Any idea how much a service at ford costs before parts?

About twice what it would cost at a good independent specialist.

HTH…

Depends on the car and the dealer and the service interval…you can also haggle.

For what and for which service?

Service on what? Shopping trolley, lawn mower, rampant rabbit?

Gives us some vehicle details to help give a more eductaed idea of costs.

Oh right, I haven’t been driving long. It’s a Ka and I think it needs new brake pads, thanks for the replies.

A hell of a lot more than a Haynes manual or similar before parts.

As far as I can tell, servicing involves eyeballing stuff like brake pads and saying they need changing along with the discs, regardless of what state they’re in, and then billing £129.99 to change the oil and oil filter, maybe replacing the air filter, and topping up the washer fluid with “Secret Recipe Ford Windscreen Cleansing And Protection Formulation™”.

New (front) discs and pads for a 1998 Mondeo were £90 from an independant, including labour (in about 2008). Bargain. Think Ka may be cheaper.

And Ox, Ford do have their own special power-steering fluid. Seriously. the kind everyone else uses won’t work in Fords and vicaversa. (half a bottle of it free to collect from BMBS race in Plymouth if you find me, bright orange kit, hardtail Pronghorn and a beard, should stand out)

I can believe it, andrewh. I’m pretty sure the 126 point checklist they use in an attempt to justify the cost of a service includes things like “is the car currently on fire?” and “steering wheel present? (Y/N)”

Our Focus was serviced at the main dealer recently and was returned to us with a free engine warning light and limp home mode trial. They also helped us save wear and tear on the turbo by making it a non functional part.

Stars they are I tell thee…..

OK, it’s a Ka. How old, what engine size and how many miles has it done?

If your quick, i’ll tell you what service it’s due before i finish for the night 🙂

1998, with about 64k, 1.3 I think. Really only interested in the brakes as it got through the MOT a few months back!

for my diesel mondeo with Fully synthetic oil I was quoted £96 for a basic service (this includes oil and filter, fuel filter change and check of gear box oil) and £125 for a full service (in addition to the above items they would change the air filter and pollen filter and check the brakes and steering fluid levels

I went to motorworld, got all the consumables and did the work of a full service for about £80. took me about 2 hrs and a few favours to get the oil filter cover off.

do it yourself. its not hard.

To do discs & pads on the front of that should cost you no more than £110 all in. Probably closer to £200 if you take it to a Ford main dealer.

ooh can you check mine too – honkiebikedude.

fiesta, 59Plate, 17K miles – 1.25 Zetec.

ta

Brakes or service schedule?

service schedule please.

main dealers have dropped their prices a fair bit recently ime. certainly round Bristol. a bit more than independents but not silly difference as it used to be.

25,000 mile or 24 month service= full check & report, engine change, oil filter & pollen filter (1.4 hours labour time)

37,500 mile or 36 month service= same as above plus spark plugs (1.5 nours labour time)

Evry 24 months= brake fluid change (extra 0.4 hour labour)

Timing belt due at 100,000 miles or 8 years

Thanks. 😀

A service & brakes on a 1998 Ford Ka…probably 10-20% of the cars value.

Find a decent local independant garage, ask around at work etc.

thanks guys I’ll ask around as I must know a mechanic on facebook!

About 3 years ago our local Ford dealer became useless to the point that when the annoying Mercans phone up to ask how they were scored I gave them 0/10 for everything. This year for service/MOT they were cheaper and better and much easier to deal with. I think they’ve realised that there’s a recession and and they need to compete with others.

don’t even think about going to a main dealer with a car that old.. its not worth it. As has been said, go find a local garage to do it, ask mates/parents who they reccomend and go from there. Also some really good mobile mechs who can be cheaper again. I can reccomend one if you’re in the Manchester area.

Recently I had a brake fluid change on my Puma- £29 at indie. Main wanted £120.

tails I wouldn’t go near a Ford main dealer. I had my clutch release bearing replaced on a Focus under main dealer warranty and they returned it with a leaking gearbox seal.

I asked why they hadn’t replaced this and they replied ‘its not covered under the warranty’.

So the removed it and replaced it back (common practice to replace that seal with new) purely as they went by the book. Even though really its ‘their fault’ the bloody car failed.

Anyway they charged me to go back and replace it. FFS.

tails – Member
1998, with about 64k, 1.3 I think. Really only interested in the brakes as it got through the MOT a few months back!

You say service but then you say brakes and then you sau about the MOT. This worries me.

MOT does not cover things like engine oil, filters etc which is what a service is there for and it is the servicing that keeps your engine running as it should. Yes during a service a mechanic should check brake pads and general condition (to get more work from you) but all an MOT does is check things that are on the MOT inspectors check list. Also a lot can change in a couple of months. Another important thing is the cam belt if your car has one (some fords are chains) which need to be replaced on schedule (during a service) as if they break it is trashed engine time.

For brakes ask around people you know for an independent garage, do not use a dealer on that car.

IF you want tips etc on the runners/sills and welding costs etc let me know. Our Office Manager has had a 2001 Ka from new and has had work for serious corrosion in these areas to get it through its MOT (at an affective/cheap cost).

if you go to a ford ‘rapidfit’ centre, not very expensive. They are fords attempt to bring more servicing back in house, and for a lot of standard jobs (like replacing pads) they are very reasonable

My Ford dealer changed a clutch on my car ( under warranty) and made the car more lightweight, by managing to use 1/4 tank of fuel in 30 miles. I guess it helped the 0-60 times on my modded ST.And they broke the headlights and they broke the airbox and ‘glued’ it back together for me not to notice. Personally from my experience and the fact we have to use ford for our company fleet of vehicles, I would just find a good local independant, who will give you a better service and not break things for free, or if capable, do it yourself. It is very easy if you can hold a spanner.

Think me and a friend are going to give it a go after all disc brakes are disc brakes right? He’s a dab hand with Honda’s and reckons it should be easy other than seized bolts.

Having the pleasure of dealing with Ford via the cars I’ve bought for my daughters I would never ever touch them again. Multiple garages, multiple fraudulent encounters, multiple frustrations.

Find a good local independent or do the work yourself if you have time.

My RS500 will never go near a Ford dealership.

Hmmm, well my mate couldn’t do it until next weekend and the brakes sounded and felt awful so I went to the local garage.

Front pads and discs, hand brake fettled, the cylinders are leaking a little on the shoes.

Anyway all this comes to £290 for a £550 car, so my poxy wage for the week is gone, still least the chap seemed genuine. Think I need to learn this dark art of home mechanics myself, I’m getting priced out my own country!

Haynes manual is your friend, that and ebay or a local motorfactors for parts, although my midget still goes to a ‘proper’ garage (man in a shed with a pit and a cup of tea) once in a while just to check up on the bits I’ve done.

For example theres a spring in the midgets rear brakes thats a PITA to get back in, however it looks like it would go in the other way round without a fight. Chap took one look at the brakes and told me I’d put the spring in the wrong way round, without even taking the covers off!

Problem with so many newer cars is that it isn’t always easy to maintain them without specialist equipment and normally hands the size of an 8 yr olds to get into the tiny gaps.