Hello,

I'm just trying to work out the cheapest place to get a service and MOT done on my Ka. A local independent garage has quoted £133 for the service and £44 for the MOT. The local Nationwide Autocentre was coming in at about £215 for both. And my local Ford Dealer has got a deal on at the moment with both coming in at a total of £140.

Now, obviously, from those figures, the Ford Dealer is coming in cheapest. But am I likely to get stung more on parts for anything that needs doing by a Ford dealer? Can independent garages give a better price on parts?

In your experience, where am I likely to end up paying the least if my car needs a few things doing to it?

Cheers

 

How old's the car?

My Ka's 4 years old now and has never needed any additional parts when it's been serviced (a front wiper for the last MOT, but thats it)

Mine was done last week at Graham Goode...that was £130 for the service and £39 for the MOT

 

It's a 52 plate (from 2003). It needed some new suspension bits last year which cost a few bob. There's too many speed bumps around here!

Finger's crossed it wont need anything, but if it does, I want to make sure I can get the best price on the parts. I can only assume a Ford dealer would charge full list price for parts, but I have no idea whether any other garage would be able to discount them or not? It's not that easy to shop around for this sort of thing, unless you can do the work yourself!

 

Tbh for that price you might aswell put it into Ford, Unless you service it yourself IMO.

.

 

Put it into Ford, check though that if parts are required you can then take the car elsewhere/fit yourself then take it back for a free re-test?

 

Ford dealers (Or atleast the one I work at) only offer a free retest if the vehicle hasn't left the site (IE the work has been carried out by us)

If the 'suspension bits' you referred to were the front lower arm bushes, depending on mileage, expect to replace them yearly, they wear out very fast.

 

I was expecting to have to replace the bushes on mine this year

But, they were fine and passed! which was a surprise