Why do the Daihatsu dealership here in Belfast charge £139 each for new front shocks on a 1.3 2001 Hi-Jet?

Submitted by onilleymcknown on

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They build this brilliant van, and then you can't get the bits! What's the point?
Anyone know anything about this?
My mechanic thinks they're crazy.

onilleymcknown

Price of HiJet Front Shox

Submitted by M4X on

HiJet struts are expensive, I bought some via a dealer about 2 years ago - I dont think they were (quite) that much, I've just been looking for the invoice and cant find it, Phone another dealer.

PS If my memory serves me correctly - the struts for the 4x4 hijet are around that price but a dealer will not have a listing or a price for those

Price of HiJet Front Shocks

Submitted by M4X on

Just found the price of my 4x4 Struts, they were £96.11 each just a few years ago. These were MORE expensive than the standard Hijet Struts.

Price of Hi-Jet Front Shocks

Submitted by onilleymcknown on

Ok everybody, here's the story for the last... 2 weeks of faffing around and pissing off my mechanic!!

I contacted a couple of motor factors who gave me contradicting information. Some came up with KYB shocks which they said would fit, but they don't. The don't know what the hell they're talking about. There are different shocks for the different years of the van. Anything pre 98 has a shorter arm on the shock. So won't fit our newer versions of the van.

Later, I phoned another dealer to compare the price against the dealer here. Result was the same price. £139.00. I then called Gary Langford (that forever useful guy up there under parts dealers) and he did some checks for me. He was baffled by the price too.

Apparently, these parts are now manufactured by Piaggio and are what he called a "high cost" item. And get this... the price started at approx. £65 each and has edged up every year.

Then I phoned Piaggio UK in London, and they said I have to go to a Daihatsu dealer. So, can't get shocks from anywhere else as KYB and others just don't make them.

Moral of the story here folks, don't waste your time looking elsewhere. The Dealers have a monopoly on this one. This is the price we pay for owning an import.

Wonder if trading standards would be useful somehow here?

onilleymcknown.