Sounds Familiar?

[kitesurf_phil]

My sister-in-law phoned me yesterday evening to tell me that her motor suddenly "overheated." It had dumped all it's coolant into the expansion bottle. She refilled with water and on start up from cold, the expansion bottle overflowed. She took it to a garage, the head has been pressure tested and the coolant has combustion gases.
Her car is a Toyota Lucida Estima (Enema?) with the2.2L 3CTE Engine. A quick search of the Toyota MPV forum turned up a load of Lucidas with cracked heads.
She was told by the mechanic that the head gasket had gone and replacement would cost her £1500 including approx 11 hrs labour. I have contacted a very helpful forum member who, despite being unlikely to get the work because of the distance, quoted substantailly less for a brand new head replacement.
I am now waiting for her mechanic to say that he has found the head is cracked and to see what figure he plucks out of the air.
This could be interesting?

[Koi]

£1500.00 and 11hrs just for a gasket, if the heads gone it'll cost £2500.00 at those prices.

[kitesurf_phil]

£1500.00 and 11hrs just for a gasket, if the heads gone it'll cost £2500.00 at those prices.

Exactly! Thats why I rang Stevo for a ball park figure. Top man.

[TAF]

He is having a laugh let me tell you lot I have noticed one thing if you go over the bridge to England they rip you right of on the price of servicing and repair jobs billing you right over then top I was only talking to someone the other day about it if you want your car or bike serviced and you live in London it would be cheaper to go to Wales or Scotland fore a short brake and get your car serviced and still have change

Fore example I am having my surf fully serviced timing belt and all

I will get the parts and there is a guy down the road with a good reputation been there years no cowboy he rebuilt a masuratie last week

Not a back street job so you get the picture

£50 fore timing belt fitted plus a full service all for 50 quid

So to se that price of £1500 for the head gasket is ridicules

[kitesurf_phil]

He is having a laugh let me tell you lot I have noticed one thing if you go over the bridge to England they rip you right of on the price of servicing and repair jobs billing you right over then top I was only talking to someone the other day about it if you want your car or bike serviced and you live in London it would be cheaper to go to Wales or Scotland fore a short brake and get your car serviced and still have change

Fore example I am having my surf fully serviced timing belt and all

I will get the parts and there is a guy down the road with a good reputation been there years no cowboy he rebuilt a masuratie last week

Not a back street job so you get the picture

£50 fore timing belt fitted plus a full service all for 50 quid

So to se that price of £1500 for the head gasket is ridicules

I'm sure there are regional variations in the prices. My Brother and sister in law live near Oxford. My brother hired a car trailer for the day and it was a good £30 more expensive than Luton. His deposit was less because they expected to get it back (not that I'm suggesting that Luton is dodgy).

He could probably get the Enema done in Luton a bit cheaper.