Car servicing – main dealer vs independent

Any value in paying the extra for a main dealer service? I suspect I know the answer but thought I’d ask anyway 🙂

If it’s a new car, you need the main dealer for guarantees to be valid. After that, ask around for a recommendation and develop a relationship with a smaller local independent. With modern diagnostics I’m not sure the bigger are betterer.

^^not the case^^ for warranty to be valid, the service only needs to be to manufacturers spec and use genuine parts.

Best bet in my experience (Audi and vauxhalls) is an independent specialist who will know your car inside out and trade on their reputation.

Depends on the dealer and the car, we have two 6 year old cars one we take to main dealer (great service and it helps resale value) the other we take to an outstanding independent partly as the man dealer was terrible, always trying to have us do extra work and very expensive with awful service.

If it’s a new car, you need the main dealer for guarantees to be valid

Not usually, although you may have to demonstrate that the correct parts were used for the service if you need to make a warranty claim.

There is a bit of a grey area over long warranties though e.g. Kia 7 years etc.

http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/faq/warranty-servicing/

Well it’s an 08 3-series, so no warranty to worry about, and there isn’t a convenient main dealer. Shall go for an independent I reckon.

You missed option 3, DIY!

Benifits:
1) you know it’s been done, not just stamped the book and gone on a tea break.
2) You know the right oil was used, not the closest thing they had on the shelf.
3) It just cost me £90 to do a 36,000mile service, Vs £300 at a garrage. And that was using Ford bit’s and Mobil oil, halve that for Halfords pattern parts and own brand synthetic.

OK, sorry, I’m out of date as usual. But the honest john linky above lists some potential problems.

If the big ends dived into the road, would one have to prove the right oil was used in the previous services? And one plus from a main dealer: getting key problems sorted while it’s plugged into their computer.

TINAS, good advice but I think I’d rather spend the cash and have someone else spend the time and effort. Unfortunately have too much on to spend a day tinkering with the motor.

I’d have thought most garages would have the right computer bits these days seeing as pretty much every new car has a complex ECU systems. How would they service them otherwise?

Mr Blobby

I think you might be over-estimating the amount of magical spannering that goes on when you get you car serviced.

Most basic services are an oil and filter change

The “computery” bit is turning off the service light and telling the onboard computer when to switch it on the next time