I've just taken delivery of a new Roomster Scout TSI 105.

The sales person offered a fixed cost maintenance contract for Service and Maintenance over 36 months for £14.21 per month.

The unsigned application form is in front of me as I type and I have some reservations whether the contract is value for money especially as I've now had time to look at the service jobs listed in the service schedule booklet.

I will be driving approximately 6000 miles per year and assume that the car will require a service once every 12 months.

How much is normally charged for each service and what do current Roomster owners advise about signing up to a fixed cost maintenance contract please?

What is or isn't covered?

If just servicing, why not put the £15 away yourself? You'd be looking at least 160 at many dealers for a annual service.

gadgetman. Thanks for your prompt reply.

For Service Only the contract is £10.72 per month.

The Service and Maintenance is the £14.21 I wrote earlier.

In addition to Service Only the Service and Maintenance covers:

• Brake repairs
  
• Cooling system repairs
  
• Electrical system
  
• Engine repairs
  
• Suspension repairs
  
• Transmission repairs
  
• Roadside assistance
  

Edited 13 August, 201114 yr by welshmike

gadgetman. Thanks for your prompt reply.

For Service Only the contract is £10.72 per month.

The Service and Maintenance is the £14.21 I wrote earlier.

In addition to Service Only the Service and Maintenance covers:

• Break repairs
  
• Cooling system repairs
  
• Electrical system
  
• Engine repairs
  
• Suspension repairs
  
• Transmission repairs
  
• Roadside assistance
  

Surely if it is a new Roomster these items will be covered under your 3 year Skoda Warranty anyway, can't see how you would need it. If it's the same 1.2 TSI engine as on the Yeti, it may be on fixed or variable servicing, in which case it may only need servicing up to every 18 months, mine did, according to the computer system which assesses your driving etc. But I don't know for sure about the new Roomsters, have a look in the handbook under servicing, there is a way you can tell by looking at the codes stamped in the front of the book.

doing less than 9k a year you should be on fixed intervals.

As above, besides brakes, everything else is warranty covered.

Surely if it is a new Roomster these items will be covered under your 3 year Skoda Warranty anyway, can't see how you would need it. If it's the same 1.2 TSI engine as on the Yeti, it may be on fixed or variable servicing, in which case it may only need servicing up to every 18 months, mine did, according to the computer system which assesses your driving etc. But I don't know for sure about the new Roomsters, have a look in the handbook under servicing, there is a way you can tell by looking at the codes stamped in the front of the book.

There is nothing in the Handbook about service intervals.

However there is an inconsistency between the Owner's Manual and the Service Schedule booklet.

• The Owner's Manual implies variable servicing intervals that are informed by the Service Interval Display.
  
• The dealer has stamped in the Service Schedule booklet "Next Inspections Service 10,000 or July 2012".
  

doing less than 9k a year you should be on fixed intervals.

As above, besides brakes, everything else is warranty covered.

Ah! that explains why the dealer stamped the Service Schedule booklet 10,000 or July 2012.

So the balance is between signing up to the Fixed Cost Maintenance contract for Service Only at £10.72 per month (£128.64 per year), Service and Maintenance at £14.21 per month (£176.2 per year) or paying for 3 annual services costing "at least (£)160" each.

Personally i wouldnt do it.

In my experience main dealers dont even service the cars properly anyway. They just stamp the book and give the car a wash. If i were you i would get my car serviced once a year by a specialist using OE parts (so that your warranty remains valid).

My Roomster is just coming up to 3 years old and services have cost :

1st. service £115

2nd service £250 (including brake fluid change)

3rd service £125

Mine is diesel so don't know what difference that would make.

As has been said most of the maintenance issues should be covered by warranty and you already have 3 years roadside assistance included.

Personally i wouldnt do it.

In my experience main dealers dont even service the cars properly anyway. They just stamp the book and give the car a wash. If i were you i would get my car serviced once a year by a specialist using OE parts (so that your warranty remains valid).

Thanks for the advice.

I'm inclined to agree with you. I've had my previous vehicles and my wife's serviced by a reliable independent engineer for the last 15 years. He has done a thorough job at a reasonable cost not just for me but for many of my neighbours. All have been completely satisfied with his work.

I've just called the above engineer and he assures me that the work he does will be with genuine Skoda parts and will maintain the warranty requirements.

My concern resolved.

So long as he's vat registered.

So long as he's vat registered.

Sorry.

How is that relevant please?

I haven't seen where the warranty insists that he's VAT registered?

Also I know that he used to keep his sales under the threshold for compulsory VAT registration, currently HMRC states £73,000 per year.

Sorry.

How is that relevant please?

I haven't seen where the warranty insists that he's VAT registered?

Also I know that he used to keep his sales under the threshold for compulsory VAT registration, currently HMRC states £73,000 per year.

Skoda will insist works use OEM parts and the garage is VAT registered, otherwise wont honour warranty work. See links in serach - http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=skoda+warranty+vat+registered&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&client=firefox-a

There is also benefit in dealer servicing, as Skoda have often heavily discounted out of warranty claims if 100% dealer serviced.

Skoda will insist works use OEM parts and the garage is VAT registered, otherwise wont honour warranty work. See links in serach - http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=skoda+warranty+vat+registered&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&client=firefox-a

There is also benefit in dealer servicing, as Skoda have often heavily discounted out of warranty claims if 100% dealer serviced.

I have read through the Service Schedule booklet and it shows:

Service Intervals: QG2 (fixed length)

1. Engine oil change: every 15,000 km of after 1 year

• 1.1. Change engine oil, replace oil filter
  
• 1.2. Check thickness of disk brake pads
  
• 1.3. Resetting Service Interval Display
  

2. Inspection service: every 30,000 km or after 2 years

As 1. Engine oil change above plus a list of inspections and a few minor items replaced.

3. Brake fluid change: first change after 3 years

Plus 1. and 2. above

The cost of a Service Plan contract over 3 years is £10.72 per month (total £385.92). That seems a lot for such small amount of labour and parts.

The cost of a Service and Maintenance Plan contract over 3 years is £14.21 per month (total £511.56). Again a lot especially as the car has a 3 year warranty.

Comments welcome on the following three year estimate:

1. After 12 months: Engine oil change, replace oil filter:

1. The 3.6 litres of fully synthetic oil: less then £40
   
2. Oil filter: less that £5
   
3. Engine flush (if done): less than £5
   
4. Labour: One hour £75 (gulp! really?)
   
   • Total: £125
     

2. After 24 months. Inspection service

1. As 1. above: £125
   
2. Plus minor items replaced: less than £40
   
3. Labour for list of inspections: One hour £75
   
   • Total: £240
     

3. After 36 months. Brake fluid change

1. As 1. above: £125
   
2. Plus brake line flushing fluid: less than £10
   
3. Plus brake fluid: less than £10
   
4. Labour: One hour £75
   
   • Total: £220
     

Three year total: £585 (That's a surprise)

So perhaps I'll sign up to the 3 year Service Plan: total £385.92.

I signed up for the service plan with tyres etc.

From memory it's around £17pm.

For me it's just hassle free for 3 years. I just had the first service and just feels better when you are handed the car back with no immediate charge as I don't miss the monthly amount.

At the first service, the front tyres were 75% worn and need to be changed soon at a cost of £108 each. So I feel the plan is good value to take the hassle away.

I signed up for the service plan with tyres etc.

From memory it's around £17pm.

For me it's just hassle free for 3 years. I just had the first service and just feels better when you are handed the car back with no immediate charge as I don't miss the monthly amount.

At the first service, the front tyres were 75% worn and need to be changed soon at a cost of £108 each. So I feel the plan is good value to take the hassle away.

Wow! 75% worn at first service. How many miles had you done?

Wow! 75% worn at first service. How many miles had you done?

Just over 10,000 miles. Now up to 11800 but they still look ok. The rear tyres are fine.

Wow! 75% worn at first service. How many miles had you done?

Indeed, that's quite shocking and indicative of harsh driving.

Indeed, that's quite shocking and indicative of harsh driving.

No harsh driving but I'm suprised at the wear to date.

Most of the time I'm doing around 60mph on the motorway or town driving. No wheel spins at the lights! :yes:

Edited 13 August, 201114 yr by RandomSkodaperson

Just over 10,000 miles. Now up to 11800 but they still look ok. The rear tyres are fine.

My usual mileage is less than 6,000 per year.

I've given up my boy racer style of driving and now drive quietly to save on fuel cost but without obstructing the traffic flow.

(The Toyota HiAce diesel van that I've just sold did 28mpg driven hard and 35 driven quietly.)

Driving quietly I would expect identical front tyres to those on my Scout, that each cost £103 fitted, to last over 18,000 miles and 3 years.

So they would not be replaced during a 3 year £511.56 Service and Maintenance Contract.

I still thinking of signing up to the £385.92 3 year Service Only contract as best value for me.

No harsh driving but I'm suprised at the wear to date.

Most of the time I'm doing around 60mph on the motorway or town driving. No wheel spins at the lights! :yes:

Then points to a mechanical issue. 20k is more than achievable on all but soft racey tyres. Usually go for michellins as get 30k between changes.

Which tyres were they?

No harsh driving but I'm suprised at the wear to date.

Most of the time I'm doing around 60mph on the motorway or town driving. No wheel spins at the lights! :yes:

Just for info thus far.

The Bridgestone Turanza 205/45 R16 83W tyres on my Scout give a surprisingly quiet ride despite their low profile.

We get quieter tyre/road noise and a softer ride than when in my wife's '07 reg Corsa 1.4 petrol that has the original Dunlop SP Sport 185/65 R15 88T tyres on it.

Edited 13 August, 201114 yr by welshmike

i usually get 35k out of front tyres and 50k out of rears

spend most of life on motorway until recently (changed job to be closer to home) 155k miles in just over 4 years and the old roomy is still going well

economy has take a bit of a drop so will be looking at cleaning the intercooler and EGR valve shortly

1.9tdi 45-48 round town 53ish on motorway at 70mph

i had mine serviced by skoda upto 60k then done it all myself (except cambelts these done by trusted indi garage), with my milage no point worrying about main dealer FSH