Is a service from VW dealer a rip off ?

sgross75

I just called the VW dealer here in Dublin which I will not name ( same name as an Australian beer) to get a quote for a service & timing belt (54k on the clock)on a 2000 VW Golf GTi....

The cost of the service is €400 minimum and then a minimum of €700 for the timing belt service .......

Does anyone else think that €1,100 is a rip off?

Anan1

Even at half the price, i'd be very iffy about entrusting a VAG main dealer with my car.

Biro

Yes, yes it is. Try somewhere else. Or even try some VW garage up the north. It won't cost that much in petrol for the spin up.

Tropheus

My experience of VAG dealers down south has been very mixed. Generaly over priced and sub standard. I now take my Audi up to Agnew's in Belfast.

bop1977

for what its worth i paid about the same for a skoda octavia vRS to get the same jobs done in bluebell.

Type 17

I just booked my 2004 Golf in for a service at Agnew's in Belfast - it's stg£230 for an intermediate service (oil, all filters, full inspection, but not brake fluid or timing belt change).

Didn't even bother comparing with a local dealer here (Dublin), as it's their attitude that I found so poor last time -
Ignored my request to check a rattle from the rear suspension (it's still there)
Didn't even know how to change the trip computer to km, until I explained it to them
Used my car on a parts run to Navan (according to recent places in the SatNav)
Turned the service interval to fixed from extended life, so that they could make more money by me returning exactly 365 days later...it'll be changed back by Agnew's
Agnew's are also loaning me a courtesy car (no charge) so we can go to Ikea and the Giant's Causeway will the car is being serviced.

Barr

Find a good independent garage and it should cost only half that amount

sgross75

Thanks all for your responses...I used to take the car to the VW dealer on Shelbourne Road but the moved the service department.......I was always happy with their affordable service.....but I will check out the North and other independent dealers......and not give the custom to VW (Aus beer name) in Sandyford....plus a mate of mine has an Audi which he put in there for a service and had to pick it up from a garage 2 blocks away so the service was not even done by the dealer!

-Chris-

Barr wrote: »

Find a good independent garage and it should cost only half that amount

+1

There's not much point in maintaining a main dealer service history on a '00 car - use an independent guy and original VW parts and you'll have the best of both worlds.

-Chris-

sgross75 wrote: »

Thanks all for your responses...I used to take the car to the VW dealer on Shelbourne Road but the moved the service department.......I was always happy with their affordable service.....but I will check out the North and other independent dealers......and not give the custom to VW (Aus beer name) in Sandyford....plus a mate of mine has an Audi which he put in there for a service and had to pick it up from a garage 2 blocks away so the service was not even done by the dealer!

Is there really a difference in labour rate between Ballsbridge dealer and Sandyford dealer? I was always of the impression that all Dublin main dealers were the same (high) rate - up to and above E100 per hour.

I'm not definite, but I'm pretty sure Ballsbridge dealer were £60 per hour back before the Euro came in (and around the time they were moving to Pottery Road), allowing for the obligatory punt-to-Euro price gouge and generic inflation I'd say they're equally expensive...

I'd love to see the accounts for a Dublin dealer's service department - with such a high labour rate and relatively average wage demands I'd expect there'd be a decent amount of money to be made, but they always seem to be run like they're not real profit centres, that they're mainly there to support the sales department in the garage.

Sizzler

In a word - YES.

I asked for the price of a service on a Passat with new brake pads all round and was quoted €400 for the full service and a further €400 for the pads PLUS labour, PLUS VAT. Dropped it down to my mechanic and he drove down to Annesley in Ballybough to get the genuine parts and it cost me €500 all in.

gman2k

ALL main dealer servicing is a rip off. You are paying for the privilige of having the Main Dealer stamp in the service book. A lot of main dealers sublet out standard servicing to a local Fred in a Shed. Unless the car is worth it, get your servicing done by Fred directly, or better yet, learn how to change the oil/ filters etc yourself.
Your local lube shop will be able to do most regular servicing now these days, except electronics and timing belts etc...

sgross75

Well guys, called a guy in Rathgar and he will do the service and timing belt for €650....

Type 17

sgross75 wrote: »

Well guys, called a guy in Rathgar and he will do the service and timing belt for €650....

If it is Dave Curry, he's pretty good - my sister-in-law gets her '98 Golf TDI done with him and he seems to know his stuff and doesn't charge silly money.

sgross75

Yup that is the guy !

Ferris

Bear in mind that the VW main dealer may want to change the pulleys as well as the belt and tensioner (and water pump I hope!) as this is a standard VW timing belt job. IMO the pulleys shouldn't be changed till over 100k anyway.

And Chris is right, no point maintaining a dealer service history on a 2000 Golf. If you're northside PM me and I'll give you the name of a guy who can do it.

If you're southside, try Jetstar in Dun Laoighre, the main Southside VW and Audi dealers subcontract jobs like this to them anyway. They're a good bit more expensive than a small mechanic but cheaper than a dealership.

zzzzzzzz

Ferris wrote: »

Bear in mind that the VW main dealer may want to change the pulleys as well as the belt and tensioner (and water pump I hope!) as this is a standard VW timing belt job. IMO the pulleys shouldn't be changed till over 100k anyway.

And Chris is right, no point maintaining a dealer service history on a 2000 Golf. If you're northside PM me and I'll give you the name of a guy who can do it.

If you're southside, try Jetstar in Dun Laoighre, the main Southside VW and Audi dealers subcontract jobs like this to them anyway. They're a good bit more expensive than a small mechanic but cheaper than a dealership.

When do you reckon it's time to give up maintaining a dealer service history?

bazz26

aidan.offbeat wrote: »

When do you reckon it's time to give up maintaining a dealer service history?

I ususually stop using main dealer servicing when the warranty runs out. That way at least if something fails they cannot worm their way out and blame a lack of proper maintenance or use of inferior parts as a probable cause.

-Chris-

aidan.offbeat wrote: »

When do you reckon it's time to give up maintaining a dealer service history?

During the warranty period, dealer service history for defo.

My view would be that you should stop maintaining a dealer service history when the car gets to an age where you don't intend to trade it in to a main dealer for a new car - 3 or 4 years.

A main dealer will find it easier to sell a second hand car that has a main dealer service history, therefore they'll put value on it. The independent dealer won't care as much.

Of course, I work in a main dealer and sometimes people will trade in a 00 car against a new car. If it had main dealer history for the warranty period and a properly documented independent service history (using manufacturer parts) I'd consider that a pretty bullet-proof service history.