Current experiences with car servicing?

[Stivino]

I stopped putting mine in for servicing last year for similar reasons.
I deliberately didn't top up my washer bottle because I "knew" it was going to be filled with the "proper" stuff at the service, they didn't fill it.
They changed a perfectly clean, hardly used air filter that they had fitted at the last service. I only do 5,000 miles a year these days, never in town, so it doesn't get dirty.
Whilst they changed the clean air filter, they didn't look at my cabin filter, which did need changed. Of course, I checked those things as soon as I got home and took pictures.
I don't want to complain because I'm connected family wise to the business.
So, from now on, I'll D.I.Y. it.

 

[mikehammer69]

When I bought our new Tucson this time last year, I also paid up front for a 4 year servicing package. As above, it went in last week. It had one job to be done under warranty - the seat made a crunch noise a few months ago and a couple of ball bearings popped out. I suspect it needs a new runner. Anyway, I collected it after the service and they said they couldn’t see anything wrong with it (despite me giving them the ball bearings that had popped out) and they just told me to 'keep an eye on it'! When I drove it away from the dealership, the suspension felt very hard so I checked the tyre pressures on the dash - they were all over inflated. When I got home I had a look under the bonnet - the windscreen wash was practically empty and it took two kettles of water to fill it up. The service sheet showed tread depth figures that were nothing like they actually were and despite me emptying the boot out leaving just the spare wheel in there, it was marked as not checked because the 'boot was full'! It’s going back in next month for two days for a proper look at the seat runner, they are giving me a courtesy car while it’s in and a 'master technician' is servicing it again. Let’s see if they can get it right this time!

You can't trust them after that . Tyre pressures and tread depth wrong.

 

[Mottie]

You can't trust them after that . Tyre pressures and tread depth wrong.

I can’t be sure they even changed the oil and filter - only had 8000 on the clock and the oil was still clean when it went in.

 

[johnny2007]

When I bought our new Tucson this time last year, I also paid up front for a 4 year servicing package. As above, it went in last week. It had one job to be done under warranty - the seat made a crunch noise a few months ago and a couple of ball bearings popped out. I suspect it needs a new runner. Anyway, I collected it after the service and they said they couldn’t see anything wrong with it (despite me giving them the ball bearings that had popped out) and they just told me to 'keep an eye on it'! When I drove it away from the dealership, the suspension felt very hard so I checked the tyre pressures on the dash - they were all over inflated. When I got home I had a look under the bonnet - the windscreen wash was practically empty and it took two kettles of water to fill it up. The service sheet showed tread depth figures that were nothing like they actually were and despite me emptying the boot out leaving just the spare wheel in there, it was marked as not checked because the 'boot was full'! It’s going back in next month for two days for a proper look at the seat runner, they are giving me a courtesy car while it’s in and a 'master technician' is servicing it again. Let’s see if they can get it right this time!

That's why I service my cars myself.
I know you don't really have a choice with new cars, but these guys are cowboys.
BTW, for anything tyre related you should see diynutjob...

 

[Mottie]

I stopped putting mine in for servicing last year for similar reasons.
I deliberately didn't top up my washer bottle because I "knew" it was going to be filled with the "proper" stuff at the service, they didn't fill it.
They changed a perfectly clean, hardly used air filter that they had fitted at the last service. I only do 5,000 miles a year these days, never in town, so it doesn't get dirty.
Whilst they changed the clean air filter, they didn't look at my cabin filter, which did need changed. Of course, I checked those things as soon as I got home and took pictures.
I don't want to complain because I'm connected family wise to the business.
So, from now on, I'll D.I.Y. it.

That's why I service my cars myself.
I know you don't really have a choice with new cars, but these guys are cowboys.
BTW, for anything tyre related you should see diynutjob...

I’d prefer to service it myself but with a 5 year warranty, I don’t want to give them any get out clauses in case I ever have a big warranty claim. In any case, I negotiated much more discount off of the purchase price that more than covered the servicing package and 5 years of the lux car tax supplement.

 

[mikehammer69]

I’d prefer to service it myself but with a 5 year warranty, I don’t want to give them any get out clauses in case I ever have a big warranty claim. In any case, I negotiated much more discount off of the purchase price that more than covered the servicing package and the lux car tax.

I don't think they can evade the warranty if independent work is carried out correctly with original parts etc.

Any potential goodwill after the warranty expired was an issue afaik

Me, i would stick with main dealer to be on the safe side while under warranty but hey i'm ultra cautious with certain stuff

 

[Mottie]

I don't think they can evade the warranty if independent work is carried out correctly with original parts etc.

Any potential goodwill after the warranty expired was an issue afaik

Me, i would stick with main dealer to be on the safe side while under warranty but hey i'm ultra cautious with certain stuff

I've had new fords and VW's that I’ve serviced myself from new but that was when I had a workshop. Now I’m retired and have sold the workshop, I didn’t fancy servicing it on my drive.

 

[Diver Fred]

Both of our cars are Honda's, Jazz is 4 years old bought on particial HP, came with 5 years servicing and warrenty. Civic is 9 years old, bought extended warranty up to 11 years old (someone made a mistake, I think in the dealers). Both cars serviced by the dealers without issue unlike a mate who bought his Honda from another dealership... Car wasn't serviced or MOT before he collected it, he didn't realise, was surprised when contacted 2 months later to be told his car due for a service. And then he wasn't particularly happy with the standard of work completed.

Speaking to others at the dealership I use, when waiting during my car being serviced I surprised to find some people had travelled a couple of hundred miles to have their car serviced where they bought it from. All saying they like the way they are treated and that they feel they can trust the dealership to ensure the car is serviced properly.

Every time I had my car serviced at that dealers I get a very detailed sheet with work carried out including how it fits with Honda's servicing schedule. About my only disquiet was the cost of ATF change, under £40 For fluid, £120 for labour...

 

[mikehammer69]

Anecdotally i heard that trainees do the servicing at main dealers

Nothing wrong with that in itself

 

[dishman]

The issues I had with my main dealer stemmed from the complete lack of interest from their service manager. I guess maybe he has been doing the job too long and was just fed up with dealing with the public (which I can understand to an extent). He was at the point where it felt that any simple questions were just not worth his time. He had the aura of Keith from The Office.

Speaking to the actual mechanics was impossible, all questions had to go through this guy, which rarely got answered or were tortuous responses.

Then you had their restrictive service packages.

£219 Minor: Service Checks - Oil and oil Filter, screenwash and Adblue (if you asked).
£269 Medium: Above + either brake fluid or Air filter (the brake fluid and air filter were 2 years out of sync so you were meant to rotate between the two)
£319 Major: Above including cabin filter, air filter and brake fluid, and fuel filter too.

Even getting those service levels was like pulling teeth. I would ask one question and only get a partial answer reply.

The final straw was when I realised they were not checking if things actually needed changing, as part of the actual service checks.
A pollen filter that they had skipped on one major service because it was still clean, meant it was way overdue. It was not until I checked myself that I realised it was mouldy.

I waited until the last warrantee item on the car ran out (8 years) and then tried somewhere else.
Although even then there was the slight tinge of Stockholm syndrome leaving them

 

[mikehammer69]

Mechanics don't want to say anything controversial that might get back to management