Keep with Main Dealer servicing/maintenance or not?

[kevster184]

Hi

What are the Pros and Cons of going to main dealers for ever and a day?

I've had my Leon for coming up four years now and so far it's had 3 services, due it's 4th in a few weeks.

I've had what I think is rubbish service from my local main dealer, they have made mistakes or worse damaged the car each time.

The staff are different each time and I'm telling them what they should be telling me.

This year they are doing the service for free due to what happened last year.

I met the service manger who is fine, but they don't work on the car!

Advantages of the main dealer are

- free 12months breakdown each year
- any software updates/recalls

I am also due a DSG oil/filter change for which they want £199 but several local VAG specialists can do it for £60 less.

The cambelt due next year at a specialist is £185 less, in fact if I went to VW it would be £40 less!

I have a 4 year full factory warranty from new I extended which expires in May.

I know even from new you can go to any decent garage but depending how long I keep the car you still have to be carefull.

For example I had two VW Golf's before with paint issues, still covered under 12 years anti corrosion warranty. First question they asked 'does it have full main dealer service history?' If not they pretty much say you arn't covered.

I know the world of car buying had been massively changed by PCP, esspecially used values, I believe some stipulate you have to go to a main dealer (not sure if Seat do)

My other car which is a 'modern classic' I do all the work myself, including the cambelt recently. Genuine parts, keep all pa per work.

I would personally not have a problem buying a used Seat with a few years main dealer history and then specialist.

People's thoughts?

 

[BoomerBoom]

I've only used dealers for servicing until the warranty is up, after that a local garage who is always busy because their work is reliable and competitive.

Had some awful experiences with dealers where tools were left in the engine, parts missing or broken and all they cared about was the list of 'advisory' repairs they found were needed - always four tyres no matter how much tread was left. Also had some good experiences, but not for a long time now.

 

[Oldbutswift]

Main dealer while car is under manufacturer warranty,independent specialist thereafter.
(If they are especially crap,leave them asap and go to an indie who provides paperwork to show car has been serviced to maker's specs.)

Buy your own breakdown cover.

I would forget about a long term corrosion claim,very unlikely and would you want to keep a car that was showing these signs?

 

[kevster184]

I would forget about a long term corrosion claim,very unlikely and would you want to keep a car that was showing these signs?

Even if you do like I have after repairs/paint in the past It's never the same!

I was offered a job when I said how it should have been done.....apparently skilled Technicians are like rocking horse sh*t!

 

[noonoo63]

Hi

What are the Pros and Cons of going to main dealers for ever and a day?

I've had my Leon for coming up four years now and so far it's had 3 services, due it's 4th in a few weeks.

I've had what I think is rubbish service from my local main dealer, they have made mistakes or worse damaged the car each time.

The staff are different each time and I'm telling them what they should be telling me.

This year they are doing the service for free due to what happened last year.

I met the service manger who is fine, but they don't work on the car!

Advantages of the main dealer are

- free 12months breakdown each year
- any software updates/recalls

I am also due a DSG oil/filter change for which they want £199 but several local VAG specialists can do it for £60 less.

The cambelt due next year at a specialist is £185 less, in fact if I went to VW it would be £40 less!

I have a 4 year full factory warranty from new I extended which expires in May.

I know even from new you can go to any decent garage but depending how long I keep the car you still have to be carefull.

For example I had two VW Golf's before with paint issues, still covered under 12 years anti corrosion warranty. First question they asked 'does it have full main dealer service history?' If not they pretty much say you arn't covered.

I know the world of car buying had been massively changed by PCP, esspecially used values, I believe some stipulate you have to go to a main dealer (not sure if Seat do)

My other car which is a 'modern classic' I do all the work myself, including the cambelt recently. Genuine parts, keep all pa per work.

I would personally not have a problem buying a used Seat with a few years main dealer history and then specialist.

People's thoughts?

There are two points of view to your question IMO. Yes you do get crap dealers and I have had issues in the past with a well known Scottish dealer who I would not recommend to anyone on the planet.
I bought my Leon in 2014 from a dealer who subsequently went out of business and all the servicing on my car has been done by the dealer who took over the Seat franchise. My experience has been excellent from the servicing point of view as well as warranty work for the past five years. The service advisors have been very polite, most helpful and when you mention something that you have seen on this forum they get an answer for you e.g. my car had a cambelt change recently and I booked a water pump replacement at the same time but had seen on here that 1.4 tsi 140 ps engines are not driven by the cambelt. Mentioned this to service advisor who went away and checked with technician
who confirmed after checking car this was so. There have been other instances so I can only comment through experience of the dealership that I use.
I am sure there are many dealers even in the same group who fall far below our expectations and then the ball is in our court......walk away and get someone who is recommended.

 

[kevster184]

There are two points of view to your question IMO...
I am sure there are many dealers even in the same group who fall far below our expectations and then the ball is in our court......walk away and get someone who is recommended.

I actually took the car back to where I bought it at a year old because they did a service for free as part of the deal, although a long round trip (bought via carwow)

Great bunch of people but the technician got something wrong and it leaked oil from the filter and deposited it in the undertray.

It was sorted at the time but I didn't know what a mess I still had in the tray until I took it off a year later for another reason. Needless to say the noise insulation in the tray has never been the same since.

At least I had some Karma in the fact that that technician didn't work there much longer!