Is it worth having your car serviced in dealership? Please, really need advice!

Fly_Baby

My car's servicing is due soon and usually I had it done at Kwik-Fit for about £130 for full service. But now one of chain dealerships of my car make have a generous 50% off discount on servicing - which comes to £135 (full price 270).

I was considering doing that because they claim to "customize service to a particular model as opposed to Kwik-Fit who just do some standard things" - and it's currently the same price anyway. What concerns me though is that in the process of servicing they might come up with some suggestion about the car - extra job, to replace this, to fix that - and I wouldn't have any idea of whether that's really essential or are they just trying to "make up" for the 50% discount.

I know very little about cars and so does my OH so I'll be really easy to fool.

So should I go for the discounted service at the dealership or just get back to the Kwik Fit (or whatever at the reasonable price). Is servicing at dealership really of superior quality?

Many thanks in advance for advice/opinions.

nomoneytoday

If it's the same price, get the main dealer to do it.
You can always say no to additional work and get it done elsewhere

computershack

It depends....

My last service on my Mondeo at the Ford dealership was £149. An annual service at the local garage I use was £147.

HOWEVER the Ford dealership service also included a bodywork check and a stamp in the service book which extends the anti-corrosion warranty another 12 months. Without that stamp, the anti-corrosion warranty is invalid.

Regardless of the above, there is no way on this earth would I ever entrust Kwik-Fit to do anything at all to any car I owned.

michaelro

As above.

Personally I'd rather pay a monkey to service my car than QwikFit.
Oh hang on...
(Have a search on here for examples....)

What car and how old is it?

What exactly are they doing (Kwik Fit) for the 'full' service?

For my car, Typical Annual Service Items (10k, 30k, 50k etc):

Oil & Oil Filter Change
Pollen Filter
Screen Wash
+ Checks to General Mechanics, Lights, Tyes Fluids etc

Full Service (20k, 60k, etc):

As Annual +
Full Brake Check

Major Service (40k, 80k etc):

As Full +
Fuel Filter
Spark Plugs

Others
Every 2 Years - Brake Fluid Change (Some will include this within a full service)
Every 4/5 Years between 40 to 100k (Car dependant) - Cambelt Change (If Required)

I would expect to pay between £100-150 for the Annual, £150-£200 for a full and £200+ for the Major.

LandyAndy

Fly_Baby wrote: »

So should I go for the discounted service at the dealership or just get back to the Kwik Fit (or whatever at the reasonable price). Is servicing at dealership really of superior quality?

Many thanks in advance for advice/opinions.

Than KwikFit, almost certainly.
Than a good independent, probably not.

C_Mababejive

I would tend toward the main dealer even though this will inevitably be a loss leader pitch in the hope of getting extra work.

As always,the only thing that matters is the skill,dedication and experience of the man (or woman !) on the job. It doesnt matter who he works for.

There are crap and good main dealer mechanics and crap/good indies/kwikfit types.

I do 80% of my own work so it isnt an issue for me.

Fly_Baby

Thanks for all your replies!

I was amazed to read that you all have such a strong negative opinion about Kwik-Fit.

Guess it goes to prove that I really do know very little about cars...

Fly_Baby

michaelro wrote: »

For my car, Typical Annual Service Items (10k, 30k, 50k etc):

Oil & Oil Filter Change
Pollen Filter
Screen Wash
+ Checks to General Mechanics, Lights, Tyes Fluids etc

Full Service (20k, 60k, etc):

As Annual +
Full Brake Check

Major Service (40k, 80k etc):

As Full +
Fuel Filter
Spark Plugs

Others
Every 2 Years - Brake Fluid Change (Some will include this within a full service)
Every 4/5 Years between 40 to 100k (Car dependant) - Cambelt Change (If Required)

I would expect to pay between £100-150 for the Annual, £150-£200 for a full and £200+ for the Major.

michaelro, for my car, I was quoted £270 for annual service and £630 for major service - half that with the 50% discount. So really expensive.

But I was thinking - since the dealership has this offer - maybe I'd better go for the major service? My car is coming up to 7 years old and has over 80K in mileage and never had one. Would you say it's worth doing then?

michaelro

Fly_Baby wrote: »

michaelro, for my car, I was quoted £270 for annual service and £630 for major service - half that with the 50% discount. So really expensive.

But I was thinking - since the dealership has this offer - maybe I'd better go for the major service? My car is coming up to 7 years old and has over 80K in mileage and never had one. Would you say it's worth doing then?

As mentioned before, it depends on the car as what I quoted was for my car (VAG Group)

If your car has a cambelt (instead of a chain) and it's never been changed, I personally would recommend it.
It's expensive, but if it goes (depending on your engine type) it's even more expensive...
If you do this, make sure to get the Waterpump replaced at the same time.

£630??? I'm assuming this is a BMW?

What is included in the £630 Service? - I assume this will halve to £315?

ukjoel

Twice I have had my car serviced at a main dealer and all ok but tryes needed.

Both occasions I took it to Kwik Fit (due to speed and convenience) and both times Kwik Fit told me that my exhaust was corroding terribly and needed changing.

Bearing in mind the car had been serviced AND MOTd that morning I asked them to details the issue in writing and both times they said it was against company policy to do so.

Only my personal experience but it sounds like this is the norm.
I wouldnt go back for anything other than tyres.

Fly_Baby

michaelro wrote: »

As mentioned before, it depends on the car as what I quoted was for my car (VAG Group)

If your car has a cambelt (instead of a chain) and it's never been changed, I personally would recommend it.
It's expensive, but if it goes (depending on your engine type) it's even more expensive...
If you do this, make sure to get the Waterpump replaced at the same time.

£630??? I'm assuming this is a BMW?

What is included in the £630 Service? - I assume this will halve to £315?

Thanks for your advice - the guy on the phone did ask about the cambelt and it has in fact never been changed.

No, it's a Mazda. And not a new model at that. Yes, with the current offer the major service is £315 (and that includes replacement of cambelt).