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Baz46
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22-09-2019, 03:50 PM
1

Cost of ordinary replacement items on modern cars

Yet another problem with replacing ordinary items on the modern car. Not as my previous thread about modern technology costs of Cruise Control calibration on a VW Golf but this time replacing an ordinary reversing light bulb – extortionate!

This time yet another VW, which is a shame as they are brilliant cars to drive. Not my car but that of a family member. Reversing light not illuminated on a 2015 2.0 litre VW Tiguan, probably bulb gone, easy enough to replace was the thought – wrong, totally wrong!

Contacted a large well-known chain of car accessory, bicycle and other items, they advertise replacement of any car bulb for the cost of the bulb plus £5. "No, sorry not on that make and model of car".

Local garage – "Yes, we can do that". Two hours later "No, sorry it's a specialist VW garage job"! "What, to replace a bulb?" Yes, there is a lot to dismantle to replace that bulb, they don't usually often fail".

Telephoned VW dealer where car was purchased. "Yes, we can do that". "OK, how much will that cost?" "That would be £85, there is a lot of labour cost to replace the bulb itself".

Shock, horror at that cost for just replacing a reversing light bulb. It turns out the rear wheels have to be removed, the inner plastic wheel arch panels and then the bumper has to be taken off! Can you believe it? I certainly couldn't. You Tube was checked out for details to do it themselves and true enough, there it was in detail. The video is a little long-winded in itself but it does show how complicated it is made just to change a reversing light bulb, or in the case of the video the lamp assembly itself.

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LongDriver
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22-09-2019, 06:11 PM
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Re: Cost of ordinary replacement items on modern cars

That reminds me of the original Issigonis designed mini CV joints which were a pig to replace until some after market brains designed and built a replacement .. pull-off ends with needle roller bearing heads made replacement a doddle :thumbup:
Also original branded prices are sometimes hiked up beyond all proportions. i.e some Suzuki parts are expensive, but buy Maruti (the Indian badged Suzuki) identical model parts and the price is usually at least 1/3rd less.
Julie1962
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22-09-2019, 06:11 PM
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Re: Cost of ordinary replacement items on modern cars

Oh I do so agree, when my husbands car had it's wing mirror broken I swear we could have bought a whole side panel for the cost of the "sealed" unit we had to buy.
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22-09-2019, 06:12 PM
4

Re: Cost of ordinary replacement items on modern cars

Some of these car designers need a radical rethink on accessibility to relatively simple repairs, some headlights have to be completely replaced if a bulb goes.. ridiculous
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Baz46
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22-09-2019, 07:54 PM
5

Re: Cost of ordinary replacement items on modern cars

Of course though we shouldn't overlook that cars are probably more reliable nowadays so not as many repairs are needed, this then reduces the amount of profit garages can make. In order to keep the profits up they make it more profitable for themselves when replacing items like bulbs. Plus of course the difficulty ensures owners cannot do this themselves.

Car servicing also takes far less time. A major service probably takes no more than two hours, if that, another reason for regularly increasing the hourly charge. That replacement bulb cost in my original post is based on around £90+ an hour. Nice money if you can get it!
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22-09-2019, 07:54 PM
6

Re: Cost of ordinary replacement items on modern cars

There are many useful youtube videos up there on car diy.

Local merc dealer charge £35 to fit new battery to key fob. I bought batteries from a £ shop. And oriental boy made a yt vid on the sneaky secrets of how to dismantle the fob.
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22-09-2019, 07:57 PM
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Re: Cost of ordinary replacement items on modern cars

It is or I thought well know German cars are ripping people off with service and parts. One of the reasons i would not touch one with a barge pole
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23-09-2019, 09:09 AM
8

Re: Cost of ordinary replacement items on modern cars

Oh tell me about it!
Just six months after I bought my current car, somebody must have decided to jab a screwdriver through my o/s tailgate light. Water got into it and the bulbs wouldn't work.

I tried to get a replacement via Ebay and local parts suppliers but with the car being new there weren't any. Same with scrap merchants, the car wasn't old enough.

So I had to go to the Ford dealer. It cost me £200 for the part. I fitted it myself as labour charges would have added another £100+.
What a rip off for a piece of coloured plastic with three bulbs in it!
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23-09-2019, 09:20 AM
9

Re: Cost of ordinary replacement items on modern cars

The whole industry has become a complete rip off. I know from having worked in factories that certain items that are sold for hundreds of pounds are sometimes worth just a few pence.
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23-09-2019, 10:18 AM
10

Re: Cost of ordinary replacement items on modern cars

Reading through this thread l am so glad l am no longer
allowed to drive due to my eyesight!
It seems that cars are now designed to be difficult to repair
without specialist equipement, the repair of cars has become
a revenue stream for car manufacturerers?
If you tried to build a car from spares alone it would cost
about 3 times more!
Regards Donkeyman!
 
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