As long as you know what you want and make this clear to the salesman then getting ripped off is unlikely. They may try something on but again if you have done your homework then you will be wise to it.

Edited 8 May, 201511 yr by john999boy
Keeping it civil

after getting advice on here and calling him, he said you seem to know a lot about the cars lol, didn't tell him I had been on here.

 

Vw tried to rip me dad off with getting timing belt on car, they tried increasing price on 2 occasions then broke bonnet catch after doing it and tried to get away with it.

 

There excuse was they were unable to price work for car as they rarely deal with 1999 cars and they built differently and kind of too old

after getting advice on here and calling him, he said you seem to know a lot about the cars lol, didn't tell him I had been on here.

 

Vw tried to rip me dad off with getting timing belt on car, they tried increasing price on 2 occasions then broke bonnet catch after doing it and tried to get away with it.

That was not a V6 2.8 Passat was it? My VW dealer used to say, "you are completely wrong, it has a timing chain" - idiots, the V6 2.8 petrol Passat has Audi engine and trans! Breaking bonnet plastic catch seems to be standard procedure when working on B5 Passats, stupid incompetent clowns, mine was only half broken and "repaired" with a cable tie - that would have lasted a month or two then BIG PROBLEM when needing to open the bonnet. I'm glad that I spotted that the day I got car back and ordered in a new catch, which I fitted after straightening up the linkage that they bent!

I don't rate main dealers at all, my cars have always gone to my good friend and neighbour who owns his own garage and is a specialist on the auto diagnosis side of things (he has paid £40k before for a lamtop and some leads !!! Although i think it was the software that was expensive).

 

He does my cars on Sundays when i can go over and '' assist '' which mainly means me cleaing all the parts that come off and asking all manner of obvious questions,the upshot being i see everything being done and i know that's what i think has been done.... has been done, not always possible when it goes to a dealer.

That was not a V6 2.8 Passat was it? My VW dealer used to say, "you are completely wrong, it has a timing chain" - idiots, the V6 2.8 petrol Passat has Audi engine and trans! Breaking bonnet plastic catch seems to be standard procedure when working on B5 Passats, stupid incompetent clowns, mine was only half broken and "repaired" with a cable tie - that would have lasted a month or two then BIG PROBLEM when needing to open the bonnet. I'm glad that I spotted that the day I got car back and ordered in a new catch, which I fitted after straightening up the linkage that they bent!

o It was just a 1.8, they had on website new timing belt for £350 inc water pump, went and booked in they then came back that would be extra ££S as water pump not located where they were then wanted extra as a dampener on in addition, they also where going to fix hinge door part £15  apparently a easy job just need correct tool, then told bigger job  dashboard had to come out.

 

anyway ended up paying price originally quoted took 3 days, and on pick up, me dad noticed bonnet catch broken tried to say it was already done me dad said if that was case how did I lift bonnet up, they replaced it free of charge but toolk another 2 days for part

 

Me dad said worst garage experience ever more interested in selling new cars on contract plan, totally useless, said they normally only fix newer cars, cand understand if taking a ford to a vw dealer to be fixed

The problem is with main dealers nowadays is that their service teams are not familiar with engines and how they work, they are just trained to fault find using the manufacturers procedures.

They have little capacity to work outside the framework as manufacturers want to control standards if repairs in order for them to guarantee them.

If they have not been trained on older cars or not been with the dealership for years then they are stumped when you ask yhem a question tbats not in 'the book'

Any technician with an ounce of talent soon gets fed up and leaves to set up their own independent garage

Edited 10 May, 201511 yr by Wakey

Shocking, but true, I seem to remember that maybe VW tried things like, "you always only ever get YOUR preferred mechanic" to work on your car, ha ha - I have stopped believing to Santa Clause. VW dealer once, or maybe twice service reception person, tried to explain to me about how modern oils work after I had replaced the oil early - my "mistake" was not to leave the oil in until it knew to change its structure to scrub up the inside of the engine just before it was due to be replaced - no, I had stopped believing in things like Santa Clause even that far back! My Audi service receptionist thinks that I should just leave my nice newish winter tyres on until next winter, eh no, I'll make my mind up on that issue, though maybe she knows something about this summer's weather (I hope not).