After getting a quote for the cambelt and 40k service on my Octy when I took it in this morning due to the EGR fault I thought I would look around to see if I could get a better deal.

Skoda wanted £255 for 40k service and £452 for the cambelt.

I checked the Audi site as they have fixed service charges online so I gave them a call to see what the price actually was. Online was £199 service and £329 cambelt

Audi wanted £384 for 40K service and £714 for the cambelt!!!! Total £1098!!!! The cambelt price did include new water pump, antifreeze and new aux belt (about £80 extra then)

I pointed out the there were these prices on the web and that it was the same engine they were working on. They agreed to do the cambelt and tensioner only for the £329 but the servicing was the same.

Interestingly on the Skoda quote there are a few odd items.

Fuel Treatment - £15.00 - some fuel additive I guess, though I thought Skoda did not approve any additives.

Environmental charge - £6.84 - I guess this is to dispose of the oil. I'll take it away and let our kerbside recycling team take it away for nothing!

Handy Lube - £4.01 - WTF??? Obviously something to help ease in the 10ft barge pole that they will shaft you with when you take out your wallet.

Sump Plug - £1.31 - Why? They use a vacuum pump to extract the oil from the dipstick hole.

Three words...

Trusted independent garage

I'm sure I saw a sign last time I visited my Skoda dealer that advertised that they also serviced other VW group cars at a competitive price.

A couple of options. Ring round Skoda dealers in the vicinity. They might then price-match one another and you could see the cost fall.

Use a good specialist for all the work, as has been suggested (my favoured route).

Alternatively, get the cambelt done independently and the service at the main dealer (if you wanted to maintain a full Skoda history on the car).

Steve

Audi inflate the price of servicing purely because of who they are.

Missus has an A4 (lease vehicle) and the prices we see charged to the lease company are ridiculous. Suffice to say we would never spend our own money on one!!

Three words...

Trusted independent garage

Yes, I will probably, most likely go down this route. I have used a garage for the last 10 years to service and fix my Golfs so I know and trust this outfit.

It was just that Skoda is 1/2 mile from my house so quite handy, where as the indy and Audi are about 10 miles.

If it were a newer car and I was going to chop it in after a year or so then I would go down the dealer route for this work. As I intend to keep the car for at least 3-5 years as long as the work is done to a standard I can trust then that will be my option. Seems funny how Audi's prices can vary so much for work on the same engine. Admittedly there is the issue of Audi engines being inline as opposed to transverse (is this still the case???) so the access issues might be a little different - but £400 difference is taking the p!sh.

Will give me man a call tomorrow for a price. If any one want to know a really good VW/Audi garage near Bath that you can trust then just ask me for the name.

£400+ for a cambelt change, not including a service?!

I just refuse to pay that much hence I will getting out the spanners and changing the cambelt myself, cant't be that hard if the monkeys at VW/Skoda can do it!

£400+ for a cambelt change, not including a service?!

I just refuse to pay that much hence I will getting out the spanners and changing the cambelt myself, cant't be that hard if the monkeys at VW/Skoda can do it!

Famous last words:P

Maybe, maybe not but £600 for a service and cambelt is madness. I bought my Skoda to save money at the end of the day, not pour it away!

Its only nuts and bolts at the end of the day, so if someone can put it together then I can take it apart! (+get it working I hope!!)

I'm getting my TFSI cambelt and water pump done at an Indy tommorow. I'm supplying the genuine parts and the labour is £120+vat. I will get the lot done for £270

Edited 7 September, 200916 yr by martziniuk

Service taxi £100, main dealer, cam-belt tension-er and metal water pump £240 from a Seat dealer

In Autocar this week they said that it cost them £400 for the first service on their Audi TT TDi (basically the CR170 engine from the vRS) in London! It would have been £220 in Devon for the same car.

So they could have driven to Devon, had a night in hotel and a meal, and had the service for the same money.

It 'only' cost them £180 for effectively the same service on their CR engined Superb.

Maybe it's because Audi dealerships tend to go in for larger and more expensive premises that they charge more (and also because some people will pay it)

There was an Audi dealer near me about 12 years ago who opened a brand new purpose built showroom and I was told at the launch that it had cost £500,000 to build (and presumably kit out) which was expensive then for what was a very small building. They are now in much larger posh premises which must be 3-4 times the size of the Skoda dealer I went to. Maybe they also pay their staff more too.

Three words...

Trusted independent garage

Thats all well and good for you. BUT what happens when you try and sell your car? Most buyers and dealers want service stamps from a manufacturer dealership network. Lack of these stamps could mean your car's worth less.

Then there's the issues many face soon after the warranty ends. Skoda have been known to offer goodwill gestures (free-50%) on the cost of failures soon after warranty expiration. But only if you have a full Skoda service history.

So long as your savings now balance out any losses later on, then fine do it.

The guy I sold my Elegance appreciated my knowledge of the car and my receipts to prove all the genuine Skoda filters and 507 oil that had been used on meant more to him than a dealer's stamp. I was also offered good trade in money for it by a dealership, so I'd say it's largely irrelevant.

Thats all well and good for you. BUT what happens when you try and sell your car? Most buyers and dealers want service stamps from a manufacturer dealership network. Lack of these stamps could mean your car's worth less.

I disagree, partially. Audi dealers seem sniffy about a franchised dealer stamp, but when I sold the Fabia, the last stamp was a local VAG specialist, and it made no difference. Certainly I'd count a good independent as better than the dealer, based on my own experiences, if I was buying a car, but I'd not like to see a non-specialist garage, or even worse one of the fast-fit places.

Then there's the issues many face soon after the warranty ends. Skoda hav.e been known to offer goodwill gestures (free-50%) on the cost of failures soon after warranty expiration. But only if you have a full Skoda service history.

That's definitely true.

The guy I sold my Elegance appreciated my knowledge of the car and my receipts to prove all the genuine Skoda filters and 507 oil that had been used on meant more to him than a dealer's stamp. I was also offered good trade in money for it by a dealership, so I'd say it's largely irrelevant.

Not always.

Many savy people wont buy unless dealer serviced. The reason being is that if anything was missed, damaged or known issues missed, then they have comeback.

Remember that indi's dont get tech updates from VAG.

I know if I was shopping for a car, receipts mean sweet FA that you (if self maintained or the indi) actually did anything, used the parts you have receipts for, or knew how to service the car properly/brand experience. I, as many would, would be looking for dealer stamps in the book, and dealer invoices on most cars upto 3 or 4 years.

Dealerships are wary of this. First thing my friend was asked for when he traded in his BMW against a new one. Full BMW history? He picked his new one up Wed, old car sold Saturday - to someone wanting a car with BMW service history against others of same age, mileage and condition.

That's no to say I'm agaisnt indi's.

But being still in warranty, and looking to sell on against a new one, I'll stick to dealerships for the benefits the stamps bring. Other works I have no issues with, just servicing stamps.

If I still had my mk1, being 6 years old, I'd be at an indi for everything.

I've kept my last two cars for 11 years so the difference in value between being serviced by a dealer and an independent is irrelevant.

Although you can have you car serviced anywhere without invalidating the warranty (providing it is done using the manufacturers specification) it's going to be easier to prove that it meets there requirements if it has been done by aan authorised dealer if you do need to make a claim under warranty or are looking for some goodwill from Skoda. I would therefore have it serviced by a dealer whilst it's still under warranty but would use an independent if there was a considerable difference in cost.

As talking prices just paid £128 for a 1st year service at the local Skoda outfit on mine.

James.

£128 for a service doesn't sound too unreasonable compared to other brands but having said that there shouldn't be much to do on a first service other than changing the oil, plugging in the diagnostic equipment, reading the results which may require the odd adjustment and then checking everything else over for obvious signs of damage or wear. Still I suppose someones got to pay for their overheads.

Just got a quote from my trusted independant VW/Audi Specialist.

40k service £160

Cambelt and tensioner £220

= happy bunny

£128 for a service doesn't sound too unreasonable compared to other brands but having said that there shouldn't be much to do on a first service other than changing the oil, plugging in the diagnostic equipment, reading the results which may require the odd adjustment and then checking everything else over for obvious signs of damage or wear. Still I suppose someones got to pay for their overheads.

£128 is variable territory IMO. Fixed should be less.

£128 is variable territory IMO. Fixed should be less.

A local dealer has a captive market unfortunately! You also should see how much VW dealer wanted!!! But on the plus side for Skoda he gave me a loan car free of charge.

james