Am I being overcharged for servicing?

Love our motorhome
Love our motorhome Forum Participant Posts: 3
edited December 2018 in Motorhomes #1

I have a Autotrail motor home with a Fiat Ducato 2.3 130 multi jet euro 6 engine, first registered in March 2017, and has covered 13000 miles.  It will shortly be due for its mandatory  2 year service. I have been quoted £600 by my local Fiat Commercial vehicle centre.  This seems to be an awful lot to replace the oil and filters. As I am new to motorhomes I would be grateful for members opinions as to whether they think this sum extortionate or par for the course. Many thanks in anticipation. David Brown

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Comments

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,142 ✭✭✭
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    edited December 2018 #2

    Despite oil costing an arm and a leg, that sounds a lot to me. 

    Why not ring a couple more Fiat Professional garages and check their prices?

  • EmilysDad
    EmilysDad Forum Participant Posts: 8,973
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    edited December 2018 #3

    It seems to be a stupid amount of money to me too. Do you really need to take to Fiat? Can't you just take your motorhome to a reputable garage? 

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,142 ✭✭✭
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    edited December 2018 #4

    Good point, MM. As long as the commercial vehicle garage uses the approved Fiat parts and fluids, the warranty should remain intact. 

  • EmilysDad
    EmilysDad Forum Participant Posts: 8,973
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    edited December 2018 #5

     .... and we all know how many hoops have to be jumped through to claim on many warranties anyway. 

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,142 ✭✭✭
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    edited December 2018 #6

    Especially with Fiat and their customer careless department.

  • EmilysDad
    EmilysDad Forum Participant Posts: 8,973
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    edited December 2018 #7

    I've never had the pleasure. innocent

    It's the FIAT bit that  frightens me re buying a Jeep ..... 😮

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,142 ✭✭✭
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    edited December 2018 #8

    I’m afraid I have had the ‘pleasure’ and it was with great trepidation that we bought the current Peugeot Boxer based MH. So far, it does seem an improvement on the Fiat but time will tell. 

  • JayOutdoors
    JayOutdoors Forum Participant Posts: 572
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    edited December 2018 #9

    Just a thought - Could the £600 be for a contract to cover more than 1 service.

  • Justus2
    Justus2 Forum Participant Posts: 897
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    edited December 2018 #10

    We have only had our Fiat serviced once at 2 years old.. It was done at a Fiat commercial dealer and was £450 or thereabouts, so 600 is a bit high I would say.. The service only needs doing every 2 years or 30k so I reckoned £225 per year was much the same our VW which is half the Fiat price, but is done  every year rather than every two..

  • Unknown
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    edited December 2018 #11
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  • KeithandMargaret
    KeithandMargaret Forum Participant Posts: 660
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    edited December 2018 #12

    I had a service on my 2013 Motorhome with a Fiat Ducato 2.3 150 multi-jet  30,000 miles earlier this year at a local Commercial Vehicle servicing business.

    Including genuine Fiat parts (4 filters and engine oil - £117) and an MOT (£40) it came to £277 plus Vat.

    A Fiat Dealer will charge the earth and are best avoided.

    Whoever you use make sure they can accommodate your vehicle and have lifting gear suitable for the weight and size of your Motorhome.

    Hope this helps.

  • Aspenshaw
    Aspenshaw Forum Participant Posts: 611
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    edited December 2018 #13

    Fiat Professional operate a range of fixed price servicing. An FP dealer which is used to servicing motorhomes will know to offer a low mileage service which, based on my experience, is about half the price the OP has been quoted but is more extensive than just replacing the oil and filters.

     

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited December 2018 #14

    Most annual/bi annual servicingl costs at  most comercial vehicle "professional?" are for the expected much higher milages than the vast majority of motor caravans will do in their lifetimes

  • KeithandMargaret
    KeithandMargaret Forum Participant Posts: 660
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    edited December 2018 #15

    I had a possible problem with the Fiat's ECU.

    The local Fiat Dealer quoted £99 to plug the vehicle in and check if it was the ECU having a problem.

    The local Commercial company did it for free.

    Guess why I'm cynical about using a Fiat dealer ?

     

  • Unknown
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    edited December 2018 #16
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  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,142 ✭✭✭
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    edited December 2018 #17

    That’s a very valid point, DD. Although independents may be able to analyse fault reports if they have a good enough OBD system, they’re very unlikely to have access to software downloads. 

    Ours will be going to the Peugeot dealer when it’s due, much as it pains me to do so. 

  • MichaelT
    MichaelT Forum Participant Posts: 1,874
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    edited December 2018 #18

    We had our first 2 year service earlier this year and from memory it was £208 at a FIAT professional workshop.  Included all the usual safety checks, oil change etc.  It is a fixed price low mileage service (the garage even had to fiddle prices of parts to get down to that price) that FIAT offer so I would say this i s a rip off.  I asked about next year and the garage just said no need to do anything, it will get an MOT which is a good safety check and I think 4 years may need a timing belt but will see when we get there.  Argue with the garage about fixed price low mileage service as you are doing half of the full service mileage in twice as long time...

    I think it just proves that even though it is FIAT it is down to the individual garage how they treat customers...  Ours even changed the TPMS levels for us for free and have also checked the brakes last winter when the brake pad light came on after some severe weather.  We also needed upgraded software on the radio unit that they updated as well as the Mod for the dashboard which FIAT arranged for us.

  • young thomas
    young thomas Forum Participant Posts: 11,356
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    edited December 2018 #19

    Ive just had my 24mth (11,500 ml) service done...aroud £450 for the 'large' service which included a software mod for the dash lights and to grease the Al-Ko chassis...

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited December 2018 #20

    Surely the alko chassis grease comes under the habitation service?and you had to "pay?" for a soft wear mod that was a  base vehicle build faultsurprised

  • Unknown
    Unknown Forum Participant
    edited December 2018 #21
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  • ocsid
    ocsid Forum Participant Posts: 1,395
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    edited December 2018 #22

    "I asked about next year and the garage just said no need to do anything, it will get an MOT which is a good safety check and I think 4 years may need a timing belt but will see when we get there."

    A worrying outfit to deal with there, the timing belts life is as much to do with the passage of "time" as it is with use.

    If Fiat replace the timing belt and related bits at 4 years, then there is nothing to "see when we get there", 4 years is 4 years.

    Inspecting the belt properly requires its removal, so pointless putting a used one back, to save the cost of a belt etc.

    A 4 year change is though a bit early by general standards today. The life belts makers are prepared to risk going to has come down from the optimistic figures once quoted, but I suggest most makers talk about 5 years. 

  • young thomas
    young thomas Forum Participant Posts: 11,356
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    edited December 2018 #23

    I didn't have a habitation service....i don't need one, although I did have a 'damp check'

    the Alko chassis need greasing each year so the Fait dealer did it (for free) while he had the van

    they also did the dash mod for free.

  • MichaelT
    MichaelT Forum Participant Posts: 1,874
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    edited December 2018 #24

    Calm down, I said I think it is 4 years but could be 5 I cannot remember now and what I meant was I will see if it needs replacing at the 4 year service or not as recommended by FIAT not if it was worn or not...undecided

    They do seem to be a good local company to deal with and from prices quoted on here very reasonable too, there are often MH's in the yard there so I guess I am not the only one to think so!!

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited December 2018 #25

    "Free?"at that price surprised

  • KeithandMargaret
    KeithandMargaret Forum Participant Posts: 660
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    edited December 2018 #26

    The recommended Belt change on the same model as the OP is either five years or, I think, 70,000 miles – whichever comes sooner.

    As most Motorhomes don't do that high a mileage its best to change the belt, and water pump at the same time, after 5 years.

    I had the belt and pump changed on my 2013 MH a few months ago – around £350 by a non-Fiat garage.

    But check you don't have a chain, rather than a belt, which is another kettle of fish.

  • 10tenmen
    10tenmen Forum Participant Posts: 9
    edited December 2018 #27

    Swift Bessacarr 424 2016 

    I had my 1st done in October at The local Fiat professional commercial dealership 2 years old 4500 miles North East Trucks in Hull, the cost was £240 they found the dreaded dashboard was faulty and replaced it under warranty, The local Fiat car dealership 4 miles away wanted £575 for the exact same service, I also had a problem with my Pioneer Avic camper sat nav that I had fitted myself, they plugged it in and updated the ecu to show it had a none standard radio system which took 20 mins and was totally free.

    Cant fault the service it pays to shop around, the service manager thought the car dealership only had one commercial ramp so charged more than them, he also added they service quite a few  Ducato motorhomes

  • Randomcamper
    Randomcamper Club Member Posts: 1,062 ✭✭
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    edited December 2018 #28

    As I understand it a 2017 Fiat will need Fiats own Multiecuscan software to reset at least one of the two service indicators, otherwise it will eventually go into limp mode.

    For this reason I shopped around Fiat Pro garages to get a good price for a service on my 2016 model, I would have far rather done it myself.....

    If you take it to a non Fiat garage you need to ask them specifically if they have Multiecuscan, (it can be bought on licence).

    And there is an interesting article in this month's MMM magazine about the Fiat timing belt change, obviously recommending at least a five year interval and changing the water pump as well, but also the idler pulley screw, which isn't normally included in the job, but is recommended, and costs £2.

  • Kontikiboy
    Kontikiboy Forum Participant Posts: 304
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    edited December 2018 #29

    Yes, LH you are!     Enough examples on here already.    I had my Swift 2016 Fiat 150 MJ serviced at my local Fiat Pro garage last January, 2 year service £399.      They also picked up a dodgy seal around the windscreen, just above the windscreen wipers and a common fault, fixed under warranty.      On collection they stated that the next service was in 2 years and would include timing belt.   However, having read that MMM report referenced above, I will delay that until a later service. I had a long chat with the foreman of that garage (Chelston Motorhomes at WELLINGTON) on collection prompted by a query I had about the chassis greasing and I was quite impressed by the list of items they cover on the 2 year service, for £399.    This February I will need to have the MOT done so will have that done at Chelston.

    It’s worth thinking about your 3 year Fiat warranty when considering shopping around , if your van is less than 3 years old.

    BillC

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited December 2018 #30

    When our LVs and cars have been serviced we have as far as i can remember a "check list"of work required and "checked off tick"of the work as it is carried out?

  • EmilysDad
    EmilysDad Forum Participant Posts: 8,973
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    edited December 2018 #31

    You can usually reset service intervals on any vehicle using a sequence of button presses of various switches without use of the vehicle manufacture's specific kit. https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=fiat+service+reset

    Local garages are unlikely to buy manufacturer specific kit otherwise they'd need one for Fiat, Vauxhall, Ford etc which just isn't economically viable ... Merc's own kit (STAR) costs a fortune to buy and a fortune to maintain the updates from the Fatherland.