Servicing at Main Dealers

[SteveC]

Just bought a 2001 VR-4 saloon, I only live 2 minutes away from a main dealer (Walker Farrimond in Pendle) who say they can service the car and offer an extended warranty (don't know the cost yet).

Problem is I know, from experience with other garages, just how bad some main dealers can be. Next to my office at work is a private garage who can also service the car, they do the 2.5 V6 and an FTO, and I know from experience that there work is 100%, they do all our company cars (Merc's) and we never have any problems or issues.

My VR-4 has 29500 miles and full Ralliart service history and I would much prefer the garage I know and trust to do the work, but am trying to think further down the line when the car has to be sold whether it would be best continuing the main dealer service?

Any help or advice would be appreciated.

[Nick Mann]

Service history is a good thing when it comes to re-sale. Its got to be your decision on the cost of re-sale vs the cost of servicing, though. There is a case for having a non-franchised specialist do the work and stamp the book. If the parts are genuine and the service schedule followed precisely, then your warranty should remain valid as well. I intend my next one to be a cheaper older model, which I will keep for long enough that the re-sale value is of less importance than the servicing cost. I will try to do the 4.5k lubrication services myself.

The cost of the warranty is about £470. This is assuming your car is still in the scheme. If the car is more than three and the warranty has expired then it costs a few hundred more. Some have managed to get it for £300 ish, but I think they were lucky - that is the price for the category below where the VR4 has been put.

Lubrication services are approx £200, with others from £250 - £800 when carried out at a main dealer.

[Brind]

As of tomorrow in fact, my car goes in for its first non main dealer service and I fully expect the level of care to rocket through the roof as I know the people personally and they have as much time for customers cars as they do their own, which is unlike that of a main dealer!

As long as it's done correctly, correct intervals and with comparable parts and serviced by a registered company you'll have no issues with your warranty.

Sure a Ralliart stamp and that of any main dealer will look great for resale, it doesn't mean it's been serviced well or any better than the method above.

[SteveC]

I'm gonna call at the dealers and try to get the warranty topped up, it's not out of it's original one yet still a couple of months to go.

After that I think I will go with the garage next to work as I know the work will be done correctly. I'm sure they will be using original parts but I will reiterate the point to them.

Hopefully I will be keeping the car for some time, having too much fun driving it :p , so come re-sale it may not make that bigger a difference, what I save in costs will help towards the value.

Thanks for the info :)

[KiwiTT]

I will keep my car serviced by my Authorised Dealer as he has looked after me so far. Being a regular, and you have to be with a VR-4, you establish a rapport with the people looking after car. I was forced to change when my last dealer closed down. I sought advice from peers and ex-mechanics and have now selected a "Mitsi" Dealer as I needed to have a "MTA - Motor Trade Association" or "NZAA Approved" for my warranty.

Once it has expired, I will review the servicing again.

However, my reasons for servicing is not for re-sale, but for longevity. I don't think I will ever sell it.