Forester Rego inspection - mechanic failed my car

Tweaksta

Tweaksta

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 22, 2008
Messages
615
Location
McMahons Point, Sydney
Car Year
2000
Transmission
5MT
My 2000 SF GT has about 230,000kms now. It has had a good innings.

After 20 years of my mechanic telling me "these things don't break - it'll go forever" he has now failed my car for a few points.

These points are as follows:

1) Driver's seat belt frayed.
2) Tie rod ends worn - 3mm of play on front wheels.
3) Number plate light is not in its mount any more and moves around inside the bumper.

The illegitimate offspring has now quoted me $400 for a new seat belt and $700 for the rod ends so $1100 for the repairs required to pass inspection.

This seems like a ripoff. The car is only worth about $3k nowadays.

What do you reckon? Am I getting ripped off here?
 
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I had an upholstery place replace my seat belt webbing for about $70 bucks (few years back now), My pager used to wreck the edge of it

If the mechanic is doing the work properly and using bursons/subaru for parts, I could see how he'd get that high, probably $100-150 flush in there. thats is labour and the inspection is included in that $1100
 
@Tweaksta

Seat Belt Repairs

I personally wouldn't put my life at risk with a used seat belt from eBay or wreckers etc.
They will tell you anything for a sale, bit hard to get a refund when you are dead.

I'd be checking out an upholstery shop like "idw" did, as to the cost of replacing the webbing in the seat belt.
Number plate light could be sourced from a wrecker or used from eBay. You could possibly replace it yourself, handyman skill dependent.
Tie rod ends - you could go via eBay as Kevin suggested - eBay Tie Rods
 
Those issue seem pretty minor. I was once knocked back for RWC because of seatbelt fraying - there were no cut strands or anything, just some fuzz on the edge in a particular spot. I hit that with a cigarette lighter to get rid of these little hairs, job done. It passed.

I’ve heard of ppl doing the same on seatbelts that have a cut in them or severe fraying - they cut the bulk of the loose frayed threads then melt the edge to bind all the ends together. I doubt this would work thee days and I’d be dubious using a belt Ike that to begin with!

Partsouq is awesome. Be careful though, lists grow quickly! And remember it’s in USD so the conversion rate also effects the total cost. Still cheaper than dealers here!

Cheers

Bennie
 
Unfortunately, if you're not the DIY type, maintaining an older low-value vehicle is a good way to throw away cash.

1/ go to a wrecker like pick a part - find replacement seatbelt in good nick. Unbolt. Replace yours. picknpayless in kings park will even pull it for you for a fee. $99 if they do it.

Kings Park Pick'N Payless

Kings Park Pick'N Payless
www.picknpayless.com.au www.picknpayless.com.au
Other option is to ring around Subaru wreckers. SGS Parts plus will sell you one for about $200 https://ops.carparts-au.com/ops/sgs/details_popup.php?z=208868b

2/ Rod ends - he's having a lend or can't be arsed searching for non-OEM. Febest are $30 each http://febest.com.au/TIE_ROD_END/0821-B13
Buy a couple and supply them for him to fit. Should take him no more than 30min. Other option is take them to a wheel alignment place and get them to put them on and do a wheel alignment, which you should get done when they're replaced.

So for $160, you can give him all the parts, and he can charge you about an hours labor.
 
I nearly choked reading $700 for tie rods!!! I have done them myself a couple of times and the following method has stood up: Make a mark on the threaded rod where the old ones come to, remove the old ones and then thread the new ones on up to the mark. In my experience, I could then drive straight to the tire shop for alignment with only a bit of left or right pull in the steering but nothing major.
 
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