Service

[birdman101]

Reading the Ford extended warranty, even when the motor is 6 years we can then extend again if it is still under 70,000 miles and for only, about at today’s price £250 a year,

 

[GaryB]

The biggest problem with Audi was the sales personnel. You deal with so many different people using various Audi portals for the whole process that it’s easy to miss things. I think I can extend the warranty (it expires in October) for £129.

 

[RogerL]

The next purchase will be after I retire and will be done with a focus on sensibility so warranty will be high on the agenda. I think Audi are more geared to fleet buyers where warranty longevity perhaps isn’t the main focus.

There may be an over-emphasis on warranty length - it always comes at a cost, however it's hidden in the original purchase price.

If you want fixed costs with no surprises take out a PCP - if you want to reduce your overall costs buy the car outright, keep it a long time, have a pot of money equivalent to the annual cost of extending the warranty and use an independent workshop you trust for servicing.

Given the level of CRA advice that's available on this forum I'm surprised that anyone wants the extra (hidden) cost of an inferior warranty.

 

[otherclive]

There may be an over-emphasis on warranty length - it always comes at a cost, however it's hidden in the original purchase price.

If you want fixed costs with no surprises take out a PCP - if you want to reduce your overall costs buy the car outright, keep it a long time, have a pot of money equivalent to the annual cost of extending the warranty and use an independent workshop you trust for servicing.

Given the level of CRA advice that's available on this forum I'm surprised that anyone wants the extra (hidden) cost of an inferior warranty.

Admittedly it will be within the purchase price but some cars are very realaiible and rarely require warranty claims. IE Kia, Hyundai et. I remember years ago when I read of the warranty provision by VW foraMk1 Golf, compared to a Datsun Cherry. The Datsun was times lower than the Golf, and on road performance showed that. Although both corroded at the same rate.

 

[birdman101]

My wife and I have always paid cash and keep cars 10 or more years. Kia’s had 7 years, Hyundai’s 5 years warranties.The Ford attraction besides being the motors we wanted was the very cheap cost to increase the warranties to 6 years. Even after that we can extend for another year at a time ,if we still have them until 70,000 miles. With the Kuga for towing and wife’s for shorter journeys doubt whether either, will reach the 70,000 before the end of our driving days.

 

[Beachball]

My wife car was offered a service plan a minor one was £250 that without the spark plugs the major a lot more but we decided to take it to a Independent garage that does Audi and Volswagen near to home and it very reasonable.

 

[RogerL]

Admittedly it will be within the purchase price but some cars are very realaiible and rarely require warranty claims. IE Kia, Hyundai et. I remember years ago when I read of the warranty provision by VW foraMk1 Golf, compared to a Datsun Cherry. The Datsun was times lower than the Golf, and on road performance showed that. Although both corroded at the same rate.

One of the issues with modern "reliable" cars is that dealers have little diagnostic skills and are dependent on computer diagnostics and bolt-on/plug-in replacement parts and because problems are fewer than older cars they have little experience of fixing specific faults.

When my 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe was a year old, my 40 years of fixing older cars told me the head gasket was beginning to fail but it took me nearly two years to convince my dealer there was anything wrong - because "computer says no" faults and the gas "sniff" test was negative - it was only when the engine over-heated big time while towing the caravan back from Scotland that they accepted there was an issue. But that was just the start of the saga as they'd never stripped that type of engine down before, eventually removing it from the car.

I had a similarly drawn-out saga with the immobiliser on the same car which took many visits and eventually a recovery to resolve.

So my Santa Fe spent more time off the road being repaired than all my other cars put together - but not because of the number of faults but because of the lack of diagnostic skills, a lack that is widespread in the franchised dealer sector.

I used to brace myself for the regular incompetence at my VW dealer who would ask "do you want us to change the Haldex fluid" on my Touareg (it doesn't have a Haldex 4wd system).

 

[Hutch]

One of the issues with modern "reliable" cars is that dealers have little diagnostic skills and are dependent on computer diagnostics and bolt-on/plug-in replacement parts and because problems are fewer than older cars they have little experience of fixing specific faults.

When my 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe was a year old, my 40 years of fixing older cars told me the head gasket was beginning to fail but it took me nearly two years to convince my dealer there was anything wrong - because "computer says no" faults and the gas "sniff" test was negative - it was only when the engine over-heated big time while towing the caravan back from Scotland that they accepted there was an issue. But that was just the start of the saga as they'd never stripped that type of engine down before, eventually removing it from the car.

I had a similarly drawn-out saga with the immobiliser on the same car which took many visits and eventually a recovery to resolve.

So my Santa Fe spent more time off the road being repaired than all my other cars put together - but not because of the number of faults but because of the lack of diagnostic skills, a lack that is widespread in the franchised dealer sector.

I used to brace myself for the regular incompetence at my VW dealer who would ask "do you want us to change the Haldex fluid" on my Touareg (it doesn't have a Haldex 4wd system).

I fully agree, two weeks ago I took my Santa Fe into our local main dealer, for automatic Transmission oil change, and asked them to look at the Electronic hand brake that stuck on previously. The technician could not find a fault on the system, I asked him if I could get a print out of the electronics and the interlinks to the throttle and brakes, or any diagnostic list, he looked at me slightly blank, and said if they have a problem they just change the Handbrake unit.

 

[Buckman]

I’m afraid that you are wrong in this case.

Not sure how it can be wrong when I have it in writing? But your choice!

 

[Jcloughie]

One of the issues with modern "reliable" cars is that dealers have little diagnostic skills and are dependent on computer diagnostics and bolt-on/plug-in replacement parts and because problems are fewer than older cars they have little experience of fixing specific faults.

When my 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe was a year old, my 40 years of fixing older cars told me the head gasket was beginning to fail but it took me nearly two years to convince my dealer there was anything wrong - because "computer says no" faults and the gas "sniff" test was negative - it was only when the engine over-heated big time while towing the caravan back from Scotland that they accepted there was an issue. But that was just the start of the saga as they'd never stripped that type of engine down before, eventually removing it from the car.

I had a similarly drawn-out saga with the immobiliser on the same car which took many visits and eventually a recovery to resolve.

So my Santa Fe spent more time off the road being repaired than all my other cars put together - but not because of the number of faults but because of the lack of diagnostic skills, a lack that is widespread in the franchised dealer sector.

I used to brace myself for the regular incompetence at my VW dealer who would ask "do you want us to change the Haldex fluid" on my Touareg (it doesn't have a Haldex 4wd system).

Years ago, I towed back across Germany to have a few nights on the side of the Mona Damm. Just as we got to the site barrier it overheated. I managed to get pitched up. Recovery took us to a Citroen main dealer less than half a mile away. This was a Citroen XM, fantastic car. They diagnosed faulty heater hoses and changed them. I towed all the way home but it was still getting hot. A local garage soon diagnosed the head gasket. They had to remove it. Send the head to a specialist in Cornwall for X-ray and skimming. Then match up a new head gasket for thickness. They did a smashing job. Next year in France, a young French kid rear ended me and wrote it off.

😂

John