Car Service...dealer or independent?

sam1970

I am looking to service (and MOT) my 5 years old car which has been always serviced at the dealership. I am thinking for a car of this age I should go for independent but after phoning for quotes I was suprised to find that a good independent is only 15% cheaper than the dealership..So shall I stick with the dealer at the risk that they may come with a list of things to do on the MOT?..opinions please

colino

What kind of car is it? If it's a Fiesta, everyone and his dog can service it, and a darn better saving than 15% from dealer. If its a Merc, BMW, Jag etc., there are lots of indies who know the cars inside out and will probably perform a better service for less than the dealer. If it is at all quirky, do your homework. Much better to pay the extra to pay for the skills, knowledge and experience of a dealer/indie, than you pay for the education of an amateur.

sam1970

It is a Toyota which is in a very good shape and has been always serviced at the dealership

BeenThroughItAll

sam1970 wrote: »

It is a Toyota which is in a very good shape and has been always serviced at the dealership

Take it anywhere you like then. Absolutely zero point paying dealership prices for a 5 year old Toyota.

OddballJamie

If you trust the dealer and it's only £20/£30 difference then I would stick with them. If they find anything expensive to do, get the work done elsewhere.

It's a minefield out there, there's good and bad dealers/indies/backstreet garages.

Also how long are you planning on keeping the car? If you want to sell in the next 12 months it might go quicker with the full main dealer history for the sake of a small extra cost.

If you are keeping it until it dies then ask family and friends for recommendations on non dealer garages, as it will be useful for the future and now to find a trustworthy one.

colino

If it's such a small price differential, your the sole owner and will look after it, stick with the dealer. Private buyers will positively swoon when you sell it on. (Just try not to think about the premium you have been paying just to let the apprentice change your oil and put white grease on the door hinges though!)

Strider590

The problem with dealerships is you never really know if they've actually done the work you pay for. The technicians are under such unrealistic and strict time limits that sometimes they just don't bother. It's not their fault, it's the fact that often the dealerships are managed by people who started out as salesmen and who have only one tool in their box (a mouth full of non-sense).

Also because they're mainly used to dealing with new cars, they don't really treat older cars with any respect and they struggle with good old fashioned fault finding, because new cars don't suffer many age related faults.

JustinR1979

I'd always prefer an Indy, often they have worked at main dealers, and to make it on their own have to know what they are doing.
Just because it's a main dealer, doesn't mean you get someone that knows a great deal.
If indy isn't much cheaper, as said anywhere you like, most the money is lost in the car now, and as long as book is stamped no one should worry.

OddballJamie

Strider590 wrote: »

The problem with dealerships is you never really know if they've actually done the work you pay for. The technicians are under such unrealistic and strict time limits that sometimes they just don't bother. It's not their fault, it's the fact that often the dealerships are managed by people who started out as salesmen and who have only one tool in their box (a mouth full of non-sense).

Could have the same problem with an indie, that's why it's important to find a place you trust.

Strider590 wrote: »

Also because they're mainly used to dealing with new cars, they don't really treat older cars with any respect and they struggle with good old fashioned fault finding, because new cars don't suffer many age related faults.

Main dealers usually have access to huge resources and fault bulletins. I took my previous Peugeot to a so called Peugeot specialist, after two weeks and over £700 they were still scratching their heads.

Took it to a Citroen dealer who had looked after my previous car for several years and they solved it straight away as other dealers in their group had seen the fault before in Citroens with the same engine.

To me it's more important to find someone you trust and is competent. My car goes the dealers (still under warranty and less hassle), my partners car goes to local 3rd generation garage (been going nearly 100 years) or small jobs a trustworthy mobile mechanic I know.

oldagetraveller

Which model is it? Is the quote you have Toyota's fixed price?
I have found that my local independents are more expensive than main dealer compared to the Toyota fixed price. That's for a Yaris.

Strider590

OddballJamie wrote: »

To me it's more important to find someone you trust and is competent. My car goes the dealers (still under warranty and less hassle), my partners car goes to local 3rd generation garage (been going nearly 100 years) or small jobs a trustworthy mobile mechanic I know.

That's all very well, but it's western thing to trust people who talk a lot and smile, but talk is cheap and a smile can hide a thousand lies.
Most people, not knowing anything about cars, they'll trust someone even if they're spouting utter sh*te.