kia main dealer , 40,000mls service 4 hundred pounds , mobile mecanhic 160 pounds plus vat( been using him for years so have family & friends but on older cars ) who would you use...pete
main dealers
- Thread starter GingerPete
- Start date
if the cars not under manufacturers warranty (of any description i.e corrosion etc) then mobile mechanic.
However , we used to use a local garage to service my wifes Freelander. When the injectors went (while on holiday in cornwall) they quoted
However , we used to use a local garage to service my wifes Freelander. When the injectors went (while on holiday in cornwall) they quoted
Hi GP,
Seems like a no brainer to me as long as you are satisfied with the mobile chaps work and reputation.
Routine servicing is largely inspection and replacement of service items which are readily available from a variety of sources.
If the car is still under Kia's three warranty you should still be OK as an acredited business run by a qualified motor engineer is the same as a "garage" in legal terms. But they (Kia) may challange that and insist on main dealer servicing for the warranty to remain valid.
One thing to consider of course is that a Kia agent may update the software of the vehicle ECU's during servicing which a non franchisee would probably not do - this would not affectv safety recalls of course which the manufacturere is obliged to to do under all circumstances.
Seems like a no brainer to me as long as you are satisfied with the mobile chaps work and reputation.
Routine servicing is largely inspection and replacement of service items which are readily available from a variety of sources.
If the car is still under Kia's three warranty you should still be OK as an acredited business run by a qualified motor engineer is the same as a "garage" in legal terms. But they (Kia) may challange that and insist on main dealer servicing for the warranty to remain valid.
One thing to consider of course is that a Kia agent may update the software of the vehicle ECU's during servicing which a non franchisee would probably not do - this would not affectv safety recalls of course which the manufacturere is obliged to to do under all circumstances.
Keeping to the thread regarding service prices, today got a letter from my dealer saying they will discount the vat if done before 24/12/08, normally he is busy doing taxi serviceing, so i expect its something to do with the economic climate.
Slight add on to what David W said , I think as long as the 'mechanic' (as it were) was VAT registered then aftermaket warrantees would still be valid.
Manufacturers warrantees I think you will find may differ and they stipulate main dealer so you do need to be careful.
Also feeding on , apparently dealers are starting to actively contact people to book services , even if you've never been back to them since buying from them years ago.
They know car sales are falling and they need to supplement this by bringing in service work. They have a trading obligation with their brand manufacturer to provide service facilities and if they are idle the dealers loosing money they can ill afford.
Manufacturers warrantees I think you will find may differ and they stipulate main dealer so you do need to be careful.
Also feeding on , apparently dealers are starting to actively contact people to book services , even if you've never been back to them since buying from them years ago.
They know car sales are falling and they need to supplement this by bringing in service work. They have a trading obligation with their brand manufacturer to provide service facilities and if they are idle the dealers loosing money they can ill afford.
I have always had an aversion to main dealers and their prices, particularly after an incident in the 1980's with the then Cardiff Volvo franchise when they tried to claim that we needed a new
- Jun 20, 2005
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My Kia is my now over 3 years old and it's back to a bit of diy and my friend who runs his one man garage.
At the very first service the main dealer left the locking wheel nuts off. So I drove with the caravan 450 mile with 4 instead of 5 nuts on each wheel.
For me the one man band bloke needs to eat and sleep so he is not going to cheat his customers , most of whom have become friends over the years.
Cheers
Alan
At the very first service the main dealer left the locking wheel nuts off. So I drove with the caravan 450 mile with 4 instead of 5 nuts on each wheel.
For me the one man band bloke needs to eat and sleep so he is not going to cheat his customers , most of whom have become friends over the years.
Cheers
Alan
Mike A's comments about his Volvo recall is interesting. I have had two "old" cars from different manufacturers who both notified me of safety recalls and who both had the work carried out at main dealers promptly and at no cost to me.
A mitsi Shogun, about8 years old had its pitman arm replaced and a 96 Jeep Cherokee had it's front brake discs replaced in 2004.
Neither car had been near a main dealer for about 5 years - the companies trawled DVLA records and sent recall notices out to the current owners.
If the Volvo recall was a genuine safety issue, and it does sound that it was, then Volvo were at fault for not warning all owners and where you have your car serviced should not affect fundamental safety issues.
Sorry my comment should have been a reply to topic, pressed the wrong button. My point though, is that if the Volvo brake problem was indeed a safety recall, then Volvo should have notified all owners and carried out the work free of charge irrespective of where they had the servicing carried out.
Other manufacturers seem to do this as a matter of course in my experience.
Other manufacturers seem to do this as a matter of course in my experience.
I half agree with Alans view that local one man bands should look after their customer better.
However I've 2 experiences of this not being the case. My FIL used to use a guy he'd know for 30+ years to do all his servicing. Until he found out he'd been ripping people off. He'd charge for new parts but actually fit second hand or refurbished parts.
Secondly I used a guy who came highly recommended (was used by lots of the local traffic police to service their own cars). But again after a few years we dicovered he too was charging for new parts when fitting used ones and also found out some parts were stolen as well.
Mike A makes a very good argument for dealer servicing as modern cars are not just about the mechanical parts but about computer technology.
When my wife's freelander failed in Cornwall it ended up going into a LR dealer to diagnose , this was after going to a local garage , a LR independant and the garage I bought it from. Non of which could get the fault codes from the ECU due to it being locked down by LR.
Its swings and round abouts , a judgement call
However I've 2 experiences of this not being the case. My FIL used to use a guy he'd know for 30+ years to do all his servicing. Until he found out he'd been ripping people off. He'd charge for new parts but actually fit second hand or refurbished parts.
Secondly I used a guy who came highly recommended (was used by lots of the local traffic police to service their own cars). But again after a few years we dicovered he too was charging for new parts when fitting used ones and also found out some parts were stolen as well.
Mike A makes a very good argument for dealer servicing as modern cars are not just about the mechanical parts but about computer technology.
When my wife's freelander failed in Cornwall it ended up going into a LR dealer to diagnose , this was after going to a local garage , a LR independant and the garage I bought it from. Non of which could get the fault codes from the ECU due to it being locked down by LR.
Its swings and round abouts , a judgement call
- Jun 20, 2005
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Roger
Who do we trust?
The use of second hand parts and charging for new is theft.
The AA & RAC seem to have on board computers they plug into broken down cars. Whether they give a fault cose or can fix the fault I don't know.
I do sometimes think technology has gone too far.
I stlii have to pay my KIA dealer
Who do we trust?
The use of second hand parts and charging for new is theft.
The AA & RAC seem to have on board computers they plug into broken down cars. Whether they give a fault cose or can fix the fault I don't know.
I do sometimes think technology has gone too far.
I stlii have to pay my KIA dealer
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