Why get a car serviced at the dealer's garage?

vikingaero

chris147 wrote: »

When challenged got shirty saying 'well you're not a mechanic'. Didn't like it when I said I look after race bikes and have my own track car. Immediately called the manager because they ran out of excuses.

Funniest thing was my brother in law. He bought a brand new car from a garage and set about applying his own little mods - stereo, ipod connection, bluetooth car kit, rear screens for the kids.

He took the car in for some items to be attended to under the warranty. When he collected the car he was met by a huffy and righteous service advisor. The service advisor asked him who installed the additional accessories:

Brother in Law: "I installed it all myself".

Service Advisor: "Well you risk invalidating your warranty and besides you could cause all sorts of problems."

BIL: "It was easy installing it."

SA: "Well you're not a qualified mechanic are you? Blah. Blah. Blah. What do you do for a living? You won't have the training our lads have."

BIL: "I design missile systems for British Aerospace!" :T:rotfl:

alared

After reading through this thread it seems to me that if you purchase a new say,Ford,with a three year warranty,you must have it serviced by "someone" at the regular service times (stamped as proof) so as not to invalidate your warranty.

If this is correct,as far as i can see,you might just as well take it to your Ford dealer because whatever other garage you take it to can`t really be much cheaper.

Pew_Pew_Pew_Lasers!

It has to be serviced in line with the manufacturer's instructions, using OEM parts.

That's it. You can service it yourself if you like. As long as you do everything the manufacturer recommends, you're covered.


Servicing at a dealer is a bit pointless really. Get it done by a specialist, the difference in value when you come to sell will be a lot less than what you would have spent at the dealer compared to the independent.

Mercedes dealer labour per hour - £100ish.
Mercedes independent labour per hour - £45ish.

Over three years and three services, that's a very big difference. My TVR never went to the dealer. I took it to an indie - he always had a long line of TVRs waiting to be done. The dealer usually had about 2-3.

bunking_off

Hmm...

...as a general rule I'd say there's not much loss in going to an independent. However, for some brands it can have a heck of a knock on to the resale value of the car, especially if it's <5 years old. Jaguar and Mercedes are a couple of examples. There's not much point in saving a couple of hundred quid on labour rates on getting your Merc serviced if it knocks a grand off the trade-in value.

I have my Jag serviced at the main dealer, because even there it only costs me £250 for a full service inc pick-up/delivery (and over £50 of that is oil).

Edit : would also add that I've had work done for gratis out of warranty period...that wouldn't have happened if I was a stranger.

alared

Pew_Pew_Pew_Lasers! wrote: »

It has to be serviced in line with the manufacturer's instructions, using OEM parts.

That's it. You can service it yourself if you like. As long as you do everything the manufacturer recommends, you're covered.

If you service it yourself and two years down the line you need to have warranty work done,how can you prove it`s been serviced in line with manufacturer`s instructions?

jeannieblue

alared wrote: »

After reading through this thread it seems to me that if you purchase a new say,Ford,with a three year warranty,you must have it serviced by "someone" at the regular service times (stamped as proof) so as not to invalidate your warranty.

If this is correct,as far as i can see,you might just as well take it to your Ford dealer because whatever other garage you take it to can`t really be much cheaper.

I've got a Ford, under warranty, my last car was a Ford, under warranty. I would not let a dealership come near my car for servicing with a barge pole. I want it done properly and thoroughly and for a reasonable price.

Sadly, if I have a problem under warranty, i have to take it to the idiots to put it right. Ha ha.

Last car went to them regularly for TWO YEARS on and off during its warranty period - they could not find the b****y fault and made me feel like a 'stupid female'. Being wiser and older - and working for an independent garage, when warranty was out and I'd given up, they diagnosed the problem and it got sorted.

I wrote to Ford Motor Company and told them of my two year nightmare and they phoned me, yes phoned me, apologised and wanted to pay for the part concerned - sadly, I had thrown away the offending part only two days before and they needed the offending part to offer me the refund!

I do not trust main dealers, never have done, never ever will - and that was before I worked for an independent!

If you want to use them, its up to you - its your car and its your money.

deltic_2

To give this a balanced view...

More people will tell you about a bad experience than a good one with a dealer and it's fair to say that a bad experience does linger with you.

For every dissatisfied customer there are many many satisifed ones. There is no way dealers could ultimately exist if their service was as bad across the board as some make out. Many many people do go back and buy car after car from the same dealer as a result of the people who work there and the service they receive. You cannot judge all dealers by the experience of a few.

There are as many stories of bad repairs from independent repairers or of bad vehicle maintenance on this forum, in fact probably more than about dealers. It worse when you talk about used car sales.

The bottom lline is it's down to your own choice and what you want in terms of service, quality of repair, reassurance, residual values etc.

goldspanners

bunking_off wrote: »

I have my Jag serviced at the main dealer, because even there it only costs me £250 for a full service inc pick-up/delivery (and over £50 of that is oil).

i would imagine they do charge you that for oil,even the best of oils will cost you half that from an independant.

jeannieblue

goldspanners wrote: »

i would imagine they do charge you that for oil,even the best of oils will cost you half that from an independant.

This is a money saving site (not losing quality of course), and it's their money goldspanners....:D One could go on forever about it but if the point is not taken, its not taken!

Besides - think they want more convincing and I don't have time to reel off ALL my beefs!

alared

alared wrote: »

If you service it yourself and two years down the line you need to have warranty work done,how can you prove it`s been serviced in line with manufacturer`s instructions?

Bump

Question not really answered yet.

I`m all for saving money,my previous car only had a one year warranty and never ever saw a garage after 12 months

---

did all the servicing myself.

BUT my new car has a three year,so I ask the question again.