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VW Rip off ? (Cambelt, waterpump etc)

3K views 17 replies 16 participants last post by  matt747 
#1 ·
Hi

I got a letter from VW through the post advising that cambelts should be replaced EVERY 4 years regardless of milage and that i should phone the service department of my local garage, it came from them.

I phoned the garage asking for costs involved.

?340 to replace the cambelt, tensioners, alternator belt and air con belt.

I said that i wanted the waterpump changed while the whole thing was in bits and was told that would be another ?290 ! ?50 for the pump and ?240 for the labour ! I of course corrected the person on the phone and advised that it's a five minute job once it's all in bits. Lots of umming and ahhing and a i'll get back to you...

Gets back to me and i have been told that it will be ?340 for the cambelt etc. If the pump is leaking then the job will be ?424 to replace the pump as well. I said you mean ?424 if I decide it's getting a pump as well..

On top of all of this i need a 40k service. ?200 and a brake fluid change at ?46.44.

So the total would be ?586 or ?670.44 ! Fooking hell ! I've had cheaper cars !

I have now contacted the local Skoda garage and am waiting on them getting back to me with a price, hopefully that will be more realistic.

Yours
Craig
 
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#2 ·
?340 to replace the cambelt, tensioners, alternator belt and air con belt.
i have never needed to have it done, but this doesnt sound like a bad price from a vw dealer.

an extra 80 odd quid to get the water pump done too sounds a bit stupid to me, but i may be wrong as I have never had a quote before.

If i ever need to get this job done, i would personally go the specialist route
 
#4 ·
?340 to replace the cambelt, tensioners, alternator belt and air con belt.
i have never needed to have it done, but this doesnt sound like a bad price from a vw dealer.

an extra 80 odd quid to get the water pump done too sounds a bit stupid to me, but i may be wrong as I have never had a quote before.

If i ever need to get this job done, i would personally go the specialist route
The pump is litterally undoing and redoing up three bolts, its all accessible when the belt is being done !!

To gove you a guide. I got the full kit form GSF parts and had my loval garage fit the whole lot for ?80 labour........!! Thsi of course wa sonly 17 k miles after the guy that I got the car form spenf ?690 having VW Ridgway do it! weird that they charged for new tensioners, and yet the bolts could clearly be seen as never being shifted since asemply at the plant,,,,,,,,,and weird the 17 k mile tensioner completely failed dropping its bearing to the bottom pulley area, adn meaning the belt had over 2 inches of play in it.......!?!!? (Still running though!)

So do yourself a favour, tell VW to go whistle, and take it to a speaicalist VW place that will 1. ACTAULLY replace the parts you pay for, and 2. do it for about half the labour rate too.

If you use genuine parts, they parts are still covered by 2 yr warranty, any self respecting specialist will guarantee their labour too. Your VW warranty will be unaffected. have the service done at the same time and you will save a fortune on that too, cos specialist places will only charge you for how long it all takes, not "book hours".

Please dont thingk my cars experience of VW dealers charging for parts they dont replace, its ver common I am afraid.
 
#5 ·
It appears that VW have changed the service parameters on cam belts, this seems to be because of parts that are not up to spec.

VW should be making a large contribution towards these costs because I bought a car that had a 80000 mile cam belt change.

The funny thing is I have not seen anybody on the TT forum complain about this issue so is it only a VW thing, it may be worth checking out Audi, Seat and Skoda forums / dealers and see if they have the same policy.
 
#6 ·
Skoda garage got back to me.

?90 cheaper for the whole job... Total ?581 v's ?679

Still a large sum of money though.

I only know of one VW 'Specialist' near me.

I used to use him when i had my old Mk2 Gti 16v.

Lots of work evenualy restulting in my engine going bang on the motorway.. One engine later , loads of grief and loads of cash... found out the 'specialist' wasn't even a car mechanic, he was a fitter off an oil rig !!!! I was so close to burning his garage to the ground, fooking chancer.

Anybody know of a real specialist in the Edinburgh / Falkirk area ?

Cheers
Craig
 
#7 ·
Cambelts have always been subject to time as well as milage limits. The only reason the 'issue' has apparently become recent is the increase in the number of people complaining that their seven year old car with 30k on the clock has snapped it's belts and destroyed the engine.

If you read the service book or any workshop manual they recommend changing the belts (chains are different) every 80k or four years.

I had a discussion with a guy at work recently over service intervals. He has a Sharon TDi inwhich he does 6k a year (I don't know why he bothered getting a TDi either). He is using the variable service indicator system and was convinced that I was speaking rubbish when I said a car should be serviced (oil change etc..) at least once a year regardless of milage. Until he re-read his service book.

It appears that VW have changed the service parameters on cam belts, this seems to be because of parts that are not up to spec.

VW should be making a large contribution towards these costs because I bought a car that had a 80000 mile cam belt change.

The funny thing is I have not seen anybody on the TT forum complain about this issue so is it only a VW thing, it may be worth checking out Audi, Seat and Skoda forums / dealers and see if they have the same policy.
 
#8 ·
Anybody know of a real specialist in the Edinburgh / Falkirk area ? Cheers Craig
There's Star Performance in Kirkcaldy. To be honest I'm not sure how much cheaper they'll be as they have a reputation as a top notch outfit so their prices ain't exactly bargain basement, but on the other hand, it will be cheaper than a dealer, and Jim and Brian know their stuff.

I think there's a place called Witherspoons (or Wotherspoons) in Edinburgh which is franchised by VW but is service only (no sales). They might be cheaper as they've no flashy showroom to support.

I got my belt done at Specialist cars in Kirkcaldy (VW dealer). They charged ?250 for the belt and tensioners plus ?80 for the waterpump. My 60k service was ?165 on top of that.

It'd be worth phoning them for a quote- even if you're not going to use them you can use they're quote as bargaining power with the dealers nearer you.
 
#9 ·
hold your breath everyone, i've got my baby going in friday for a 60K service and cambelt, tensioner, water pump etc etc and the cambelt+ the other associated goodies are being done for 319.57inc vat!!!! Thats at Birmingham VW however my local dealer in Solihull wanted 360 + Vat + labour just for the cambelt without the water pump etc. So i guess Vw don't have any set prices then!!
 
#10 ·
hold your breath everyone, i've got my baby going
in friday for a 60K service and cambelt, tensioner, water pump etc etc
and the cambelt+ the other associated goodies are being done for
319.57inc vat!!!! Thats at Birmingham VW however my local dealer in
Solihull wanted 360 + Vat + labour just for the cambelt without
the water pump etc. So i guess Vw don't have any set prices
then!!
My mate works for VW Solihull. He does all of my servicing and I
save a packet. He may be able to do it for you if you want?

If you do just PM Me your chassis number and model no. etc and I may be able to get a price for you.
 
#11 ·
Anybody know of a real specialist in the Edinburgh / Falkirk area ? Cheers Craig
I had bought all the parts (all genuine VAG parts except the waterpump which I opted for a non genuine metal impellered one because of problems with plastic ones) & was going to do the job myself but then I got a surprisingly good quote on labour to fit them from Witherspoons in Edinburgh (Sighthill) so I got them to do it & as VW approved service agents it kept my service history intact.

You could try giving Dawn a phone at Witherspoons for a quote 0131 458 5444

They certainly did a good job for me ! [:)]
 
#13 ·
I have returned from Wolsley VW in Ipswich today after getting a quote for the same job of ?485 +VAT, I nearly died !!!! I worked out from their printout, they are charging ?78 per hr for labour ??

So they are charging over ?3k a week for their 'technicians', who, I'm pretty sure earn only a very small fraction of that !!

Anyone know a specialist in Suffolk or N Essex area ??
 
#16 ·
I had my cambelt, tensioner, pulley, water pump and stretch bolts changed for ?300 ish in Oct 04. This was at a VW dealer.

They are doing a few other bits too so maybe why it is a bit more. but there are big differences between dealers and skoda/seat/audi etc. Def get a vw specialist to do it if it's out of warranty.
 
#17 ·
If ya have a LS uk near by, (new name for lucas) i would try them. They are a diesel specialist and changed mine for ?110 labour!! I supplied the parts. Seemed like a bargain to me, and all their work was garaunted!!

That included changing the water pump!!

They said afterwards that they would alter their book and charge more in future, but ya may get the same price if your lucky!!! and as they are a reputable company who would cover it if they messed up, I wasnt worried at all, and they did a great job!!!

Leigh
 
#18 ·
It looks like my local (Lincoln) VW dealer is one of the cheapest in the UK; I had the cambelt and rollers replaced last September on a 150TDI  for ?284 all inclusive. The water pump would have been another ?80. I can see why people are considering going to non-VW dealers but I don't agree with comments ref. warranty cover. ie. If you buy VW parts then get Joes Bloggs to fit them and something fails as a result of incorrect fitment, I doubt very much that VW would support any warranty claim on the parts.
 
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