Servicing Discrepancy - Suzuki Jimny

Servicing Discrepancy - Suzuki Jimny

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WhisperingWasp

Original Poster:

1,568 posts

144 months

Hi all. Quick sense-check with you before I can speak to the garage tomorrow.

Our Jimny needed its 6yr/75k service. When I booked it in I was advised it was a big one and he listed all the things they would do. £535 quoted which I didn't think was too bad to maintain FSH and you get the warranty extended too I believe. Anyway, fast forward to today, missus has got back from collecting the car. Charge = £534.31 as expected.

However, the itemised bill lists air filter, oil & filter, air refiner (HVAC filter I presume), brake fluid and a few minor sundries. And £402.73 labour.

Looking at the checklist, the 6 year has "Required" next to accessory drive belt, engine coolant and transaxle oil. Yet all three of these have "N/A" next to them, and nor are there any corresponding items on the bill.

It seems fishy to me. We paid exactly what we were quoted when he gave me the long list (I can't remember what everything was but it DEFINITELY wasn't just oil, filters and brake fluid!). I can't see how oil, filters and brake fluid would be £400 in labour (don't know their hourly rate but still).

I think what has happened here is either they HAVE done the work, but the items were not listed (page missing?) or they HAVEN'T done the work but still charged the labour for it (presumably just going off the guidance for a 6yr service...?). The fact that the three missing elements are all marked N/A makes me think it is the latter.

Going to pick up with them in the morning but does my line of thought ring true?

Cheers.


Edited by WhisperingWasp on Monday 18th November 17:49


Edited by WhisperingWasp on Monday 18th November 17:50

ChocolateFrog

28,615 posts

180 months

That can't be right.

Oil and 3 filters is an hour if you stop twice for a cup of tea.

sherman

13,821 posts

222 months

No point in changing coolant if its not changed colour or it might have needed a tiny top up which is not worth charging you for .
Someone else will pay for a whole change and your will have used the quarter bottle that didnt fit in their car and had been sat on the techs toolbox.

Transaxle oil - if its not degraded or got metal fillings in it. Leave the axle well alone.

The belt will be recommended due to expected mileage at that service but will not be done if not needed after inspection.
Also it might be a more involved job like taking the front of the car off or such like if access is an issue. You would be told then about the additional costs.

Your other filter is a pollen filter for the AC.

Alot of servicing is just checking bits that you usually cant or dont like brake pads and discs thickness, suspension components, tread depth,


Edited by sherman on Monday 18th November 18:20

WhisperingWasp

Original Poster:

1,568 posts

144 months

sherman said:
No point in changing coolant if its not changed colour or it might have needed a tiny top up which is not worth charging you for .
Someone else will pay for a whole change and your will have used the quarter bottle that didnt fit in their car and had been sat on the techs toolbox.

Transaxle oil - if its not degraded or got metal fillings in it. Leave the axle well alone.

The belt will be recommended due to expected mileage at that service but will not be done if not needed after inspection.
Also it might be a more involved job like taking the front of the car off or such like if access is an issue. You would be told then about the additional costs.

Your other filter is a pollen filter for the AC.

Alot of servicing is just checking bits that you usually cant or dont like brake pads and discs thickness, suspension components, tread depth,


Edited by sherman on Monday 18th November 18:20
Thanks for the detailed reply. All points noted but if I was quoted for all of these things to be done then they should have been done regardless? Or the bill reduced inline with what was done.

FWIW the checklist has an ‘I’ (Inspect) or an ‘R’ (Replace) for each element and these three things were all to be Replaced. The five services prior to now have been a chance to Inspect them, to your point.

As per:

sherman

13,821 posts

222 months

Has the car done 75k?
I ask because if its only done say 50k then its only at inspection time not replace time.
Somethings are done on age some on mileage. Some on common sense.

WhisperingWasp

Original Poster:

1,568 posts

144 months

sherman said:
Has the car done 75k?
I ask because if its only done say 50k then its only at inspection time not replace time.
Somethings are done on age some on mileage. Some on common sense.
Way less than even that. 18k. And I am certainly not arguing with your logic here (to a degree, I mean if a car does 1k in 20 years you’d still want the fluids changed, to take it to the extreme).

I suppose my “beef” is that a) Suzuki (whether logical or not) say these things should be replaced at 75k/6y, whichever sooner and b) we have been charged for things that appear to not have been done.

BunkMoreland

1,014 posts

14 months

ChocolateFrog said:
That can't be right.

Oil and 3 filters is an hour if you stop twice for a cup of tea.
As a rough guide and not specific to Suzuki

Service - 1.0ish
air filter - 0.2
fuel filter - 0.3
brake fluid - 0.5

Thats 2.0 straight away. Depending on the labour rate. Guess at £120/hr then add vat


To the OP

Can you show us the invoice (blank out the relevant details reg, your details, VIN etc)

Giantt

606 posts

43 months

WhisperingWasp said:
sherman said:
No point in changing coolant if its not changed colour or it might have needed a tiny top up which is not worth charging you for .
Someone else will pay for a whole change and your will have used the quarter bottle that didnt fit in their car and had been sat on the techs toolbox.

Transaxle oil - if its not degraded or got metal fillings in it. Leave the axle well alone.

The belt will be recommended due to expected mileage at that service but will not be done if not needed after inspection.
Also it might be a more involved job like taking the front of the car off or such like if access is an issue. You would be told then about the additional costs.

Your other filter is a pollen filter for the AC.

Alot of servicing is just checking bits that you usually cant or dont like brake pads and discs thickness, suspension components, tread depth,


Edited by sherman on Monday 18th November 18:20
Thanks for the detailed reply. All points noted but if I was quoted for all of these things to be done then they should have been done regardless? Or the bill reduced inline with what was done.

FWIW the checklist has an ‘I’ (Inspect) or an ‘R’ (Replace) for each element and these three things were all to be Replaced. The five services prior to now have been a chance to Inspect them, to your point.

As per:
Detailed...but vastly incorrect

AgentZ

277 posts

135 months

Given that Suzuki themselves offer a service (albeit for cars 7 years plus) that appears to be exactly what the OP got i.e. oil/oil filter/air filter/pollen filter/brake & clutch fluid and throw in 12 months AA for £299, I'd suggest £535 is quite the rip-off.


Torquey

1,916 posts

235 months

I had a similar thing with Mazda recently.
Major service, more than double the cost of a minor service.
Cabin filter listed as replacement on the service schedule. I happened to check why my windows were streaming up a few days after service and found the filter was so blocked up with crap.

They filled me with absolute garbage about not needing doing at the mileage it was on.

I bought my own filter for £7 and convinced myself I was paying for upkeeping the Full dealer service history. Will not be returning ever again.

Tbf - those in the motor trade are experts in bullish!tting people and you will never will the argument with them.

WhisperingWasp

Original Poster:

1,568 posts

144 months

BunkMoreland said:
As a rough guide and not specific to Suzuki

Service - 1.0ish
air filter - 0.2
fuel filter - 0.3
brake fluid - 0.5

Thats 2.0 straight away. Depending on the labour rate. Guess at £120/hr then add vat


To the OP

Can you show us the invoice (blank out the relevant details reg, your details, VIN etc)
Invoice:



Checklist:



Think I’ve got the transaxle bit wrong. If genuine Suzuki oil (which I presume it is), that is Inspect only.

sherman

13,821 posts

222 months

Giantt said:
Detailed...but vastly incorrect
Tell me how?

Matt_T

519 posts

81 months

Have they changed the brake fluid - that's on the parts list. That could be a chunk of labour?

WhisperingWasp

Original Poster:

1,568 posts

144 months

They did. But when I had my brake fluid changed on my M135i at main BMW dealer that was 90 quid total. Can’t imagine this would be more. And remember that we paid the price quoted to me originally with all the additional bits included.

I think they have simply missed off the drive belt and coolant but the billing dept have just charged for the full 6yr service regardless, I expect innocently.

WhisperingWasp

Original Poster:

1,568 posts

144 months

Tuesday
quotequote all
Spoken to them today. Was expecting some BS and slipperiness but, fair play, they held their hands up and admitted the items were missed. They are going to collect the car and drop it back to us too, to save us the journey. All's well that ends well. Cheers all.