Routine Car Service Costs Explained | Midas

One of the unfortunate realities of relinquishing your car to a mechanic is that, for most people, they don’t actually know what they are paying for when they do it. It’s not your job to know the ins and outs of your vehicle - that’s what a mechanic is for - however it can often feel odd paying for a service you don’t quite understand. Here at Midas we believe in peace of mind motoring, so we want you to feel happy with the price you are paying for the repairs on your car, and that starts with transparency.

So, in this blog post, we’re breaking down the three most common services and repairs we do for the drivers of New Zealand, and showing you where your money actually goes. Start your engines, and let’s do this!

General Servicing

A vehicle service is as integral to keeping your car running as the fuel you put into it, which is why we recommend you do it at least once a year, however a lot of people aren’t really sure what goes into it. On top of that, there’s often some confusion around what the price is for.

First of all, it’s important to note that you’re paying for your mechanic’s labour as well as for the price of the resources they use, and people usually do this because they want to be assured that a professional is looking after their car. At Midas our prices usually have a ratio of about 6:4 – six parts equipment and resources, and four parts labour costs. We try our best to strip it down to the bones of what you need so that you don’t have to pay or do extra unnecessary things in the service.

So, let’s look into it using our most highly recommended (and most popular) vehicle servicing option at Midas – The Smart Service. Here’s the breakdown:

• Engine Oil Change – The price of this component will fluctuate depending on the amount of oil your car needs and the type of oil it runs on (fully synthetic oil runs at a higher premium), but as most good quality engine oil runs at about $70 for 5 litres, we place the price here at around $65. Changing your engine oil is necessary because it’s what lubricates the internal components of your engine to prevent wear and tear from grinding, and eventually it becomes contaminated and needs replacing. Without it, your engine will wear down much faster.

• Oil Filter Change – These filter contaminants out of the engine oil to keep it clear and uncontaminated for as long as possible, hence their name. A good quality filter will run you about $20 depending on what type your car needs, so we estimate that price for a service.

• Under-Bonnet Fluids – Apart from your engine oil, we check and top up a few other things. Your brake fluid, which runs at around $15 for half a litre, should always be topped up to make sure that when you put your foot down, your brakes listen to you. There’s also the coolant, not just water which again runs at about $15 depending on the kind and amount you need. Coolant manages the temperature of your engine to prevent it from overheating and breaking down, so it’s a necessary aspect of the service and something you should consider keeping on top of at home.

Apart from labour, these are the biggest costs that we estimate for a Smart Service, and they all add up to about $120. That leaves you with $65 of labour costs, including the time it takes to do a thorough Peace of Mind inspection, which is an excellent price to pay for a mechanic who’s invested in keeping your car in tip-top condition.

Replacing Brake Pads

One of the most common brake repairs that we do is the replacement of brake pads, which are the pads that press against the brake disc in order to stop your car. These pads wear down over time, making them less good at their job and causing your brakes to feel less effective, or to take too long to come to a full stop. If your brake pads aren’t on the up and up, then you might find yourself rear ending someone when you thought you had enough time to brake, so it’s really important to get them repaired if you notice anything off.

In order to replace brake pads, we have to remove your wheels and the calliper assembly behind them, then replace the pads, check the calliper and put it all back together again. We will typically charge you a labour cost for the time it takes to repair your brakes, and then a portion of the cost of the brake pads, which can vary between $40 and $250 depending on what kind of car you have and how you drive it. Sometimes the brake disc may also be worn, or marked, and may require machining or replacing .We encourage you to ask your mechanic what the price breakdown for your car would be when you bring it in, as we value transparency and peace of mind at all of our shops.

Wheel Alignment

The last of our three common repairs is a wheel alignment, which is a commonly misunderstood service. A wheel alignment is actually an adjustment of your car’s suspension in from three different angles in order to make sure that your car is driving straight If each of the tires aren’t hitting the road straight on it can cause them to wear unevenly, which will put your tires out of commission pretty quickly. This can cause a bad steering reaction throughout your car. and allow it to ‘wander’ and not follow the road properly

Wheel alignment costs can depend on the vehicle, as adjusting the suspension on larger vehicles and four-wheel drives is more time consuming than doing the same for smaller vehicles. We only charge you for labour with a wheel alignment, as it is a process that requires time and expertise, but little else.

Get clear on your motoring costs

Talk to any one of the friendly mechanics at Midas and we’d be happy to give you the rundown on what the costs for any services are for your vehicle. Contact us today and book in for your peace of mind!