New Driver - Toyota Service Plan

Clarabell1985

Hi

I learned to drive nearly 4 years ago and I bought a brand new Toyota Aygo Go. The car came with a 5 year warranty and 3 vouchers to cover the first 3 years that I could use for services. Last year they told me that I would need to take out a service plan to cover myself and that they suggested I take out a direct debit to cover the cost.

As I am a new driver I thought that a service is a mandatory requirement, (although speaking to my friends a lot of them don't get it done and just have a yearly MOT) so I took the service plan out with Toyota.

The service plan is 751.00 payable over 32 months. It also includes MOT. I get four services for this price and 3 MOT's.

I took this out on the 1 June 2014. I was asked to book my car in for its first service (in the payment plan) yesterday and they said I would have to pay a top up payment of £103 as I hadn't been paying quite a year however they said that I wouldn't be paying any more in the long term but when I asked if my term would reduce they said it wouldn't?

Therefore it feels like to me that I am paying £751.00 + £103.00.

Also I was speaking to a friend who has an Audi yesterday and she told me that she is only paying £400 for 3 years service.

I feel like I am being ripped off.

Can anyone advise whether they think the amount I am being charged for the services is expensive or cheap?

Thanks

CB

Spicy_McHaggis

£100 for a fist year service and £150 for the next two sounds more than reasonable to expect to pay for a small call. Anymore than £500 over three years is far too much for such a car.

Babbawah

Although ALL of my current cars are Toyotas and I have the utmost respect for my local Toyota dealer, I wouldn't touch a dealer service plan, even with someone elses bargepole.

Use the dealer to buy a new car and for any warranty repairs/issues.

Use a local and respected garage whose reputation depends on quality and fairness for everything else.

knightstyle

What worries me about these plans is that they do not always cover things listed in the manufacturers service plan, replacement cam. belt and fuel filter for example.
What exactly is the extra for?

GoldenShadow

Where I live I can't get a cheaper service than £180 including VAT. I pay £14 a month for 4 years. Four services, half prices MOTs. Pick up/drop off when it needs doing. Discount on labour and parts, free puncture repairs. Free accident helpline and recovery/courtesy car. It's a dealership that does it. I'm more than happy to have signed up for that, keeps full dealership history if that means anything to some people too. Depends where you live as to what is reasonable. I can cancel it at any point and get a refund of whatever I've paid since the last service with no deductions etc for doing so.

cootuk

Toyota website has prices for servicing costs for all models.
£180 full service, £99 intermediate, plus parts and mots.
You would also pay for extras like brake fluid, air con filters etc

To keep your warranty then Toyota expect either an annual or mileage based service (whichever is sooner), though not neccessarily by main dealer.

Look at the policy to see what it pays for.

forgotmyname

Can you cancel the service plan? or will you be losing more by cancelling.

Even at £750 it was not worth it. But your friends who think an MOT is a replacement for a service are stupid.

Properly serviced your car will outlast all of theirs.

Proper servicing is why my old car sold in 2009 with 150,000 miles on the clock is still going, And the car i just sold with over 170,000 miles runs great.

straighttalker

Toyota fixed priced service prices here.

http://www.toyota.co.uk/service-and-maintenance/car-servicing

You do the math as they say.

oldagetraveller

Not worth it.
I've had two new Toyota's and each time was offered a service plan. The total payable was more than three fixed price services, 2 x intermediate and 1 x full and did not include optional extras like pollen filter change, brake fluid change etc..
Do your sums to compare.
" Last year they told me that I would need to take out a service plan to cover myself and that they suggested I take out a direct debit to cover the cost."
A service plan is not compulsory so sorry to advise, they saw you coming for that one.
"although speaking to my friends a lot of them don't get it done and just have a yearly MOT"
Your friends should not be driving if that's their way of looking after a car.

benham3160

MOT - Mandated safety check, vehicle is required to meet the minimum legally required level of structural integrity, function and ability to stop!

Service - Mechanical service, designed to maintain the engine and drivetrain in a fully functioning and 'healthy' state.

Two quite different things, an MOT will declare that the vehicle is "safe" by its own regulations but says nothing about mechanical condition.