Main Dealer "Major" Service work

[Mr Pig]

More normally the customer gets phoned and told all their tyres are dangerously worn and need to be urgently replaced at £150 each, even when there is over 4mm tread left and the exact same tyre can be had for £100.

Exactly correct.

I got a call from my local dealer while the car was in for a service telling me that the brake pads were low and asking if I wanted them changed. I check these things myself and told the woman the pads were not low and to just do the work I'd asked for. I don't think the pads were even half worn! It was years before they were changed.

You expect this sort of crap from Quick Fit but it really is shameful that dealers do it too. And they do it all the time. Most people will have no idea how worn their brake pads are so will pay hundreds for work that does not need done.

 

[Deev]

In fairness this dealer gave me the "video report" walk around of my car during the service whilst it was on the ramps and gave everything a clean bill of health.

 

[Rooster]

In my opinion, for a six/seven year old car you need to find a VAG Independent Repair Business.

 

[Deev]

Yeah - in retrospect agreed - I just didn't really want to travel too far during this whole lockdown bullshit and wanted the first service in my ownership to be "proper"...

But next time...

 

[70 Plate- Cupra 290]

Take it to a good reliable local garage instead cut price by 60 percent..

 

[black_sheep]

Take it to a good reliable local garage instead cut price by 60 percent..

60% saving? I would be highly surprised if it’s this much to be honest - in my experience it’s only 5-10% saving between specialist and dealer, but the dealer is now offering European breakdown cover and it’s much easier to apply the 2 year guarantee on the spares fitted.

In addition, all of the VAG dealers I’ve used were prepared to price match their local independents/specialists if it is confirmed by quote that they are using genuine VAG spares.

As I’ve quoted in other posts, their are some tasks e.g. haldex oil change / strainer clean that I would get performed at the specialist as the dealer will not complete it.

 

[70 Plate- Cupra 290]

60% saving? I would be highly surprised if it’s this much to be honest - in my experience it’s only 5-10% saving between specialist and dealer, but the dealer is now offering European breakdown cover and it’s much easier to apply the 2 year guarantee on the spares fitted.

In addition, all of the VAG dealers I’ve used were prepared to price match their local independents/specialists if it is confirmed by quote that they are using genuine VAG spares.

As I’ve quoted in other posts, their are some tasks e.g. haldex oil change / strainer clean that I would get performed at the specialist as the dealer will not complete it.

For example a oil change and standard service it cost:
1 x Oil service and 1 x Oil and Inspection Extended Scope
£413.74
(incl. VAT)


My corner garage does all this stuff except vacum wash and "updates if required" for £50.

 

[RUM4MO]

For example a oil change and standard service it cost:
1 x Oil service and 1 x Oil and Inspection Extended Scope
£413.74
(incl. VAT)


My corner garage does all this stuff except vacuum wash and "updates if required" for £50.

I'd be thinking that making that comparison as being a "like for like" excluding the "free" wash/scratch and vac is being unrealistic, I'd stick with independent VAG specialists as they will have all the required VAG licences for support/updates.

 

[mdaw1985]

413 sounds ludicrous. I've never paid that for any service. 320 is probably the most I have paid with anyone. Small local garage or chain. That's usually when I've actually needed new brake pads etc. Just for the normal/large service 280.

 

[RUM4MO]

413 sounds ludicrous. I've never paid that for any service. 320 is probably the most I have paid with anyone. Small local garage or chain. That's usually when I've actually needed new brake pads etc. Just for the normal/large service 280.

Plus the way that posting that you are referring to was written makes it sound like the combined cost of a "minor" and a "major" service was £413.

 

[Walone]

In many ways there can be benefits to having main dealer servicing, my niece has a Jan 2013 car she purchased in July 2019 (not a Seat) which had 2 previous owners, one of which was the dealer she bought it from (it was a fully loaded demo car). It has full service history with same dealer including 1 in August 2020. About 2 weeks ago it lost all the coolant suddenly and the engine overheated with virtually no warning, a local garage told her she needed a new engine! She contacted the main dealer and they are fitting a new engine FOC!!

 

[Deev]

In many ways there can be benefits to having main dealer servicing, my niece has a Jan 2013 car she purchased in July 2019 (not a Seat) which had 2 previous owners, one of which was the dealer she bought it from (it was a fully loaded demo car). It has full service history with same dealer including 1 in August 2020. About 2 weeks ago it lost all the coolant suddenly and the engine overheated with virtually no warning, a local garage told her she needed a new engine! She contacted the main dealer and they are fitting a new engine FOC!!

Not a Focus was it? I know that a catastrophic coolant leak was a known issue with some of the early 1.0 Ecoboost engines that I think was subject to recall (although saying that, one would have expected the dealer to have done the work!)

 

[Tara]

I just had a Main Service done at our local Seat Dealer including spark plugs and brake fluid and it worked out £30 cheaper than a VW independent.

 

[Mr Pig]

In many ways there can be benefits to having main dealer servicing,

Absolutely. The two groups of people think dealer servicing is great are dealers and most of the people who buy cars! I know dealer servicing is a scam but even I want to see a row of dealer stamps when buying a car. It's a bit like McDonald's, it might not be brilliant but at least you know it's not dog food. And the person who buys the car off you might be in the 'McDonald's is brilliant' camp.

 

[Tara]

Absolutely. The two groups of people think dealer servicing is great are dealers and most of the people who buy cars! I know dealer servicing is a scam but even I want to see a row of dealer stamps when buying a car. It's a bit like McDonald's, it might not be brilliant but at least you know it's not dog food. And the person who buys the car off you might be in the 'McDonald's is brilliant' camp.

Exactly , people on here might say go to an independent but the first thing people look for when buying a car is a Main Dealer History and its like you can't afford to look after it properly if it doesn't, we know that's not always the case but it's how some buyers perceive it.

 

[Walone]

Not a Focus was it? I know that a catastrophic coolant leak was a known issue with some of the early 1.0 Ecoboost engines that I think was subject to recall (although saying that, one would have expected the dealer to have done the work!)

Congratulations, right first time! When I looked at the car, before it was towed to the main dealer, it looked as though the recall had been done and there was no evidence of any external water leaks that I could see. I removed all the spark plugs and found water in all 3 cylinders (the engine had 'hydrolocked'), I disabled the fuel injectors and gave the engine a spin on the starter and it 'flooded' the engine compartment! There was no sign of water in the oil either.

 

[Mr Pig]

Congratulations, right first time!

I discovered this fiasco when I was looking at Fiestas. Astounding and quite shocking the way Ford treated a lot of people. You were lucky, a lot of people were left with large bills for Ford's crap design.

 

[Walone]

I discovered this fiasco when I was looking at Fiestas. Astounding and quite shocking the way Ford treated a lot of people. You were lucky, a lot of people were left with large bills for Ford's crap design.

If I hadn't done a bit of research first I think my niece would probably have had the engine 'reconditioned' somewhere at a cost of about £1900, I think it helped that it had FSH and she was 'armed' with the info I had given her.

 

[Yern]

The cars I've used for work (personally owned) in current job I've always had main dealer serviced. If anything goes wrong, certainly in the warranty period I can just give them the keys and say "down to you to sort it"!!

 

[Mr Pig]

If I hadn't done a bit of research first I think my niece would probably have had the engine 'reconditioned' somewhere at a cost of about £1900, I think it helped that it had FSH and she was 'armed' with the info I had given her.

I can't remember the exact numbers but at the time I looked into it Ford had replaced something like 20K Ecoboost engines but they'd only covered about half of them under warranty. So about 10K people had been left to pick up the tab. Basically, if you didn't fight for it you didn't get it.

There was a big stink about and I remember something about them retrospectively paying out but it's not really the point. The point is that there were a huge number of engine failures within the warranty period and Ford were not stellar in sorting it out. Once out of warranty I think you can forget it. As the car gets older a coolant leak, and therefor engine death, will become more likely and Ford won't want to know.