First Service Cost

[theskyfox]

Hi Guys,
My A4 will be one year old next month! I like to change my oil/filter every year (always been a habit) and so Im starting to shop around for first service costs. Just got a quote from Southend Audi: £276.80. This includes: Oil, Oil Filter, Sump nut/plug, Screen wash and wash/wax/vac.

How much do you normally pay? Im going to phone my local independent shortly too. Ideally I'd like it to be at main dealer, what are your experiences of haggling? and whats the best price you have had out of a main dealer?

Car: Audi A4 3.0TDi S-Line, Manual Gearbox. Mileage: 10,000 miles.

-Andrew

[certacito]

I've just paid £250 for a 20,000 mile first service on a 2.0TDI 170 including oil change & pollen filter from Glasgow Audi.

Prices before VAT were:-
Service & pollen filter £94.54
Excess ins cover for loan car £12.50
Oil £68.95
Oil parts (cleaner, sump plug etc) around £33

All parts - £33.12
Labour (which weirdly includes the oil) - £175.99
VAT - £41.82

Not too bad I thought for a main dealer, I didn't bother to get a quote from an independant.

[Y90USF]

Does fixed interval service prices apply?? £149 for a small service ie oil and £249 for full service excluding pollen

[rd1]

The Audi service, inspection or whatever is overly complicated IMO, is this just an interim service which includes the oil and filter change, if so Hitchin Audi do it for £149.
I thought Audi dealers did fixed price offers and if it was time for brake fluid or the air con then you just added them to the interim service costs. I have mine annually serviced and this is how it seems to work out for me. £276 does appear expensive though just for the interim. and valet

[theskyfox]

First of all, thank for the feedback so far guys. Apparantly the actual cost is £230, but theyre offering a fluid replacement and valet for the extra few quid. £149 and £249 apparantly only apply to engines up to and including 2.0 litre. Mines 3.0 V6..so costs a bit more. This is my first ever service on the car...so just an oil, oil filter and inspection/fluid change.

-Andrew

[SC03OTT]

I'd be politely turning down the 'valet'.

[certacito]

I'd be politely turning down the 'valet'.

To be honest if it's a main dealer I'd expect a complimentary valet, Glasgow did.

[SC03OTT]

It's not the price that's the issue. The thought of someone using whatever old sponge is lying around and a small bucket of water, rubbing dirt all over the paintwork doesn't give me a warm fuzzy feeling inside. Different strokes for different folks however. I personally tell dealers not to bother.

[certacito]

It's not the price that's the issue. The thought of someone using whatever old sponge is lying around and a small bucket of water, rubbing dirt all over the paintwork doesn't give me a warm fuzzy feeling inside. Different strokes for different folks however. I personally tell dealers not to bother.

I'm with you 100% on this one.

I actually meant to tell them to leave the outside but forgot. I dread to think about how they washed it given my own obsession with avoiding swirls and scratches

[Hammy969]

Guys

My car is in today for it's second service at circa 37,500miles (variable servicing)

The first service cost £259 @ 18,500miles
The second service including all the filters £347. after quite a bit of haggling.

Regarding the valeting...... I'm with you guys on that. My last car had the scars to show for it.

Ham

[John140]

Paid £298 for the first service on my TDI 143, which I arrived at after some haggling when they lost £30 !!

So embarassingly I'm the most expensive on here, the joy of living in the Thames Valley.

They did do a full valet though which I declined to pay for.

Both of the local dealers I spoke to paid no attention to the fixed price servicing it only seems to exist in cyberspace it seems.

[John140]

It's not the price that's the issue. The thought of someone using whatever old sponge is lying around and a small bucket of water, rubbing dirt all over the paintwork doesn't give me a warm fuzzy feeling inside. Different strokes for different folks however. I personally tell dealers not to bother.

To be honest I've never had a problem with this, lets face it any slip ups from the car washers and they get replaced with some other economic migrant labourer !

[theskyfox]

I generally prefer washing my own car. But have had a few times in the winter when the car has been literally *caked* in road salt, grit etc...and its been dark and freezing cold. Sometimes its just easier to go through a hand car wash. They never do a particuarly great job, but it gets the crap off.

-Andrew

[xtremist]

Just had a 'major' service at Hitchin Audi including brake fluid change £358 and yes they did wash it.

Apparantly it was a special deal, which just happened to be the same cost as on the Audi website.

[Y90USF]

Preston Audi asked a driver to pass my car through a supermarket car wash but the driver didn't think I'd like that so didn't bother!! This was the service manager who instructed this!!

[John140]

I'd have been very unhappy with this, none of my cars ever go through any automated car washes. I dont particularly like pressure washers either although I do own one which I use about twice a year under the wheel arches for the post winter salt residue.

[Pauls898]

I have a 3.0L TDI QSE and I got my Oil/Filter and all other service checks, like coolent tested, brake fluid tested, underbody / tyres checked and computer reset for a grand total of £106.80 by a local independant garage, I won't be going back to the Audi main dealer again for there over inflated prices, just so I can drink coffee and sit on a leather sofa lol, you can do that at home and save over £200........

[John140]

I have a 3.0L TDI QSE and I got my Oil/Filter and all other service checks, like coolent tested, brake fluid tested, underbody / tyres checked and computer reset for a grand total of £106.80 by a local independant garage, I won't be going back to the Audi main dealer again for there over inflated prices, just so I can drink coffee and sit on a leather sofa lol, you can do that at home and save over £200........

That a helluva deal ! Our local VW/Audi specialist is essentially dearer than the main dealer for some things and isn't as convenient to get to.

[skymaster]

I always use an Audi main dealer... get a stamp in the book, the right oil used and genuine parts...

Servicing is extremely profitable for them... a huge margin in there... so there is plenty of room to haggle... if their workshop isn't full they should be open to haggling.. they want this kind of work more than anything else..

If you have more than one dealer in driving distance get quotes and haggle between them...

my friend did this and got a FULL service inc Air, Oil, Pollen, Fuel filters, oil change and inspection for £299... his car... A5 3.0 TDI ... highest price at the start of his haggling was around £480!!!

[bogey888]

Just been quoted £314 for 1st service on 2.0tdi A4, thats oil and pollen filter change. Overpriced or about right??? Would it invalidate my warranty going to an independent dealer using genuine parts?

Cheers

[Hammy969]

Have look back at my previous post. If it on long life I would expect to pay around £250. I think that's a lot but you do help your warranty if you use a dealer. You can use an indi as long as they use genuine parts. Also I had 3 recalls / warranty jobs done that I didn't know about when mine was in for it's last service.

Ham

[thescouselander]

I had a bit of a shock today when I enquired about servicing costs. My car needs an oil change now and is coming up for an inspection and MOT in June. I asked Bristol Audi how much an oil change would only be and they quoted me £179!!!! They then responded to my incredulity by lowering this quote to £150 which I still thought was ridiculous.

After a quick call to Bath Audi (owned by the same group) I had a more reasonable quote of £195 to do a full service including oil and all the filters (air, oil and pollen) which I thought was very reasonable. In the past I've also found the service at Bath to be much better which is an added bonus.

I can't think where Bristol Audi are getting they prices from - perhaps they are still paying for their shiny new show room. Also its strange that Bath is so much cheaper given they are both owned by the same group. Clearly it pays to shop around.

[Piddles]

Would it invalidate my warranty going to an independent dealer using genuine parts?Cheers

No, the EU Block Exemption Regs (http://www.alfaworkshop.co.uk/block_exemption.shtml) says absolutely, unambiguously not. You don't even have to use genuine parts, Just "equivilent quality" ones. I think it was the VW group that got fined an eye watering 30 million for trying to break these regs a few years ago by the EU commission.

[Piddles]

and whats the best price you have had out of a main dealer?

It's over the border in Herts and it's a VW main dealer, but the place I go lists it as £139 on their Audi A4 Service Costs (http://www.mjwarner.co.uk/service-rates-list/audi/a4) page. They tend to be far cheaper as they're quite literally in the middle of nowhere and they seem have a staff turnover of zero...

The best wheeze of all is that they're in-the-middle-of-nowhere near Stansted, and they'll run you to the airport meaning you save on half the service costs by avoiding those airport car park fees while you're on your hols. Ohhh, I hate those car parks fees (way beyond their actual cost - bizarre really)

[bogey888]

After a quick call to Bath Audi (owned by the same group) I had a more reasonable quote of £195 to do a full service including oil and all the filters (air, oil and pollen)

That has wound me up a bit knowing another Audi main dealer can do exactly the same service, yet do it £119 cheaper, what a liberty. How can they justify that??? Am going to cancel my service tomorrow with Watford Audi.....

[thescouselander]

Before you do that it might be worth considering the specifics of my situation. My car is over 3 years old and I think servicing prices tend to drop after that point. Also my car has only covered 28000 miles so that may change what actually needs to be done on the service. I hope you manage to negotiate a better deal.

[bogey888]

It's over the border in Herts and it's a VW main dealer, but the place I go lists it as £139 on their Audi A4 Service Costs (http://www.mjwarner.co.uk/service-rates-list/audi/a4) page. They tend to be far cheaper as they're quite literally in the middle of nowhere and they seem have a staff turnover of zero...

Thanks Piddles, just booked my car in for tomorrow for a service! £149 for exactly the same service as Audi, Oil change, pollen filter change etc. Bargain!

[mrmarc]

Hi
i've never taken my car to a main dealer for an oil change at over £300 for a 3.0 tdi is a bit eye watering, so i asked an independent how much he would charge me if i supply the oil and fillter and service my car to audi spec and he quoted me an hours labour £55. So £70 lighter for the oil and fillter from my local tps and £55 to the independent saw my service book with a new stamp.

[bogey888]

Just had my Audi A4 2.0TDi serviced for £149 today. Dropped the car off in the morning, the VW dealer then dropped me off at the golf course, I had a round of golf, the garage then rang me to tell me the service was complete, then came and picked me up from the course and brought me back to the garage.
How's that for service, and warranty intact! And £165 cheaper than what i was quoted at Audi!!!

[Piddles]

Just had my Audi A4 2.0TDi serviced for £149 today. Dropped the car off in the morning, the VW dealer then dropped me off at the golf course, I had a round of golf, the garage then rang me to tell me the service was complete, then came and picked me up from the course and brought me back to the garage.
How's that for service, and warranty intact! And £165 cheaper than what i was quoted at Audi!!!

It's a good place isn't it, glad it worked out for you. Being out in the sticks they haven't forgotten what good service and good value is.

I always resented having to pay premium service prices for these glass palaces on premium real estate in the cities. I'm only there for two minutes for C****t's sake. If that's not bad enough, the owner of the Audi dealers not a million miles away from me has (or at least had a couple of years ago), not one, but two helicopters.

But Kudos to them for managing to maintain the myth that the gullible public has to take their cars to them to keep their warranty valid, and that they're actually providing something extra for their ridiculous prices.

Rant over :biglaugh:

[bogey888]

Great find and top marks to you Piddles!