My car is in for its first oil change since new today having covered just over 18k miles.

I've asked for a variable service plan cost and been quoted £857 for two major services, 2 MOTS, air con service and brake fluid change.

 

Is this a reasonable price? My previous car I did all the servicing on, but whilst this one is in warranty for another year, I'd like to service at the dealer.

Sounds a bit pricey when you consider that the major service is £279 (x2 = £558), MoT’s are £39 (x2 = £78 + £558 = £636) Air con service isn’t really necessary and far cheaper elsewhere with a groupon etc and you get a pollen filter with a service. Brake fluid change is £54 so that takes us to £690. In fact, even adding the £139 air con service onto that price get us to £829 which is still cheaper than your quote. Not included in that price and maybe needed are DSG & Haldex service. £179 and £69 for those respectively  

If it’s only in warranty for another year, and you can do the servicing yourself, why not just pay for the one service and then once the warranty is up you can DIY again?

 

I think almost £900 for what you’ve listed sounds like daylight robbery. I’d say check this page on Skoda’s own site. https://www.skoda.co.uk/owners/simply-fixed-service-plan From £19 per month over 18 months. 

Edited 3 January, 20197 yr by maffyou

Not reasonable in anyway.   Certainly not saving you money by having a plan as there could be offers available say for Brake Fluid & A/C services..

 

Price the items individually.

 2 x major services. Even if @ £290.

2 X MOT @ £54.85 max.    & then Skoda do offers @£39.

Brake Fluid Change @ £54

Aircon Service @ £80 

http://skoda.co.uk/finance-and-offers/service-and-maintenance/simply-fixed

 

 

Edited 3 January, 20197 yr by Skoffski

I did think it was a high quote. I guess the only plus side is spreading the cost over the length of the service plan, but I agree that once the warranty is up, I can do the oil changes, etc.

 

Thanks for the input everyone.

Never found the service plans to be of any value to anyone but the dealer. Just pay as you go and use the fixed prices sheet posted by Skoffski above as a starting point.

 

I'm out of warranty now and I just take the £99 oil service every 10k and change all the filters myself for next to nothing and very little effort. Will probably pay for the spark plugs to be done when due.

I'm interested to see what a service plan for my car would be, however the online system doesn't seem to give me the correct plan.

So my car, as in signature, had a service at 10k (just before I bought it). I've had it set to variable servicing.

As we all know, variable servicing is anything between 15,000 & 20,000 miles, however each service is treated as a major service.

 

I put my details in and the online system offers me 2 consecutive services, 1 major and 1 interim for £22.50 a month. Not a saving, but it's one of those situations where you might not miss that amount each month.

However, I would need two consecutive major services, so I guess there isn't a plan that covers variable servicing?

When my lease car arrives I’m considering getting the service plan. As @Stoofa says above, I won’t miss £19 a month and then that’s my servicing sorted for the duration of the lease. But out of warranty I wouldn’t pay for the dealers servicing. Horses for courses. 

Edited 3 January, 20197 yr by maffyou

1 hour ago, Stoofa said:

 

As we all know, variable servicing is anything between 15,000 & 20,000 miles, however each service is treated as a major service.

 

 

Ummm, they're just changing oil and filters on my 18k service today, along with an inspection. Nothing major is being changed as far as I'm aware.

They'll pretty much charge it as a major service if they can get away with it but all the bits that say 'if required' (indicated by ^ below) won't get done at 18k.

 

A major service includes: Everything from an interim service, Replacement air filter^, Spark plugs^ (petrol engine) or fuel filter^ (diesel engine), Remove wheels and check brakes, Check/adjust tension of all drive belts, Check/replenish gearbox oil (where applicable), Check/replenish final drive oil (where applicable), Check suspension system, Check heating/aircon operation.

 

So they should be checking brakes, checking belts and tensioners etc. 

Edited 3 January, 20197 yr by Kenai

^^^^ You are looking at Major Services on cars from 3 - 10 years old on Fixed service regimes. 'If required' stuff.

Major Service Items on 2nd Major Service maybe at 4 years / 40,000 miles.  ie Plugs, Air Filter, Fuel Filter.

 

A 2 year / under 20,000 mile 'Major Service' is not getting new spark plugs or Air Filter, maybe not even getting looked at.

'Interim Service plus a Pollen Filter' if lucky.  (Used to be Minor & Major Services, or 'Inspection Service and Major Service, time about.

 

That is the big difference about 'Service Plans;  & Full Main Dealer Servicing.   Stuff done to Manufacturers Guidelines, and not Schedules. 

& DSG, Haldex, Brake Fluid not included. 

Nor A/C services.

 

A visual inspection of the brakes. No wheels are coming off. Wheels might never be off a car unless changing tyres or paying for Brake Service or replacing.

There should be plugging into the diagnostics.  There should be a road test.  Health Check and report.

*Body and glass inspection / report, needed for Paint and Corrosion Warranty, so be sure it is done and on the system.)

Edited 3 January, 20197 yr by Skoffski

All the dealers I spoke to were very careful about calling it 'first variable service', presumably so as not to draw any implications that you'd be getting what's listed on the 'major' example but most quoted the same £279 price.

 

The one that didn't, knocked money off for not doing plugs or air filter, so it seems very much like that's what they're using as a basis for their price and work required, at least the ones I spoke to. 

& the barstewards quote the same for a Superb or Octavia as they do for a Citigo that will need one less spark plug and near half the amount of oil.

 

Looking forward to how much they want to charge when they actually start using VW508 /509 oil.

As it is 'some' are pretending they know nothing about that, and not necessary, which it is not.  But then the WLTP results were with 0w 20 FS LL used.

Never pay the £279 for a major service on a car less than 3 years old / 60,000 miles.

 

Whatever Skoda call it, or claim is replaced, the only thing the car will ever get until the above criteria is met is oil, oil filter and pollen filter.

 

Brake fluid, air filter, fuel filter or spark plugs won't be touched.

10 hours ago, wg100 said:

 

Ummm, they're just changing oil and filters on my 18k service today, along with an inspection. Nothing major is being changed as far as I'm aware.

 

I'll be interested to see what you're charged for your first variable service.

My Mk2.5 vRS was on variable from the factory, had my first service at 19k, second at 37k, third at 55k - each time I was charged the "Major Service" costs and that was if I wanted to keep full Skoda Service History, which is important if you ever require goodwill for repairs outside of warranty.

 

My new car was serviced at 10k before I took it, but I fully expect to be charged for a Major Service at or around 28k and the same at or around 48k despite what they actually fit - if I want to keep that Skoda FSH,

19 hours ago, Stoofa said:

I'm interested to see what a service plan for my car would be, however the online system doesn't seem to give me the correct plan.

So my car, as in signature, had a service at 10k (just before I bought it). I've had it set to variable servicing.

As we all know, variable servicing is anything between 15,000 & 20,000 miles, however each service is treated as a major service.

 

I put my details in and the online system offers me 2 consecutive services, 1 major and 1 interim for £22.50 a month. Not a saving, but it's one of those situations where you might not miss that amount each month.

However, I would need two consecutive major services, so I guess there isn't a plan that covers variable servicing?

My local Skoda Dealer do their own service plans which are cheaper than the Official prices. £10.52 per month x 30 includes first 2 services including first M.O.T. excluding tyres, brake fluid and air con regas. I have an aftermarket cone air filter so this does not need replacing during routine servicing.

10 minutes ago, shyVRS245 said:

My local Skoda Dealer do their own service plans which are cheaper than the Official prices. £10.52 per month x 30 includes first 2 services including first M.O.T. excluding tyres, brake fluid and air con regas. I have an aftermarket cone air filter so this does not need replacing during routine servicing.

 

Grrrr - where is that dealership based?

4 minutes ago, Stoofa said:

 

Grrrr - where is that dealership based?

Sandicliffe Leicester but I am probably their best customer over 14 years so they tend to look after me LOL.

Not a million miles away....but not on the doorstep either.

Oh well, I guess £279 every 18k miles (roughly) isn't too bad and only until the warranty runs out, so probably just a couple.

1 minute ago, Stoofa said:

Not a million miles away....but not on the doorstep either.

Oh well, I guess £279 every 18k miles (roughly) isn't too bad and only until the warranty runs out, so probably just a couple.

Going there next Tuesday first service at 18,500 miles done while I wait, only 10 miles from my home so very convenient.

What the dealer has quoted the OP for is their very own rip off service plan which has nothing whatsoever to do with VAG.

 

The VAG service plan we have on our Superb was purchased with the car and was excellent value. £279 for the first 2 (fixed) services (pretty sure VAG don't do one far variable) saving us about £80 on the cost of paying when the car was serviced. It was even better value when you consider it was included in the 3 year 0% finance payments.

 

We were quoted for a dealers own service plan when we bought the Ceed. 4 services were 48 payments of £23, total £1104. We declined. Those same 4 services actually cost us under £800 (including 2 MOT's) which suggests that the dealer would have made about £400 on the plan.

 

And now a cautionary tale. Work colleague bought a dealer service plan when he bought a new Volvo, £1300 for the first 3 services paid up front. We all told him he was mad. The C30 was only a Focus in a fancy frock, our mechanically identical car cost about £600 for the first 3 services at the local ford emporium. 6 months after he bought the car the Volvo dealer closed its doors forever. He got no services or monies returned. He had to pay all over again.

 

Manufacturer plans can be good, dealer plans are risky. Do your research and sums.

Well the plan quoted above would run in at £315.60 covering two variable services (at £279 each) and an MOT (at what, £50).

So with a near £300 saving on the individual components, I'd be happy with that. Dealer over VAG, but at the end of the day it's still going to have a VAG service listed in it's virtual log book.

45 minutes ago, shyVRS245 said:

My local Skoda Dealer do their own service plans which are cheaper than the Official prices. £10.52 per month x 30 includes first 2 services including first M.O.T. excluding tyres, brake fluid and air con regas. I have an aftermarket cone air filter so this does not need replacing during routine servicing.

 

That price will not be for cars on variable servicing.

 

Also see my warning above about the risks of dealer plans.

6 minutes ago, skidpan said:

 

That price will not be for cars on variable servicing.

 

Also see my warning above about the risks of dealer plans.

You are wrong I am on variable servicing 509 days and 18,500 miles since I collected my car in August 2017.

9 hours ago, Stoofa said:

 

I'll be interested to see what you're charged for your first variable service.

My Mk2.5 vRS was on variable from the factory, had my first service at 19k, second at 37k, third at 55k - each time I was charged the "Major Service" costs and that was if I wanted to keep full Skoda Service History, which is important if you ever require goodwill for repairs outside of warranty.

 

My new car was serviced at 10k before I took it, but I fully expect to be charged for a Major Service at or around 28k and the same at or around 48k despite what they actually fit - if I want to keep that Skoda FSH,

A few pounds under £180 for oil change and inspection service, although they initially reset the service indicator to 10k/1yr as opposed to 18k/2yr...

 

Decided to take out the dealer group service plan at £25/mth. Service person pointed out that labour rate is about to increase, and also what some others have mentioned about dealer servicing and subsequent goodwill should faults occur outside of warranty. To be fair, I’ve had good service from them (Trust Skoda, Redditch) in the 4.5 years I’ve been using them. Previously for my Mk1 Fabia, and now for my Scout, neither of which were bought from them.

Edited 4 January, 20197 yr by wg100