Does anyone know of any good independent garages in the livingston scotland area for my future car servicing.  I am sick of the main dealer rip of prices and not doing the correct work I ask for.

I had my car in for its 1st mot today and a full variable service at the dealers .

The car passed its mot with a couple of advisories the first one was that they recomend all three wipers are replaced, the next one was air con service for £75 then they wanted £49 for the brake fluid to be replaced.  I replaced all three wiper blades myself just yesterday when I told the service guy this he said in a flustered way skoda ask us to recomend wipers at  service time how about checking them first? 

Then I noticed that none of the filters have been replaced except of course the oil filter.

I have had the car serviced at the main dealers three times in the three years I've had it.

To top it all i told the service guy that the car was on variable service and i wanted it to stay that way as i do around 16000 miles a year he said sure no problem i, ve just noticed my next service is in 9400 miles acording to the dash, so they have put it back on fixed. So what did i get for my £225 an oil change and a MOT ? Pretty annoying so any info on an independent garage near where I can get the air con done and the brake fluid changed and future service would be great.

Hopefully someone local can recommend you some place.

 

I can only suggest a bit away at Loanhead.

http://autohausedinburgh.co.uk

All skoda dealers seem the same. Max price and basic service.

 

The smearing wiper advisory is common at dealers who want to sell yoi very expensive wiper blades.

 

What you actually need is to clean the glass thoroughly using a vinegar based window cleaner, even use weak vinegar with kitchen roll to remove the wax and grease on the glass. Wipe the blades with the same stuff. Or if you want to do a first class job, unclip the blades and wash them in hot water / washing up liquid to remove the grime stuck to them. You can examine them for damage at the same time.

 

Scotland seems to have more than its fair share of overpriced mechanics. Ive recently used f1 autocentres and they seem reasonably competent and good value but they are england only I think.

There are a few, autohaus in Edinburgh being one, and there's a place in Bothwell http://www.audivwrepaircentre.co.uk that are pretty good as well.

 

Also, I know you asked about independents, and I know some wouldn't use this garage, but I've found that booking a service for our mk2 Fabia Vrs directly via Parks Motor Group website (not via Skoda UK site) means that you can bring the cost of services right down eg our recent 4 year/ 40000 mile major service cost us £157 when booked this way rather than the £259 quoted as part of Skoda fixed price scheme, and the Parks Skoda garage is a franchised dealer. You are, it seems, also able to book a choice of gold or platinum service with Parks, one costs £99 and the other £149 but it includes an mot I believe. At the moment we're stuck with Parks as main dealer due to having to keep to terms of extended warranty, but even so a £102 saving is not to be sniffed at.

All skoda dealers seem the same. Max price and basic service.

 

The smearing wiper advisory is common at dealers who want to sell yoi very expensive wiper blades.

 

What you actually need is to clean the glass thoroughly using a vinegar based window cleaner, even use weak vinegar with kitchen roll to remove the wax and grease on the glass. Wipe the blades with the same stuff. Or if you want to do a first class job, unclip the blades and wash them in hot water / washing up liquid to remove the grime stuck to them. You can examine them for damage at the same time.

 

Scotland seems to have more than its fair share of overpriced mechanics. Ive recently used f1 autocentres and they seem reasonably competent and good value but they are england only I think.

That's good advice if your wipers are streaking on the window, but when I picked my car up my wipers were perfect as they should be as they are only 1 day old in my opinion they were just trying to get more cash out of me probably say the same to everyone.

Does anyone know of any good independent garages in the livingston scotland area for my future car servicing.  I am sick of the main dealer rip of prices and not doing the correct work I ask for.

I had my car in for its 1st mot today and a full variable service at the dealers .

The car passed its mot with a couple of advisories the first one was that they recomend all three wipers are replaced, the next one was air con service for £75 then they wanted £49 for the brake fluid to be replaced.  I replaced all three wiper blades myself just yesterday when I told the service guy this he said in a flustered way skoda ask us to recomend wipers at  service time how about checking them first? 

Then I noticed that none of the filters have been replaced except of course the oil filter.

I have had the car serviced at the main dealers three times in the three years I've had it.

To top it all i told the service guy that the car was on variable service and i wanted it to stay that way as i do around 16000 miles a year he said sure no problem i, ve just noticed my next service is in 9400 miles acording to the dash, so they have put it back on fixed. So what did i get for my £225 an oil change and a MOT ? Pretty annoying so any info on an independent garage near where I can get the air con done and the brake fluid changed and future service would be great.

 

Go back to the dealer to ask them to change the service interval back to variable

 

Now car over 3 years you can now have the cheaper fixed priced servicing at most dealers:-

 

http://www.skoda.co.uk/owners/service-and-maintenance/national-pricing/maintenance

Edited 20 November, 201510 yr by bigjohn

The issue he has is who those Dealers are doing that Fixed Price Servicing, even that pricing is a rip off.

You could try the Good Garage Scheme.

 

My local Independent was recommended by them and they have been great - for years. Having said that, when I was considering a Fabia vRS Mk. II, they said that they were not willing to service it and advised me to take it to an Approved Skoda dealer - I was impressed by their honesty.

You have said this previously about your trusted garage,

but not said what their issue was with servicing a 1390cc / 1.4 TSI VW Engine that has no special needs over any other VW engine.  Do they not Service Volkswagen Group vehicles?

Edited 21 November, 201510 yr by goneoffSKion1

I took my 2007 Fabia vRS to local Skoda dealer for its first MOT which they offered witha 50% discount. The test was outsourced to a nearby MOT testing station who failed the car for wiper blade performance. I had driven to the dealership in pouring rain and the wipers were fine! After paying for a set of new blades, which the dealer fitted for free, the car then passed. This experience left a bad taste in my mouth and I didn't use that dealership again.

With help from this forum my local garage has had no problems servicing my vRS.They had not previously serviced a twin charge engine and were honest about it.Using reccomended servicing details from here and charging a sensible price for labour has only improved my vRS experience thus far.

Not chuffed with the dealer I've been using. Not the one I bought the car from (used one closer to my previous office).

 

Car was in for a major service a couple of weeks ago. Standard £259. I went to the dealer rather than my trusted local because even though I've used my free services, its still under warranty and I was concerned at a massive drop in MPG. During the service I was called over by a workshop bloke and told that I needed some extra work. Was recommended to get at least 2 new tyres (£160) and to get the rear brakes done. This was because the brakes had been sticky and the shoes were badly worn. Was told they were 80% worn, that I should get them done before my MOT (due early January) and that they'd do them for around £230 or so.

 

Got the Tyres (I know how much I'd have paid via Black Circles so it wasnt THAT much more).

 

Didn't get the brakes. I knew my local garage would be cheaper. The guy has serviced previous cars I've driven (2x Hondas and a Jag X-Type) and he's always been top notch and very fair with prices. I dropped my car off this morning on my way to work and I'm just home having picked it up.

 

Cost of the job? £52.50.

 

Turns out that, in his view, the rear shoes have at least another year in them. He also found that there was a problem with one of the rear drums seizing. So he stripped it, sorted it and rebuilt it as well as tightening the handbrake cable (something Skoda charge about £30 for).

 

So in the space of 2 weeks I've gone from my car needing £230 of remedial rear brake work done to needing a £52.50 strip and rebuild by my local garage and the advice to come back in a year.

 

I've previously thought the dealer I went to for my warranty services was really pretty good. Never had a problem with them and warranty work was carried out as agreed. First time paying for a service via that dealer and they're advising me to get £230 of work that an hour and  a half labour costs at an independent garage sorted. Have to say that my opinion of the dealer has just plummeted.

Skoda servicing prices are a rip off, no reason to stay with them once the warranty is up.

All authorised dealers' servicing prices are a rip off, no reason to stay with them once the warranty is up.

 

Fixed that for you

Edited 24 November, 201510 yr by vxh26

Any Proof on that or is it an opinion from your experiences?

 

No they are not 'All ripping off' IMO,

some are charging the proper Hourly Rate for their overheads and the Skills of the Operatives and the quality of the work done and 

the Information and Customer Services done.

 

Many other Professionals in Business have far higher Hourly Rates giving much higher profits and income for far less important matters to 

the public Safety and well being.

Some with no formal training or actual skills or abilities.    

 

IT Technicians as an example for their hourly rate.

Shoe repairers & Key Cutters hourly rate 'pro rata' at least does reflect their skills and ability and materials used.

Edited 24 November, 201510 yr by goneoffSKion1

I know I'm following others slightly here in veering off the original topic but I have to admit that our car goes to the franchised dealer purely because of the two year extended warranty on the replacement engine, once that requirement expires I'll in all likelihood use a local mechanic that we've used for 20 years for servicing.

 

Out of fairness, our prices at the local dealer, and the quality of the work so far, have been pretty good. We too, like clanfan above, got a list of jobs that they thought we might need tending to, but in our case it was put across as simply advising us rather than more or less demanding the work be done.

Skoda servicing prices are a rip off, no reason to stay with them once the warranty is up.

I think the servicing prices are pretty reasonable - it's when they try to tell me I need new discs and pads at every service that gets my goat (250 quid for rear discs and pads is taking the single fish).

Just do it yourselfs ! I'm not a mechanic but my son is but I've done most, oil , filters, fuel filter with vcds , I will do it all myself from now on

Just do it yourselfs ! I'm not a mechanic but my son is but I've done most, oil , filters, fuel filter with vcds , I will do it all myself from now on

 

So there's an "Oil/Fuel filter change" option in VCDS? Interesting...  

Edited 26 November, 201510 yr by newbie69

So there's an "Oil/Fuel filter change" option in VCDS? Interesting...

Up your Arsenal ! You prime the fuel filter with vcds , all the rest are easy so **** you newbie 69, I did put a (,)before fuel filter with vcds, so put your trolling hat away !

Edited 26 November, 201510 yr by seboni121

Up your Arsenal ! You prime the fuel filter with vcds , all the rest are easy so **** you newbie 69, I did put a (,)before fuel filter with vcds, so put your trolling hat away !

Still wrong syntax...

Up your Arsenal ! You prime the fuel filter with vcds , all the rest are easy so **** you newbie 69, I did put a (,)before fuel filter with vcds, so put your trolling hat away !

 

Wouldn't it be nice If faulty syntax was the only problem here . . . sadly, the entire post makes no sense at all.

Wouldn't it be nice If faulty syntax was the only problem here . . . sadly, the entire post makes no sense at all.

"?

.

Still wrong syntax...

Do I give a fek !