Main dealer behaviour with your car

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Doodle said:
This. A full bank of dealer stamps means that the bare minimum has been done. I would rather see a solid history of preventative and sympathetic maintenance, regardless of whether it's main dealer or independent.
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Full dealer service history does not necessarily suggest the car has been serviced properly, but it does suggest that the previous owner did not knowingly try to cut corners or purposely neglected the car etc.

When a car has specialist service history it is difficult to tell if the owner is a car enthusiast who wants better care for his car (as most members here are), or just someone trying to get away with minimal running costs, in which case you wonder what else they 'saved' on.

In the same way that a set of 4 identical branded tyres will always tell me that the owner looks after his/her car, while an assortment of different barely-legal ditch finders points to the opposite. The tyres can be changed, but then you ask yourself where else did the owner 'save'...?

Said that, I opt for specialist service because both me and my care get better care there. Future owners can make of my stamped service book what they will.
 
Hi all,

Interesting thread. Been reading the site for a couple of years since i purchased my coupe.

Mine was in at a certain kent based dealership (not sure what forum rules are re 'naming and shaming''!) to fix the inevitable squeaks and rattles. I collected the car with over 50 more miles on it. In fairness they hadn't tried to hide the mileage, well it wasn't quite correct as I had a photo and reset the trip myself and the figures on the trip didn't exactly compute but were only 5-10 out.

I found this excessive and their reasoning was the car had to be taken out 7/8 times. So it takes 7 miles a trip to see if the rattles are still there?? Hmmmm

I complained to the sales guy I dealt with as I had a relationship with him to leverage and the head of after sales or whatever rang to advise they would change their policy going forward and customers would be advised prior to their cars being taken out for test drives.

I wasn't satisfied with the scenario but what can you do, they aren't going to admit to taking it out and thrashing it.

and while its under warranty it's not even as simple as taking my business elsewhere
 
markjay said:
When a car has specialist service history it is difficult to tell if the owner is a car enthusiast who wants better care for his car (as most members here are), or just someone trying to get away with minimal running costs, in which case you wonder what else they 'saved' on.
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This is why you want a nice stack of receipts to pore over - the solid history I alluded to. A stamp in the book tells you something was done (be it main dealer or indy). The receipt tells you *what* was done - not dissimilar to your point about decent tyres vs ditchfinders.

The devil, as always, is in the details.
 
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C63Ross said:
Hi all, Interesting thread. Been reading the site for a couple of years since i purchased my coupe. Mine was in at a certain kent based dealership (not sure what forum rules are re 'naming and shaming''!) to fix the inevitable squeaks and rattles. I collected the car with over 50 more miles on it. In fairness they hadn't tried to hide the mileage, well it wasn't quite correct as I had a photo and reset the trip myself and the figures on the trip didn't exactly compute but were only 5-10 out. I found this excessive and their reasoning was the car had to be taken out 7/8 times. So it takes 7 miles a trip to see if the rattles are still there?? Hmmmm I complained to the sales guy I dealt with as I had a relationship with him to leverage and the head of after sales or whatever rang to advise they would change their policy going forward and customers would be advised prior to their cars being taken out for test drives. I wasn't satisfied with the scenario but what can you do, they aren't going to admit to taking it out and thrashing it. and while its under warranty it's not even as simple as taking my business elsewhere
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It can take umpteen road tests to investigate interior noises. Driving over and over again down the same road to replicate the complaint. It often takes two technicians too. Interior noises are a bugger to locate and fix.
 
My neighbour took his RS4 into the local Audi stealership for a service and MOT 3 hours later he gets a phone call with "some bad news", "oh its failed the MOT" (first one) "oh no" say the stealers "there's been a little problem", "what sort of a problem" he asks.
"during a test drive theres been an accident" they say "test drive? accident?" he says.

to cut a very sad tale short not only had the car done 55 miles it had hit a kerb rolled twice hit a wall and then 2 parked cars, all on a street with a school, some shops and a 30 MPH limit
 
Bjm34new said:
My neighbour took his RS4 into the local Audi stealership for a service and MOT 3 hours later he gets a phone call with "some bad news", "oh its failed the MOT" (first one) "oh no" say the stealers "there's been a little problem", "what sort of a problem" he asks.
"during a test drive theres been an accident" they say "test drive? accident?" he says.

to cut a very sad tale short not only had the car done 55 miles it had hit a kerb rolled twice hit a wall and then 2 parked cars, all on a street with a school, some shops and a 30 MPH limit
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I often wonder, how easy is it to get the dealer to pay in full for that, plus extras I'd hope in quick time?
From experience working at a dealership a few years ago, "we'd" try to wriggle out of things in any shape or form.
 
Cozy said:
I often wonder, how easy is it to get the dealer to pay in full for that, plus extras I'd hope in quick time?
From experience working at a dealership a few years ago, "we'd" try to wriggle out of things in any shape or form.
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They did try to wriggle out of it and put it in the hands of their insurance, My buddy took it to Audi UK and TBH they were great and must of put loads of pressure on the dealership as they sourced him a replacement car with less miles and ended up throwing in lifetime servicing and MOT's on both his and his wife car along with jackets,umbrellas and a multitude of other goodies.
 
Last week, two technicians took a customers Focus ST for a test 118mph all on dash cam.Was on FB too.
 
Excellent, cant wait to take mine for a service & mot at the start of the month.. I have a slight rumble on nsf which they said they would check out on a road test but they wont hear anything when they give it a good stinking going along the road!!
Im under warranty so in their hands..will need to undo the V5 map as well (cough)
 
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