chippenham_touring]

It wasn't even the whole road angel, just the laser sensor!

[dobbie82]

I did my work experience at a FORD main dealer, and the mechanics sometimes used to say "right I'm gonna make sure this one fails" (usually to a poor orion or escort on its last legs)

But MOT stations have to fail a certain number of cars a year (Mad I know, same as driving test centres have to fail somethin like 40% a day now) so if they have had a high number pass with flying colours, they have to be harder on the next few to keep the numbers within guidelines!

OOOooops i Waffled!

[DanThe]

Yet another case of 'Rip Off Britain'

[kidsinister]

Ԛ£300? Pah, that's nowt.

Cost me more than that just to get one trailing arm fitted, and it didn't need new bushes.

I can't BELIEVE anyone did this for Ԛ£60. That's about, what, two hours labour? Fast work.

I'm in the wrong game...

[DanThe]

Ԛ£300? Pah, that's nowt.

Cost me more than that just to get one trailing arm fitted

[E30BeemerLad]

Brian, I got failed for a magic tree hanging from my rear view mirror, obscuring drivers vision apparently, the car did fail on other things too mind

[E30BeemerLad]

and i'm not liking these prices I am seeing as I plan on getting the rear end of mine rebushed, I mean all of 'em

should I just scrap it?

[E30Mark]

and i'm not liking these prices I am seeing as I plan on getting the rear end of mine rebushed, I mean all of 'em

should I just scrap it?

Go for it. just don't use the garage that kidsinister uses....

As i said above, BM only charge Ԛ£140 ish for this job, i've paid Ԛ£120 myself couple of years back.

[keith52]

Ԛ£80 in my local independant ( i was gutted at that price that i had to supply the new bushes )

[E30BeemerLad]

Mark, was that just for trailing arms or the lot? sounds more reasonable

[Simon]

Ԛ£300? Pah, that's nowt.

Cost me more than that just to get one trailing arm fitted, and it didn't need new bushes.

I can't BELIEVE anyone did this for Ԛ£60. That's about, what, two hours labour? Fast work.

I'm in the wrong game...

I had a 2 jacking points removed and welded over, and the 2 rear bushes changed for Ԛ£80, it took him less than 2 hrs to do the bushes, 'easy' his words were, but then he does do these things for a living!
I also had a quote from the guy that MOT'd my touring and he also quoted me Ԛ£60 to do the job.

[E30Mark]

Mark, was that just for trailing arms or the lot? sounds more reasonable

Rear axle bushes only...

[Jon_Bmw]

is it only me that can read (though my grammar is sh*te)...

I assume its a road angel or similar radar detector mounted in the wrong place? my friends car failed MOT for having a "little miss naughty" air freshner mounted on the dash... blocked drivers view???? though it was a Saxo, must have hunted for a reason to fail it!

Oops my bad

[Ant]

the cost reflects the labour rate, 2hours at my local stealer is Ԛ£112+VAT

Ԛ£300 to steep ? yes maybe but I'd quote a max cost/time and charge time taken, nothing worse than hanging yourself out to dry on a quoted job with "by the book" labour times


Also worth bearing in mind in situations like this one......... If you dont WANT the work you overquote it bigtime.

$tealers have to charge by the quoted labour time, no more no less, example:

750i plug change ( 12 off)
"book" labour is 0.77 hours, now you try doing them in under 2 !

there are bargains to be had as Demlot found out

[E30Mark]

Also worth bearing in mind in situations like this one......... If you dont WANT the work you overquote it bigtime.

In my experience, if you don't want the job, DON'T quote for it!

I've had my @rse bitten off when i have banged in a hugely stupid quote because i didn't want the job, the other two companies approached did not quote, so i got the job... never again.

Didn't meant to take this off topic! chippenham_touring have a phone around other garages and get some other prices.

[kidsinister]

Go for it. just don't use the garage that kidsinister uses....

Yeah, I should have known better; he charged me Ԛ£23 just to look at the problem the week before, but a BMW specialist right next to work? I couldn't resist (being fundamentally bone idle).

[kam-325i]

Nigel Charged me Ԛ£120 to supply and fit rear sub-frame bush's....Ԛ£300 is way over the top, sounds like a " I dont want the job " quote.

[chippenham_touring]

To be honest i dont think they know what to charge, this morning, they said it was a maximum price so i'm hoping it will be less when i go and collect it.
Unfortunately, the MOT ran out last week so they got me by the balls this time

[kidsinister]

I should point out that was for fitting a whole trailing arm, not doing the sub-frame bushes, as some have mentioned - different job entirely.

Still steep though.

[316eyes]

Had all the rear suspension bushes changed last year on a 316i for Ԛ£160 all in, and I suspect this was more than the normal rate as my mechanic knew what he was letting himself in for!

Would never use a BMW specialist/dealer for this type of job as it's just good old fashioned mechanical work, so no need to pay OTT rates.

[chippenham_touring]

Just collected the car, it was the rear subframe bushes, not the trailing arm ones that needed doing. It took them 8 hours @ Ԛ£44 +vat per hour to do those and another 2 to do the cambelt, +25 quid for the bushes - A grand total of Ԛ£590.76

[JOSEMI]

what are the signs of these needed to be changed chaps ?? anyone ??
Jose

[Simon]

what are the signs of these needed to be changed chaps ?? anyone ??
Jose

General rear end vagueness, feels like the car has rear wheel steering, jerkyness is another symptom.

[Ant]

8 hours for subby bushes ???

did he use his todger to press them in and out I wonder ?

[Simon]

Just collected the car, it was the rear subframe bushes, not the trailing arm ones that needed doing. It took them 8 hours @ Ԛ£44 +vat per hour to do those and another 2 to do the cambelt, +25 quid for the bushes - A grand total of Ԛ£590.76

'kin hell!!

A garage to never use again.

This is how garages shag themselves, I used to use a garage, fair play he used to do a goodjob, but I always felt he was overcharging, I was a bit younger then so didn't really know much about the E30 etc and prices how long it took to do a job etc, the final straw was when I had head problems with my old 316i, I took it to him initially, and I could practically see him rubbing his hands, he quoted me Ԛ£1000 just to remove the head and have it tested, that was without anything else, I ended up having the job done at the garage I use now, ended up paying Ԛ£560, and that included a recon head.

I always wondered why the garage was quiet, he has know closed down, but the thing is these garage that charge extortionate rates will get away with it, because Joe Bloggs hasn't got a clue about cars, and will pay the money.