15K Service Recommendations/Cost

[RoknRob]

You need to be careful taking your car for servicing other than VW. If somthing goes wrong they have grounds for denying warrantee because they didn't do the checks and preventative service...and any other bulls**t excuses they can come up with.

And with my current VW's somewhat poor reliability I would do anything to keep the warrantee in check (though I will still say I LOVE the drive and the looks)

False. I have it on good authority that this has been tested in the courts by an independent service shop. It would be anti competitive, otherwise.

[GippsCC]

Your warranty is only voided if your vehicle hasn't been serviced in accordance with handbook - it matters not whether its done by a Volkswagen dealership (most of whom use predominately apprentice mechanics), a Volkswagen specialist, or even a general mechanic! The consumer protections provided by Australian Consumer Law don't allow Volkswagen or any other car manufacturer trading in Australia to void warranty in such a way, as RoknRob points out, it would be an unfair and illegal restriction of the terms of the warranty to force servicing only via Volkswagen dealerships.

Personally I prefer independant Volkswagen specialists, as usually they are better skilled than most dealerships - especially since most dealers cover a range of brands and usually only have one or two mechanics who really have any experience (you pay a lot for what really is no better than a discount mechanic shop). With ErWin and VCDS available to all, dealership servicing has no "special" access/tools that ain't available to all.

[gavs]

Except for the ability to check for and apply software updates, carry out secret service campaigns and a free loan car...

[TheStig[C*]]

Well just to give you guys an update, I have booked it with Euroclass in Richmond. Will let you all know how it goes once its finished.

[Gambit]

Two Polo GTIs latter with 25k km's under the belt for both, its my first service.
I am up for my first 15k km service now and was just quoted $320 for oil and filter change and software diagnostic and patch update. I almost fell out of my chair !!

I did a 5k km service myself and have already gone in for the patch update. I'm only doing it as a matter of course, so that i get the VW stamp on the log book, otherwise Camberwell VW offer no free loan car !
Should i book elsewhere to get a free loan car?

[ATYPIC]

Two Polo GTIs latter with 25k km's under the belt for both, its my first service.
I am up for my first 15k km service now and was just quoted $320 for oil and filter change and software diagnostic and patch update. I almost fell out of my chair !!

That is actually not a bad price...others have been quoted much more than that for the 15K service.

[Gambit]

Yeah booked in first thing monday...Oh well

[GippsCC]

Except for the ability to check for and apply software updates, carry out secret service campaigns and a free loan car...

Re: software updates, you can get this without having handbook service with dealer. You just have to make it clear this isn't an excuse for extortionate behaviour, it's part of your ownership experience (a pissed off customer doesn't buy another VW!)

Re: secret service, no such thing these days. Either it's recall (in which case mandatory notification) or else you find all the details most likely here on this forum (someone always spills the beans, or notices eventually).

Re: free loan car - in my experience, something of a phantom offering. Very hit and miss if you ever get offered one for free, if at all.

If you got expert servicing every time from your dealer I wouldn't mind the prices charged, but its mostly cheap arse labour (apprentices) grossly marked up to fatten individual dealer's profit margins.

I expect some normalcy to pricing to happen if Volkswagen ever does introduce whole of range fixed price servicing (although dealers highly resistant as quite a few happy to cut off their nose to spite their face), but right now I'd rather know the guy under the bonnet actually knows what they are doing - just my personal preference.

[Lemonskin]

The lady I bought my car off gave me the recipt for the 15k service. She did it at a dealer in SA, it cost $295.

[LunchboxVRS]

My car went in for the breather hose yesterday. And while they where doing the program update two slack jawed apprentices where just leaning all over my car. I told the guy t the desk if your going to have windows into the work hop then you should tech them to respect customers cars. And a job hat is 1:30 hours took 3:30 ours. So don't think I'll go back for a service. Shame as the sales men are top notch there and went out of ther way to help in some respects.