406oc.co.uk

Hi
Its been a while since i've been on here had a few problems with the broadband connection!

Anyway car went in the garage at the beginning of week as i was sure i could hear a very slight rumbling noise on the back end. Got the phone call to pick it up and was told that the subframe bushes on the rear subframe were shot the o/s/r being especially bad and that it needed to be done pretty quick as there wasn't much holding it on! Total cost £291 including 46 quid for the 4 bushes and some 4 hours labour which seemed a lot to me......

At this point i was gobsmacked the same garage had just done the mot about 6 weeks ago strange that it wasn't spotted then perhaps? I've used this garage a fair bit since i moved here to Dorset and so far they haven't been too bad!

To cut a long story short me being very sceptical i took it to another garage/mot test station just across the road from where i live for a 2nd opinion. When i went in to pick the car up i was told there is nothing wrong with the rear suspension! They took the car out test drove it up and down a few dirt tracks to see if it was knocking on the back. Also had it up on the ramps and checked just about everything obviously they looked at the drop links and bottom arms. They used a pry bar on everything including the subframe bushes which they said looked perfectly okay to them! Who would you believe?

I've spoke to the chancers at the other garage again and they are still sticking to their original story in fact when i put the boss on the spot about it he didn't seem bothered at all. Just said that it was my choice. It makes me wonder if they had took the car in would they have actually done the bushes? Certainly seems like an easy way to make money out of people. Lets face it how many people would question what the experts tell them? I'm just glad i've still got £291 still in my pocket

Anyone else had anything like this happen to them? Might be making a phone call to trading standards on monday.......

I had a similar thing with a washing machine repair guy, a few years ago when the washer broke down, I got a guy that my wife knew to look at it, he said it had to go into the shop for repair, my wife trusted him so I let it go.He rang a few hours later saying it needed a new motor, ok I said, just fix it...a couple of weeks later we had a water leak on the washer, I took the back off to look and found a pipe loose, I looked at the motor while I was there...it still had dust on it and none of the bolts had been disturbed, clearly, no new motor fitted.I was not happy, needless to say, I do my own household repairs now.

Marco, you did the right thing getting a second opinion.

The garage that gave me the 2nd opinion said that its quite rare that the rear subframe bushes go. Its More likely to be drop links or bottom arms. More than anything i am quite dissapointed with that garage thats tried to rip me off as i have spent a fair amount of dosh there in the past. Hats off to the local garage though, i think i'll use them instead as they checed it over and only wanted £10 for doing it which i thought was good just for the peace of mind plus saving me £291.

Live and learn and always get that 2nd opinion

Here's 450,000 miles worth of heavy duty taxi experience on a D8 1.9td.

Lots and lots of link/track arms arms on a 98 model and a set of shockers.
Nothing else..even the antirollbar bushes. Still on the road now.(retired)

On a 200K 96 model ,
Lots of link/track arms and one antiroll bar bush and one 'rose' joint
where the rear hub meets the trailing arm. Stll on road now.(retired)

Subframe bushes to my knowledge have never caused any of the owner drivers and rentals any problem whatsoever.

T