I had my 1.4tsi belt done a few years ago at the dealer, which isn't like me. Why?
You know you'll get OEM parts, not the cheapest belt kit they can find.
You get a five-year warranty on it.
It's not that much more expensive than an independent.
The 1.4 eco tsi engine needs expensive equipment to set the timing very exactly right. An independent garage may not have this or even be aware that it is needed. A dealer has to have but but it might be harder for an independent to justify.
Doing away with the timed replacement interval is a strange one and I don't understand it yet. I'm not naive enough to take it at face value as manufacturers do stupid **** all the time. BMW introduced two-year service intervals on their cars to make them more attractive to fleet users but neglected to inform the engines that they only needed new oil every two years. Blocked oil galleys and destroyed engines was the result. Ford thought it was a good idea to run their timing belts in oil and they were wrong. So am I assuming I can run my timing belt forever with an occasional sideways look to see if it's still happy? No. Don't know what I'll do exactly but when the time rolls round again I'll be looking into it.
And remember that if your timing belt does not get changed, neither does your water pump.
