HR Owen service pricing

Sd345

Sd345

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To follow up - I took my car to Maserati Hatfield for the big 4 year service on my GT last month and they were fantastic. They were very competitive on pricing compared to other main dealers and the customer service was great. I didn’t think I would notice a difference, as it’s a low mileage car, but it drives so much better. Much smoother than it was pre service so the big service does make a difference. For anyone who is under main dealer warranty around London, I would recommend this dealership. The new facility is modern and spacious with lots of other marques to look at while waiting.
 
Wack61

Wack61

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8,793
I'd really like to know how they arrive at £3500 for a service, I believe it sucks squeezes bangs and blows like any other car
Oil
Oil filter
Air filter
Spark plugs?

Check over

What else do they do
 
Sd345

Sd345

New Member
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26
Wack61 said:
I'd really like to know how they arrive at £3500 for a service, I believe it sucks squeezes bangs and blows like any other car
Oil
Oil filter
Air filter
Spark plugs?

Check over

What else do they do
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On the big service it’s the 4 lambda sensors and carbon canisters that add up on cost. They are a specified item on the 4 year service but most argue not required until much later or worst case when they fail and need replacement. I did mine to maintain the approved warranty. They also do the belts, pollen filter, coolant, brake fluid on this service
 
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Wack61

Wack61

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8,793
Sd345 said:
On the big service it’s the 4 lambda sensors and carbon canisters that add up on cost. They are a specified item on the 4 year service but most argue not required until much later or worst case when they fail and need replacement. I did mine to maintain the approved warranty. They also do the belts, pollen filter, coolant, brake fluid on this service
Click to expand...
It still smacks of luxury car, bend over and take it

When I took my ancient range rover in for a brake pipe recall they couldn't do because the caliper bleed screws were rusted I almost burst out laughing when they said that wasn't covered under the recall so they'd need 2 hours labour to be paid @ £420 + vat

The garage I use charges £48 an hour inc vat
 
Wack61

Wack61

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8,793
CatmanV2 said:
That is very cheap though. Auto Alfa is £75+VAT

C
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I know, they're fully qualified mechanics who fix things, not just servicing and brakes, one of them was sweating for 3 hours getting the wheel bearing out of my RR

They're cars, not aircraft, pretty much all the same so I just don't see where main dealers get three thousand five hundred pounds from to change the oil and filters.

I've never had the brake fluid changed on a car, does anyone, nor the coolant, if it's got the right amount of antifreeze in it why does it need to be changed

Nice work if you can get it though
 
philw696

philw696

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25,465
Wack61 said:
I know, they're fully qualified mechanics who fix things, not just servicing and brakes, one of them was sweating for 3 hours getting the wheel bearing out of my RR

They're cars, not aircraft, pretty much all the same so I just don't see where main dealers get three thousand five hundred pounds from to change the oil and filters.

I've never had the brake fluid changed on a car, does anyone, nor the coolant, if it's got the right amount of antifreeze in it why does it need to be changed

Nice work if you can get it though
Click to expand...
Darren mate we've moved on from the 60's and 70's with brake fluid and anti freeze with both having a shelf life for good reasons.
You've never experienced brake fluid boiling then and losing your brakes I did in the early 80's coming down Route Napoleon following my brother in the Old Man's 911.
I've stripped many engines over my 45 years on the tools and alloy cylinder heads on cast iron blocks no coolant changes big disaster with corossion.
Again in the 80's putting new cylinder heads on BMW 6 cylinders for a past time.
If brake fluid is changed every two years you will always be able to loosen the bleed nipples.
Seriously changing fluids is the easiest and cheapest way of maintaining a vehicle well.
Engine Oil and Coolant
Transmission
Differential
Brakes.
 
Wack61

Wack61

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8,793
philw696 said:
Darren mate we've moved on from the 60's and 70's with brake fluid and anti freeze with both having a shelf life for good reasons.
You've never experienced brake fluid boiling then and losing your brakes I did in the early 80's coming down Route Napoleon following my brother in the Old Man's 911.
I've stripped many engines over my 45 years on the tools and alloy cylinder heads on cast iron blocks no coolant changes big disaster with corossion.
Again in the 80's putting new cylinder heads on BMW 6 cylinders for a past time.
If brake fluid is changed every two years you will always be able to loosen the bleed nipples.
Seriously changing fluids is the easiest and cheapest way of maintaining a vehicle well.
Engine Oil and Coolant
Transmission
Differential
Brakes.
Click to expand...

My point isn't really about fluids, they're cheap, what is it, £50 for coolant & brake fluid plus you'd really need to stretch it out for it to take longer than an hour, it's the paying £3500 for a service I don't get.

I don't know anyone who's bought a 10 year old car and had the brake fluid changed before they've driven it, I certainly haven't.
 
dickygrace

dickygrace

www.richardgracecars.co.uk
Messages
7,339
Wack61 said:
My point isn't really about fluids, they're cheap, what is it, £50 for coolant & brake fluid plus you'd really need to stretch it out for it to take longer than an hour, it's the paying £3500 for a service I don't get.

I don't know anyone who's bought a 10 year old car and had the brake fluid changed before they've driven it, I certainly haven't.
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It’s not £3500 for a service, it’s more like £2000, which is still steep, but lambdas add best part of £1k, and HMRC 20% VAT!!!
 
philw696

philw696

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Messages
25,465
Having worked in a Maserati Dealership the overheads are massive especially in Auckland New Zealand and then all the luxurious items needed to entice people in before you get any money spent.
To put things in perspective when living in an Auckland superb 30 minutes drive each way to work we were renting a property £2,000 a month and this a nice property was a sub section in the rear of another property and we shared the driveway.
Independent Specialist Garages can undercut costs massively not having the same overheads.
 
Wack61

Wack61

Member
Messages
8,793
philw696 said:
Having worked in a Maserati Dealership the overheads are massive especially in Auckland New Zealand and then all the luxurious items needed to entice people in before you get any money spent.
To put things in perspective when living in an Auckland superb 30 minutes drive each way to work we were renting a property £2,000 a month and this a nice property was a sub section in the rear of another property and we shared the driveway.
Independent Specialist Garages can undercut costs massively not having the same overheads.
Click to expand...


One thing a guy told me which I can 100% believe is true is the reasoning behind the dolly birds at high end dealerships

Rich people don't like problems and they don't like being told no or their bill increasing so the dolly birds are there to break the bad news and keep them calm , the logic being she's fit and they're rich so in their world they're in with a chance which they'll mess up if the angry face/ pokey finger comes out
 
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dickygrace

dickygrace

www.richardgracecars.co.uk
Messages
7,339
Wack61 said:
One thing a guy told me which I can 100% believe is true is the reasoning behind the dolly birds at high end dealerships

Rich people don't like problems and they don't like being told no or their bill increasing so the dolly birds are there to break the bad news and keep them calm , the logic being she's fit and their rich so in their world they're in with a chance which they'll mess up if the angry face/ pokey finger comes out
Click to expand...
I’d say there’s a fair amount of (unquantifiable) truth in that. In a perfect example with a real play on words, the most attractive I’ve ever seen were at Dick Lovett funnily enough.
 
philw696

philw696

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Messages
25,465
I'm not going to disagree with that at Maserati we had two both English ladies and Stunning certainly make paying a large invoice pleasurable :)
 
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