VW Service

[gman3.0]

My Golf anniversay is due for a service in the next couple of weeks, so i contacted my local vw centre. They tell me that its a major/full service and want £260 and according to their records it needs a new cambelt as its nearly done 70000 miles and thats £250 !
I tell them that cambelt was changed when i bought the car 4 years ago at 45000 miles.
Now i was wondering why i need a new cambelt after 25000 miles and why its gonna cost £260 for a service when i can get it done for £129 elsewhere !
Any thoughts ??

[dickturpin]

If it's the same as the Passat it is replaced at 4 years or 60,000miles, whichever comes first.

[belfastmark]

Hi
The timing belt for my Golf 1.6s 16v 2001 was changed around 50,000, as there was no recorded history of it ever being done. I bought the car about 3 1/2 years ago approx with 40,000 on the clock. So it was 7 years of presumably driving on the original belt. One piece of advice I got through the forum was to get the water pump done aswell, while the belts were off. That we lot cost £300.
As for the major service, I would get it done at an independant. Print of the list of what gets done on a major service and hand it to the mechanic.
My Dad got his Jetta done, yesterday, major service for £110.
I would never take my car to VW for any work as I probably couldn't afford the prices that they charge.

[bora23]

Its the overheads, a VW dealer has to typically pay a small fortune to VW for the privilege of calling themselves a VW dealer. I used to work for toyota and 55% of the customers total would go to Toyota in overheads and charges. And remember the dealer still needs to make a profit out of it....

The only time you can save money is when you find a dealer that is actually owned by VW, Audi, Ford etc... these are rare in the UK but common as much in Europe (especially germany). That way you cut out the middleman.

[herby0001]

Its the overheads, a VW dealer has to typically pay a small fortune to VW for the privilege of calling themselves a VW dealer. I used to work for toyota and 55% of the customers total would go to Toyota in overheads and charges. And remember the dealer still needs to make a profit out of it....

Didn't know it worked like that. Now that explains the pricing.