New Car Servicing: Dealer or Independent?

[Kiaorana]

Hi guys,

My car is due for its first service (15K) and I'm wondering if I should go to VW to be safe or if I can go to an independent.

My Mk6 was always serviced by Eurotune on the Gold Coast whom I've always been happy with, but this time this is a brand new car (my first one) and I'm wondering if it would be safer to go to VW instead in terms of warranty and so on.

VW is twice the price of Eurotune tho. Is there any benefit in your view for spending double?

Also, apart from Eurotune, do you know any other independent on the GC that specialises in European sports cars?

Thanks!

Micka

[readerr0r]

Its probably ideal warranty wise to go to the dealer. Don't forget you have capped price servicing, I believe the GTI is $390 for the first one.

[agentthumb]

I suggest you read this, quite informative: Dealer vs Non-Dealer Servicing - Log Book Servicing | RACQ

TL;DR: You don't have to service your car with dealer. You are free to go independent as long as the logbook requirements are met. Tthere are no warranty concerns.

But if something breaks after your car is out of warranty, you are more likely to have it repaired under goodwill by the dealer if you have had your car serviced with the dealer. No hope in hell if you have always had it done by independent.

[Kiaorana]

Hi agentthumb, thanks for that. I actually already read this but was still on the fence as to what I should do

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[agentthumb]

No worries

The other things to consider are manufacturer software updates and TSB / TPI.

I believe the dealers query VW's computer with your car's VIN number to see if there are software updates and outstanding issue fixes available for your car. This is done every time your car is serviced at the dealer.

I don't believe all independent workshops have access to this information. And even if they were to pull up the information, you'd most likely have to go back to the dealer to have the fix / updates applied anyway.

[irossiter]

Get it done by the dealer. It is a once a year cost. Shop around different dealers. When it's brand new why would you risk the warranty? The factory will not have any sympathy if something breaks out of warranty. It will most definitely affect your resale value. I wouldn't buy a near new car that wasn't serviced with the dealer. There is unfortunately no such thing as "capped price servicing" by the way. They will always find something to add on. NEVER agree to a service/flushing of the air conditioning system or the like. It is absolute rubbish. All service centres, independent or factory try this crap now. It's easy to ask how much the service will be and shop around.


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[Snail Style]

There is capped priced servicing... Golf Capped Price Servicing | Volkswagen Australia

Only realistic additions to those costs should be pollen and brake fluid which are done dependant upon time only.

[Transporter]

IMO. It all depend how long you want to keep your car. If only for 3-4 years, then no matter where you service your car, it won't affect many things. You can't lose your new car factory warranty, because the dealers in Australia are only the franchises, who hire the mechanics from the same place as the independent workshops.

I've sent some of my customers for the warranty repair almost a year after warranty and they had absolutely no issue to get their car repaired at no cost to them.

[Transporter]

No worries

The other things to consider are manufacturer software updates and TSB / TPI.

I'm maybe only a very small independent, but I can assure you that for some time now, I do factory software updates and more.

But, I'm not sure that the dealers always do these software updates, especially if the customer doesn't complain about anything. I can see it from the age of the software and how many times the car was at the dealers for the service. The reason why it doesn't have to get done, is because it takes time to flash the new update in, for which you don't pay, and also if anything goes wrong during the software update and they didn't get your permission, then someone would be in the trouble.

[ian]

I got a fixed price servicing agreement when I bought the new Tiguan. $404 for 4 years. Which I thought was pretty competitive.