Major service bill shock

[mindfriction]

So I booked in my 2012 Passat TDI for it's 60k service, after getting an estimate from my local dealer service department (VW Waverly) of about $1200. A few hours after checking the car in I get a call stating stating I need new front discs and pads $757, new battery $571 and they suggested an aircon clean $99, all in addition to the major servicing cost of $1200!

Is this situation normal?

[Martin]

Front brake rotors and pads, at 60k, probably
At that price you could have had some upgraded aftermarket rotors

The battery looks expensive

[Lucas_R]

Outrageously overpriced battery. $150-200 would get you a good quality battery from somewhere like Battery World or similar. I had to replace the battery in my 2010 GTI Golf about 18 months ago and it cost me $170.

As mentioned by Martin, you could have sourced aftermarket brake disks and pads for around half that price, but then you'd have to either install them yourself or pay a mechanic to do it. Would have been a good opportunity to replace the pads with an aftermarket low dust option too.

But that's how dealerships operate - you are paying top dollar for both parts and labour. Perhaps find yourself a reputable independant VW specialist (there are several scattered around Melb) and enjoy both the savings and the increased quality of work.

[nat225]

may be they are selling u entry level lithium car battery?

$300 will get u agm battery.

[VW Convert]

Outrageously overpriced battery. $150-200 would get you a good quality battery from somewhere like Battery World or similar. I had to replace the battery in my 2010 GTI Golf about 18 months ago and it cost me $170.

Is it possible the vehicle has engine stop/start and therefore one of those hideously priced batteries? Either way, I agree it's an outrageous price.

Cheers

George

[Guest001]

Well mine has the expensive Varta for stop start and Battery World quoted me $800

Whether its true or not I dont know Just reporting the fact of what I was told. My 60,000k service was only a bit over $800 and I supplied the engine oil myself The DSG was done as well

Brakes etc didnt need done as car had only done 20,000 at the time but 4 years old

[martinp]

Wow brakes at 60,000kms is bad. I've done nearly 160,000 kms and still original.
I would be getting a second opinion. Try volkshome in thomastown. They are very reasonable.
I have not been to a dealer for a while now as the basic service was getting to 600-900$$ so I now get them done for just over $300.

[Guest001]

Wow brakes at 60,000kms is bad. I've done nearly 160,000 kms and still original.
I would be getting a second opinion. Try volkshome in thomastown. They are very reasonable.
I have not been to a dealer for a while now as the basic service was getting to 600-900$$ so I now get them done for just over $300.

Good luck with getting a service including the DSG for that as the oil for mine cost $299.95 on its own

[dinot81]

Regarding the battery, have a look on eBay, found someone in QLD selling Varta Silverline AGM for $397 incl postage. 760 CCA starting power. I think anything above that price is way too much.

Sent from my HTC_PN071 using Tapatalk

[Guest001]

Regarding the battery, have a look on eBay, found someone in QLD selling Varta Silverline AGM for $397 incl postage. 760 CCA starting power. I think anything above that price is way too much.

Sent from my HTC_PN071 using Tapatalk

My Varta battery has the following on it

VARTA AGM

7P0915105

68Ah 380 A DIN

680 EN/SAE

BEM Code 7P0915105

[Umai Naa!!]

The B7 Passats were fitted with a TRW front caliper and pad, and slightly larger disc.

These have an unusally short life-span, bad for dust, and are hideously expensive to replace. Like, dearer than say an R36 with ATE Ceramic pads and discs.

7P0915105 is the genuine part number on the battery.

[ope126]

Here is some further info on the B7 125TDI Battery Change if it is applicable; http://www.vwwatercooled.com/forums/...ge-106701.html

And as Umai Naa!! said, the OEM Battery is 7P0915105 but there are alternatives!

[3C4M Guy]

My view is as follows:
The 60,000 km service is a big one and includes the expensive DSG oil. A petrol engine will also need spark plugs then and a 4Motion will need Haldex oil - not that you need to worry about those two. Is $1,200 too much? Well, it's a lot ... but then dealers charge at least $150 per hour + GST = $165 for labour. I assume if you wanted to save the labour charges, you'd already be doing the minor services yourself? My small independent garage charges $500 for a minor service but I buy the oil and filter for under $100 and save $400 each time doing it myself.

I think new brake pads and rotors at 60,000 is quite reasonable in terms of wear. These days rotors are designed to be a consumable item usually requiring change with the pads. Others have said the parts are expensive so I guess $757 is justified.

And $571 for a new battery - well if it's a huge double-length one in the boot like mine then it's cheap. Maybe you should consider yourself fortunate if your car will allow you to fit alternatives. I'm told some Audis will only accept an OEM one after the technician has entered the new battery's serial number and the car's computer decides that number is within an acceptable range of OEM numbers!

[dinot81]

I think my Tiguan TDI has the same, 760 CCA shouldn't be a problem for the engine (check again if unsure). My previous car was a Mazda 3, battery died after 8,5 years, factory battery had 480CCA, I replaced it with 600CCA, engine was starting lot easier due to more crank starting power. If I remember correctly, Silverline are top range batteries from Varta. I got this info from the Varta site, hope it helps. Below the pic there is a link for the eBay page, price went up a bit but still lot less than what you were quoted.




LINK:

Varta E39 AGM Silver CAR Truck VAN Motorhome Battery Universal Melbourne Sales | eBay

You will notice that AGM number and technical specs are identical.

Regards

Dino

[booba]

Wow brakes at 60,000kms is bad. I've done nearly 160,000 kms and still original.
I would be getting a second opinion. Try volkshome in thomastown. They are very reasonable.
I have not been to a dealer for a while now as the basic service was getting to 600-900$$ so I now get them done for just over $300.

depends on your driving i guess. my service at 45k, mechanic said about 5k left. not volkwagen stealers.