I have recently enquired into a 40,000 mile service for my Vauxhall Astra and was shocked to find a variety of quotes ranging from £140 to £220 all with main dealers. Is it necessary to use a main dealer in order to maintain the full service history.
On another note they recommended that I have the cam changed at 40,000, is this right? I used to service my own cars before the days of computers and don't remember doing that early in the car's life?!
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Absolutely not, unless the car is still under warranty. There is probably a bit more cred to the history if every stamp is from a Vauxhall dealer, but servicing by an independent is likely to be appreciably cheaper, and plenty of threads on this site confirm that standards are no lower on average. The most important factor is to use a garage you feel you can trust.
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They probaby meant the cam belt needs to be changed. Which it probably most certainly does.
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Vauxhall used to recommend cam belt changes at 40k miles. A few years ago they stretched this out to 80k miles. In the last couple of years they've reverted to the 40k recommendation. The fleets don't like this and phone calls to servicing dealers are recommended to ascertain what has and has not been done post 40k miles.
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i wonder how old your car is? Main dealer full service history has a reducing effect on the car's value as the car gets older. I would look around as soon as the car is out of its manufacturer's warranty period.
In my view, it is not that long before ANY service history, main dealer or not, loses almost all of its value, i.e. a buyer will judge the car on its perceived condition rather than on its documentation. There are exceptions of course, Mercedes possibly being one example.
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I discovered my local ford main dealer was stamping the next service done in the service book when only carrying out an inspection prior to selling a vehicle.Since this discovery my conclussion is that service records are not any use what so ever.
chris
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Or just that you have a very naughty Ford dealer who should have their franchise taken off them. :(
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Yes service records are important, but just as much as the condition of the car. For example if you looked at a car for sale and all the brake linings were worn out or loads of other service items were worn then the car obviously hasn't been looked after.
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But (given a choice) would you buy a car that had a fully stamped book and a few receipts or a car with no book, but with an almost complete set of service sheets and receipts for all the parts (including oil and filters etc).
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I would prefer to buy a car with a full set of receipts, provided they appeared to match with what was on the car.
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I would prefer to buy a car with a full set of receipts, provided they appeared to match with what was on the car.
That certainly makes sense. But how much more would you be prepared to pay for this? And would you turn down a car that has clearly been looked after simply because there were no receipts or bona fide service records covering the past couple of years?
I weigh up the car and its owner first, then look on any full and reliable record of servicing as a bonus.
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Cos, re-reading my posting, it looks like I am disagreeing with you. It wasn't meant like that - I am in full agreement.
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If the Astra is over 3 years old, see if you've got a local Masterfit dealership near you: www.masterfit.co.uk
Large service for around £110 for the Astra IIRC. Same Vauxhall mechanics, same Vauxhall parts, but a lot cheaper because Vauxhall help subsidise the bill.
As an example, Just had my 2yr old Vectra serviced at main dealer. Major service; cost £210 (with brake fluid change). Had it been a 3yr old Vectra, I could have got the same service done, with an MOT thrown in for £125 inclusive.
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DD
Vauxhall do not subsidise the bill. It is just that the dealers make a lot less margin on Masterfit repairs because they charge a much lower labour rate. Items such as pollen filters are also excluded from routine services unless you ask for them to be changed.
Having said that pricing is reasonable and genuine parts are used.
Charles
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You're confusing "maintaining a full service history" with "maintaining the warranty if it is serviced outside the main dealer network". It is self-evident that wherever you have it serviced, if you have proof ("history") of these services then you have a full service history. And in most cases, servicing outside the main dealer network will make any warranty claims *very* tough - although I believe these days that you cannot be forced to use the main dealers even while under warranty.
Back to your real question - the question of full service history becomes more important with BMW, Mercedes, Saab etc. Certainly, in the first 3-4 years of the cars life, value will be lessened at sale time if it doesn't have a set of dealer stamps IMHO, particluarly if you are trying to part-exchange at a main dealer.
I have a Saab 9-5 which was an ex-company car. I have a full set of stamps, full printout of all services and extras required (e.g. brake discs, recalls etc). The car has now done 96k miles and is nearly 4 years old - I sure as hell ain't paying Surrey main dealer labour charges (£72+vat per hour, £42+vat for 4 litres semi-synth oil....!!). My choice is to use an independent this time round, as there happens to be a good one two miles away. At this mileage, it becomes less relevant whether it is a main dealer history.
The other side of the coin is that I would, if buying a similar car, look for loads of receipts and proof of work. The stamps are irrelevant. As long it is regularly and properly looked after, with proof, most buyers would be happy.
Not sure if this helps, but I guess I'm just echoing others views.
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And in my experience, once a warranty has expired, you may have to thrust the service record under someone's nose to get it stamped, even if you leave it lying on the passenger seat.
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The stamps are almost meaningless. You can *easily* get hold of counterfeit rubber stamps made up to any pattern you like and do the stamping yourself. A nice thick sheaf of paper receipts with date, mileage and details of work carried out is much more valuable (not to mention more difficult to forge).
RM
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