My car has just come back from it's first service at 9,900 miles. It is a petrol vRS, registered at end Oct 2010.

I have a service contract with Skoda, and have been paying something like £17 a month as part of a 3 year plan.

When I collected the car yesterday, the only items that I remember appearing on the service list was engine oil, sump plug, and one more small item that I don't recall. The total cost was something like £80 which they said they would charge to Skoda UK (as per my service contract). They wouldn't let me have a copy of the job sheet as they said it had to be sent to Skoda.

I have just looked at the service book and the boxes are ticked as follows:

engine oil change______YES

Use engine for variable service intervals QG1____NO

Inspection service________NO

Check body for paint damage __________NO

Brake Fluid Change________NO

Fuel Filter Changed_______NO

Spark Plugs Changed ________NO

Air filter element changed________NO

Toothed belt replaced _________NO

Toothed belt-tensioning pulley replaced_______NO

SO effectively, it appears all they have done for my 10K service is to drain the oil and replaced it with new oil (or so I would hope anyway!)

I am now very concerned at the whole thing, and wondered if someone could guide me on the following questions:

1) has the 10K service on my car been done properly or have they skipped on some things that they should have replaced? for example I thought replacing fuel/air/oil filter was done routinely during a service? Or is it the case that I can trust them to change whatever needed changing, and if they haven't changed the filters, they didn't need doing?

2) I feel the service contract is a rip off. They have charged me £17x 8 months so far (and will do so for the next 2.5 years as it is a 3 year contract) and yet the bill for my first service came to £80. My service contract is supposed to cover everything apart from tyres (i.e., even brake pads/discs when needing replacing). But on the basis of what little they've done for my first service, I am not confident that they'll do these when needed..

I'd really appreciate the thoughts of a fellow Petrol vRS owner in terms of what they had done for their first service; or a dealer/service manager.

Thanks,

Edited 29 June, 201114 yr by amii21

They only tend to change the oil and filter and fart in a bag and charge you the earth for it so you keep that lovely dealer stamp in your book. The air filter doesn't get changed until about year 3, the brake fluid in year 2.

They only tend to change the oil and filter and fart in a bag and charge you the earth for it so you keep that lovely dealer stamp in your book. The air filter doesn't get changed until about year 3, the brake fluid in year 2.

So you think they should have changed my oil filter and fuel filter? Although I am obviously concerned about being ripped off, I am more concerned that there may be long term engine damage as a consequence of poor servicing. I plan to keep this car for at least 6-7 years, so I want to make sure servicing is done correctly.

Oil filter, thats changed as part of the oil change. Fuel filter, is not due for sometime yet.

First service at 9K is basically just an oil / filter change. Next one is much more involved.

Oil filter, thats changed as part of the oil change. Fuel filter, is not due for sometime yet.

First service at 9K is basically just an oil / filter change. Next one is much more involved.

So my oil filter should have been changed as part of this service? Should I get onto the service department tomorrow?

Edited 29 June, 201114 yr by amii21

The oil filter change is all part of the oil change.

I would think oil filter was changed with the oil not even Kevin Webster on coronation street would skip that

£80 unreal when you consider Genuine VAG oil filter and Genuine Quantum long life oil in total is £33 delivered to your door, i'm gettin fed up being fecking ripped off at dealerships.

Yes the 1st service is basically just an oil and oil filter change.

£80 unreal when you consider Genuine VAG oil filter and Genuine Quantum long life oil in total is £33 delivered to your door, i'm gettin fed up being fecking ripped off at dealerships.

But when you break it down:

Sump plug £1.36

Oil & filter £33

Labour £45.64

It looks good 'value' to me, my dealer was quoting in the region of £125 for the 1st service!

Yes the 1st service is basically just an oil and oil filter change.

But when you break it down:

Sump plug £1.36

Oil & filter £33

Labour £45.64

It looks good 'value' to me, my dealer was quoting in the region of £125 for the 1st service!

My local dealer is £60 an hour labour how do they justify that?

I know its a business at the end of the day i run one my self but ffs!

Big flashy glass fronted showrooms?

I don't agree with it, but I can see where it all goes.

Yes the 1st service is basically just an oil and oil filter change.

But when you break it down:

Sump plug £1.36

Oil & filter £33

Labour £45.64

It looks good 'value' to me, my dealer was quoting in the region of £125 for the 1st service!

It looks good to me too.

OP will have paid £612 for 3 years servicing which will probably be 5 services. £122 on average is pretty good.

Hi

This is my understanding from recent contact with skoda for first service of diesel engine.

There are two types of services.

1) fixed ie yearly service

2) variable ie once in 2 years if using longlife engine oil

First year service if not heavily used requires only engine oil change with the filter and I was quoted £77.

If being serviced after two years it needs inspection service for which I was quoted £189 and a detailed one

Petrol engines are generally cheaper to service I understand

Hope this helps

Try getting a quote from different centres

I dont know about modern servicing but when i used to service cars years ago it wasnt just a case of dropping the oil and changing the filter.

There was a whole list of other jobs that dont include chargable items that are on your list.

Most yearly services include checking the lights, wipers, fluid levels, tyres inc pressures and a whole host of other things.

Various manufactures change items at different times. i know when i worked at Chrysler Jeep the Vovagers didnt get new spark plugs until 100k.

Most recommend brake fluid changes at 2 years now when it used to be 3 years.

Timing belts vary again in time and age. My volvo is something like 90k.

Mine octavia has just been in for its 2nd variable service at 38k ( 9 months old ) and it took around an hour and a half.

Everything fine and they spotted both front shockers were leaking which have now been replaced under warranty.

Just shows that they dont just drive in and out.

I dont know about modern servicing but when i used to service cars years ago it wasnt just a case of dropping the oil and changing the filter...

The oil change service is just that. Change the oil/filter and check the brake pad wear - that's it.

The inspection service is what you would recognise as 'a service'.

After reading much about the servicing of Skoda's I am getting the impression that the only thing

that's standard is that dealers appear to do and charge what ever they like.

The published service book delivered with the car is delightfully vague about things and most unprofessional.

It's about time that SUK pulled it's socks up and took control of the situation and ensured that their cars

are given the correct attention at the right time, and not what the dealer thinks they will do and charge.

I know someone will post and say that the dealer's are only licensed franchised operators, but in view

of the importance and charges for servicing, we should be receiving a more professional approached to the whole

matter and receive some form of standardisation and regulation in this area.

What do others think on this subject?

The dealers follow the service schedule for the car. They should all do exactly the same service. Given costs can be dramatically different for different dealers, the cost will vary.

Service intervals based on mileage have been increasing for many years and reached 20000 miles some time ago. So it is really a service every 20000 miles with an oil change half way through. I think the term 'Oil Change Service' leads owners to expect more.

Meh sounds about right. They don't do much more to the car when it's on variable. They just charge more.

My Octy is going to a trusted indy on Monday for 50k service and timing belt. I'll be keen to see the price difference when a Skoda dealer was going to charge about £800, VW would have been £650 on their fixed price deals.

You have to see the £17 a month in relation to the potential total servicing cost over the term of the contract not just the first service, its like any other financial gamble, Sorry I mean insurance :-) you wont know if was good value or not until the end and you have those precious dealer stamps in your service book just in case you have a warranty claim. Worth making sure they do what they are supposed to though.

My local dealer is £60 an hour labour how do they justify that?

is that all :wonder:

try a London BMW/Merc dealer - they charge around £120-140 plus VAT/hour

They only tend to change the oil and filter and fart in a bag and charge you the earth for it so you keep that lovely dealer stamp in your book. The air filter doesn't get changed until about year 3, the brake fluid in year 2.

According to my (06) service book, the air filter only gets changed at 90k km! Insane.

I've never had a garage bill for servicing under £100 for years so I think £80 is fine.

I don't mind too much paying for the labour but I object to being invoiced for oil at litre bottle prices when they get it in a big drum and £10 for windscreen wash etc