How much trust?
How much do members trust the garages where their cars are serviced? I ask because I took my car for a free fluids check / top up and whilst in with them they did a visual check on various other aspects. All this, I am sure, is just to create more work for them.
They told me that the aircon system "didn't seem cold enough" and needed checking and re-gassing at a cost of £139.19! I don't think so. It seemed to be working fine by my judgement, not that I use it very often. Obviously not a very scientific test judging by the word "seem" and done on the hottest day of the year when even the best system would probably struggle.
They checked the brake pads (with the wheels still on) and told me both front and rear were 60% worn. They could replace them all for £259. If only 60% worn, what about the remaining 40%? I'm surprised that both front and rear were worn to exactly the same degree. I always thought that the front pads did most of the work judging by the amount of brake dust on the front wheels and almost none on the rear. Perhaps I'm wrong in this belief.
Lastly, they checked the tyre tread depth and told me the back tyres were 63% worn (possibly agree with this) but the interesting bit was that they said the front tyres were 24% worn. They have only been on the car for 1 month and done 1064 miles! I expect better tyre wear than that!!
Comments
-
Having had a garage tell me my brake pads needed changing when they were almost new, no, I don’t trust many of them.
The answer, Husky, is that I question everything.
0 -
I bought a used Mercedes from a main dealer earlier this year, that had allegedly had an eleven-teen point health check before it was sold. About 500 miles later I put the car into AN Other Mercedes dealer for a minor warranty job where they also did a 'health check'. The 2nd dealer told me that my front discs & pads were worn & advised that they needed replacing at a price of over £500 Mmm!? Not that either dealer had a financial interest in not changing them or quoting to change them.
0 -
I have used my same franchised garage for about 18 years. My latest vehicle is 2 years old, and I've had it for 1 year. It has done around 10,000 miles and, when it went in for its annual service at the beginning of May, they serviced the air con, including a new air cleaner, at a cost of just over £49. We then spent nearly 7 weeks in France and, during the recent heatwave both in France and here in the UK, there was a distinct improvement in the efficiency of the air conditioning system.
The integrity of garages covers a wide spectrum, and it isn't surprising to hear of "rip-off" stories. My previous car - 9 years old and 55,000 miles on the clock - never required new disc pads or discs; in fact, nothing except fluid and filter changes during annual servicing.
0 -
We have built up a good relationship with a couple of local garages. They are knowledgeable across a range of vehicle ages, from 1970’s classics, to our recently purchased 4x4, and our motorhome. Proper mechanics, not just plug into a computer fixers. It pays to have a bit of mechanical etc... knowledge as well. My OH is very knowledgeable luckily, and I try to pick up a few things from him about what might be wrong etc....
I used to get seriously cheap 2nd hand car loans via my employer, however only on the understanding that the workshop mechanics looked over a prospective purchase. We were buying a Range Rover one time, took it in and workshop decide to put it on one of those front or back axle rolling road things. We had to explain to them that it would seriously damage it as it was in permanent four wheel drive! So no, they are not all to be trusted.
0 -
The automatic car we changed to last year had 23000 on the clock when it was serviced and MOT this year 28000 mls i was advised that the front discs and pads were very near their limit and do i want them changed while they had the car,when i queried how it was so,they said our that manual cars brakes unless "badly" driven normally last far longer than automatics on which brakes get a lot more use,and as we tow several thousands miles a year i decided to have them changed ,they did show me the ones they had taken off (when i returned the branch managers car he had let me have as a loan car)
0 -
I generally trust local garages, they have a reputation to protect. In rural areas like mine with small communities, ripping people off is a fast route to ruin. If there’s a bloke on the desk who isn’t wearing a suit, smelling of aftershave and with oil under his nails, so much the better!
I don’t trust large national chain garages, particularly the ones who’ve graduated from tyre and exhaust fitting into more complex work, generally employing the same semi-skilled fitters from their earlier incarnation. This is the group who tend to invent problems in my experience,
I use main franchised dealers only because I have to in order to protect the warranty. However, in my opinion they are the worst of all, high charges, customer charters etc that mean absolutely nothing and front desk staff who know naff all about cars.
0 -
I left school in 76 and started my Apprenticeship with a Rootes dealer.
Made redundant when they shut down in in 83 and went to work in the Bus & Coach industry until 2012 when I took early retirement.
My Oh My, could I tell you some stories...........
Unless you know the individuals personally, as friends, trust your choice of garage as far as you could throw them is my advice.
1 -
Yep, 60 years young this June
Well on target to take more out of the company pension scheme than I ever paid in, in my 30 years with them 
0 -
If you don't use the Aircon on a regular basis it might well need regassing!
If you don't use the Aircon the seals dry out and the refrigerant leaks from the system.
Check your manual but the general recommendation is running the system for at least 10 minutes every week.
0 -
I think the days of tech talk with garage staff are long gone. Time was when you had a conversation about 0-60 time, engine size, and how fast it went. Next it was how many cup holders it had, now it’s whether it’s compatible with Apple Airplay and available in pastel turquoise! Front desk staff only deal with the latter.
0 -
They are just trying to generate business, no issue with this, the re-gas cost was a rip off, £50 normal.
On the flip side I am regularly asked to look at issues for friends family etc and the state of some vehicles on the road is appalling. Vehicles not serviced, tyres and brakes shot, fluids all below required levels, diagnostic warnings ignored.
I have used local and main dealer for personal cars, and lease vehicle goes into franchised dealer. The standard of service is generally good. Do I trust them, no, I check everything they have touched. On personal cars I also ask for a record of fluids used, diagnostic print out, and parts record for any replaced parts. If they wont do this I walk away.
0 -
A long while back my 2 year old Rover was in the dealers for its standard service. Got a phone call saying it needed new discs on the front, can’t remember the large cost quoted but I agreed for the work to be done. I phoned them back half an hour later and asked them to put the old discs in the boot, no problem we’ll do that was the reply. Another half hour went by then the garage phoned me back. Very sorry they said, we’ve made a mistake, it wasn’t your car that needed new discs.
So do i trust them. What do you think!
0 -
I certainly don't trust main dealers, but I have absolute confidence in our local garage - a Bosch Service Centre. According to the main dealer, my last car needed new discs and pads at about 30k miles - which they would do for £750. My local garage - knowing the price the main dealer had quoted, did the same job for less than half that amount - and used the same OEM parts.
The same garage was also brilliant when a warning light came on in my present car and whilst the main dealer was about to set to and strip the engine down, the local 'techie' very quickly diagnosed a faulty air mass sensor - which cost me £180 - that they fitted it in 10 minutes. Problem solved.
They aren't the cheapest garage in this area, but in terms of quality of service - and ultimately, trustworthiness - I can't fault them.
0 -
Franchised dealerships do need to be diligent to protect their franchise. A genuine complaint to a manufacturers customer services dept usually gets attention - it certainly seems to work for the manufacturer of my vehicle.
With a previous vehicle - same make and same dealership - I had cause to question refusal to change a cam belt at the prescribed time. The service contract was with the manufacturer, and their Finance Dept who operated the contract instructed the dealership not to change it. With that dept standing their ground, I went to their customer services dept. They agreed with me and instructed the dealership to follow the prescribed procedure; advising me to book the car back in for this to be done.
In any type of business, and at all levels, there will always be good and bad to varying degrees. The only way is to use one's experience to sort the wheat from the chaff and act accordingly.
0 -
There are some unhappy stories here. All I can say is that the main VW dealer in my area has looked after my last 2 cars under pre purchased service plans. They have never tried it on and explained when additional work was due eg Air Con service and Drive Belt change, both done elsewhere as it was cheaper! They will now look after my new car again under a pre purchased service plan. They even collect the car and deliver it back after a service washed and valeted.
0 -
I keep mine on all the time as well but it still doesn't get run for 10 minutes each week. When I had the Kuga, I didn't have it on all the time but did give it a periodic run, probably about monthly, which seemed to do the trick. Prior to the Kuga I just used to open the window from time to time.
0 -
Does anyone know who should pay for damage caused during servicing at an approved agent.
A few years ago I took my van for annual service, everything was working on it, after a few hours I had a call to say the water pump would not work and there was an error message on the control panel. They wanted £700 to fit a new control panel.
They would not agree that they had caused the failure and insisted I would have to pay the £700.
Is it necessary to demonstrate that everything is working when I take my newer van for service to avoid being ripped off?
0 -
How do you know they caused damage?
0 -
Good question - it was working previously because I was using it, so I could reasonably assume that they caused the failure. When I brought it home I found they had also screwed the pump pressure setting up to maximum - it was pretty clear they caused it.
Incidentally it was only £50 for an expert to fit a new component on the control panel and solve the problem.
0 -
I don’t follow that. They might well have adjusted the pump wrongly but you’re saying there was a fault in the control panel. I’m afraid you can prove nothing as you are assuming there’s blame but, in the context of this thread, I’d not trust the dealer/servicing person or any caravan dealer.
0 -
I always thought that the front pads did most of the work judging by the amount of brake dust on the front wheels and almost none on the rear.
So did I after doing my own maintenance (and for others) over many years ..... but I was mistaken to some degree. Our tow car is just that and used for holidays with the caravan and not a lot otherwise. The rear discs and pads are smaller than the front and are not far behind in wearing down.
0
,if you call the gas man to service your central heating boiler and he says there's a fault with it ,do you question that ????
