VW polo service

sak46

Hello

I have a S reg vw polo that I have had from new,it has done 65,000 miles, its a lovely car.

I have had it serviced at our main vw garage and it has full service history.

I am considering going to a local garage for the service this year,rather than the main dealer I would be grateful if anybody had any thoughts on that or should I stick with the main vw garage.

Thanks for any advice.

Sak46

steveo3002

s reg polo isnt worth a massive amount of money, so non dealer stamps in the book wont loose you thousands of pounds if ever you sell it

id say find a decent place that does a good job and use them instead, its a basic car to work on,you shouldnt have any problems

markelock

agree. going to a dealer is a waste of time. I doubt they have any more specialised mechanics, as they've been dealing with considerably newer cars for years since yours went out of warranty!

find someone you trust, get a couple of quotes, break them down in terms of what they are charging for, and double check a dealer quote, which will probably be 100% more expensive.

TiTheRev

I would be biased working at a VW garage but I honestly think a VW dealer would do you a better service. Ive been both sides of the fence, working with local garages and dealers and the dealer standard is infinately better. It just depends how much you value a safe car!

During a VW service your car will go through a 205point check of all the relevant tyre pressures/fluid levels/lights/brakes/exhaust and wiper condition etc, etc, etc... You will get a report on what may or may not require replacement at any time soon, and you dont of course need to get any of that work done, but at least you know and can keep an eye on it. You will get genuine VW parts, not nasty aftermarket parts or oil (ive seen split oil filters, oil that looks dirtier than the stuff being taken out, and brake pads that have fallen of the backing!).

Genuine service history is a big plus in my book, up to you though

Smiffyboy

Get some quotes, like Steveo says your not losing a lot of value by having not having a VW dealer stamp and there are plenty of good workshops out there which give a great service. Check out https://www.goodgaragescheme.co.uk (i think - might be .com) to find a good local garage near you and what people have said about it.

BillScarab

I'd find a non-franchised VW specialist. We used to have an Audi and the guy who serviced it for us was an ex VW main dealer mechanic and was excellent. His charges were reasonable and he was more thorough than any main delaer I've been to.

hewhoisnotintheknow

you will never recoup the value of the official stamp over a specialist

overall condition of the car and the attitude of the owner towards servicing is more important than where the stamp came from

Road_Hog

sak46 wrote: »

I am considering going to a local garage for the service this year,rather than the main dealer I would be grateful if anybody had any thoughts on that or should I stick with the main vw garage.

Service history (not to be confused with quality servicing) is only of any value when you come to sell the car. Generally after about 5 or 6 years, an average car has little value left and the service history can't do a lot to change that. Considering your car is over 10 years old and you don't sound like you're going to be selling it anytime soon, I can't see any value in a franchised dealer service unless they're offering discounted rates on older cars.

TiTheRev

We're doing "essential services" at the moment (basic oil change and the 205 check), for £89 at the moment. You're local dealer may be doing a similar deal? For me, dealer history is infinately more valued than fred-in-a-shed service history, no matter how old the car.

I'd find a non-franchised VW specialist. We used to have an Audi and the guy who serviced it for us was an ex VW main dealer mechanic and was excellent. His charges were reasonable and he was more thorough than any main delaer I've been to.

I cant see how that is possible, because dealers have to adhere to VW standards for servicing, use certain oils, do certain checks and ALL technicians go on regular courses to stay up to date with current technologies and procedures. How can an ex-VW mechanic keep up with that?

hewhoisnotintheknow

TiTheRev wrote: »

We're doing "essential services" at the moment (basic oil change and the 205 check), for £89 at the moment. You're local dealer may be doing a similar deal? For me, dealer history is infinately more valued than fred-in-a-shed service history, no matter how old the car.



I cant see how that is possible, because dealers have to adhere to VW standards for servicing, use certain oils, do certain checks and ALL technicians go on regular courses to stay up to date with current technologies and procedures. How can an ex-VW mechanic keep up with that?

I undestand what your saying, but in this case the car is 10 years old and simple in terms of mechanics.

steveo3002

so its £89 for a oil change and poke round for extra work

its a very basic car that any vw independant will cope with easily, they would also look round it and advise if anything else needs looking at

remember any additinal work at a vw will soon mount up the silly labour and parts costs

205 point check sounds impressive , is it left side light item #1 , left dip beam item #2 and so on? soon adds up i bet

basic old car...any old garage can cope, just try and find one that wont rip you off