Do main service centres offer anything independents cannot?

Brie

Indies all the way.  Or Halfords.  Not dealers for me.

When we ran into a battery problem with our hybrid Lexus the dealership said they didn't know what the problem was but could tell from the computer that the battery wasn't working properly (really??  is that why sometimes it won't start/charge/run???)  They hummed and hawwed about it for a couple of weeks and then said they would need to examine the battery which was a £1,000 minimum charge to just get to the battery (buried under the passenger seats) with no guarantee that they could fix anything as there was no idea why it wasn't working.  

We decided that we would cut our losses and managed to get the car to a second hand place we'd been to previously.  The sales guy (not even the mechanic!) had a look around the car and noticed the floor behind the front seats was absolutely soaking wet.  Diagnosis of a water logged battery was confirmed by the mechanic who crawled under the car and said the plate under the car was cracked which had probably happened during a recent blizzard with the battery compartment then being packed with snow that had melted.  The fix was still going to be costly but it left us disenchanted with the brand and the dealership.

We've had similar experiences with other indy mechanics who really know their stuff and can tell by listening to the engine or simply opening their eyes and actually looking and are therefore able to diagnose problems.  The same Lexus dealership wanted major money for to fix the exhaust system (aka replacing it all new) while the indy guy was able to do a simple weld job.

A few cars earlier we had a VW and got the dealership to do the MOT & service.  Charged £10 for a litre of washer fluid for a small top up as admitted by them.  When queried I was told it was it was because it was VW brand stuff.  Since it was just a top up I asked for the rest of the bottle.  When they couldn't provide it (used the rest on other vehicles and no doubt charged another £10 each) they agreed to take it off the bill.

When the dealer qualified mechanics are that inept and greedy i think it's best to give the trade to some local who knows what they are doing and work hard to get the repeat business.

Ebe_Scrooge

Brie said:

Indies all the way.  Or Halfords. 

Halfords?  Are you for real?  Indies, most definitely, but Halfords sell bikes, they don't have a clue about anything other than the most routine jobs on a car.

motorguy

Brie said:

Indies all the way.  Or Halfords.  Not dealers for me.

Halfords??  Not a mission i'd let them near any car of mine.

marlot

Halfords and Kwikfit come in for some stick, but I've experienced good branches as well as bad.

I bought something from Halfords earlier this year (I have a trade card), and they sent me a voucher for a free MOT.

I normally go to the local independent but decided to give Halfords a go.  The MOT (10-year old car, but well-maintained by me) was a pass.  No attempt to sell me dodgy extra services.

And as a thank you for the MOT, they sent me a £10 voucher!

(Just for clarity - I wouldn't have let them do any work on the car - I do pretty much all of it myself)

motorguy

marlot said:

Halfords and Kwikfit come in for some stick, but I've experienced good branches as well as bad.

I bought something from Halfords earlier this year (I have a trade card), and they sent me a voucher for a free MOT.

I normally go to the local independent but decided to give Halfords a go.  The MOT (10-year old car, but well-maintained by me) was a pass.  No attempt to sell me dodgy extra services.

And as a thank you for the MOT, they sent me a £10 voucher!

(Just for clarity - I wouldn't have let them do any work on the car - I do pretty much all of it myself)

A lot of it is justified.  And even IF you have a good experience with either you may not have next time.  Very hit and miss.

I definitely wouldnt be taking a car there for routine servicing or maintenance.

I'm very lucky in that we have an excellent BMW Indy literally a mile up the road so our cars go there.

Ibrahim5

I would be interested to hear of people's experiences of 'software updates'. The hardware and software should have been extensively tested before production. A software update is just a way of them correcting their mistakes. I have updated the BIOS on many motherboards but it has never made a difference that I noticed. A lot of manufacturers say if it's working great don't bother with updates. I would expect it to be the same with cars. If it's working fine it doesn't need updating. What software updates have people had that has made a noticeable difference? If an update affects safety all vehicles should be recalled anyway.

marlot

>> What software updates have people had that has made a noticeable difference?

An update brought android auto/apple car play to my 2016 Sorento.  Must have been mid 2017.

I knew they were working on it before I bought, but needed more time to get it right.

ontheroad1970

Ibrahim5 said:

I would be interested to hear of people's experiences of 'software updates'. The hardware and software should have been extensively tested before production. A software update is just a way of them correcting their mistakes. I have updated the BIOS on many motherboards but it has never made a difference that I noticed. A lot of manufacturers say if it's working great don't bother with updates. I would expect it to be the same with cars. If it's working fine it doesn't need updating. What software updates have people had that has made a noticeable difference? If an update affects safety all vehicles should be recalled anyway.

Are you going to do anything when your computer needs an update?  What about your phone?  Or are you talking about getting a new one every time it needs an update?

Grumpy_chap

For many people, a Main Dealer service offers peace-of-mind.  

Ibrahim5

It is true that if a manufacturer has made a mistake and their car doesn't work on an obscure mobile phone then a software update may fix that problem. Some people have this misconception that the manufacturer is working behind the scenes on miraculous improvements that they will miss out on if they don't go to the main dealer. If your car is working fine it doesn't need a software update. If it has a problem then a software update might work.