Do Not Sell My Personal Information Jump to content


Servicing - Main Dealer Or?


Recommended Posts

Hi All - this is a great forum and I would be really interested in your views here.

This is prompted by our second car needing a service and me balking at the estimated cost but I am thinking of applying the same logic to the Lex.

Our Merc is due a service after 10K miles and 2 years - the main dealer 'estimate' was £425 ish and 2 to 3 hours ish. I looked into what was required - oil and filter and check everything. It seems steep to me for 'bread and butter' service type stuff.

My local motor engineer is the sort who does this all day and even does things as a matter of course , like strip the brakes, check and lube and reassemble rather than just a quick peek at the pad thickness. He is an engineer rather than a technician and he does a great job with other things we have had done there. He has the gear for sorting the service indicator. He is happy if I supply my own oil. He is much cheaper.

Here's the question - would you go to the main dealer or stay with the local?

My opinion is the local would do a better job but I am also aware of the Warranty (it would be MB procedures and approved parts) , Service History (does it really make a difference) and the occasional SW update (although if its running well it is sometimes best not to meddle)

The logic is the same for the Lexus.

What would you do?

Thanks :=)

Link to comment
Share on other sites


As long as the local is VAT registered and uses oem parts then you wont have a problem with warranty and as long as he does a decent job then i cant see why you cannot use him instead of a main dealer. In my opinion all a dealer history does is look a little better when you come to sell it but service history is service history.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have some sympathy for your dilemma. Its an age old dilemma and I don't think there can be any one definitive answer - especially with the EU Block Exemption ruling now in force.

If you were to buy a car like a MB, BMW Lexus (or expensive) Audi - would you be happy to see a non-manufacture stamp int he book for the first one (or two) services if the car was about 3 years old? Speaking personally, I would not. Because I would question why the person had not taken the car to a Main Dealer for servicing? If it was a case of economics, then it would lead me to think what else has the person skimped on? If you can afford to buy a £30k car then you surely must be able to have it serviced correctly. If you've skimped on service, then what else might you have saved pennies on: Tyres? Brakes? Consumables? For me that'd be a walk away as its a matter of confidence.

Yes main dealer servicing is expensive and yest it is painful - but for a car < 3 years old it is to be expected IMHO. However, if the car is 5 years old then I would expect the first couple with Main Dealer, next with say a very good Indy.

As I say, this is my own personal viewpoint - no slight intended on anyone else!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If the car is under warranty, then your best bet is to get it serviced at the main dealer, purely for re-sale reasons. Any potential buyer is more likely to buy your car if it has been serviced by a main dealer, as you will have service stamps and invoices to prove that the services have taken place and what items have been replaced. If/once the car is out of warranty, then there is no point going to a main dealer for servicing, as you would be better off (financially) using a local mechanic to carry out any work on your car. Just keep any bills/invoices that your local mechanic gives, if he can stamp your service book with his own garage/service stamp- then thats even better.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For regular servicing I would go to main dealer (oil, filters, timing belt...)

If you know a good "no name" garage, I'd go there for things like tire change, discs rotors change etc

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I used a toyota dealer for my last service, 20000 miles, oil, filter, fluids ...etc... 174 euro, same service almost 400 with lexus, checked with the lexus salesman that i bought the car off and he said it would make no difference at trade in, he also said that they get their cars serviced at the toyota garage as the lexus one doesn't have a service bay!

Link to comment
Share on other sites


All - great thoughts and many thanks to all.

I am going to go with the local indy for the Merc. I agree with the comments made but I want value for money and I think I will get it locally. I dont agree with the 'if you can afford to buy it etc' (i am not offended) because it does not excuse misaligned value. Just because customers are perceived as rich(er) should not mean they should pay more.

As an aside it still amazes me that after all the criticism dealers get they still have the gold standard for perception of quality- even though an indy bets his business on his reputation. I agree that it is like that I just dont think it is common sense. A triumph for marketing i spose in that they have us all frightened, or embarrassed, to consider alternatives even though we should.

Re the Lexy - my local toyota dealer is much closer and I like that idea.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share



×
×
  • Create New...