Andrew Posted January 11, 2007 Report Share Posted January 11, 2007 You could be forgiven for thinking I have bought a supercar given the bill I got from the dealer yesterday. The car is an 03 plate, 43k miles and now only does about 7k a year. 8 months out of warranty and yesterday they wanted: 40k service £380 (fair enough, first big service, I expected this) Replace CV covers £250 Replace water pump and do the cam belt while they are at it £350 Replace front and rear brake pads £300 Fix rear tweeter £90 Fix sticky central locking £150 So, first service after the warranty expires is £1,520!! Thankfully I can have a go at the last three items myself but still need to buy the parts. I'm thinking of writing a letter to SEAT about it: any view on whether I should bother? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sayerbloke Posted January 11, 2007 Report Share Posted January 11, 2007 [ QUOTE ] Replace front and rear brake pads £300 [/ QUOTE ] For £300, I'd expect them to have replaced pads AND discs... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
activa Posted January 11, 2007 Report Share Posted January 11, 2007 When I saw 380 for the service I thought it's probably a cambelt job,so not the end of the world. Then I noticed that the cambelt was another 350 on top. So what exactly do they do for the 380 quid? The total bill sounds ridiculous,even though a certain amount is going to be parts. Makes you realise why when cars are more than a few years old and run out of warranty they get somewhat neglected. With those prices I'm not surprised! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snoopy Posted January 11, 2007 Report Share Posted January 11, 2007 You should have shopped around and tried independent small garages. That bill is just taking the piss big style but thats main dealers for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cupramax Posted January 11, 2007 Report Share Posted January 11, 2007 [ QUOTE ] [ QUOTE ] Replace front and rear brake pads £300 [/ QUOTE ] For £300, I'd expect them to have replaced pads AND discs... [/ QUOTE ] Not on an LCR... just front disks and pads at a dealer is well over £400 Oh the joys of Brembo's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Posted January 12, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 12, 2007 I did want to keep a full SEAT service history going. The £380 service was a major one at 40k and considering the others have been about £120 (one was only £80) I am not really complaining about that. The cam belt doesn't have to be changed but they need to take it off to do the faulty water pump so they suggested they "might as well do it as well"! Yeah, I bet. I actually just paid for the service and the CV covers and negotiated a small discount but it has to go back for the water pump in a couple of weeks. I'll write a letter to SEAT as the more I think about it the more ridiculous it seems, especially so close to the warranty expiration. Might not be worth keeping the SEAT service history at those prices. N.B. I can do the brakes myself but the OEM Brembo pads alone are £140. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ritey Posted January 12, 2007 Report Share Posted January 12, 2007 I guess the CV Covers are CV Boots If so, its a messy job but £250 , would of thought a main dealer could do that within an hour, and bits of rubber aren't that expensive! Mind you, I've only experience of doing this on a Mini, it might be a lot harder on a proper car Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snoopy Posted January 12, 2007 Report Share Posted January 12, 2007 What was wrong with the water pump? Just leaking? making a noise or the usual 1.8T problem the propeller dropped off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Posted January 15, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 15, 2007 It is making a noise which the garage thinks is the bearings going. You can hear it when the car is idling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stretch79 Posted January 21, 2007 Report Share Posted January 21, 2007 if i remember rightly you can get your work done at any garage as long as there VAT registered and they use genuine parts or better then the dealer can still stamp your book for the services etc!!this is according to seat uk! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shao_khan Posted January 22, 2007 Report Share Posted January 22, 2007 TBH I'd have the service done at the main dealer if oyu want to keep FSSh and then get the rest doen ant a specialist. HAd my A4 serviced at main dealer, but it needed aircon service, brakes and a few other bits. Audi dealer wanted more for the aircon service than the local indie (all ex tech from main dealer) charged for the lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Posted February 26, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 26, 2007 ... and I've just been told that the alternator pulley and belt need doing. That is another £155. Ok, not a fortune but it is all beginning to add up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cupramax Posted February 27, 2007 Report Share Posted February 27, 2007 Seeing this I'm beginning to think chopping mine in at 2.5 years old was a very wise move... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Posted February 27, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 27, 2007 Well, it is meant to be a standard VAG engine so I think I've been unlucky. It certainly had very few issues so far and it is almost 4 years old. I need to replace the pads actually, did you ever get a better price for the Brembo pads than that offered by a dealer (about £135). I need to do the back ones too which I am assuming will be as easy as the fronts are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snoopy Posted February 27, 2007 Report Share Posted February 27, 2007 You live in london though so you pay london high labour rates and if you goto a main dealer even more inflated rates. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Posted March 19, 2007 Author Report Share Posted March 19, 2007 Alternator now done as well as the pulley - £340. The story continues! I beginning to think I'm rather unlucky! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Posted April 2, 2007 Author Report Share Posted April 2, 2007 I hope to christ this is the end of this thread. The noise it went in for initially came back so in she goes to the garage again. Turns out to be some magnetic thing to do with the air con compressor. £330. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colinjc Posted May 15, 2007 Report Share Posted May 15, 2007 Don't be tempted to px it for the new one. I was in the other day helping my dad buy an Altea. As the salesmen were going over the px I started talking to a mechanic about the new Cupra R, he said and I quote "If your looking then you'd be better going going for the old R, just about every new one we send out comes back within a couple of months with various problems." I asked if the Altea has the same problems, he said that although they share alot of the same componants they have very few problems. Time will tell. Good luck with yours, but after spending that kind of money you'll be keeping it even if you feel that the dealer has 'ed you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alastair_A3 Posted September 4, 2007 Report Share Posted September 4, 2007 Its a good idea to replace the cambelt when its taken off to get to the water pump, it might get contaminated. If it breaks then the engine is buggered basically! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cupramax Posted September 10, 2007 Report Share Posted September 10, 2007 [ QUOTE ] . As the salesmen were going over the px I started talking to a mechanic about the new Cupra R, he said and I quote "If your looking then you'd be better going going for the old R, [/ QUOTE ] There is no new Cupra R, its just a Cupra... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snoopy Posted September 15, 2007 Report Share Posted September 15, 2007 Yep, SEAT renamed there models It started with the mk4 Ibiza and also late model leon Mk1 cupra's became FR's Now cupra = FR Cupra R = Cupra. At the end of the day CupRacing Racing made no sence anyway. Must admit i regretted not buying another cupra R as our second car back in 2005 when SEAT dropped the price to £15.5K to clear stock and you could easy get one for £15K or less new. Especially when you see the secondhand prices of them now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Posted September 11, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 11, 2008 So, had a few issues with the old clutch recently and expecting it to be the master cylinder leaking I take it into SEAT - should cost about £220 which I thought was alright. I've just been rung by the garage and they have told me the bill is going to a FURTHER £650 for the clutch release bearing they are going to have to change. I'm seeking another price from an independent. WTF??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shark_90 Posted September 11, 2008 Report Share Posted September 11, 2008 Quite a common fault, but I think my bill (to the warranty company thankfully) was £600+ from an indie, but I managed to get a clutch out of it. It was contaminated with brake fluid. Honest. Good luck getting it sorted Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shark_90 Posted September 11, 2008 Report Share Posted September 11, 2008 Just re-read that.. you said master cylinder? Did you mean slave cylinder inside the 'box? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Posted September 13, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 13, 2008 Had the master, slave and clutch replaced in the end. £691 all in - the MC at SEAT and the rest at an indie. The clutch release bearing was total rubbish - probably the YTS lad's opinion ... Need a wheel bearing done in the coming months too - £160 plus VAT. These older cars are a right pain in the arse ... or do I remain unlucky? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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