Car servicing/repair in Malaysia?

[Angelsherwin]

Hi car fans....

 

I'm Sherwin Loh, a reporter with the Straits Times Life! section. I am writing up a story about car owners who travel to Malaysia to have their cars serviced, or simply to have small repair work done there?

 

I understand that it is much cheaper across the causeway, and if you buy your own parts, the workmanship there is cheap, as well as comparable to Singapore work.

 

I need to find some feedback, comments, or even complaints if any, of any attempts to have car's serviced there. How much do you save? Is it worth it? What else do Malaysian workshops offer car owners that is unavailable here?

 

I also know that some people go over to soup up their vehicles. I am NOT trying to do a story about it. That is ilegal in Singapore, so there's not point in me stating that obvious as well.

 

If anyone can help, feel free to email me at [email protected], or reply in this forum?

 

Thanks, Sherwin

[Route]

Definately the cheaper price. If something cost $100 here, it should also cost $100 there, but in RM.

[Pauly75ts]

"comparable to Singapore work"

 

Hi! there, AngelSherwin,

 

Of course the work over in MY is comparable to here in SG, workers are from MY.

 

Over here you pay in S$, over there it's in RM, for car repairs, shopping, food, hotels, etc...

 

It's definitely worth it to do it across the causeway.

 

As an example, cost in workmanship to change engine oil & filter = RM10.

 

Rgds

 

Paul Yong

[Ahdi]

service my car once in JB b4, still under agent warranty, thus hafta go back agent.

 

price wise is definitely cheaper, workmanship for normal servicing is there. there are of cos reliable workshops over there, and oso bad workshops out to con unfamiliar ppl like SG registered cars.

 

maybe for repair to parts of a new car they might not be so much familiar as now most are haf computerised components.

 

Simple accessories cost cheaper over the causeway.

 

How much saving?? depends on what u intend to change ba. lets say a brake pad change from agent would simply cost $2-300 in Sg. if u buy in spare parts shop in Sg maybe it jus cost $100+, and bring it over the causeway, labour is onli RM25. (this is to ensure u get geniune parts).

 

Last of all, u save on ur petrol. lets say u enter 3/4 tank with a 50litre petrol tank car, u save around $12-$15 a trip.

 

but last of all, the time u gonna spend would be more, as compared to maybe 2 hrs in SG, u hafta spend 1 hrs queueing to go into JB, 1 hr to queue to come back to SG, and the time u required for the workshop to service ur car.

[Freemen]

Anyone know if,..let say I buy a car here but goes to JB service centre for authorised service, will it still be under warranty?? It should be cheaper that way & is still having the geniune parts ??

Anyone done that ??

 

Peace Bro

[Maddriver]

it depends on the make of cars u r buying..for Borneo,i dun think they allowed..but if u get a proton..i dun think there is any problem..but if u asked me to send my ride to Kah motor in MY for servicing,i would say no..

[Freemen]

So Proton should have no problems ?? What about other MY brands here ??

 

Peace Bro

[Maddriver]

kelissa...

[Emkay]

Hi,

 

My experience:

 

When I bought my first non sencond-hand car back in 97, I had an accident where a lorry hit my rear passenger door (and part of the rear fender). I went back to the agent as the car was 3 weeks old and to my horror they told me it would cost S$3000.00 to repair, which include replacing the whole rear door.

 

I told them the lorry driver refuse to come out of his lorry to give me his particular so I have to pay for the repair myself. I even get my brother's friend who is working at the agent to help me bargain. Best price: S$2500.00! And it will take 2 weeks for the repair.

 

I went back to my parent's place in JB and told them about the accident. My mother bring me to her usual workshop. The technician just tell me to leave the car to them and no worry about the cost.. 4 days later he called me to collect my car: the bill? RM 375.00.

 

Yes they did not replace the door but just knock/putty the door and the demaged part & respray. But the workmanship was okay as i can't really tell the differents.

 

I carry on to drive the car for another 5 years without problems. The paint at that area start to wringle after about 3 years though, but that's about it.

[Ahdi]

dun think so....cos lets say nissan...

here is under tan chong, over there duno under what.

 

toyota under borneo, over there is UMW.

BMW here is under PM, over there is (forget the name)

 

in SG u can oso go to professional workshops that do all the checks and oil change with wad agent is doing...agent haf the checklist ma....

 

even u go back to agent dun go for package, jus do oil change the rest dun care they oso dun void ur warranty,

 

so moral of story, agent is big, all they wan is u to go back, if not they gif wadever excuse to vois ur warranty.

[Kelpie]

Just thinking aloud, perhaps you would like to 1st consult the moderators here since you're gathering our views for your reporting.

 

Regards,

[Freemen]

Hmmmm, Thanks for enlightening me, food for thought. But what about MY cars like Proton? Same agent here & in MY ? The MY cars made there so if I go there for the authorised service, got counted or not ??

 

Peace Bro

[York]

Yes they did not replace the door but just knock/putty the door and the demaged part & respray. But the workmanship was okay as i can't really tell the differents.

 

I carry on to drive the car for another 5 years without problems. The paint at that area start to wringle after about 3 years though, but that's about it.

 

MY got veri good panel beaters.....their skills to get back the panel 'in shape' r excellent.. but for paintworks...the spray paints CMI...MHO

[Firstcall]

Hi Sherwin,

I went to JB to change my engine mounting for RM25. It would cost S$60 to do it in SG workshop. That is how cheap the workmanship cost. Usually most people buy the parts eg. brakepades, shock absorbers, engine mounts, engine oil etc and pay for the labour charges.

 

If you can travel a little further up (about 30min) to the industrial park near to 'Carrefour', the price is much cheaper compared to the workshop in the city area. You can see more SG cars in the workshop than MY cars there.....

[Hitman]

Anyone know if,..let say I buy a car here but goes to JB service centre for authorised service, will it still be under warranty?? It should be cheaper that way & is still having the geniune parts ??

Anyone done that ??

 

Peace Bro

 

Nope .... not warranted for.

 

I did it with my Peugeot. I serviced with the agent in JB.

 

But they do give you their guarantee ... if anything go wrong, you go back to them and they honour their guarantee

[Metalslug]

let me give my exmaple - very simple:

 

- engine servicing (bring own oil) but use their filter

- change brake pad

- change spark plugs

- change ATF, install ATF cooler (bring own ATF)

- full wheel alignment and balancing

- topping up of all water points

- full car cleaning of interior and exterior (vacuuming + some kind of snowy wash)

 

total is SGD70.

 

[Ahdi]

the agents always haf excuses de...

they could haf say proton there and proton here haf different criteria.....

 

of cos when they did void ur warranty, theres lots of ways to fight wif it.....jus that the book say ma....

[Civic155]

Washing of cars is only RM7 + vacuum.... Where to find in SG? Changing of timing belt is about S$500 as compared to S$800 at our authorised workshop.(KM)

 

I change my engine oil in SG for $15.00. They use jack to lift up one side of my car. Very unprofessional.

 

But in JB, I enquire that is is only RM10 and they got the equipment to lift up my whole car. I will not go back to the SG workshop in Tampines.