First Service - Dealer?

[gr0m1t]

Hey all,

 

Nearly a year of owning my Superb... the 400m to service has come on! Just wondering what peoples opinion was on going to a dealer to get this done... or a local trusted garage?

 

Many thanks,

 

 

 

G.

[TheRobinK]

Tell us your miles and what level of service is due?

 

I think it depends on where you live and the dealer in question. I'm lucky as the dealer where I live behaves like a great independent who happened to become a Skoda dealer. I use them to help keep the "goodwill" account topped up.

 

If your area  dealer is lousy, then its a good independant all the way. 

 

Perhaps one of the UK guys here knows your area and can advise? 

[gr0m1t]

Hey @TheRobinK,

 

Based in Oxford - the car came from Kidlington. Miles are 44400. I have just been out to check the service schedule... and it is not there... which is somewhat troubling.. I wonder if it is at home somewhere (will check later)... 

[Wet Kipper]

IIRC, they haven't put a service schedule in new cars for a wee while now (others can confirm, mine is still old enough to have one)

 

theory is that it is all stored "online" by the dealer - all you have to do is give the car to them when the "service required" indicator comes on, and they decide what needs to be done.

[Joxroach2]

Just bought my second Yeti a 1.2TSI replacing my 1.6TDI.  

 

I noticed that Service History/Maintenance Books aren't issued with the New Car. (Slightly deviating).  I queried this and these books are no longer issued. Everything is online.

 

I checked the Skoda website and their view on taking a car to a non-franchised dealer is that if anything goes wrong with work carried out, then you could be in trouble re you warranty.

 

Worth considering.

 

Hope this helps.

Edited 17 July, 2017 by Joxroach2
More added

[gr0m1t]

Am I being a cynic when I am just seeing this as a move to force people to go to the dealers?

 

 

[Ootohere]

? 

What Skoda Website is that ?

Does it not mention the EU Free Market and that you can have Servicing done by Qualified / or is that VAT Registered individuals or establishments if they use the correct OEM parts and fluids, and the Manufacturers Warranty stays valid, as valid as if a Franchised Dealership did servicing and anything went wrong.

There are Independents with Licensed Equipment that know when there are Recalls, Service Campaigns & Software Updates or Enhancements and car carry them out.

Keep Invoices & receipts for your Servicing be that from a Franchised Dealership or an Independent.

 

PS

Body inspections and report should be annual but with variable servicing that might be 2 years between, but done at a Main Dealer Service.

If not current and carried out the Paint / Corrosion warranty might be knocked back if issues.

Some Main Dealers want 1 Hour Labour time for a Body / Corrosion inspection.  Expensive considering that during a Service it might take 10 mins max.

Edited 17 July, 2017 by Awayoffski

[gr0m1t]

Thinking about it - with the data being held online, I can't see it, and thus can't determine what needs doing? How am I supposed to keep the dealer honest? Or am I being a cynic again?  

[Solarstorm]

Pony Road are in Oxford as an independent VAG - used them before and been happy with the service

 

Similarly Grey Gables out Witney way have been used before as well (where the car came from), nothing wrong with the service, just more £££ than Pony Road and further afield for me

 

Not used the main Skoda dealer, either pre or post move to Kidlington

[drefaldwyn]

Trusted independent every time!!!

 

Drefaldwyn

[TheRobinK]

18 hours ago, Joxroach2 said:

I noticed that Service History/Maintenance Books aren't issued with the New Car. (Slightly deviating).  I queried this and these books are no longer issued. Everything is online.

 

I think this is a Skoda UK policy - they have just decided that they dont want the costs of including them at delivery?

 

My Irish delivered 2014 Superb came with the Service Book. In addition to everything going online anyways - the Service book has been stamped and completed at each service. 

[gr0m1t]

Thanks all.

 

Can't believe that it costs that much to have a service book - having said that I am all for putting stuff online and in the cloud, but it should really be accessible to the owner of the car without having to visit a garage!

 

 

[TheRobinK]

1 hour ago, gr0m1t said:

Can't believe that it costs that much to have a service book

 

It doesn't cost that much. 

 

BUT when the money people multiply all the new Skodas in the UK by the cost of the Service Book by the time spent having them stamped and add that to the potential value of having you come in to check (and walk by a new Superb 3 with a lovely lease deal) - the Savings and earnings seem Simply Clever to a cost cutter.

 

To me, it just seems Simply Cheap.

[williamshatnerspants]

I'm a bit of a cynic, and while I have had good service from the independent garage's in town I always get a quote from two for every service. One independent is now close to the dealer's price for servicing, so I use the other. 

 

As noted above check your warranty carefully.

 

There have been cases on here (clutch failure) where the vehicle was diagnosed by an independent garage and then Skoda UK played hardball on what was clearly defective parts.

 

In summary, at your mileage, and still under the factory warranty I'd be (begrudgingly) using the Skoda dealer.

[peterposh]

the EU block exemption allows you to use good independent garages ( another thing we will lose post brexit ) , if you want to spend £350  at the main dealers go ahead , someone has to pay for that big showroom and fancy suits ;-) , I had mine done at the local indy for £110

Edited 19 July, 2017 by peterposh

[Greenline3Matt]

Main dealer every time for me. I have a good local dealer, they collect my car, leave me with a courtesy car and bring my car back to me at the end of the day, all FOC. 

 

My 3 year service plan cost me about £460. That includes 3 services, 2 MOT's and a brake fluid change. 

 

Oh and they let me pay it off monthly, with zero interest!

 

No independent would come close to price or service.

[lichfielddriver]

On 17/07/2017 at 16:27, gr0m1t said:

Am I being a cynic when I am just seeing this as a move to force people to go to the dealers?

 

 

 

No **** sherlock....

 

i had a new 2015 superb and bought a service book off Ebay £3, but ive avoided dealers apart from the 1st £140 oil change

 

which included £3 for a new sumpplug

 

 

THEY DONT REMOVE THE SUMP PLUG

 

so i never went back

[gr0m1t]

Okay - given all of this.. New question... is it worth extending the warranty? What do people think?

 

 

G.

[peterposh]

I haven't on mine , anything that goes will be shirked off as consumables and not covered  I suspect

[TheRobinK]

2 hours ago, peterposh said:

anything that goes will be shirked off as consumables and not covered  I suspect

 

You may be right and I've certainly had to "push" a few different car makers on warranties (Mercedes was the worst with BMW a close second. VW gave me grief  in one dealer - which had them in first place on my warranty poop list - and another dealer behaved impeccably about the same fault I wanted fixed).

 

That said, if you want the backup of an extended warranty on your car, one from the manufacturer is going to be less painful to extract satisfaction than any of the "after market" warranties I've had experience of. Maybe those are better in the UK but they are smelly crapola with a cherry on top here in Ireland. 

[silver1011]

A warranty is insurance.

 

Put the money you'd stick into a warranty into a separate bank account instead. If you need it then it's there, if not you can spend it on something else.

 

A DPF or turbo might blow the budget but after a year or two's warranty payments you'd soon have enough saved up to cover a big hit.

 

As for main dealer servicing the only thing it's good for is the potential for goodwill gestures towards out of warranty failures should they arise. Skoda UK won't entertain them without a full main dealer history. Saying that Skoda's attitude towards customer loyalty has waned since their meteoric rise to success. They don't need our loyalty anymore so any potential for support has significantly reduced.

 

A £149 service from my main dealer does include a free pick-up and drop-off service (of the car) from work or a courtesy car which is a big bonus.

 

Independents round here are rarely cheaper than main dealers, at least for routine servicing.

[lichfielddriver]

I buy genuine parts and oil and pay £30 labour to have it done...

 

Mansfield Skoda sell genuine parts at 30% off RRP on Ebay

[peterposh]

 Mine's up to 123k now so I change my own oil and filter now, oil filter and oil , using my Sealey suction device to remove oil via the dipstick I'd done it within 15 minutes  :-)   "much cheapness"

Edited 20 July, 2017 by peterposh

[spk]

Personally, extended warranty = no.

 

As mentioned before, I think of it like insurance. In my case, I have no outstanding finance, and I could get to work without the car. It'd (b****y) annoying but I can do it so I'd rather drop the money into savings, if nothing too expensive breaks I still have the money.

 

I'd planned to go main dealer, as I did with my previous Skoda but changed my mind in the end. As I'm out of warranty and Skoda UK won't budge on this for used cars it seems, plus the car and independents available locally to me, I went that route. I think the answer to this question really depends on what your main dealer is like and the alternatives. Maybe you could go see on the forum if there's an owners meet for your area and ask who they use?

 

Cheers,

Steve

[terrytowelling]

On 7/17/2017 at 16:28, Awayoffski said:

? 

What Skoda Website is that ?

Does it not mention the EU Free Market and that you can have Servicing done by Qualified / or is that VAT Registered individuals or establishments if they use the correct OEM parts and fluids, and the Manufacturers Warranty stays valid, as valid as if a Franchised Dealership did servicing and anything went wrong.

There are Independents with Licensed Equipment that know when there are Recalls, Service Campaigns & Software Updates or Enhancements and car carry them out.

Keep Invoices & receipts for your Servicing be that from a Franchised Dealership or an Independent.

 

PS

Body inspections and report should be annual but with variable servicing that might be 2 years between, but done at a Main Dealer Service.

If not current and carried out the Paint / Corrosion warranty might be knocked back if issues.

Some Main Dealers want 1 Hour Labour time for a Body / Corrosion inspection.  Expensive considering that during a Service it might take 10 mins max.

Block Exemption , In October 2003, when the European Commission (EC) passed a law allowing vehicle owners the freedom of having their servicing and repairs done at their chosen workshop. Post brexit we can look forward to paying skoda £350 for an oil change  ;-)