Ford servicing

stu-b

My 58 plate Ford Focus is due it's service soon.

Will I need to take it to a Ford garage for the service (for warranty purposes) or can I take it anywhere?

Thanks,

Stuart

Rossy.

You can take it to any garage that is V.A.T registered and your warranty will be upheld

Gives you a better choice, most prob a better service and overall cheaper cost

Only problem i feel with this is the stamp in the servie book. The Manufacturers stamp always carries more weight strangely but i'd rather save money than worry about a garages stamp anyway

BillTrac

Stu-b

if you let us know whereabouts you live, or can get your car to, then we could maybe suggest a local garage.

I am on my second Focus, and in the three years I have had them I have never used the main stealership for servicing

stu-b

Thanks for the replies.

I live in East Kilbride near Glasgow. I've just booked it through Evans Halshaw (Ford) so that it's done using an approved Ford dealer. Standard service is going to cost me £139. With that I'll get 1400 Nectar points and a years free roadside assistance. Not too bad I think considering I was originally quoted £179.

Hammyman

Also what people are forgetting is that a non-Ford dealership won't do the annual bodywork inspection which means no stamp in that part of the book so 7 or 8 years down the line if any corrosion appears, you can't get Ford to repair it for free. For me, the difference between main dealer and local garage is £2. The garage changes things that aren't needed (diesel fuel filter) and doesn't change something which is needed (pollen filter).

smjxm09

To maintain the warranty a non Ford garage needs to use Ford parts. Also there are the little things like what engine oil the garage uses as Ford are very particular on what goes in their engines. I suspect that there is many a garage that just sticks in the wrong type of low grade engine oil as you will never know until it is too late.

ukjoel

I would say that a lot depends on what you plan to do with the car in the next couple of years. The Ford dealer will be more expensive but the Full main dealer service history book can often pull that money back when you sell it. Also a lot of main dealers do value service offers to compete with the independents so you still get the stamp.

One trick is to wait a few weeks after your due date and see if their marketing dept kicks in with a special offer letter.
With Ford you get a 1000 mile one month flex on service dates and warranty is still valid.

greggp_2

it will be cheaper than a main dealer but be warned....I took mine (Ford focus 08 plate Titanium 1.8 petrol - 20k miles) for a service last weekend to a non-ford dealer and they changed the spark plugs and one blew and a piece of the plug did internal damage to the cylinder head and damaged a valve.....the garage admitted liability and have stripped the engine and repaired it. Since spoke to ford who advised that plugs wouldnt need changing until its 3rd service (3yrs - 37.5k) - Don't want to scare you off and end of paying ford a whack for a routine service but please check that whatever garage you take it to they do a service in line with ford specification and not their own recommendations!