Cost of Roadworthy Inspection in Melbourne

[greasykitchen]

Having recently moved from Adelaide to Melbourne I eventually decided to get around to transferring my rego over which necessitates a roadworthy inspection.

What's the going rate for one?

From what I understand there's about 2 hours' labour involved. I was quoted (I think, I may have misheard) well over $200 ($260 I think) from a 'prestige' workshop in Surrey Hills. In contrast a friend of mine had her's done at Ultra Tune in Hawthorn for $150 a few months back.

Being new to Melbourne I'm not sure of mechanics' typical hourly charge, but $130 and hour seems a little high (but I may well be out of touch).

Thanks

[jimmjumbo]

Having recently moved from Adelaide to Melbourne I eventually decided to get around to transferring my rego over which necessitates a roadworthy inspection.

What's the going rate for one?

From what I understand there's about 2 hours' labour involved. I was quoted (I think, I may have misheard) well over $200 ($260 I think) from a 'prestige' workshop in Surrey Hills. In contrast a friend of mine had her's done at Ultra Tune in Hawthorn for $150 a few months back.

Being new to Melbourne I'm not sure of mechanics' typical hourly charge, but $130 and hour seems a little high (but I may well be out of touch).

Thanks

I would look elsewhere if they quoted you $260. $150 sounds about right, most RWC are between $120-$180 mark.
Around $100p/h is the going rate.

Shop around, go who with who you feel comfortable leaving your car with and someone who won't charge you an arm and a leg for their 'prestige' services.

[jamesdavid]

I agree with jimmjumbo, a roadworthy is a roadworthy, long as it passes your all set, no point paying alot extra to get the same thing. $260 from memory would be about right though i work for a 'prestige' workshop and we internally cost sales $200 for a roadworthy i m pretty sure, so $260 would be about right for retail.

150 from ultra tune sounds pretty appealing at the moment though if you ask me.

[greasykitchen]

Thanks guys for the replies. I suspected as much. They seem to charge a premium for being a 'prestige' place (selling and servicing BMWs, Mercs, VWs etc). They're close to home and seemed to deal with VWs so that's why I thought I'd go with with them.

Plenty of other mechanics in the area that do roadworthy that I'll check out.

[Tim]

one does not go to a prestige mechanic for a rwc. You go to kmart tyre and auto.
And no im not joking.

[greasykitchen]

one does not go to a prestige mechanic for a rwc. You go to kmart tyre and auto.
And no im not joking.

Noted. Thanks. Getting a RWC is all new to me as I'm from Adelaide where there's no such thing.


EDIT: and it begs the question, when does one go to a 'prestige' mechanic when there's good one around who don't charge a premium.

[jamesdavid]

I had no idea road worthies were not applicable in Adelaide, thats awesome.

Haha yeh trust me mate there are a few 'prestige' mechanics i work with and they are not worth half of what they are paid/charged out at

[Jarred]

Tim is 100% right. Find the clostest Kmart T&A, and get it done there. IIRC they now charge around 120-130 for a RWC. (fixed price for the inspection, extra if they 'fix' anything for ya.

being a new car, it shouldn't have too much trouble, it doesn't hurt to mention that you moved and are just transferring it to VIC rego. (they may be a bit more leniant, as you're not selling the car, so less potential issues.)

and please don't go to a "prestige" mechanic, plenty of volkswagen specialist mechanics around

[greasykitchen]

I had no idea road worthies were not applicable in Adelaide, thats awesome.

Haha yeh trust me mate there are a few 'prestige' mechanics i work with and they are not worth half of what they are paid/charged out at

It's a mixed blessing as there's a lot more **** boxes on the road in SA, but on the other hand I wouldn't have been able to get away with driving my old VWs (MK 1 Golf and Beetle) if there were RWCs.

[greasykitchen]

Tim is 100% right. Find the clostest Kmart T&A, and get it done there. IIRC they now charge around 120-130 for a RWC. (fixed price for the inspection, extra if they 'fix' anything for ya.

being a new car, it shouldn't have too much trouble, it doesn't hurt to mention that you moved and are just transferring it to VIC rego. (they may be a bit more leniant, as you're not selling the car, so less potential issues.)

and please don't go to a "prestige" mechanic, plenty of volkswagen specialist mechanics around

Thanks Jarred. It may have to be an Ultra Tune just for the convenience of being much closer than a Kmart (a little more $ but not much). But there is a Kmart near work that might suit as well.

I'm not expecting there to be any issues with my car, but you never know.

I had eyed off a VW specialist in/near Burwood (forgotten the name) for servicing etc (but haven't needed to go there yet, and I may get a service in Adelaide when I'm there over Christmas).

I didn't know this other place in Surrey Hills (**cough Riversdale Service Centre cough**) was a prestige place when I called 'em. I've been out of the car/mechanics loop for a while due to lots of work busy-ness.

[noisuf]

Having recently moved from Adelaide to Melbourne I eventually decided to get around to transferring my rego over which necessitates a roadworthy inspection.

What's the going rate for one?

From what I understand there's about 2 hours' labour involved. I was quoted (I think, I may have misheard) well over $200 ($260 I think) from a 'prestige' workshop in Surrey Hills. In contrast a friend of mine had her's done at Ultra Tune in Hawthorn for $150 a few months back.

Being new to Melbourne I'm not sure of mechanics' typical hourly charge, but $130 and hour seems a little high (but I may well be out of touch).

Thanks

Correct if I'm wrong, but if you own the car in another state and move to Victoria, all you need to do is pay for the rego? I recently moved a car from WA and didn't need a roadworthy to register in Victoria.

[greasykitchen]

Correct if I'm wrong, but if you own the car in another state and move to Victoria, all you need to do is pay for the rego? I recently moved a car from WA and didn't need a roadworthy to register in Victoria.

That is a good point. I was originally under that impression, but a friend was recently in the same boat and she did have to get a RWC.

According to Vic Road, in "most situations" you don't need one, but it doesn't specify in what circumstances that it is needed. See: Interstate vehicle registration : VicRoads

Maybe as SA doesn't have RWC that cars from there need an inspection.

I'll call Vic Roads on Monday to clarify.

Thanks for raising it as it could save me time and money.

Cheers

[Blitzen]

When I last had vic rego, so long as the car was already registered in another state when you changed it over, you didn't need a roadworthy. It's a steep price for a roadworthy though!! NT has a set rate of $37 for roadworthys.

[Jarred]

Im pretty sure I pass that place everyday going to uni. They have the small car yard there too?

[Water Boy]

When I was at Vicroads last time a guy came in with a camry on Tas rego. It was his, he just payed for a vic rego and plates and didnt need a RWC. This was at the office in Burwood.