£1,000-plus main dealer bill

ooo000ooo

Murphy_The_Cat wrote:

If your happy using "pattern" parts and non VW trained people on your car, then go for it, you'll save a packet - just don't do back to the dealer when one of the non-VW parts has failed (say a radiator hose) and has seized the engine expecting any sympathy whatsoever from them, because you won't get any.

QUOTE]

For the problems they've been advised to get fixed, any monkey with a socket set could change them and do as good a job as a vw trained mechanic. It's only nut's and bolts. On a 4 year old car even a failed genuine VW part fitted by a genuine VW mechanic causing a major problem would be unlikely to attract any sympathy from a main dealer?

Murphy_The_Cat

ooo000ooo wrote:

Murphy_The_Cat wrote:

If your happy using "pattern" parts and non VW trained people on your car, then go for it, you'll save a packet - just don't do back to the dealer when one of the non-VW parts has failed (say a radiator hose) and has seized the engine expecting any sympathy whatsoever from them, because you won't get any.

QUOTE]

For the problems they've been advised to get fixed, any monkey with a socket set could change them and do as good a job as a vw trained mechanic. It's only nut's and bolts. On a 4 year old car even a failed genuine VW part fitted by a genuine VW mechanic causing a major problem would be unlikely to attract any sympathy from a main dealer?

oo.......

Again I disagree with you. If you have a dealer replace a part and that part fails (like in my instance a radiator hose) and leads to consequential loss i.e the engine, you are MUCH more likely to get some help from the manufacturer/dealer than a non OEM part that has failed causing the damage.
I know this because it has happened to me both ways !
I currently own 5 Renault vans (but have many more over the years) and I have had gearboxes & engines (& plenty of other items) replaced FOC outside of the warranty period because I have been a good customer and always used Renault Service & Renault parts.

It's worked for me.

MTC

p.s. but if I had a 4 year old car that i was just about to replace, I'd be looking for the cheapest repairs that I could !!:D

ooo000ooo

Murphy_The_Cat wrote:

ooo000ooo wrote:

oo.......

Again I disagree with you. If you have a dealer replace a part and that part fails (like in my instance a radiator hose) and leads to consequential loss i.e the engine, you are MUCH more likely to get some help from the manufacturer/dealer than a non OEM part that has failed causing the damage.
I know this because it has happened to me both ways !
I currently own 5 Renault vans (but have many more over the years) and I have had gearboxes & engines (& plenty of other items) replaced FOC outside of the warranty period because I have been a good customer and always used Renault Service & Renault parts.

It's worked for me.

MTC

p.s. but if I had a 4 year old car that i was just about to replace, I'd be looking for the cheapest repairs that I could !!:D

You make a valid point

cheeky

i got to https://www.nationwideautocentres.co.uk - use my tesco vouchers for services so they never cost me more that £40 in tesco vouchers (our 2.4 honda accord is £160 list, compared to Honda's £280 quote). Prompt, good service.

Pads were half the honda price. i also have an old rover 214, complete new zorst fitted, £100!

nej

MTC has some good points. But the dealer I used to use for my Passat (now replaced) charged over £100 per hour for labour... and I'm not convinced they were great mechanics either, they took ages to find a fault with my car.

They wanted about £30 to change the battery in my keyfob. I bought the battery from RS for about a pound and changed it in under 30 seconds.

tomstickland

£1,150! LOL.
Motor factors brake pads are going to cost £50 tops, a complete set of shocks around £200 and, say, an exhaust section £100. So maybe £350 worth of parts and a few hours at £60 per hour. Still comes to around £650.

Murphy_The_Cat

tomstickland wrote:

£1,150! LOL.
Motor factors brake pads are going to cost £50 tops, a complete set of shocks around £200 and, say, an exhaust section £100. So maybe £350 worth of parts and a few hours at £60 per hour. Still comes to around £650.

Hi Tom

so the difference between the main dealer and A.N Other comes to £200.
Main dealer £1150 - £300 service = £850 with VW parts & fully guaranteed repairs
AN Other £650 - non VW parts and possibly limited warranty parts.

Not just as clear cut any more.
Having said that, if I was getting shot of the car, I'd still get the cheapest repair possible. Going the dealer route only makes sense if you've got a long term interest in the car.

MTC

sheeny_2

MiM wrote:

..decided to get it MOT'd and serviced first.

You don't say if you've had the MoT done yet.

If you haven't, I strongly advise you to take it to one of the Local Authority Test Centres (Martin's got a feature elsewhere on this site about these).

These Test Centres have no vested interest in selling you parts, neither will they try to coerce you into having unnecessary expensive work done.
So you can use them for their completely impartial opinion on the true condition of your car.

If the car passes its MoT and they don't mention problems with the brakes, shocks etc. then SAVE YOUR MONEY.
You can sell the car with a clear conscience if it's got an MoT.

Taking your car to a garage or fast-fit centre reminds me of the old saying: 'never ask the barber whether you need a haircut'

Hope this helps.

MiM

Many thanks, all very helpful.

Just to conclude, I took it to Kwikfit ready to get a quote and take it elsewhere and guess what? They inspected all the points picked up and say there's nothing needs doing at this time!

Even though the dealer had told me it had failed the MOT without some of the work, the certificate was miraculously presented to me along with my service record when I picked up the car.

Will sell the car and buy an older one and invest the difference in cost in something that might increase in value instead of rusting away.

Thanks again.

Murphy_The_Cat

MiM wrote:

Even though the dealer had told me it had failed the MOT without some of the work, the certificate was miraculously presented to me along with my service record when I picked up the car.


Thanks again.

thats bang out of order !

I have had some horrendous experiences in the past with kwick-fit type places creating work (dripping oil down a shocker to show that it was leaking was a classic), but for the VW dealer to do this was VERY, VERY poor. Are you going to take it further or just let it lie ?

MTC