The dash on my 2017 L&K 220 recently flagged that an oil change service was soon due, but on calling the dealer to book I was told that it isn't, and the computer is confused (18k miles, 2.5 years old).

I agreed to take it in to have the service warning reset as there are a few minor things I'd like looking at before the warranty expires in May:
 

• the glovebox door isn't quite flush with the surrounds when closed
• the button to raise/lower one of the rear headrests is stuck
• the fuel door has failed to release a few times recently, which I've temporarily fixed with WD40
• one of the reversing sensors has somehow been pulled back into the bodywork (not sure if this was malicious or if I've hit a very well aimed branch!)

 

Apart from the reversing sensor, these seem like things where a service engineer might know how to proceed from a very quick look, but Skoda have told me that there's a £140 inspection fee payable before they'll take a look. They've also said that if any of this is under warranty (which I doubt), that would cover the cost of the work but not the inspection fee.

 

I was going to spend an afternoon trying to resolve some of the easier issues, but if getting the reversing sensor looked at incurs the £140 fee, I may as well leave the whole lot to them to look at and quote for.

 

Is this £140 fee standard, or should I push back?

When was it Serviced and had an Oil change last?

 

On your part.

If they set the Service Indicator wrongly at the last service, that is for them to sort out, or whoever set it wrong at the last service.

Do not let them reset if they did, tell them to re-service the car and set it at their expense.

Keep the Service History correct. 

 

Just use another Main Dealer that charges for Diagnosis / Investigating for work that is not covered by warranty but not if the Warranty Covers the faulty items because of design, manufacturing etc.

Someone needs to pay for their time if the Warranty does not cover stuff.

£140 Minimum Investigation or repair fee is a rip off really, Taking 1 hour Min & VAT.

 

You hit them for your Free Service and re-setting the Service Indicator if one of their employees set it wrong last time or failed ti reset it.

Tell them your Hourly rate is £140, and they wasted it having to come back in.

Edited 1 January, 20206 yr by Roottootemblowinootsoot

Find a better dealer, they are taking the p***.

 

Skoda UK's warranty T&C's put a 6 month / 6,500 mile limit on wear and tear items including mechanical adjustment. Since your dealer is clearly a bit of an arse they'll no doubt try and wiggle out of all of them by claiming the headrest and fuel filler flap are classed as adjustment...

 

 

https://az749841.vo.msecnd.net/sitesengb/alv1/681e0567-9e39-4078-88de-df61013683c7/SKODA_Warranty_Terms_November_2018.59c8de521ff537083074db669bd4a47d.pdf

 

The fact they're trying to get you to pay a £140 diagnostic fee is bad enough, to NOT refund this if the items they're checking are covered under warranty is diabolical.

 

I am sure Skoda UK would like to know about the underhand tactics of one of their franchised dealers. Be sure to drop them an email.

 

I don't know who this dealer is but I am reckoning they recommend brake discs and pads prematurely and regularly insist on air conditioning servicing.

 

To not want to take money off you for servicing the car suggests they're simply stupid rather than underhand. The only caveat here is if they were the ones that last serviced it and screwed up the most basic and simple of tasks - resetting the service computer.

 

Please let us know the service history of the car:

 

• Date
• Mileage
• Fixed or Variable*

As it is an early 2017 car it should have had at least one service by now. If it hasn't then at two and a half years old it is well overdue.

 

*  Fixed = 12 months or 10,000 miles, whichever is reached first.

    Variable = up to 24 months or 20,000 miles, the car decides for itself using various sensors.

 

Edited 1 January, 20206 yr by silver1011

Interesting that the £140 is non-standard - as I suspected.

 

To clarify, the £140 is for investigating the four issues I raised, and is unrelated to resetting the interval.

 

The dealer did say that these issues would be unlikely to be warranty jobs as they are wear and tear. I'm tempted to get them to just reset the interval, cancel the rest and take it to a third-party dealer who were always massively fair with my old Volvo (which was out of warranty).

 

Interestingly a while back I started getting messages and then calls from the dealer for one of those money-spinner appointments - can't remember if it was a summer check, winter tyre check or similar - but when I declined, I was told that it was a requirement to meet the warranty! Should have kicked off at the time, but I had other things going on.

 

I'd need to dig out the paperwork to see when it was last serviced - I bought it at 12 months old from a non-main dealer, but I'm fairly sure it's on a variable schedule.

I understood the Service reset was not the reason for the £140 charge, and they want that up front to investigate.

 

So the non-dealer service and wrong resetting is the issue.

& if the Servicing is not on the VW / Skoda System.

 

Best see when that Oil Change was.

If a year go then fine.  But if not reset right this 18,000 miles and a warning might right.

Something was reset previously since it is over 24 months old.

 

For your Warranty you want a Correct Service Record and a Dealership re-setting now does not give you that if they do not have a record or you do of the Service Carried out correctly last time. OEM parts, VAT Registered Establishment.

Edited 1 January, 20206 yr by Roottootemblowinootsoot

So the car has had two services:

• Delivery service, 6 miles, June 2017
• "Inspection with oil change (flexible)", 11k miles, December 2018

And the most recent service report says "Reset service light to variable". The car has now done ~18k miles.

 

I know I should probably be on a fixed schedule (I'm told I can't change this) - maybe the car is detecting that a service is genuinely needed?

3 hours ago, hop said:

Interesting that the £140 is non-standard - as I suspected.

 

To clarify, the £140 is for investigating the four issues I raised, and is unrelated to resetting the interval.

 

The dealer did say that these issues would be unlikely to be warranty jobs as they are wear and tear. I'm tempted to get them to just reset the interval, cancel the rest and take it to a third-party dealer who were always massively fair with my old Volvo (which was out of warranty).

 

Interestingly a while back I started getting messages and then calls from the dealer for one of those money-spinner appointments - can't remember if it was a summer check, winter tyre check or similar - but when I declined, I was told that it was a requirement to meet the warranty! Should have kicked off at the time, but I had other things going on.

 

I'd need to dig out the paperwork to see when it was last serviced - I bought it at 12 months old from a non-main dealer, but I'm fairly sure it's on a variable schedule.

If this third-party dealer has a VCDS, he can reset the service interval correctly too. I do it myself when I do the service on my wife's Audi Q3. It's very easy.

For instance, if you have a service warning, let's say 500 miles too early, it's easy to reset 500 miles before next service.

 

4 minutes ago, hop said:

So the car has had two services:

• Delivery service, 6 miles, June 2017
• "Inspection with oil change (flexible)", 11k miles, December 2018

And the most recent service report says "Reset service light to variable". The car has now done ~18k miles.

 

I know I should probably be on a fixed schedule (I'm told I can't change this) - maybe the car is detecting that a service is genuinely needed?

Sorry, but they have fooled you. This is something to select in a scrolling menu or so. Thus it can be modified back.

28 minutes ago, Bap33 said:

Sorry, but they have fooled you. This is something to select in a scrolling menu or so. Thus it can be modified back.

Correct. My car was delivered on variable servicing. I had it chznged to fixed at 12 months. No issues with the dealer.

 

Low mileage 18k after 2.5 years probably due a service.

 

PS is the delivery one not an inspection and not a service with oil change? 

Edited 1 January, 20206 yr by irc

It had a service at 11,000 miles / December 2018.

It will just have been changed to Fixed Servicing which is 9,400 miles or 372 days.  1 year & 1 week.  ie Now ish.

 

With Long Life oil it could be left for another almost a year.   But then someone set it to Fixed it looks like.

Edited 1 January, 20206 yr by Roottootemblowinootsoot

18 hours ago, hop said:

Interesting that the £140 is non-standard - as I suspected.

 

To clarify, the £140 is for investigating the four issues I raised, and is unrelated to resetting the interval.

 

The dealer did say that these issues would be unlikely to be warranty jobs as they are wear and tear. I'm tempted to get them to just reset the interval, cancel the rest and take it to a third-party dealer who were always massively fair with my old Volvo (which was out of warranty).

 

Interestingly a while back I started getting messages and then calls from the dealer for one of those money-spinner appointments - can't remember if it was a summer check, winter tyre check or similar - but when I declined, I was told that it was a requirement to meet the warranty! Should have kicked off at the time, but I had other things going on.

 

I'd need to dig out the paperwork to see when it was last serviced - I bought it at 12 months old from a non-main dealer, but I'm fairly sure it's on a variable schedule.

just on the service interval thing, you have a fairly high performance engine in your car. Bearing in mind that oil changes in these cars are incredibly cheap and easy to do yourself / cheap to have done at an independent garage, I suggest considering staying on fixed service intervals and changing the oil every 9000 miles /yearly. The variable servicing is designed for people / organisations to  avoid servicing hassle in the first 3 years, and after that they don’t care because they sell the car. If you intend to keep the car for any length of time, regular oil changes are the best way to keep future engine problems to a minimum.

I get my oil from TPS - Quantum Platinum - and the total cost of a DIY oil change, including oil, filter and plastic sump plug, is around £35.

I am also fairly sure that this oil is preferred by the engine - since moving away from longlife oil the cars burns less oil and the mpg seems better. I wish I had done it sooner.

 

For you, I suppose it depends on how long you intend to keep the car.

Edited 2 January, 20206 yr by nicknorman

I spoke to another dealer today, and their inspection fee is £51, and is rolled into any further cost. Plus, they suggested that these items would be covered under warranty.

 

I’m going to go to the original dealer tomorrow, get them to correct the interval but - assuming they won’t drop the fee - take it to the more reasonable dealer for the fixes.

 

Thanks again for all your help!

On 01/01/2020 at 20:49, hop said:

So the car has had two services:

• Delivery service, 6 miles, June 2017
• "Inspection with oil change (flexible)", 11k miles, December 2018

And the most recent service report says "Reset service light to variable". The car has now done ~18k miles.

 

I know I should probably be on a fixed schedule (I'm told I can't change this) - maybe the car is detecting that a service is genuinely needed?

 

 

The first service listed above isn't a service as such, it is often called a PDI (pre-delivery inspection), essentially unwrapping the car and preparing / checking it for the road.

 

So your car has had one service, a little too late for 'fixed' and potentially early for a 'variable'.

 

Either way at the last service they have not set it to variable (up to 20,000 miles / 2 years).

 

Assuming the car is keeper and your relatively low mileage I'd be tempted to stick to fixed (10,000 miles or 12 months), simply to ensure fresh oil at least once a year. Oil is the lifeblood of any engine or turbo.

 

Your dealer is rubbish quite frankly, and that is putting it politely, walk, run away as fast as you can.

 

Sounds like you've found a better dealer. If I were you I'd book it in for a paid fixed service, and get them to check out the other items under warranty at the same time, this should save you the £51. You then know everything is back on track.

 

Good luck!