Where to service my Astra?

vikramrkin

Hi All,

I am after some advice on where to get my car serviced. I have 2008 Auto Astra. This is the first time I will be servicing my car so I dont know what are the best options. I have got conflicting views from couple of friends near by about some independent local garages.


So I am thinking of either dealer or other reputed places. So far, I manage to find two of them:


http://www.monorep.co.uk/carservicewestlondon/index.aspx


and


http://www.cargiant.co.uk/servicecentre/motservice.asp (cargiant because thats where I bought the car from)


I have also found several garages on BlackCircle (from around £150 for full service), but not sure how I should choose them.


(DIY is not an option for me)


Thanks
Vikram

forgotmyname

Check the list of what they will do and what they wont do.

Some £99 full services are an oil and filter change and everything else is a check. Just like your monorep £129in vat service. Everythings a visual check except their mechanic will thrash your car in the road test lol.

Why do they need to road test the car for a service??? If you had complained of an issue then fine but a simple service?

Check the air filter, Check your fluids etc etc. Everything is extra. Need long life oil its extra. So not such a bargain in the end.

What service do you want? Whats been changed so far?

For less than that i got my oil, air and fuel filters changed and the usual brake cleans
and general lubrications.
He even lubricated the hinges etc.

vikramrkin

The car hasent been serviced since 2010 Jul. When I bought the car, I was told that it was serviced in Jun 2011 before being sold to me. Stupidly enough, I believed them. Only now I realised that it wasn't.

So I am after a full service where they change oil, filters, spark plugs and anything else that needs checking.


Thanks
Vikram

hareng

I would have a look at the service history.

Certain tasks i wouldnt trust many garages to accomplish correctly, if at all.
What would worry me is whether the cam belt has been changed. A Vauxhall dealer 8 years ago charge £550, parts kit and a worker at that dealership in free time £230. Cam belt breaks its a scrap car.

Finding a good garage is like finding a needle in a hay stack and thats independant and main dealerships charging for work not done.

vickssinex

Dealer service prices can vary quite a lot so it's worth shopping around. I had a fourth year service done on a Corsa last year at a Vauxhall garage and the prices locally ranged from £175 to £225. I don't mind a 20 mile round trip if it means saving £50.

vikramrkin

vickssinex wrote: »

Dealer service prices can vary quite a lot so it's worth shopping around. I had a fourth year service done on a Corsa last year at a Vauxhall garage and the prices locally ranged from £175 to £225. I don't mind a 20 mile round trip if it means saving £50.

Didnt realise that. Let me go beyond middlesex then!!

red_eye

vikramrkin wrote: »

Hi All,

I am after some advice on where to get my car serviced. I have 2008 Auto Astra. This is the first time I will be servicing my car so I dont know what are the best options. I have got conflicting views from couple of friends near by about some independent local garages.


So I am thinking of either dealer or other reputed places. So far, I manage to find two of them:


http://www.monorep.co.uk/carservicewestlondon/index.aspx


and


http://www.cargiant.co.uk/servicecentre/motservice.asp (cargiant because thats where I bought the car from)


I have also found several garages on BlackCircle (from around £150 for full service), but not sure how I should choose them.


(DIY is not an option for me)


Thanks
Vikram

google imi ata accreditation for a garage who employs accredited technicians or good garage scheme for. Both will list garages that have to stick to standards by IMI etc

Dealers will be expensive considering that a trainee is most likely to work on your car and you pay for the vhax branded box the part comes in. Independent will be cheaper if you can fine a good one

red_eye

vikramrkin wrote: »

The car hasent been serviced since 2010 Jul. When I bought the car, I was told that it was serviced in Jun 2011 before being sold to me. Stupidly enough, I believed them. Only now I realised that it wasn't.

So I am after a full service where they change oil, filters, spark plugs and anything else that needs checking.


Thanks
Vikram

not been serviced for three years, has it got MOT?

Destination_..._?

Surely fellow .

Finding a garage just to service your car Carnt be this difficult to do is it ?

vikramrkin

red_eye wrote: »

not been serviced for three years, has it got MOT?

Not three years, two years or 25 months to be precise. Ofcourse it has mot till end of Sep 2012. The dealer got it mot just before selling it.

vikramrkin

Destination_..._? wrote: »

Surely fellow .

Finding a garage just to service your car Carnt be this difficult to do is it ?

Well, for me it is. This is my first car so never had a need to service before, so dont know what is a good place.

Spoke to a friend who recommented halfords, but I am not too keen to go there after reading so many incidents of halfords here. Another friend recommented a local garage, but I had had a really bad experience there with getting my tyre changed, so dont want t go there either.

So the only other option is to rely on the knowledgable and helpful ppl here!

thanks
Vik