Reply With QuoteNot surprising at all, I'm actually surprised that they didn't find any jobs that didn't need doing...
I just had the wifes VW CC MOTd at the local VW main dealer, it failed on the rear suspension console bushes, it is a mega mile car so wasn't too much of a shock, the quote to do them there, £650. I immediately rang my local independent, ex VW Master tech, uses only genuine VW parts, Ive used him for servicing for years now, I asked him for a quote for the same job, £175. Needless to say its booked in with him for Monday. He was also gobsmacked at the difference. He said it will take him an hour max.
When I declined the work at the VW counter the receptionist got quite frostyI did explain why but she didn't get drawn into a conversation about it.
Cheers..
Jase
Not surprising at all, I'm actually surprised that they didn't find any jobs that didn't need doing...
Can we combine this thread with the "Scam Alert" thread currently running?
:)
Main dealers are for fools and warranty holders.
Without warranty holders, there would be no main dealerd
I took my one year old Seat Cupra in yesterday for an oil service as the light was on the dash.
the guy took one look at the 5,300 miles on the clock, said it doesn't need a service and merely reset the light!
that is why I like my local independent guy!
Only good for you if your getting rid of the car, oil change is still the single most important thing for a car that is sidelined because of stupidly long service change mileages to pander to the company buyers.Originally Posted by uktotty
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That was definitely the case when I was getting the included servicing, always finding spurious things wrong in their ‘health check’ ( which I declined to have done today) , but I do trust their MOT process, maybe I shouldn’t.
Cheers..
Jase
Well you definitely can't ignore a MOT failure, regardless of a test center, but I wouldn't be surprised to be met with a long list of health check advisories.
I got a VW cc as well and i do to take it to an independent mechanic that uses vw oem parts. It saves a lot of money.
I would take the car to a VW dealer for service, but they ask so much more than a non-dealer... it’s just too much.
This reminds me of the time my friends car failed an MOT on bushes. He wiped swarfega around the old bushes and went back for a retest and it passed.
The concept of a goodwill gesture discount ( because it was built badly in the first place ) when they are ripping you off still annoys me.
The wife's BMW had an MOT advisory relating to the steering.
BMW quote to fix £485.
Local independent BMW Specialist £183.
Andy
Wanted - Damasko DC57
Agree. Mine is supposed to be every two years but get it every 12 months. First change was about 7000 miles. For the low cost it’s not worth skimping.
981 GTS due a service in April, having done the wife's 981 last year I know what the large service cost will be.
Along with the things they want to replace / fix at a stupid cost.
Will swallow the service I think, so Porsche give me the 'what is needed' and then get my local mechanic to sort it.
Wife's car needed about £900 on the exhaust, my mechanic replaced the bolts for about £50 including labour.
Leaking PDK sump needed £xxx to investigate, my mechanic tightened and re-checked for free, no further issue.
Worst part is my local dealer is an official Porsche one, so they know what they are playing at....will be off to swindon for service regardless, Reading are a bunch of clowns.
OP, is there any reason you chose to have the MOT done at the main dealers?
Agree Reading are useless- Ray Northway Porsche prob the best specialist around.
Not really, habit I guess, I always have done, it’s fairly local, this is the first time I’ve had a fail.
Cheers..
Jase
And there’s one of the reasons for the higher cost at a main dealer. All the additional staff required for that “ main dealer” experience... oh, but they give me free coffee and biscuits and valet the car, and there’s a nice plush waiting room in the spotless glass fronted showroom for the customers to relax in while their bill is calculated..When I declined the work at the VW counter the receptionist got quite frosty
Fantastic l, thanks for this & only just down the road for me too.
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Biggest con has to be the service plan scam, service on my Merc quoted £1500, if I take the plan four services for £2000
Having work for BMW and other main dealers before, the reason for the high cost is the hourly labour rate.
There is a list of all service jobs from head office and how long they should take.
For example. Oil change on 520d 0.8hrs Labour = £100
Replace front break pads 1.4hrs = £ 138
Etc etc etc
No probs- For Porsche bits I’ll only ever use Northway or RSJ Sports in Slough.
My experience with VW "included" servicing (ie paid for servicing for three years with car purchase).
"Do you want us to service the air con?"
"It's got included service!"
"Air con service is not included!"
"If it's a service item, it should be!"
"It's not!"
After much arguing I got a free air con service!
Well, yes and no. The hourly rate is roughly equal to the sum of all the expenses related to the dealership (rent, maintenance, salaries, etc.) divided by the number of expected working hours for the mechanics. So it can be completely ridiculous. But it isn't the reason for the high cost per se. It's a consequence of dealership minimising the margins on car sales to be competitive, manufacturers requiring large expenses in fees and equipment for the privilege, etc.
'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.
My wifes 2 year old Discovery Sport is booked in for its first service next week. I told her to check what the price would be.
£550
The car has a 2 lire diesel. They must think we are soft.
So Reading have not changed then :-)
Ray has been at it for years and years. Glad to hear he still has a good name in the Porsche World.
The thing that most persuaded me to stick to independents was when I was picking up my M3 from service at Clayton Cars in Bristol quite a few years back.
They actually had a group of 3 main dealer mechanics (in their embroidered overalls) in the garage being taught how to do stuff by Claytons' guys (who were all BMW trained).
For all the premium money they charge, main dealers offer nothing of premium value.
The high hourly labour rates certainly don’t fund high hourly wages to staff.
Funnily enough the local VW garage phoned me this morning and offered to do the brake fluid change on my Golf R for £59 all in
So I booked.
Checked later and a local independent quoted me £65 + vat
Result I think
I'm assuming by the wording of your post that you took to an independant for the light coming on? Nothing wrong with that of course, block exemption rules maintaining warranty as long as OEM part are used etc. etc.
However, if (and I don't know the schedules on Seat) the manufacturer recommendation is an oil filter change at 12 months (OR whatever miles) and it's not been done, you will have affected any future warranty claims. The fact the light was cancelled may also stay logged for later diag.
Not always an oil change needed at 12 months with modern oils etc. but the fact the OBD threw the light up suggests a sensor somewhere has suggested it should be done.
I work too closely within the franchised world to comment on any of the above but it's always interesting see opinions!
I remember waiting to pay for a service at a Honda dealer. Next to me where the target audience for Jazz/ Civic a couple well into the 70’s. The bright young thing on reception advised them their puncture couldnt be fixed and “ Honda recommends changing all four tyres if one is damaged or worn”
When my air con pump failed the bright young thing quote was £1700, I booked it with an indie, Honda rang me the following day to ask when I was booking it in, when I advised I was going indi the service manager reduced the price to £800, scandalous.
I had previously bought three Hondas from that garage and there sharp service costs in the last two years drove me away. I believed they had three profit centres, Sales, Parts and Service. I bet service generated more margin than Sales by some measure.
Rant over!
Admittedly I'm going back many years - my mate completed his apprenticeship at a Ford main dealership. His experience was that apprentices did the routine servicing whilst the experienced mechanics concentrated on the difficult fault finding jobs. Got to confess I would be annoyed at paying premium hourly rate for apprenticeship wages.
Does it need doing?
I wonder how worn your discs and pads will be? Or maybe they'll fortuitously discover that your bushes are worn and could do with replacing?
They're not doing you a favour.
Small update, had the bushes done today, took about 40 minutes and £170. I asked him to have a look at an advisory, offside headlight levelling sensor bracket was down as ‘broken but working’. We had a look and it was in perfect condition, not damaged at all, VW wanted £350 for that one.
It’s booked in for a retest on Wednesday and if it’s still an advisory I will ask for him to show me, I’m so jaded with them I wouldn’t trust him not to break it to save face.
Cheers..
Jase
Take photos first...
'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.
Good idea.
Cheers..
Jase
When my wife had a beetle the local dealer found £800’s worth of work needed for its first mot. Actual cost was £25 to weld on an exhaust bracket . Masters of upselling
100% and then time for dealer principal and social media, as that is disgusting behaviour
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Exactly the same scenario at Lexus Cardiff. I dare say that that most main dealers have similar policies.
Cousin knows a guy that used to train mechanics. He had his car in at the main dealer, all the ticks in the work done boxes were done beautifully, indicating that someone had just rattled through them at the end.
He saw no grease on the door hinges that they had just greased. Queried the pretty young thing, who said "oh, it's new invisible grease".
Rob.
PS - this was UK.
Last edited by Rob (NZ); 9th February 2021 at 21:03.
Sorry but brake fluid change= huge scam.
As someone who had brake failure due to fluid boiling on a BMW automatic while descending a mountain pass, I have to disagree.
Could not be more wrong.
When you look long into an abyss, the abyss looks long into you.........
I got told that the water in the brake fluid from it not being changed can corrode the brake system internals eg abs unit leading to massive repair bills
Indeed, it works hard and gets very hot by conduction through the pad and piston.
Now the labour rate they charge for doing it and the money they charge you for brake fluid that would be a fiver a litres at motor factors are possibly scams.
Just swapped brake fluid on a mates Alfa Spider.
Probably wasn't done in 5+ years. Well over 2÷ water in it.
Brake fluid is hygroscopic. You absolutely have to change it before it holds too much water and you'll run into brake failure.
You'll likely crash due to boiling brakes and hence brake failure before corrosion is a real issue.
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