2nd yr service

[jem16]

Need some advice please.

Leon Stylance 1.4TDI due its 2nd year service - less than 6000 miles on the clock. Local garage whom I know well will do service according to specifications for £122.

Main dealer want £150 for the same service. When I said it was dearer than local garage I got the sales talk. It would get the automatic updates for the car which the local garage can't do - this would normally be £80 on its own but is done for free with the service.

I questioned the ruling that I should be allowed to go anywhere for my service. Yes I could and it wouldn't invalidate the warranty but if the car wasn't running properly because it missed the updates I would then be charged to get them.

I feel as if I'm being railroaded into the main dealer.

Opinions please?

 

[robdf2]

Thats absolute rubbish.
The updates for the cars are free wether you car needs servicing or not.

If i was you i would phone them back up and ask them whetther your car needs an update?
get it serviced somewhere lese and save your money mate.

 

[alx_chung]

Thats absolute rubbish.
The updates for the cars are free wether you car needs servicing or not.

If i was you i would phone them back up and ask them whetther your car needs an update?
get it serviced somewhere lese and save your money mate.

Agreed with Rob on this one. That is absolute tosh that they are sprouting out. You are free to get your car serviced wherever you choose and your warranty is intact if the garage you use is VAT registered and carries out the service according to the service book and uses official VAG parts.
Updates like Rob has said are free regardless.
Alex

 

[jem16]

So if I wanted to book my car into a main dealer just to get any appropriate updates there would be no charge?

If I do go with my local, cheaper, garage I take it they can't do any updates then? If I don't get the updates what difference, if any, is it likely to make?

 

[m0rk]

They don't even nee to use VAG Parts, just 'equivalent quality' parts are acceptable - and performed in line with VAG specifications - which isn't hard as they had to publish what that was.

 

[m0rk]

So if I wanted to book my car into a main dealer just to get any appropriate updates there would be no charge?

If I do go with my local, cheaper, garage I take it they can't do any updates then? If I don't get the updates what difference, if any, is it likely to make?

How do you know there are updates required? If there are - the dealer should do this FOC. They just normally do it when servicing.

 

[jem16]

How do you know there are updates required? If there are - the dealer should do this FOC. They just normally do it when servicing.

I don't know.

The service manager tried to make it out that the 2 yr service for the 1.4TDi engine would be containing some major updates.

Normally I take everything car dealers say with a pinch of salt but I just wanted to make sure I wasn't losing out on anything here. Yes if there were updates it would seem sensible to get them applied at service time. However it's £28 dearer so is it worth it or necessary for these updates?

 

[robdf2]

haggle with the dealer tell him you can get the service done cheaper somewhere else.

 

[Mr Cellotape]

Sounds like your dealer is making any excuse possible to charge you extra.

Ask your dealer what upgrades are required to your vehicles software and what changes these will make. Ask him to list them down.

Once he has done this go through the list and ask him what was wrong with the original version of the code for each item.

If there was something wrong with it then it is changes they are making under warranty and therefore not chargable

If there was nothing wrong with it then why change it????

 

[jem16]

haggle with the dealer tell him you can get the service done cheaper somewhere else.

That's exactly what I had done.

I asked the price at the Seat dealer and he told me it was £150 and asked when I wanted to book it in. I then told him I was still thinking about it as my local garage was quoting cheaper. That's when I got the sales spiel.

He wouldn't even give me a free courtesy car - it was management policy to charge £11 now.

 

[jem16]

Sounds like your dealer is making any excuse possible to charge you extra.

Ask your dealer what upgrades are required to your vehicles software and what changes these will make. Ask him to list them down.

Once he has done this go through the list and ask him what was wrong with the original version of the code for each item.

If there was something wrong with it then it is changes they are making under warranty and therefore not chargable

If there was nothing wrong with it then why change it????

Good ideas.

However the experience has left a sour tsate in my mouth. Up until now I had been very pleased with them.

The car is now booked into my local dealer whom I have had years of good business with and they know me well. They do all the family's servicing/repair work.

I feel like writing a complaint to the dealership but probably won't get anywhere.

 

[Donnyboy]

What garage was it and where have you now booked it in?

I've found W.Livingston to have good pricing and service. I've had my 1st and 2nd service done there. They did the services on my last Leon FR too, although I did get AC Linwood to do the 2nd service on the FR as they were cheaper and closer.

 

[jem16]

I've found W.Livingston to have good pricing and service.

So did I until yesterday's conversation with their service manager! I may well have paid the difference but I object to being told a load of rubbish - I'd rather he had just said that he feels they do a better job but the decision was mine.

The local garage is not a main dealer but I've used them for years.

 

[Donnyboy]

So did I until yesterday's conversation with their service manager! I may well have paid the difference but I object to being told a load of rubbish - I'd rather he had just said that he feels they do a better job but the decision was mine.

The local garage is not a main dealer but I've used them for years.

I'll be wary in the future with them then. I would feel the same as you if I was in your position.