first service... how much approx?

[veeedubba]

Just paid £88 quid today at dealer had car a year done 4000 miles and they gave me 1 litre of top up oil free so not moaning!!

[skippy]

Just phoned VW for 1st service cost expecting it to be circa £100-120, and got a quote for £217!!

I almost dropped the phone in shock and I said that my car only has 4,300 miles on the clock. They said they could remove part of the service and reduce it to £189 but this sounds like they are taking the p*ss.

Not booking it in until I find out more, surely I can do better than this!

[trix]

get a quote elsewhere skippy!! Pronto!

S

[skippy]

Will do trix, yes that sounds outrageous. For a major service - then yes of course that is probably reasonable, but I am not expecting that much more than an oil change! Thanks.

[maisbitt]

Fixed interval service is about ~£100, time/distance internal ~£160.

It pays to shop around with local dealers though, and don't let them add in the cost of a supplied top up oil bottle if you haven't touched the one that came with the car.

[skippy]

Thanks guys, one phone call later and suddenly it is down to £125 (at another dealership) which sounds much more reasonable, and they said the car gets complimentatry wash and valet.

[trix]

if its in for over an hour for anything they wash & hoover it anyway skippy so thats no added value.
I'd suggest you give the first dealership another call & see if they would like to revise they price abit more now...

S

[maisbitt]

skippy: The wash and hoover is complimentary on warranty work (as they charge VW for the added labour cost), ask if it's any cheaper without the wash and hoover, it might be! I don't think they'd ever give you 1/2 an hours labour for nothing.

Price variance can be huge between dealers. If theres plenty of dealership competition around near you then i'd be hoping not to pay more than £100 for an oil change service.

[Deacon]

I paid approx. £85 for my first service.

Deacon

[robmx]

Don't let the morons in the valeting bay even touch your car tbh. After watching one of the guys wash a car on the forecourt at my dealers, I came to the conclusion that you'd be better of driving your car through a hedge.

Btw I payed £96 for my first oil/filter/screen wash top up service.

[skippy]

Cheers for that guys, just left message with original dealer to phone me back. I suspect quote may be different anyway, as this morning their computer was down (or technical issue) and I was called back by a lady who manages service bookings centrally, as I think I was called from Milton Keynes!(Head office?)

Lady on phone I think was somewhat surprised when I baulked at £217!

[skippy]

Update to this, went back to my original dealer, but although they took the call - again was called back by a Central call centre. My preferred dealer is small, I suspect they get VW HQ (Milton Keynes) to book the servicing for them!

Anyhow - from the £217 quoted in the morning, they agreed (eventually) to match the £125 I was quoted elsewhere. I have still not accepted it though judging by the other comments listed here, but many thanks anyway for the useful tips here!

[stevieboy]

It pays to shop around with local dealers though, and don't let them add in the cost of a supplied top up oil bottle if you haven't touched the one that came with the car.

Should there have been a litre of top up oil with the car? I didn't get one! I seem to remember having one in my old A3 though.

[trix]

no it depends how nice your dealer is & what freebies they give away stevie. I didn't get one.

S

[maisbitt]

Stevie,

It might be a dealer specific thing, but i've had a top up bottle of oil with every one of the 5 VWs I bought from new (4 of them from the same dealer).

[quality reflects]

Just thought I would let you all know the quote I had from Martins Camberley for the above, £143 all in.

Superchips also advised putting the ecu back to standard beforehand too.

[nd10]

It pays to shop around with local dealers though, and don't let them add in the cost of a supplied top up oil bottle if you haven't touched the one that came with the car.

Should there have been a litre of top up oil with the car? I didn't get one! I seem to remember having one in my old A3 though.

I got one and so far VW Benfield at Silverlink have been spot on from start to now.

[maisbitt]

I have always got a bottle of oil with every VW I got from Benfield, although when my old Golf was in at their bodyshop for 7 weeks, they stole it! The point I was making is that when you get a service you generally get another bottle of oil in with the service and it's not free! the last service I got they knocked £12 off the price as I said I didn't want a bottle of oil as my one that came with the car was unopened. If you don't need a bottle and you go for a service, ask if their service price has a bottle of oil as standard (Benfield and Pulman has).

[AgaZaKa]

VW Twickenham - £250 for 1st service. They also replaced my wipers after I complained about the smear and added the cost to the bill. They put exactly the same wipers, so I told them, they can expect to see me again soon. The guy didn't want to listen to me when I said I want Jetta wipers.
Also they tried to remove squicking noise when windows drops, it lasted for 2 day only. I'm not sure I want them to disassemble the doors again (that's what they claim, they did).
I think I will buy proper wipers myself because it's cheaper than wasting my time for visit to dealer.

Maybe someone can recommend other dealer in South-West London or Surrey?

[maisbitt]

Agazaza:

Not sure whether its all wipers or whether the arms are to blame (angle, spring tension etc) I got some wipers from costco and they were worse than stock VW Roc ones.

I wouldn't pay for the same wipers - I would've told them to take them off and put the old ones back on. Did you assume they'd replace them under warranty and that you weren't going to be charged for them? How much are the wipers, about £32 a set? So you paid £250 for your first service excluding the wipers??? Extortionate for an oil change and "checks". I'd be looking to pay no more than £150 at a VW garage or £120 at an independant garage.