My Seat Leon is due its first service next month and I’m looking for recommendations for servicing in the central belt Scotland. I stay in Edinburgh and there are two Seat approved service centres nearby, both of which are Arnold Clark franchises.

I have an aversion to Arnold Clark. This stems from their overpriced cars and pushy sales which we came across when looking for the Leon. In short, I don’t find them trustworthy and we bought from another dealer.

Open to any recommendations including Arnold Clark for servicing though

Cheers

I have an aversion to Arnold Clark.

I have an aversion to any ‘approved’ service centres, find a well recommended local garage and use them instead. Agree re AC, I wouldn’t go near them.

I bought a car from Arnold Clark and it came with 2 years free servicing and MOT’s. On the first service (on a 3yr old car) I got a “Your brake disks are on the legal limit of 18mm – we can replace them for £340 if you like?” I declined their kind offer and took the car home. Once home I put the micrometer on the disks – no where near 18mm and not even 1/2 worn.

I do not intend to take them up on the second service this summer…

That was at Arnold Clark Seafield too…

We use Morrisons in Stirling – excellent, properly challenged me about what my image of main stealers dealers is. Not expensive either.

I also echo about Arnold Clark – just bought from them, never again, but I knew that before I bought from them…

+ 1 for the trusted local garage

My dislike of Arnold Clark is well documented, particularly their insistence in plastering your car with their advertising.

Despite this, I have bought 3 out of my last 4 cars from them because they have always been the most keenly priced for the models I want in the low mileage / 3 year old bracket that I go for due to their massive stranglehold on the market up here.

I’ve always felt slightly grubby afterwards though

I’d absolutely never let them take a spanner to my car, unless it was a warranty issue.

You could try Stirling Audi

I’ve just bought from them and they have been superb (part of the Lookers group).

I suspect any VAG garage will have any specialist kit required.

if you want truly good independent then Active Service in Perth would probably be worth the trip north.

Perth? from Edinburgh for a car service? I’m pretty sure there’s something a bit closer…. 🙂

Perth? from Edinburgh for a car service? I’m pretty sure there’s something a bit closer….

I‘m sure their is, but depending on where the op is in the Burgh, it could be more convenient than the wrong side of weegieville.

Despite this, I have bought 3 out of my last 4 cars from them because they have always been the most keenly priced for the models I want in the low mileage / 3 year old bracket that I go for due to their massive stranglehold on the market up here.

Same here – the v70 was £2k cheaper than the Volvo dealer a few hundred metres up the road…

Have a look at Autohaus in Loanhead or Hunters in Linlithgow.  There’s a couple of other VAG independents in Edinburgh too.  Just google and pick the nearest one.

I use D&G int he central belt. I had an aversion to them at first, but the garage round the corner from me has been great and always been open and honest about what needed done when.

Failing that, McLennans in Loanhead. I only recommend because I used to go there till it became to hard to get to after moving house, but the father in law takes his cars there and Stuart (the owner) sources new cars for him

Thanks all.

I am very close to Loanhead, so Autohaus is an option in the future. This is the car’s first service and I’d like to take it to Seat approved place as there may be a warranty issue. It’s looking like a trip to Stirling…..which is probably as easy to get as Seafield anyway

I thought all that having to stick to authorised dealers for warranty had been deemed a nonsense?

I wouldn’t discount a main Seat dealer if there’s one close enough to you. Mine goes to one, they’re actually a little cheaper than our Indie (although the Indie does a few more things like re-gasing the air-con on a major service).

They’re fixed price at £169, they’ll sort a courtesy for a nominal insurance fee or give you a lift to work, wash and clean it and give it a eleventy billion point check and report to say you need new wipers or something. It also comes with Europe wide breakdown cover until the next service it due.

In the last 4 years I think I’ve agreed to a single extra item, might have been a bulb for £4, the rest I just order an fit myself.

It went Indie last time because it needed a belt change… £900! Glad I wasn’t paying.

I’ve used Morrisons in Stirling for Land Rover. If the folks at the SEAT place provide the same service then I’d definitely recommend.

I’d stay clear of Fife SEAT in Glenrothes. Their customer service was shocking.

Brother in law’s car lost power on the M8 one evening last december, got it towed to his nearest Arnold Clark who told him it needed a new turbo, and it would be 1100 plus VAT.

What it actually needed was a new alternator.

I’d absolutely never let them take a spanner to my car, unless it was a warranty issue.

They are total monkeys.  I had a service plan with them.  I’d never use them again.

Didn’t refit the air intake properly after a service. It broke because it was rattling round unsecured under the bonnet.  They then only replaced one half of it and argued that he other half was never there!

Next service they managed to not do up the oil filler cap, resulting in a wonky idle and weird engine surges.  I spotted it pretty much straightaway when i lifted the bonnet.

The one warranty issue I had they took 10 days to sort out and returned the car dirtier (full of oily finger prints)  than I gave it to them.

I use W Livingstone in Uddingston now, the SEAT dealer service with the free breakdown cover (its through the AA and its essentially their highest level of cover) is actually pretty good value.  Appreciate Uddingston might be a bit out of the way though

We found fife SEAT to be pretty decent, although we never did much there.

Western SEAT were brilliant, but then they closed.

The garage out at Bathgate is variable. We had a failed NOx sensor which they had to be led through, and they just did a safety recall for us.  They don’t seem to be quite as cowboy as many arnold clarks. There are only two that work the service desk – bloke is hopeless while the woman is pretty good.

We’ll be using a local garage, probably Hope Scott in Currie next year.

I bought my Seat from a Syntner franchise and the service has always been excellent.

I tried Evans Halshaw and they were terrible in comparison – so if there’s a Syntner near you then it might be worth a closer look.

I thought all that having to stick to authorised dealers for warranty had been deemed a nonsense?

Yes, I believe it’s true that your warranty would be unaffected if they use genuine parts. But I think you still have to take it to the approved service place to get something done under warranty

Frank Sytner pompous, bad tempered average driver who was btcc champion 1988. It was a class thing as he could never compete with Andy Rouse etc

So like Duncan Bannatyne would say about Sytner Seat im out

Cambusbarron trails look ridable from Morrisons Stirling….. is that the case?

Very much so…10 minutes from the garage.