(G) Fiat 500 Failure

Hi all
Fiat 500 failed it's mot today (1st failure, 4th mot, it's a 2011).

It failed on
Drivers side wishbone has gone
Suspension ball joint has gone or bush?

Also would need brake discs and pads changed in near future but this wasn't a failure. I've said to change them anyway.

Total cost for the pads, discs, wishbone and bush, as well as mot cost and service cost they've quotes £500. Is this about right?

Attached photo is failures. Maybe I worded wrong. Have told garage to do works but just curious...

Don't do the exhaust. They are double skin, no need to do it.

Exhaust was just an advisory. I'm getting all failures done obviously, and off the advisories I'm getting front brake disc and pads changed. Is this reasonable cost? The garage charges £54.85 for their MOT alone so say an extra £450 for works, parts and labour? And also a wee service.

Well, all depends on what you call reasonable.

I don't know which engine you have, so these links are based on a 1.2

Considering that for a competent home mechanic can easily swap out front brake discs and pads, new discs and pads can be had for this price:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FIAT-500-1...cDzUKDxHRs6dcg

Wishbone, well, how much do you want to pay and which brand? If you're not fussy, a new offside wishbone will cost this much:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FIAT-500-2...AAAOSw5IJWcrUQ


So, just on those items alone, they'll come to just over £60. I'd find a good independent garage and get a quote for fitting only if you can't do the job yourself.

Concerning rear shocks, again, you can go cheap or expensive. Personally, I'd replace with Bilstein standard replacement shocks, but if money is an issue, you can opt for these:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-x-Rear-S...gAAOSwN81WEk4K

Basically, if I were doing the job myself, the MoT pick up points would cost me less than £100 and doing a basic service would add another £40 on top for oil/filter, plugs and air filter.

The links I inserted are for guidance only, please don't take these parts as the actual parts required for your vehicle. It is your responsibility to check if you choose to purchase.

From my perspective, the quote is way above what I would pay, but if you haven't spent a great deal on the car since you bought it and you intend keeping it, then you might just want to pay whatever the best quote you get for the work to be done. My advice anyway is, get three quotes if you can, never accept the first quote:

https://www.goodgaragescheme.com/

You could also consider a mobile mechanic. I've used a mobile mechanic in the past, and he was very good, with much lower labour rates than a garage would charge.

Here's the link concerning re-test fee/partial retest:

https://www.gov.uk/getting-an-mot/retests

Thank you. I've already told the garage to go ahead. Wishing I hadn't now 😩 I've spent a fortune on the car in the 11 months I've had it. Now this. It's my own fault for just saying to go ahead

You got there before I could, but it gives a clear picture of the parts price that the dealer(non Fiat) will be paying for the parts or less(all of which have been replaced on our 59 plate, including ALL of the front suspension parts)

My MOT cost £22 with voucher code at Kwikfit last week, passed, though I wonder how much they checked non of the seat belts were clicked together and the central rear one was still in its "storage position" both tabs.

I feel so sad and stupid

Yup, it's a fact, garages will buy parts in as cheap as they can get them, especially non genuine parts, and then chuck a hefty mark up on them. That's in part, how they make their money. This is precisely the reason why I do my research on part numbers, buy the parts myself, as far as practicable, fit them myself, and for the jobs I can't do, I get a trusted independent or mobile mechanic to do the job. They of course will not warrant the parts, but they will warrant their labour.

The most outrageous quote I've had in respect of my Saab 1.9, was when the DMF/clutch and slave cylinder needed changing. I was quoted nearly £1300 to have the job done by a garage. I sourced genuine GM parts myself for just over £300 and then I found a garage who did the job for a fixed labour price of £360 inc vat, so total job came to £660 and that was a cheap job!. The two year warranty on the GM parts I supplied are fully warranted because the job was done by a vat registered garage. Upshot is, you must always shop around.

Don't worry,, if its any help we bought our 59 plate in Nov 15 for £4k, I've spent about £1200 just in parts replacing failed or rusted away parts plus timing belt £230 at Fiat, but now we have a car that these parts will almost never be required to be replaced again, given its a keep until scrap purchase it's probably one of the most sorted ones for its age on the road just done the hatch wiring, only the leaking clutch slave cylinder to replace and maybe the earth strap, some of the parts were cosmetic, mats, new badges, key fob revamp, upgraded bulbs, 4 new tyres.

Don't be so tough on yourself. Life is a lifelong learning process.

As long now as you get your car back in good order and safe to use on the road, then that is the main thing.

The reason forums like this exist, is to advise, help and encourage people who may not necessarily have the knowledge about practical mechanical matters, to seek help where needed and gain some experience of helping one to help oneself. As long as you remember never to just jump in both feet first without first enquiring, you'll potentially save yourself from a great deal of expense.

Thank you. I feel so silly, people are saying I'm being mugged off and that my car couldn't have needed all that done.
I'm guessing all the parts needing replaced are the originals, so is 6 years old fair enough for these parts to fail? Or am I likely being scammed!? I wouldn't know so I'm an easy target.

No you're right all the parts mentioned I've had to replace, so the are "normal" (for a 500) to be changed its probably the second set of discs too.

I wouldn't get hung up on thinking you're being scammed and certainly don't think people are thinking you're being 'mugged off'.

At the end of the day, garages are there to provide a service. They are businesses and they all have differing overheads, staff, premises, business rates etc, and this will dictate their costs. They have to make a profit, or they go out of business. There are however plenty of tools out there to help you choose where to take your vehicle so that you get good service and value for money.

Yes, as has already been stated, the parts that need replacing, will undoubtedly be the original parts that have failed. As for whether or not the parts have failed, well you have to trust the person whose done the MoT, to have carried out the test in accordance with the set down procedures. Generally, if they pick up something that fails, it most likely has. You don't have to have the work done at the garage that does the MoT.

If you're really concerned in the future about the MoT test, you could always get the car MoT'd at your local Council Depot if there is one nearby. All Councils offer completely impartial MoT testing to members of the public. They do MoT's because they service/maintain their own vehicles. If they fail your vehicle, they can neither carry out any repairs, nor are they permitted to 'recommend' anyone else to do the repairs, they can only do the retest once the work has been done. Be aware, you generally have to book MoT's with the local Council several weeks in advance.

A friend who changed my timing belt last month works as a mechanic at the council depot. He's been telling me I should have taken it to him for the MOT and service. But would he have had to look at it, repair parts and then pass it, he couldn't fail it you mean?

I trust the person who carries out the mot today and their costs, it's other people I know giving me their opinions and saying I've been charged way over the odds who make me worry.