Dealer service or independent?

[hanny73]

Hi all,

My A4 Cab is due for a service is about 300 miles. It's 6 years old and has done 66k miles, so far it has been serviced by Audi main dealerships.

Is it worth continuing or is it time now to go to an independent service centre? Will it affect the second hand value if I go to an indy?

Any advice welcome!

Cheers.

[kite]

Go indie, although Audi now have keener pricing on older cars, get a quote from both.
When was your cambelt last done....

[hanny73]

I actually had my cam-belt done at the last service, there are so many differing opinions on when to get it done I thought it would be better to be safe than sorry!

That's one vote for indy..... anyone else?

[Newt1]

Vat registered independent means they can't argue if you have any claims such as anti-perforation warranty.

Personally my father owns his own garage so I get all my servicing free (well the price of a few beers). Ive never had a problem part-exing any car with his stamp on it, always had decent trade ins for the same price as I would have with main dealer service history.

Saved a fortune.

[hanny73]

Thanks for the reply - shame your Dad's garage is not near Twickenham.....!

[Embisix]

I'd also get a quote from both.

That said, Audi's fixed price servicing swung it for me last time, although be careful with the old 'we've noticed your secondary master sprocket widget is a bit worse for wear, would you like us to do it while the car is with us sir?' chestnut.

Go main dealer for the service (if price is right) and get odd jobs done independently would be my advice.

There's still a lot to be said for the right stamps in your service book.

[crazy88]

I'm also wondering this myself. My A4 has had a full dealership service history until the last two or three (136k miles). Although not dealer history, they were performed by VW/ Audi specialists, so I plan on continuing getting it done there as the guy is local, and I know his reputation.

However, had I had full dealer service, i'd be likely to stay dealer. Sorry if this doesn't answer your question, ha!

[danclyon]

I'd also get a quote from both.

That said, Audi's fixed price servicing swung it for me last time, although be careful with the old 'we've noticed your secondary master sprocket widget is a bit worse for wear, would you like us to do it while the car is with us sir?' chestnut.

Go main dealer for the service (if price is right) and get odd jobs done independently would be my advice.

There's still a lot to be said for the right stamps in your service book.

That's what I do - the fixed price thing is pretty keen tbh - and they can pick it apart, so my last one was the £99 service plus a pollen and air filter as that was what was required to achieve the long-life service.

Have a chat with the main dealer and if they have a reasonable reputation then it's money well spent, as they were no more expensive than the indys for servicing.

I get my other bits done at the Indy though (brakes, cambelt, water pump etc etc).

Cheers,
Dan.

[Newt1]

This is the thing...

This 'price of a service at main dealer' theory is all wrong. I appreciate people with new cars like to have that main dealer stamp in their book. And thats all well and good but consider this...

The price of a service at main dealer = £100 approx.
That includes labour and the cost of oil.
For that you won't even get a new oil filter thrown in.

The price of a service at indie = £90 approx.

A saving of £10 you say ?

No, a saving of £50 as that price includes Oil filter, air filter, fluid checks, brake checks etc

This is from experience as I mentioned my old mans garage...he regularly throws in wiper blades, bulbs, antifreeze etc for nothing.

Its all well and good paying for dealer service and each to his own but in my experience the service received from a small garage who need repeat custom to keep a roof over their heads far exceeds an employee of a garage following a set regime.

A little story...a friend of mine had a Vauxhall Corsa years ago. He religiously took it to vauxhall for servicing. One time he had it serviced, drove it to work and his car engine caught fire. Vauxhall didnt want to know so I advised him to get the old man to look at it, he advised that the sump plug had fallen out as a result of not being tightened up during service. After a short legal battle my friend was awarded significant compensation and never stepped foot in a main dealers again instead opting to visit the old mans garage to this day.

If you're willing to make the break from main dealers, find a good garage and stick with them, thats my philosophy.

Im not slaggin off all main dealers, but the majority have too many overheads and mugs willing to pay top whack for an hours work.

[danclyon]

This is the thing...

This 'price of a service at main dealer' theory is all wrong. I appreciate people with new cars like to have that main dealer stamp in their book. And thats all well and good but consider this...

The price of a service at main dealer = £100 approx.
That includes labour and the cost of oil.
For that you won't even get a new oil filter thrown in.

The price of a service at indie = £90 approx.

A saving of £10 you say ?

No, a saving of £50 as that price includes Oil filter, air filter, fluid checks, brake checks etc

This is from experience as I mentioned my old mans garage...he regularly throws in wiper blades, bulbs, antifreeze etc for nothing.

Its all well and good paying for dealer service and each to his own but in my experience the service received from a small garage who need repeat custom to keep a roof over their heads far exceeds an employee of a garage following a set regime.

A little story...a friend of mine had a Vauxhall Corsa years ago. He religiously took it to vauxhall for servicing. One time he had it serviced, drove it to work and his car engine caught fire. Vauxhall didnt want to know so I advised him to get the old man to look at it, he advised that the sump plug had fallen out as a result of not being tightened up during service. After a short legal battle my friend was awarded significant compensation and never stepped foot in a main dealers again instead opting to visit the old mans garage to this day.

If you're willing to make the break from main dealers, find a good garage and stick with them, thats my philosophy.

Im not slaggin off all main dealers, but the majority have too many overheads and mugs willing to pay top whack for an hours work.

I hear what you are saying and on many cars I'd probably agree, but here you are wrong.

The £99 I mentioned was oil, oil filter, sump plug and a check of everything "usual" - so not just oil. I have the list of checks and it would take anyone half-decent about the same amount of time to perform the checks and had I access to ramps etc it would take me the same time.

The £199 one includes oil, oil filter, air filter, fuel filter, plugs (if petrol), sump plug and an even more detailled inspection. OK so it might not include free wiper blades or bulbs or stuff, but it is thorough, and at the end of the day by the book (allegedly!).

I've had quotes from many independents for work, and also from some of the mainstream general garage franchises - and they have been the same price, or in many cases more expensive than the main dealer.

The independent has their place (don't get me wrong, I use one for non-servicing items), but I use the main dealer for the stamp in the book, the fact it's no more expensive now my car is over 3 years old, and because it's actually convenient (pick it up from me, do the MOT, bring it back, don't take the mickey with replacing stuff that's not needed)....

Now if only all main dealers were equal....that's the problem!

Cheers,
Dan.