Mechanics Charge More Than Lawyers

Car mechanics' fees work out to be more expensive than those of doctors and barristers, a new survey claims.

Although hourly rates vary across the country with a Vauxhall garage in Scotland charging £49 and £140 for BMW in London, motorists frequently fork out more than £100 an hour, according to What Car? Magazine.

It took a selection of cars including the Audi A2, Alfa Romeo 147, the old-shaped Ford Focus and a Volkswagen Golf Mk4 with a blown main-beam bulb to mechanics around the country.

What Car? found that drivers pay some £66 to replace a main-beam bulb on an Audi A2, even thought the bulb costs just £3.96.

An Audi A4 can cost as much as £440 for a full service in London and as little as £220 in Scotland. A BMW 318 costs £165 in Bristol, but £370 in London for a similar service.

The cheapest car to service was the Ford Focus 1.6, costing £110 in Scotland but £195 in London.

Steve Fowler, the group editor of What Car?, said that motorists could save themselves hundreds of pounds by shopping around for the best deal.

He said: "Quite simply, dealership labour rates and repair rates are just way too high."

He pointed out that motorists can use non-franchised dealers without affecting their manufacturer's warranty. But they should ensure the service provider is VAT-registered and uses the correct manufacturers' parts and follows the recommended schedule of work.