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Garages - Car servicing & MOT
- Thread starter charlie
- Start date
My Name is URL
Well-Known Forumite
Hi Kingy,
How did you get on with FMS? Just got my Fiesta in for a service today and the main dealer is quoting £220+ for discs and pads... I am almost certain I can get it cheaper so was thinking of trying FMS if they are any good.
Cheers
How did you get on with FMS? Just got my Fiesta in for a service today and the main dealer is quoting £220+ for discs and pads... I am almost certain I can get it cheaper so was thinking of trying FMS if they are any good.
Cheers
db
#chaplife
check out this thread, homes:gk141054 said:
http://www.staffordforum.com/viewtopic.php?id=2439
i never take my car to ford - i have used FMS for years.. they always use official parts so it doesn't affect the car's warranty, i have always found them brilliant, and less than half the price quoted by ford (e.g. it was £80 for my last focus to have a full service)..
My Name is URL
Well-Known Forumite
Cheers DB,
Car is out of warranty so no worries on that front... I only take it to Ford now for servicing and batter them down on price when I do. £180 still seems very high for what is basically an oil and filter change and a new odour filter... £50 (at their inflated prices) of parts and then £130 of labour to do "checks".
Anyway the (unnamed) Ford garage quoted £220 for the discs and pads, FMS quoted £130 so will definately be getting the work.
Also need tyres - probably Hi-Q for this
And a buckled wheel ("repairable")... will see what Hi-Q say about this too.
Oh and Ford quoted £40 (forty) for new wiper blades LMFAO!!!
Car is out of warranty so no worries on that front... I only take it to Ford now for servicing and batter them down on price when I do. £180 still seems very high for what is basically an oil and filter change and a new odour filter... £50 (at their inflated prices) of parts and then £130 of labour to do "checks".
Anyway the (unnamed) Ford garage quoted £220 for the discs and pads, FMS quoted £130 so will definately be getting the work.
Also need tyres - probably Hi-Q for this
And a buckled wheel ("repairable")... will see what Hi-Q say about this too.
Oh and Ford quoted £40 (forty) for new wiper blades LMFAO!!!
grumpystaffordguy
Well-Known Forumite
What's all this about FMS? If people use them and are happy then fair enough, but a word of caution...
FMS sent our pool car back at work saying they had fixed the over heating. I then used it the next day and it broke down on me. Now I'm no mechanic, but if a car is overheating and has no ability to put out hot air and has no coolant in it then I think there is something wrong. Couple that with it being a Rover K series engine and you guys reading this probably know whats coming - head gasket failure!
Now that was 10 years ago. However last year my next door neighbour came home and informed me he was going to scrap his car. FMS had looked at the car and said it would be £1300 to repair (the car was worth about £700ish). I offered to have a look and found that one of the HT leads wasn't on properly. I pushed it on and the car ran fine. Its still going strong now a year later.
So I'm sorry, but I couldn't trust my car to a garage that couldn't even diagnose a HT lead not being on properly. Thats as basic as it gets.
Bristol street Ford - they just dont care and the customer service is shocking. I think the South African woman that worked on reception has left now though so at least you may not have to deal with her as she was so rude it was unreal.
I could reel off loads of examples, but here are just a couple:
My mates Focus has a fault with the stereo. They replaced it. The fault is still there. They get him to leave it with them and then dont have time to look at it. They have just fobbed him off for months as his warranty is almost up. They dont even listen to what the fault is most of the time. Oh they did suggest they just sell him a new car instead though.
And then there is someone else I know that has had the airbag light on since the car was 6 months old. They failed to fix it every time they were asked. Then didn't even note it on the service (so a bright orange warning light is of no concern on a service obviously) and then when the car goes in for its 4th service when its out of warranty they have the cheek to say that the car is dangerous to drive and should be left with them until they have fixed it! Needless to say they were told where to stick it and the car got serviced at another local garage instead.
I have heard and seen good things about the following garages:
Davies motors (caution I hear they are going bust)
Chevron motorsport - they did a cracking job on my car and know performance cars very well.
SDW-automotive - Not the best customer service and in haughton so a bit out of town, but £30 an hour labour and a main dealer trained mechanic (VW, renault etc). Thats where I take all my cars these days.
FMS sent our pool car back at work saying they had fixed the over heating. I then used it the next day and it broke down on me. Now I'm no mechanic, but if a car is overheating and has no ability to put out hot air and has no coolant in it then I think there is something wrong. Couple that with it being a Rover K series engine and you guys reading this probably know whats coming - head gasket failure!
Now that was 10 years ago. However last year my next door neighbour came home and informed me he was going to scrap his car. FMS had looked at the car and said it would be £1300 to repair (the car was worth about £700ish). I offered to have a look and found that one of the HT leads wasn't on properly. I pushed it on and the car ran fine. Its still going strong now a year later.
So I'm sorry, but I couldn't trust my car to a garage that couldn't even diagnose a HT lead not being on properly. Thats as basic as it gets.
Bristol street Ford - they just dont care and the customer service is shocking. I think the South African woman that worked on reception has left now though so at least you may not have to deal with her as she was so rude it was unreal.
I could reel off loads of examples, but here are just a couple:
My mates Focus has a fault with the stereo. They replaced it. The fault is still there. They get him to leave it with them and then dont have time to look at it. They have just fobbed him off for months as his warranty is almost up. They dont even listen to what the fault is most of the time. Oh they did suggest they just sell him a new car instead though.
And then there is someone else I know that has had the airbag light on since the car was 6 months old. They failed to fix it every time they were asked. Then didn't even note it on the service (so a bright orange warning light is of no concern on a service obviously) and then when the car goes in for its 4th service when its out of warranty they have the cheek to say that the car is dangerous to drive and should be left with them until they have fixed it! Needless to say they were told where to stick it and the car got serviced at another local garage instead.
I have heard and seen good things about the following garages:
Davies motors (caution I hear they are going bust)
Chevron motorsport - they did a cracking job on my car and know performance cars very well.
SDW-automotive - Not the best customer service and in haughton so a bit out of town, but £30 an hour labour and a main dealer trained mechanic (VW, renault etc). Thats where I take all my cars these days.
Gramaisc
Forum O. G.
For German cars, in particular, but not exclusively, Stafford Motorcentre on Telegraph Street has a good reputation.
grumpystaffordguy
Well-Known Forumite
Oh yeah I know a couple of people with BMW's that use them and say they are OK. Saved them a fortune over using the main dealer.Gramaisc said:
Come to think of it Car and Rally in Reynolds have done the MOT for me a couple of times with no problems. I know my cars will pass an MOT as I maintain them properly and they dont try it on for work like some places.
Recently the main dealers have started doing good prices on servicing older cars which is tempting if you want to get the stamp in the book. However they will sting you if you need any work doing as the labour rate tends to be high.
When it comes to garages try and get recommended by someone who is in to or knows about cars. Its worth more than someone saying X is good as they are friendly as lets be realistic that doesn't mean they are good (although it does help).
grumpystaffordguy
Well-Known Forumite
Stafford AUDI cheap?!charlie said:
Admin can you check the validity of this person please as I'd put money on them working for that place? One thing Stafford AUDI isn't is cheap. They may well be friendly or do good work, but cheap. No I'm sorry even a millionaire taking an R8 in wouldn't say they are cheap!
Clearly you didn't read charlie's post correctly! He was saying:grumpystaffordguy said:
So in a way, he was agreeing with you! Having said that, there are many round here who have dealt with Audi, whether directly or indirectly, and as with any vendor opinions vary.charlie said:
My Name is URL
Well-Known Forumite
Thought i'd update - had my discs and pads replaced by FMS today, great service from a really friendly bunch. Can't comment on the work done except to say that I managed to get home with brakes in full working order so seems all good to me.
Grumpystaffordguy is the only bad feedback I have ever heard about FMS and i'm glad I didn't let it put me off, I will definately be back to them whenever I need any car stuff done.
Grumpystaffordguy is the only bad feedback I have ever heard about FMS and i'm glad I didn't let it put me off, I will definately be back to them whenever I need any car stuff done.
timfromstafford
Active Member
My cars and my familys cars have always been serviced and repaired at FMS, always an excellent service!