Service @ MOT prices

[leemharris]

Hello guys,

2019 xc60 is in for MOT and service and needs new front disks and pads and just rear pads. I've gone to an independent as their service prices were similar to Volvo, I'd prefer to support an independent than the big corp. For MOT, interim service and the disks &pads they've quoted £1600!
Seems like a rip off to me.

MOT £55
SERVICE £300

The disks and pand can't cost over £1200 can they?

[neilgorin]

Main dealer pricing on disks and pads, and their fitting, is completely out of proportion on almost every car out there.

My wife's last car for example (not a Volvo) the dealer wanted £1400 to replace the front disks and pads. Albeit Brembo high performance things - I sourced them myself for just under £250 and fitted them on the driveway in well under two hours.

Volvo front disks and pads I've changed a number of times, they take under an hour start to finish, and even if you buy "expensive" ones you'd struggle to pay more than £350 or so at an independent garage and half that if you did it at home.

[Kugaman1]

I did the front discs and pads on my 2020 xc60 a couple of weeks ago…

Discs and pads alone (genuine Volvo 345mm) cost £270! And that was with a trade discount….

I could have got aftermarket no name discs and pads for half the price but everyone generally agrees that the factory stuff is the best.

[techwatcher]

Originally Posted by leemharris

The disks and pand can't cost over £1200 can they?

Dealers make a decent proportion of their profit through service work - a decent proportion of that cost will be labour.

Last September I was quoted £276 to replace rear pads only - I was convinced they had made a mistake and quoted for both discs and pads.

I sat down with the Service Manager who explained the breakdown. Approximately one hour's labour at £140+VAT per hour and around £100 for the parts.

They are in business to make a profit but it's certainly expensive.

[Chudy85]

Originally Posted by leemharris

Hello guys,

The disks and pand can't cost over £1200 can they?

"I changed my brakes by myself a month ago because I received the same quote as you did.
The Volvo disks and pads for both the front and rear cost me £819 at the Volvo parts department.
If you don't want to handle the job, they charge £400 for labor, which I think is reasonable.
The price is based on the tools required and the time spent."

[TeamG]

Originally Posted by Chudy85

"I changed my brakes by myself a month ago because I received the same quote as you did.
The Volvo disks and pads for both the front and rear cost me £819 at the Volvo parts department.
If you don't want to handle the job, they charge £400 for labor, which I think is reasonable.
The price is based on the tools required and the time spent."

I also think that dealer prices have gone way past reasonable for minor service items such as this. I got quoted £1170.60 for discs and pads on my XC60 in November, or £774.60 for the parts alone. Through VolvoCarParts on Ebay, the parts would have been £490 I did them on my drive for £211.60 for Brembo parts including shipping from Germany.

It took me two hours on the driveway the week between Christmas and New Year in the p*ssing cold and wet of South Wales with a trolley jack and basic tools. Had I timed it right, it could have been a pleasant summer Sunday morning with a couple of cups of coffee. Even so, this is not a difficult job and in a fully equipped workshop with an experienced mechanic, this shouldn’t take more than an hour (certainly not £396 worth of labour). If it is taking 2.5hrs, then what skillset are you actually getting for the premium price that you’re paying?

[Chudy85]

Originally Posted by TeamG

I also think that dealer prices have gone way past reasonable for minor service items such as this. I got quoted £1170.60 for discs and pads on my XC60 in November, or £774.60 for the parts alone. Through VolvoCarParts on Ebay, the parts would have been £490 I did them on my drive for £211.60 for Brembo parts including shipping from Germany.

It took me two hours on the driveway the week between Christmas and New Year in the p*ssing cold and wet of South Wales with a trolley jack and basic tools. Had I timed it right, it could have been a pleasant summer Sunday morning with a couple of cups of coffee. Even so, this is not a difficult job and in a fully equipped workshop with an experienced mechanic, this shouldn’t take more than an hour (certainly not £396 worth of labour). If it is taking 2.5hrs, then what skillset are you actually getting for the premium price that you’re paying?

To be fair, it took me 12 hours to complete everything.
I had to go to Halfords to buy sockets that I did not have and then it started raining.
Additionally, I had to buy 2 torque wrenches and other necessary tools to perform the replacement.
If I count the spending and time for that replacement, in my opinion paying £400 is okay if this is a one-time job.
I know, I will have to do this again, which is why it is better for me to buy everything that is needed and have it for future needs.
It also took me a while to wind the rear brakes using a 9-volt battery.

As I had never done this before, I didn't want to mess with the parts. So, I took the easy way out and bought the parts from a nearby Volvo dealership. I had to remember that if something didn't fit as it should, I will have to ride my bike for 20 minutes to get the correct part. Not wait for weeks to get replacement

[Kev0607]

Originally Posted by leemharris

Hello guys,

2019 xc60 is in for MOT and service and needs new front disks and pads and just rear pads. I've gone to an independent as their service prices were similar to Volvo, I'd prefer to support an independent than the big corp. For MOT, interim service and the disks &pads they've quoted £1600!
Seems like a rip off to me.

MOT £55
SERVICE £300

The disks and pand can't cost over £1200 can they?

Seems pricey to me. See if you can supply the parts and just pay them the labour to fit them. You’d have to ask the garage, but you could save money doing it that way.

[leemharris]

Thanks for the info guys, I've not priced up genuine Volvo parts yet but I've just been to my local parts place and got a quote for front discs & pads, rear pads, spark plugs and air filter for £350. I know things have got expensive but nearly 1k for labour is not happening, thankfully it's bank holiday so I'll be doing this myself over the weekend.

I'm new to the forum and this is my first post so thanks for the info and I'm sure I'll be back on with more questions soon

[Paul-C]

A quick question on service,
I have a XC60 B5 reg. end of July 23, sold to me Jan 24 with 4500 miles, today four months later it has 6700 miles on clock and service message is on the dashboard "needs a service"
so i will be speaking to the dealer about cost
I do about 8000 miles /year (have a S type jag to use on sunny days) so I expect the milage at July to be around 9000 miles
Hows this conversation with the dealer going to end?