How well do you trust the main dealer service?

[Anonymous]

As the topic says, I'm just wondering how people feel about letting the main dealer to service your car.

My main worry is that the good old case of saying they have done something when then haven't etc.

Do you mark your basic items (oil filter, wipers etc) to make sure that they are changed.

Just with the way things are, I'd be very unhappy to part with my cash and pay for things which haven't been done.

 

[Abzynthe]

You can always request to see the parts that have come off your car. That way they will have to change it

 

[hanswuk]

You're very distrustful. Have you had a bad experience in the past?

As has been discussed in another thread you can get any garage to do the work as long as they do it properly and using either Peugeot genuine parts or ones of equivalent quality. However you won't then get a Peugeot dealer stamp in your service book which could affect it's resale value. The newer the car the greater the disadvantage of not having the dealer service history.

 

[Opal white]

I have posted it before but I am in favour of repeating my unbelievably poor service experience at Robins & Day Gateshead.

I booked my car in to the main dealer I purchased it from expecting a good 2yr/20K service, the booking, courtesy car etc was friendly, efficient & quite pleasing. I provided details in advance of a few niggles such as door mirrors creaking, boot occasionally popping open when doors opened & Sat Nav firmware to update, a couple of weeks later I checked the car in & left it with them for the day.

When I picked it up the guy on the service desk struggled to communicate what had been done to my car, he said the mirrors where not checked, they would need the car for another full day for diagnostic, then if necessary order the parts to be fitted at a later date. The boot fault had been fixed by changing the software? (this fault I am assure from this forum is due to damp/moisture in boot switch, I had previously communicated this to them). The final communication was the Sat Nav firmware had been updated.

Before I left the dealership car-park I checked my Service Book & it had not been stamped/updated, back to the desk to get it sorted.

Driving the 50 miles home I operated the water washers & the water low level came on, obviously not topped up as part of the service. When I started my car after getting some fuel nearer to home the engine oil low level came on, the dip stick confirmed the oil level was right on minimum!!!

Realising I could not see any sign of grease etc on the door hinges, bonnet catch etc I was now wondering what exactly had been serviced on my car, to top it off the Sat Nav firmware had also not been updated.

After a number of communications with Robins & Day I finally received a copy of the service report off them, this was not the copy I witnessed on the service desk when I collected my car, as the report on the desk had hand written notes about the recommendation to rebook the car in for door mirror operation diagnostics.

I bought some oil & topped up to the engine to the required level, then deliberated whether I could trust this garage who were now offering to re-service my car . . . . After further comms with R&D Gateshead I was still not happy their attitude & little acknowledgment to the very poor service they provided, I decided to steer clear of this sham outfit :evil:

 

[hanswuk]

And I would also avoid that dealership having experienced what you did. However I hope that was the exeption rather than the rule!

 

[Anonymous]

I have had the same problems in the past with small garages! My wife's old work used a garage to get all the fleet serviced and one day he asked my wife who does her car (my old civic type s) she likes to trust people I don't! So I said get them to check the car as I'd just brought it but I know what needs doing like the back discs where knackered and the electronic steering motor was broke ( but that made there steering feel more natural and not to light so left it just before she went I jumped under the car and marked the oil filter and put tipex on the oil level stick so I could see if it was moved! Best part he changed the disc's but not the back the front!!!! And didn't use cooper grease so it was making noise and the oils filter was still my old one! Once I went in after he sent the invoice and asked him to show me the work carried out and he tyres but a video showing me marking the filter and picking the car up, he didn't know what to say! Needless to say I told him where to stir his invoice and he lost the contract between my wife's work and them! I will only do my own never pay some dimwit again!

 

[Anonymous]

You're very distrustful. Have you had a bad experience in the past?

It's not a case of been distrustful, i just don't want to be ripped off.
I've worked for an electrical testing company, and one of our contracts was to test a certain garage chain (nationwide) and i often visited sites, and what went on to save time/money was nobody's business.

Yes it's nice to have that full dealers stamped book, but do you really save on the long run?

 

[Anonymous]

Right here we go, a couple of the reasons why i don't trust main dealers.

Firstly, after picking up the second hand car, after getting it home, i noticed the swirl marks on the paintwork, rought feel to the paintwork, and when wet the water didn't 'bead' off the paint it just sat there and dissipated, the milky appearance of the roof bars and a few other 'cleanliness issues' after paying £300 for the protection pack etc.

Also what was missing was the tyre inflation kit in the boot. And even the service book had only been stamped from the day of service before taking delivery, no information at the front, and certainly no information regarding previous services etc.

I checked the oil on the dipstick and this was a dark colour and not a clean oil colour so makes me think if a service has been carried out at all.

Wind screen wiper were making that screeching noise when wet, so they need changing.

Now i phoned the sales person on Friday with the many issues, and agreed to bring it in yesterday (monday) and leave it until picking it up today (tuesday), now they have apparently polished it again, but it still feels rough in places, haven't filled in any of the service book, and been told that the puncture repair kit will have to be ordered in, and 'nothing' can be done to the aluminium roof rails.

Now surely as part of the service the puncture repair kit is checked, windscreen wipers checked, and loads of other things so why wasn't this picked up before delivery. It just seems that they have the 'it's a second hand car issue' and don't really care.

The garage is pushing me into paying £13.95 per month for a service plan, but after all of this so far i'm considering swinging to the no option more than the yes.

Sorry rant over. :?