Main Dealer Servicing - Worth it Anymore ?

[DRD]

For years I have had old cars and use small independent garages for maintenance.

I bought a new VW up last year that is approaching it first anniversary. At 1,000 miles I did an optional oil/ oil filter/ plug/ washer service using VW parts that cost £70.

VW charges £492 in total for the first two annual services. The first one is oil change and, brake pad check - that's it. The second one also includes an inspection, pollen filter, road test and health check.

This seems obscene for such a basic, tiny car

Do folk still bother with main dealer servicing ?

Ta

 

[Fantazia2]

If can invalidate the warranty if you don't get a dealer service, don't think it has to be the main dealer but not 100% on that.

Was talking to a someone at the weekend who has a newish Vauxhall and the engine blew within warranty period but dealer wouldnt cover replacement as he had serviced himself, even used OE parts.

 

[Colywobbles]

Last 2 new cars I bought from different garages offered me a package up front.
My current Car was £500 for 5 yrs of servicing.

 

[JT.]

If can invalidate the warranty if you don't get a dealer service, don't think it has to be the main dealer but not 100% on that.

Was talking to a someone at the weekend who has a newish Vauxhall and the engine blew within warranty period but dealer wouldnt cover replacement as he had serviced himself, even used OE parts.

I thought there was a law to prevent invalidating the warranty - basically to prevent this exact scenario

 

[Fantazia2]

I thought there was a law to prevent invalidating the warranty - basically to prevent this exact scenario

Yes but I think it only applies where you have the servicing done at a garage, not done by yourself.

 

[Asiapinball]

I just had the first service on my ipace at 21,000 miles. £270. There is basically nothing to service on an ev so Jaguar seems to have made up stuff to do to justify the dealers charging for it. The 4 service items were change the brake fluid, change the pollen filter change the remote control cr2032 battery and check the main battery condition. The 4 year/42000 mile service is the same. The dealer also did a "free" health check on tyres and brake pads and washed it (good job on that it was filthy) and vacuumed carpets. Less than 90 minutes from their tech driving it off to the service area to it being brought back and I suspect a good part of that was in the queue waiting to be washed. At least it didn't need wiper blades as I understand the charge for those is £100 if they need doing. A bargain.

 

[Jagspete]

The onus is on you to prove the car has been serviced to spec, by a third party- in the case of a warranty claim. Ie Can you prove what grade of oil the garage used. Personally I do all
My own and immediate family mechanics, but these are all older vehicles. Newer cars , yes to dealer servicing, over 5 years it’s mostly not a good financial descision, part of the dealer mechanics job is finding work to do.

 

[russdx1]

Always has my Mercedes serviced at a local garage for half the price. But any warranty work was done by the dealer and they never questioned the servicing. As long as it was done they dint care.

 

[Sako-TRG]

Garages make loads on servicing, especially tyre kicking visual inspections.
You can have the vehicle serviced at any VAT registered garage to maintain warranty.

Main dealer always trying to link sell sh^t
Air conditioning recharge is a good one - in Scotland… GTF!!
Tech did a health check on my braking system and said I would benefit from new pads and discs all round.
I pointed out the vehicle had done 6k miles and that it was surface rust due to not driving it.
Muppet!

 

[Colywobbles]

Best one I’ve had was the garage ringing me to say my car won’t start and they could not get it into the workshop.
Bearing in mind it’s a 1966 classic I went round started it up and asked what was the problem they had.
Apparently they didn’t know you had to pull out the choke! Needless to say I drove away and went elsewhere.

 

[DRD]

With the advent of "digital service books" and abandonment of paper ones small garage owners have to register and pay fees to every brand in order to access their systems to log services. Even replacing parts like ABS pumps on basic cars requires them to be coded to the vehicle. One customer had a Dacia. It was cheaper for my guy to charge 2 additional hours labour in order to drive to Nottingham to get the parts coded than it was for his customer to go to a main dealer for the work.

The costs being imposed on small businesses and therefore us are huge.

 

[Calimori]

Have you not been offered a service plan for this car? A month cost of £15 a month is covering a large and small service annually from VW.

 

[DRD]

Don't think I was offered one. They hadn't even attached the radio aerial when I collected the car. It's a low value piece of metal versus the other stuff in dealerships nowadays.