I know we have told about it already but I want to share with you my situation. My Focus failed MOT today due to rear trailing arms rubber bushes. Not happy about it, but it happens. I've been told to go to Ford to replace parts as the garage does not have proper tools. So I went for a quote. Parts - 34 quid inc VAT, labour - 470!!!!!! (it is not a joke!!!!). I have been told they need to strip the whole rear suspension. But why? There are rear arm bush removal tools, no need to remove the arm, they fit in situ. The same tool is for MK1, MK2 and MK2.5, possibly for other models as well. Should I understand that they do not have it (cost of about 130 quid) or they just want to justify the price telling me some rubbish?

Bought the bushes and went to a local garage. They have ordered the tool and will do the job for 100 quid (tracking included).

If Ford wants to get my money they have to try harder.

Doesn't surprise me in the slightest Peter......not much better over here. I use a very good tried and trusted local independant garage for anything i can't do myself......as you say, they need to be more competitive on the rates to get business , glad your sorted for reasonable money

You will always get those that are clueless to the competative market, and also thing that because their car is a ford, it has to go to a ford garage, I pity them, but ford just rub their hands and grin.... I went in a few days ago, as I noticed I had a piece of trim missing that runs on the sill from front to back of the car, in black plastic !!! Every focus i've seen has them,,, but according to ford, they dont know anything about them, had to take him to the car to prove I wasn't insane. Pointing out on the way, no less than 4 others on the car park. He then went back to his 'know it all computer' only to tell me it isn't there ? Then telling me that it could come as 1 piece with the actual sill, £149+VAT......................................... 'Do you want me to order you one' he said, even though he couldn't confirm it was the right part, stating that it came in primer. I calmly pointed out that it is a non colour coded part, so why would it come in primer, to which he shrugged his shoulder. I left before I said something I shouldn't Anyway, quick visit to fleebay, job sorted £35 delivered to my door, FORD really need to work on their customer service, aswell as their pricing. Just not good enough.

Recent discussions on the Kia forums indicated that the new Cee'd and I30's are out, they are nowadays going to be very few pennies between the new foreigners and the likes of the Focus and the Astra, I would still be tempted to take the foreigners as they are better value for money, time and effort, the parts are not rediculously priced, the warranty covers those that break, and overall, you seem to have a more open and better relationship with these dealers (a few of us owned Ford's and gone over to them!).

I am sure I will build up a good relationship with another dealer in the future, but to be fair, since my service, I havent had to even think about them!

I dont think the ridiculous prices are just for Ford......ask Vauxhall to change a set of front pads and discs sometime....£250 lol....or opt for just a front pad change at a value busting £99 lol.

[size=3][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Ive phoned my local ford dealer today to book the focus in for its third service at 62,000km [/font][/size]
[size=3][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]and they told me over the phone the service's were on special offer at the momment and would be [font=Calibri]€[/font]99 base charge for any car under a 2.5ltr providing the car didnt need anything extra, [/font][/size]
[size=3][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]so im happy with the price but im preparing my self for a bill of over [font=Calibri]€180 because is is bound to be low on eolys fluid at this stage of its life, [/font][/font][/size]

[size=3][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][font=Calibri]the tyres are fine though, i had to get two new on the front at the last service at 42,000km [/font][/font][/size]
[size=3][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][font=Calibri]so the only thing's that it could possibly be needed is front&rear wiper blades, possibly brake pads, and most likely the eolys fluid. [/font][/font][/size]

[size=3][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][font=Calibri]I really hope they dont fleece me on the service because i plan to drop the body kit off at the body shop on the same day next week, and if the stealers charge me more than expected then ill be fitting the body kit in two seperate stages [/font][/font][/size]

It's not insanity on the part of the Ford dealer in question. Main dealers are more expensive for most things. If you want main dealer only service history (for servicing, repairs and everything else) then you have to pay for it.

It's not just with cars - Something that is branded generally costs more than something that is not branded. It's your choice as a consumer which you want....

they only need to drop the suspension reason being ford do not grease any of the bolts on the suspension at the factory so they usually no matter what dont budge.

removal tools are okay but you must not bend the arm and its very easy to do by the way which is why most dealers want to put new arms in place its a long job 3 hours labour so its not the dealers its ford that cause the problem that warrants the costs.

i had mine done by the dealer who dropped the suspension for 230 quid with me supplying the bushes the car also will require retracking proper 4 wheel alignment

I was curious and called the Ford mechanic I know. He said they do not drop the suspension for this kind of job. Looks like they have different approach depending on location.

hes talking rubbish you have to drop the suspension. the bolts if ceased can only be cut off which wrecks the control arms so and ive watched it being done they undo the handbrake cable and abs wires they remove the strut bolts etc which lowers the rear subframe they remove the bush arm bolts and now have enough access to remove the bushes i can tell you 100 percent unless they do this and you have ceased bolts it would require buying hundreds of pounds of rear suspension components ford know this the mk1 has the same issue and ive seen the pdf at the ford dealer that tells them to do this as standard practice.

if they try to do this without dropping the suspension first they have to cut the bolts from the rear arms to the hub damagint the arm so that needs replaced if they did it without damaging the subframe my mk1 had the same issue so did my mk2 and i was told the rear upper trailing arm bushes cannot be removed in this instance unless i pay over 500 quid in parts and labour dropping the subframe is easier and cheaper so ide get another ford dealer that knows what they are talking about or they will start the job and youll get a call saying we need to replace this and that etc and the bill will grow or they will drop the subframe but bull you look under the car and you will see the bolts on the hub attatching the rear arms to the subframe with these ceased the only choice is grinding them off damaging all you see

Scary prices there, guess we pay either in depreciation by changing the cars often or been ripped off for maintenance. I came to the conclusion its better to have a budget car that I can afford to change every 3 yrs and at least enjoy worry free motoring and the buzz of driving a new car. My brother is opposite to me he gets top end big engined cars that are like 3 yrs old and worth nothing because there so thirsty, he keeps them for a few years and sells them on just loosing a 2 or 3 grand, his view is you can buy a lot of petrol for the thousands it would cost to keep changing!

My last car had a TPMS fitted after a few yrs the batteries go and crysler wanted the best part of 600 quid to change them, all to get a tyre pressure warning light off the dash, didn't think it was worth spending good money after bad so among other things helped me decide to get rid.

artscot79 this is probably my language issue with translation (drop vs strip). I still learn technical English. All noted, thank you very much for making it clear.

Browsing on the internet I came across this instruction of bush removal tool:

[font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Removal
1 Remove shock absorber, lower mounting bolt,
ABS brake sensor etc and wedge the lower
arm in place to gain access to the bush.
2 To ensure the correct alignment is achieved
mark the inner wing of the bush against
the arm.
3 Lubricate generously the stud threads and
bearing assembly before and during use.
4 To remove the old bush, assemble tool as
shown in (Fig 1) using removal sleeve.
5 The tool should be pushing in to the centre
from the outside (Fig 1)
6 Screw up the Main Drive Bar until the Thrust
Bearing assembly makes contact with
the bush.
7 Continue to tighten slowly using a 21mm
spanner or ratchet on the hex end.[/font]

Does section 1 refer to what you were saying?