VW Servicing: Only VW Dealer or other?

[sgx]

Hi folks,

Just wondering if you could give me a bit of general advice on VW servicing?

Is it best to stick with getting services done at a registered VW dealers / Service departments? Or does it not really matter, as it's really just the same anywhere?

Obviously servicing is cheaper elsewhere, but if the service is not the same quality or if VW places have specialist knowledge etc, then I don't want to risk anything for the sake of a few quid...

What's the general opinion?

[emma9683]

Hi,

It all depends....being a woman i found i got completely mugged by every private mechanic i tried, that was in my polo days - I once paid £450 just to get service and window wipers changed - later found my break discs were never replaced and the bloke who was meant to have done it earned a good wedge out of me!!! - never mind no need to go on and bore you!

I personally would stick with a VW dealer/registered service centre - you know what your getting its all laid out on paper work and thier work is also warrantied, which leads me to another point is your car recently purchased of vw? if so you may invalidate any warrranty by getting work done elsewhere ....

I also believe that non VW mechanics cant reset your service warning/on board computer ..... me personally? - i like to keep everything in order and couldnt stand it bleeping at me (service warning) everytime you start the engine even though you had it serviced.

[emma9683]

Sorry - should of actually mentioned brake discs were quoted in my service and window wiper changed! I know they are not part of a normal service!

[obg]

If your car is out of the warranty period I would suggest going to a smaller garage. If you asked your local dealer for a price on a FULL service you may need to take out a second mortgage. Find a garage that you know someone else goes to so you know they do a good job and know roughly what they charge.

[Vonpem]

Well I just got my Golf back from the VW dealer. It did need a lot of work doing to it .. cost me £ 1,500 but hey .. it's only moneeee lol and it goes like s**t off a stick now. One question for those 'in the know' out there. It has no badges on it other than VW badge on the back and the usual grill badge thing on the front. It's a VW Golf TDI S 1.9 - 90 .. wondered if anyone knows firstly why it doesn't have any badges and secondly where I might buy the lot from at a reasonable price (re-mortgaged my house already)

[mluton]

I now use Awesome GTI to do my servicing.

[v6dub]

I not sure how many people are aware of this but if you buy a car from a dealership and it has a wanenty be it a new car with 3 or more years or a secondhand car with 6 months or a year warenty, it no longer has to be serviced at a main delership to keep the warenty, as long as any parts that are changed are genuien new parts then the dealership has to honor the warenty, that is now law.
Also you don't want to go to dealiships they are so expensive and they don't do a good job, my golf went into mine local dealership yesterday cause not so long ago i had a new genniuen thermostat fitted by my local garage and the part broke so under the part warenty the dealership took a look and refussed to change it because vag com said there was nothing wrong and said it was working fine when i know it is not.

[mluton]

Also make sure the independant garage is VAT registered, if you are having servicing doing in a warranty period.

[dirtyderv]

I do everything myself ;-) That saves lots of money, as being a poor student i dont have a house to remortgage to cover the cost of VWs servicing!

Alot of main dealers and even independant garages have the tendancy to rip you off, mine goes to a garage for things i cannot manage on my own like wheel bearings etc. Alan.

[Stuart_B]

Why go to VW and pay the stupid over the top prices when the odds are your gonna have the apprentice changing your oil, filters and anything else that needs doing.