Mechanic Charges of £1500, reasonable or unreasonable?

[Rosemore]

Hi everyone,

I’ve had some repairs done on my vehicle and want to check if the pricing is reasonable as I am upset by this mechanic doing work I did not authorise and him breaking the work down into multiple bills despite this all being on one visit and lumping me with multiple shipping fees which I believe were due to him ordering the wrong parts

Bill 1: Suspension, Brakes, and Steering Work – £1,053.00

- Removal of offside front swivel joint, torsion bar, track rod, brakes, and torsion bar, fitting new parts, and bleeding brakes – £500.00
- Greased front suspension and propshaft – £0.00
- Torsion bar link arms found misaligned, removed, heated, and refitted – £150.00 (I have checked this - replacement would have been £40 to purchase)
- Grease for suspension and wheel bearings – £18.00
- Swivel joint complete – £145.00
- Brake house – £14.00
- Steering arm – £38.00
- Arm nut, half-moon, and washer – £15.00
- Track rod end – £15.00
- Torsion eye connector – £36.00
- Bushes for suspension – £22.00
- Wheel bearing kit – £45.00
- Nuts, bolts, washers, locking pins/tabs – £30.00
- Delivery – £25.00

Bill 2: Nearside Wheel Bearing Work – £233.00
- Nearside front wheel bearing – £45.00
- Replacement nearside wheel bearing – £125.00
- Wheel bearing delivery (from different supplier) – £18.00
- Found nearside top suspension locking tab not locked down – £0.00
- Removed top nut, adjusted bent tab, refitted and locked down nut – £45.00

Bill 3: General Vehicle Checkover – £130.00
The "report" consisted of a short and poorly typed email

Bill 4: Hub and Spark Plug Issue – £94.00 - reduced to £44 after I pointed out this was ridiculous

- Offside front hub nut – £5.50
- Hub washer – £4.50
- Hub spacer – **originally £60.00, later said ah this was a typo**
- Spark plug – £4.00
- Diagnosed misfire on startup, found plug issue, fitted new plug despite being told NOT to do any more work – £20.00


Total Spend with This Mechanic: £1,510.00 minus £60 for the "typo"

Mechanic also claims the car now needs wheel tracking due to his work etc at some princely sum, but I’ve refused any additional work.

Does this seem like fair pricing overall? I’m particularly annoyed about Bill 4 which I did not authorise and with the "typo".

[northernboy]

This is a difficult one to call without knowing what was agreed with the mechanic for example the scope of the work, any pricing estimates, quotes etc the condition of the car prior to work. We all know cars and especially older cars can throw up problems and these can add time and money to a job.

Remember the mechanic is likely to be charging £30 - £80 an hour and this will add up quickly. In addition they will add a mark-up on materials - they have to also provide a warranty and lastly they are not a charity so have to make money.

The bills you provide below do appear very detailed which is more that you get from some mechanics so it seems clear what was done and how much each item cost together with labour costs. As for additional postage charges, just ask then to explain.

Clearly any work that was done without your authority should not have been done without checking with you first but this comes down to what was agreed (if anything). If they did work which you specifically asked them not to do then there could be some redress but this would need to be proven.

So yes £1500 is a lot of money but a fair amount of work has been done and if the work is of a high quality and they have used decent parts and do provide a warranty, then this is probably not unreasonable.

The question is really what work did you agree to be done, what was the mechanic to do if they found additional work was required for example should they call you and provide additional estimate and most importantly what were you expecting to pay ?

[philipkearney]

I think northern boy sums it all up rather well. Without knowing the background, it's hard to know what was discussed and agreed. In addition to the questions asked below, was the garage a classic car specialist or just a general garage ? Most garages are now at least £45 per hour, some in excess of £60 per hour. Classic car specialists can be higher than this. Your location can also affect prices.
Were they experienced and knowledgeable about Minors ? If they weren't, even simple jobs can take longer and be more involved.
Some of the parts prices are higher than you might expect e.g £125 for a wheel bearing kit, where as others are in line with what you'd expect to pay.

As the mechanic has rebuilt the front suspension and fitted at least one new track rod end, the tracking will need to be checked and adjusted as required.

[Rosemore]

Thank you for your replies. I'm most grateful. I was upset because I explicitly told him not to do any further work whatsoever as I will be taking the car elsewhere for additional work.

My usual garage was away, I'm not used to being charged for every washer, especially since the kit I have brought from ESM and fitted myself often come with nuts and washers...

[rocco]

I'll admit a lot of the work being described there I cannot understand but a few things jump out at me to make me beleive this mechanic is rather unscruptulous. I don't know what a "brake house" is for example. I always thought it was a Commodores song.

"Removed top nut, adjusted bent tab, refitted and locked down nut – £45.00" - to heat, hammer and quench a washer and refit it, sounds a lot to me.

20 quid for a spark plug is bad enough but who would fit one and not change them all? Same goes for a track rod end, why change only one when they are so cheap? These sort of decisions I would leave to customers but as a mechanic (which I'm not) I'd consider encouraging people to do things in pairs to save money (for tracking) and trouble in the long run. I consider it added value for which I would expect it to enhance my reputation.

Charging 45 for a wheel bearing and then 125 to replace it, plus VAT and delivery. That about 200 nicker which is way over the top to bash out/in a bearing, surely?
https://www.morrisminorspares.com/search/wheel-bearing

It hasn't been stated who the suppliers were but at ESM, if you spend more than a hundred then there is no postage charge, iirc.

My summary, NO. This does not sound like fair pricing but you really do have to agree these things in advance. I don't tend to use mechanics that much but when I do, I get prices written down in emails exchanges. I also always pay cash and I'm not fussy about a receipt if a good job has been done in a good time frame and he is cordial with me. That's just me.

[Rosemore]

Thank you. I did try to agree everything in writing, but then he went off script. "It's in my terms and conditions on my website". Not a pleasant experience at all.

[mike1864]

I have an official schedule of charges for all these works. But it's expressed in 1958 money, not hours!
Another thought though. Would not most repairers have the kit to check and adjust the tracking themselves?

[svenedin]

I wouldn't want to criticise a business and what they charge for jobs. That is a matter between you and that business. However, going ahead with work without your permission is not acceptable. All it takes is a phone call! If you are not happy, find another mechanic.

Stephen

[Bill_qaz]

Is the garage a member of SMMT or other trade body, if so you can contact them and ask them to review you concerns.
It is impossible to make a conclusion without hearing both sides.
Did you refuse to pay for what you say were "repairs unauthorised by the owner"
Workshops do have a duty of care if a safety related item is noticed outside of the scheduled repair but it common courtesy to contact the owner and explain.

[mike1864]

Would not most repairers have the kit to check and adjust the tracking themselves?

Correcting my question above; I just noticed they indeed offered to do this. But surely it should be included in the price of the works. After all, they are "in there" anyway with their spanners.

[rocco]

Would not most repairers have the kit to check and adjust the tracking themselves?

Correcting my question above; I just noticed they indeed offered to do this. But surely it should be included in the price of the works. After all, they are "in there" anyway with their spanners.

I'll do it all for free if you pay me 1500 quid.

[Stevie R]

A similar thing happened to me, in relation to work that was not agreed or authorised I would question that and if not have it written off certainly a big reduction at least, the other option is have a reputable mechanic do a report on the work and cost,
If a mechanic finds additional work which does commonly happen they should contact you first before carrying out the work,

[Classiccars]

Also had an experience of extra work done without asking.Its tough to find I feel a garage that knows and repairs Classics properly at a reasonable price.Still testing the water.

[ManyMinors]

It all seems rather costly but some of it might be justified? What is their hourly rate? Did you obtain an estimate?
A brake hose at £14.00 for example ESM and other specialists charge under £6.00 for good quality brake hoses!
You are where you are having had the work done but no garage should spend much more doing work without some contact. I assume they COULD have contacted you?

[Mervin]

"I'll do it all for free if you pay me 1500 quid." I'll undercut you at £1000.
Out with the string, axle stands and rule.

[rocco]

"I'll do it all for free if you pay me 1500 quid." I'll undercut you at £1000.
Out with the string, axle stands and rule.

I wrote that after remembering the scene with Otto the Doorman in OFAH.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlnxXdPxObY

[noidea]

When you put things into prospective just paid 1950 pound for an egr cooler and a nox sensor fitted on a nissan which is the better value when you look at the price nissan charge Dave