10 year old car service: main dealer versus fast fit

moneymakeover

Registered User
Messages
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I have a car (diesel) that is coming up on 10 years old

I have a 100% service record with the franchise where it was originally bought

I own it for past 5 years

Service can cost between 300 and 700 depending what parts need replacing.

I see there are tyre shops that will do a basic service for 100 and interim service for 170

Basic=oil and oil filter
Interim= Basic plus fuel filter

What people think?
Does it make sense to continue going to main dealer?
Is the fast fit outfit good value? And make sense for an older car?
Opinions on the tyre shop outfits please
 
It’s nice having a verified full service history but it won’t make any difference when
Selling or trading.
You could save a few quid by not going with a main dealer as there overheads would be higher.
 
What car is it? If a Mercedes or high end I would ensure the oil is high grade. Very important in my humble opinion.
 
It's not a high end
i wish
But I'm happy with it
I lost faith in main dealers years ago. Far better service with my local independent mechanic who’s kept me safely on the road for the last 10 years. I get a service every year and have never had a problem with the NCT. Costs about 250-300 annually.

In my experience main dealers are expensive and unreliable.
 
Here is a breakdown of the last service

I have grouped by item the labour and part and further down the detail

Looking at it again it seems okay?

Breakdown by sum(labor+part)
Oil replace and filter
75​
Alternator belt total
62​
Fuel filter total
103​
Brake Fluid
50​
40 point check (includes oil change)
170​
460​


Details

Labourincl vat
40 point service
169​
Oil waste
10​
Ancillary belt
28​
Brake fluid
39​
Fuel filter
45​
Labour total
292
Parts
Oil filter
14​
Oil
51​
Screen wash
2​
Brake fluid
10​
Fuel filter
58​
Alt belt
34​
Parts Total
168
Total
460
 
Here is a breakdown of the last service

I have grouped by item the labour and part and further down the detail

Looking at it again it seems okay?

Breakdown by sum(labor+part)
Oil replace and filter
75​
Alternator belt total
62​
Fuel filter total
103​
Brake Fluid
50​
40 point check (includes oil change)
170​
460​


Details

Labourincl vat
40 point service
169​
Oil waste
10​
Ancillary belt
28​
Brake fluid
39​
Fuel filter
45​
Labour total
292
Parts
Oil filter
14​
Oil
51​
Screen wash
2​
Brake fluid
10​
Fuel filter
58​
Alt belt
34​
Parts Total
168
Total
460
Pricey enough especially labour.

I had a full service done by Volvo (finlays) last week and bill including vat was €297
The labor element was €108+vat

Was similar to above but without the belt - so still over €100 cheaper
 
Were you charged twice for the oil change?
It feels like that!

But I think you're referring to the breakdown which is parts and labour €75
That doesn't include the 40 point check which also mentions oil
I'm trying to isolate the oil bit

By comparison I got my wife's car serviced in quick fit equivalent. Oil, oil filter and fuel filter for €180

That what I'm thinking for myself next year
 
The oil change is listed and charged for twice as far as I can see and as far as I have quoted your post.
 
I don't think I was charged twice, it's just how they itemise things
In the bill there are 4 items
Labour 40 point service 169
Labour waste disposal 10
Parts Oil filter 14
Parts Oil 51
Sorry if I'm not being clear but the headline number "169" doesn't have a breakdown


The 40 point service includes the labour for oil change, filter change

But it's not possible to isolate the amount of labour that is specific to oil and oil filter

What I was hoping to do was compare apples with apples
Eg


total for fuel filter is 103
total for alternator belt 62

The biggie I can see is the 40 point service: 169
That includes eg handbrake which may actually be reasonable

Meanwhile I found a local garage specialises in services. I'll l try that next time
 
The car must be diesel if a new fuel filter cartridge costs > €100 (part & labour) to change. Even so, that's daylight robbery. On a petrol car, think €10-15 incl labour & VAT.
 
The car must be diesel if a new fuel filter cartridge costs > €100 (part & labour) to change. Even so, that's daylight robbery. On a petrol car, think €10-15 incl labour & VAT.
How can anything be €10-15 including labour and VAT?
 
Because it's a tiny plastic bowl with a paper element inside that takes minutes to change. Loosen two screws, remove two tubes from old old filter, connect the tubes to the new filter, and tighten two screws. It takes longer to type than to do the job. Filter cost < €1 from China.
 
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