Service Costs

[mooks]

Hi all,

Just got off the phone from a VW Dealer in the North of Melbourne, was booking in my Polo GTI for its 15,000K service. I am bit shocked about the price he quoted me. $349.60, is that normal for VW Dealers to charge so much for a oil and filter change.

Also, can anyone recommend me a good independent mechanic that doesnt charge the Earth?

Thanks

Mark

[noone]

Totally normal for a dealer.

Is it just oil and filter for 15k? If so, any old dealer should be fine, buy the oil and filter for them, then it should only be 1/2 hour of labor...

There are some things a good mechanic will do as a matter of course, like take the car around the block, look at elements like the brakes and lift the car up to check the suspension components. Although they may not be required, a good mechanic can tell you what you are up for next time and alert you to things you may not have been aware of. Don't expect this service from most dealerships.

[ef9]

Hi all,

Just got off the phone from a VW Dealer in the North of Melbourne, was booking in my Polo GTI for its 15,000K service. I am bit shocked about the price he quoted me. $349.60, is that normal for VW Dealers to charge so much for a oil and filter change.

Also, can anyone recommend me a good independent mechanic that doesnt charge the Earth?

Thanks

Mark

Hey Mark,
The dealers do normally charge more, and the one's in the city or South yarra would be charge more than the one's in other further suburbs.
I had mine serviced by Volkspower in Burwood, it's a 60K service, costed me $318, they are very good, also free loan car, but you have to ask for it when you book in your service (have to top the fuel up, pay for what you used).
Cheers,
Kevin

[seangti]

I paid $150 with Jmac for my 15,000km.

Check out the sites affiliated members.

[Roodosutaa]

Just to confirm - getting the car serviced outside the dealer network won't void the warranty would it (I doubt it would)? Does the mechanic need to have some kind of VAG accreditation? My next service will be the big one (60k) and looking at the service items it seems like a money grab by the dealers with things like pollen filter (which I can get from the net and replace myself I'm sure), after getting charged $400 for a minor 45k service from a dealer (even brought my own Castrol Edge) I felt violated

[NickZ]

As long as the car is serviced by a licensed mechanic and stamped in your logbook as such, they can't void your warranty. If you do it yourself, then from what I understand your warranty can be void.

The only other thing to consider is that getting your car serviced by the dealer during the warranty period will help with claims that are made just outside of warranty as they may help you out of goodwill (which is warranty covered by VW Australia, rather than Head Office in Germany). Case in point - someone I know who has a CX7 had his A/C let go six months out of warranty - $3500 to fix and mazda wont contribute a cent, as he had his car serviced at Ultratune.

[Roodosutaa]

Thanks NickZ. Looks like Mazda needs to have a look at their a/c components - the compressor on my old MX5 packed up at 90000km

[Giallorosso]

I just got quoted $600 for a 25K service. Surely this is not normal?

I planned to get it serviced from the dealer because they offered an extra three years warranty on-top of the standard three years, provided I serviced it with them.

Starting to think that I really should not bother with the extra three years considering its a dealer extended warranty anyway, and not a VW one....thoughts?

[Blitzen]

I just got quoted $600 for a 15K service. Surely this is not normal?

I planned to get it serviced from the dealer because they offered an extra three years warranty on-top of the standard three years, provided I serviced it with them.

Starting to think that I really should not bother with the extra three years considering its a dealer extended warranty anyway, and not a VW one....thoughts?

Laugh at them and walk away... I would never go to a dealer only extended warranty either, but that's just me. There are better and cheaper places out there.

If you are really keen, ask for a cost break down, and see where $600 is going... Possibly to their weekly bar tab...

[ssman]

All of this sounds about right from the stealer's, come-on a few liters of oil and a filter, check this, wiggle that, oh look good...... 350-600 bucks thank you, with a smile.. not

The last dealer service for me was at 15 thou ish k oil n filter (just had the car polished (no dints)) went and picked up the car and bang 380 bucks and a free 2 dents (no we didn't do that, we do a detailed check before we start and note them on this sheet., Guess what they said, we must have forgot to note them on the sheet, because we didn't do it. theives I say, theives) they wouldn't fix them, almost went to fists.
Another funny thing, just before the 3yrs was up and just after that service, I got an extended warranty thing in the mail, more money, more protection for your valuable car. f off is what it said when it went back, never heard from them again. CUSTOMER SERVICE, NOT.

In the end It would be cheaper to do your own warranty work, I mean really how many things can go wrong?

Its German engineering at its best and I love it, just stay away from the stealer's.