Servicing an Audi A3

Simon_B_2

Hi,

Once the debts are clear and in the next year i plan to sell my very nice VW Golf TDI and purchase a newer Audi A3 TDI 2000+ model, since my shares are due to mature and are going strong.
However a few people have told me that the servicing on these is fairly astronomical when compared to a VW as you have to buy genuine Audi parts but if you lift the bonnet on the golf most of these parts are Audi anyway.
I'm planning on getting it regularly serviced at a local dealer rather than an Audi dealer would any body have any idea of the jump in cost or is this all a rumour?

Reluctant_spender

For all car related enquiries I always visit this site - gives the pro's and con and if there has been a manufactures recall.

https://www.honestjohn.co.uk

Nile

Hello Simon_B

Your thread will be better placed in the 'Motoring & Public Transport' board, so I'll move it across for you.

Hi, Martin’s asked me to post this in these circumstances: I’ve asked Board Guides to move threads if they’ll receive a better response elsewhere(please see this rule) so this post/thread has been moved to another board, where it should get more replies. If you have any questions about this policy please email [EMAIL="abuse@moneysavingexpert.com"]abuse@moneysavingexpert.com[/EMAIL].

Regards

Nile

nearlyrich

I had an Audi A3 and the very worse thing about it was the service network, the three garages I used over almost 4 years were all rubbish and not at all customer orientated. I can't comment on the exact costs as it was a company car but I know there they are one of the most expensive cars for parts etc. Have you seen the new Seat Leon?

Simon_B_2

nearlyrich wrote:

I had an Audi A3 and the very worse thing about it was the service network, the three garages I used over almost 4 years were all rubbish and not at all customer orientated. I can't comment on the exact costs as it was a company car but I know there they are one of the most expensive cars for parts etc. Have you seen the new Seat Leon?

Hi yes, i even commented on one today, they are very nice. Drove one up to manchester earlier in the year. Will have a look at prices and such. Many thanks

geo555

My friend bought a Seat Ibiza and was told that you can have it serviced at any VAG garage - VW, Audi, Seat, Bentley or Lamborghini.
Try and avoid the last two though.

Brian_Spratt

Some interesting points made in answer to Simon's post about Audi A3 servicing. Can I comment?

Dealers are always more expensive that independent garages for servicing. There are lots of contributory factors for this. Their premises are usually sited in a better location - higher rents, rates etc. The car makers force them to fit out their showrooms and workshops to a particular specification to maintain brand image and that can cost a lot more than if they were to just go out and buy things from the general market. Also they make little or nothing on the sale of new cars, so they try to recoup that by charging more from parts and service.

Many independent garages can service any car, but they don't have the perceived image of a dealer, but that's no reason not to use them.

What you need to ask is; are their staff trained on the latest models, do they have diagnostic equipment to suit your car and are they quoting you a price for whatever it is they are going to do, and what happens if they need to do more work? You should try and get this in writing. You should also tell them that you want to see any parts they remove from the car and you want details of the parts they've used to replace them.

Even a new car can be serviced by an independent garage without losing the car maker's warranty. The garage has to make sure it has a copy of the maker's service schedule and that they record everything they do to the car, and the parts need to be of 'appropriate' quality - and a record kept of each part fitted and where it was obtained from.

It takes a bit of trouble to do all this, but you can save a lot of money.

Parting shot - I used the phrase 'car makers', 'cos that's how most people see them. Actually I prefer to call them 'Vehicle Assemblers' because they assemble 'their' vehicles from parts made by other companies - only about 20% of the vehicle is actually made by the company whose name is on the bonnet.

greenstick

I purchased a Golf in Feb and have had good dealings with an independant VW/Audi specialist, cost slightly more than a "general" mechanic but nowhere near the cost of a main dealer. They claim to be staffed by ex-main dealer mechanics and the service has been very good (better than the main dealers I went to with my last car)

May be worth trying to locate one in your area.

K9cuddles

geo555 wrote:

My friend bought a Seat Ibiza and was told that you can have it serviced at any VAG garage - VW, Audi, Seat, Bentley or Lamborghini.
Try and avoid the last two though.

Most will only do it if they have the same engine spec in their model.. ie.. I think 150bhp Golf, 150bhp TT and 225bhp LCR are all 1.8T's but due to different powerout puts the components are different. Well that's what I was told as I tried to get my Seat serviced at Skodia.. but they had no matching model equal.

gord115

I have a Skoda Fabia vrs with the VW/Audi engine.Even when it was under warrenty I had it serviced at an indepedent garage.
I bought the parts at the Skoda dealers (Oil,filters etc-cost £60) and took them to the independent garage who charged me another £60 to service it and change the brake fluid.Total cost £120.Skoda wanted £250
Since then I had to take the car back to Skoda for a warranty claim on a new door seal and there wasn't a problem.
Most important-Save all reciepts.

piggeh

As someone stated, you should be able to go to any VAG dealer garage and get it serviced there. The VAG TDI unit is pretty standard I believe.