I realized that with very minimal driving during the Covid times, I skipped a scheduled car service. I am not sure of the consequences on warranty or what if I have to sell it in the Future. Also, it seems that Dealerships charge more than a local mechanic for regular servicing, however I am not too certain if my local mechanic can stamp the logbook for maintaining the warranty etc.
Do you guys stick to the Car service schedule as per the logbook/kms and do you always get it serviced from the dealer? What are the implications otherwise?
TIA
Do You Stick with Car Servicing Schedule and with The Dealership service?
iamnowhere24 on 30/08/2021 - 12:31
Last edited 30/08/2021 - 12:32
Last edited 30/08/2021 - 12:32
Poll Options
- 71Yes, I stick to my Car service schedule and with my Car dealer
- 62I stick to my Car service schedule but often get serviced via local mechanic
- 12I dont bother about my Car service schedule nor the dealership
- 19I do my car service myself - afterall its just cleaning/washing and an oil change maybe
Comments
nearest shop now
Read your logbook re the consequences. However you only need to apply some common sense to answer that question.
https://www.racq.com.au/cars-and-driving/cars/owning-and-mai…
Dealer vs non-dealer servicing explained
The Competition and Consumer Act 2010 prevents the practice of exclusive dealing by attaching conditions to the sale of goods that restrict the buyer’s freedom of choice to deal with whom or in what they choose.Essentially this means that a vehicle manufacturer cannot specify that you must have your car serviced by a particular dealer or group of dealers as part of the warranty conditions.
Nor can a manufacturer void a warranty simply because a vehicle owner has chosen to have a vehicle serviced outside the dealer network.
That link doesn't make clear if it is a Queensland law that they're referring to or a national law. I'm certainly aware of the national law but it's highly likely that individual states have added their own laws, too.
When my daughter purchased her brand new Suzuki Swift a few years ago (in NSW), the dealer, and possibly Suzuki, knew that they couldn't enforce servicing to be carried out at the dealership. They came up with an ingenious (in my view) solution. The car has a three-year warranty. But if you get your car serviced at a Suzuki dealership, that warranty will be extended to five years.
They weren't telling her that she had to have the servicing done by Suzuki or she'd lose her warranty. Just that it would be extended, 'free of charge', by having it done there.
Kia gives you free roadside assistance, extended every year if you get serviced with the dealer
@mbck: Ford have a similar thing in place as well. Service with an authorised Ford dealer and they give you 12 months road side assistance…
@mbck: yeah I don't know why Kandrew is getting downvoted, they're exactly right. Kia also do fixed price servicing - I don't know whether independents are willing to match that?? I should find out, because it's the only reason I take my Kia back to the dealer (and would love not to).
Let me just do a quick google for you of "The Competition and Consumer Act 2010"
The Competition and Consumer Act 2010 is an Act of the Parliament of Australia. Prior to 1 January 2011, it was known as the Trade Practices Act 1974. The Act is the legislative vehicle for competition law in Australia, and seeks to promote competition, fair trading as well as providing protection for consumers.They came up with an ingenious (in my view) solution. The car has a three-year warranty. But if you get your car serviced at a Suzuki dealership, that warranty will be extended to five years.
I've answered this so many times before here.
https://www.accc.gov.au/publications/consumer-guarantees-a-g…Goods must be lasting. Do you think a new car should last 3 years or even for that matter 5? No it should last longer.
I'm certainly aware of the national law but it's highly likely that individual states have added their own laws, too.
The states have mirror laws.
This comment was in relation to not getting it serviced at all. But sure.
You don't have to go with the dealer to keep the warranty. For me, I just go with my local dealership for servicing purely because i'm too lazy to find an independent….and the customer waiting lounge has free wifi, coffee and biscuits.
I used to use an old-school local mechanic to service all of my cars, but he retired a couple of years back, would try again if I found a reliable one.
Have since been using local KTAS/MyCar as a cheaper alternative to my OEM service centre with fixed price servicing. They are no frills but after a year with them, they started to add hidden extras onto the price, and it ended up costing as much if not more than the OEM service. Plus much OEM gives me a full wash and clean, coffee/biscuits if you want to wait around and a newish loan car if I need it for about $15 extra.
Warranty isn't voided if the logbook is done elsewhere, but most additional 'incentives' like roadside assist are voided after using another mechanic.
So the dealers are now using the loss of a 'carrot', instead of threatening to void your warranty as a 'stick' in order to keep your business
My car is capped price (pretty low too) and you get roadside assist and media/nav unit updates (which can help with compatibility with new phone OS versions).
You misspelled Stealer as Dealer.
When 2 years comes around I may need to change the cabin filters and check the brake fluid but I won't be touching any oil.
I had my 2007 Skoda Octavia serviced at the dealer for the first 3 services (every 15k km or 12 months - whichever comes first). For the 60k service I had it done at a specialist independent workshop and continued with them until around 120k as they were near my office and reasonably priced. After that I DIY'd because somewhere in my past I was a mechanic.
I do 5000 km a year these days and service the car yearly. The car is on 203,000km and is running really well.
I do our 2005 Honda Accord every 12 months (it should be every 6-9 months) and it keeps soldiering on.
You don't have to go to the dealer to maintain warranty but a relationship with the dealer may help if you are making a claim against statutory warranty when the manufacturers warranty has lapsed. It also stops the finger pointing that can occur when a third party services your vehicle. For a small saving is a 3rd part repairer worth it?
https://www.mynrma.com.au/cars-and-driving/buying-a-car/car-…usually the minimum for the warranty. sometimes its more often based on usage.
It depends if the dealer includes free servicing etc but in general independent small shops are actually much better and experienced but obviously your experience will vary, from my personal experience I used to go to the franchise places like midas etc but then I accidently found this tiny little garage on a side street/road and he was able to diagnose an issue and fix it where the others couldn't and since then I'll not go anywhere else if I can help it…
I've always gone with the dealer at the start for log book servicing but for older vehicles that need work done switched to a local independent as they have much more flexibility to use third-party parts or second hand to meet your budget. Dealers aren't so much ripping you off as much as only offering the gold-plated solution.
Capped price servicing here from dealership
Poll options are crap. Written by someone who has little to do with cars maybe?
"I do my car service myself - afterall its just cleaning/washing and an oil change maybe"
WTF? You can service your own car if you are confident that you know what you are doing. There is a lot more to it than maybe changing the oil. :-(
If you are happy with a quick oil change for $500 then stick with the dealer. Local mechanics can vary from dodgy as hell to very good.
The basic servicing of a car is very simple. These days there is a ton of how to's for anyone wanting to become informed.I think for the kms service yes. But for time service the oil is the only thing that needs doing.
Depends on what make/model car you have.
Plus add your risk level (i.e. if you are happy to skip a service (short term gain) for potential warranty issues (long term pain).
For me, generally, anything Japanese will last forever with regular oil changes ;)
Under warranty: stick to the schedule. Usually with independent mechanic.
Out of warranty: service mostly by kms, sometimes by time, sometimes just before a big holiday trip towing.
Old car: self oil change/service mostly with occasional trip to an independent mechanic for their more experienced eye. NSW has annual inspection so that helps pick up issues.
Repairs: depends on what is needed. Straight forwards jobs are DIY. Things that require hoist or are long difficult jobs by mechanic, eg change clutch in 4wd ute as gearbox was too heavy. Remove gearbox for repair in forester DIY.
I always get my cars serviced by the authorised stealership according to the schedule until the warranty runs out. Not necessarily the stealership I purchased it from.
However, I emphasise that I only want a LogBook Service done without any extra work being done unless I authorise it first.
Sticking with dealer for now as I have a fixed price service agreement for 5 years or so. Will reassess when the time expires.
Stealership service until the warranty period ends and then DIY.
All the comments that say something like "oh i have capped priced servicing" with the thought that that is a good thing for the customer…..have fallen for the marketing BS
Do some research about whether capped price is actually any good?
please explain to me why you think capped price is no good?
genunieely curius
as i've experienced uncapped price and its decidely not good at all
It’s a marketing stunt. It maintains dealer profits. Might be capped, but your service will probably be carried out by the work experience kid or the apprentice that started last week.
I don't really believe that. Friends of mine working in a dealership say the dealers don't like it (especially the city ones). One things it did was even the pricing out across the country so saves having to shop around. It was a maximum price set (not minimum) so has reduced the profits of some dealerships (especially those in the cities where real estate is more expensive). If you compare the costs over time they did bring the costs down. As regards to your service being carried out by an apprentice, that is definitely possible, especially in the bigger dealerships. But the positive there is that at least they are taking on young people and training them. Plus, all work is guaranteed by the dealer and the apprentice works for a qualified mechanic who has to sign of on it. Small workshops do not employ as many apprentices. An apprentice is more likely to do all parts of the service than a full mechanic whose time is more valuable and will just do the basics and often not grease the doors and all those little extras.
just do the basics and often not grease the doors and all those little extras.
That’s a large part of my concerns with dealerships. They are often more concerned with throughput and miss those extras like greasing door hinges and probably don’t do a ‘100point safety check’. They give it a quick look over, send it off to get a quick wash so you honk they’ve done a thorough job
@Euphemistic: I dont beleive that either. No matter where you go you're at the mercy of a "work experience kid or the apprentice that started last week."
Let's look at this reasonably… are you realistically going to have your car only looked at by seasoned professionals with 20yrs experience.
How are young folks supposed to train if you dont teach them?
Even at Mercedes Benz they're using apprentices. People gotta start somewhere.
Here's something I've seen and experienced myself… at some really high end places where they look after supercars, the boss there was teaching two younger guys how to work on Lamborghinis and Ferraris. As long as the work is inspected signed off by the supervisors that is deemed acceptable.
And who am I to take them up on that? They have supercars back out the ass.
As long as the work is inspected signed off by the supervisors that is deemed acceptable.
That’s the problem. It’s all well and good for an apprentice to drop the oil and fill it. But I’ll bet busy dealerships don’t have that many checks and balances.
I have no problem with teaching apprentices on camrys, but they need proper supervision.
High end supercar work is vastly different to the tightarse dealer principle that wants to ‘service’ as many Camry’s as they can each day.
@Euphemistic: Oftentimes dealers don't do what they promised to or deviate from the specified work done. It's well worth seeking out specialist mechanics for different brands of cars, who'll deliver a higher quality of work and attention to detail, and can identify issues/solutions quicker and more affordably.
@Techie4066: Also you are talking about cars here, not the friggn' space shuttle.
I dont kid myself that my car, or even a Mercedes requires expert german phd labcoat mechanics.
Everyday we put our trust in people with expertise from plumbers electricians to student doctors and yet people drag out this nonsense that their precious $29,990 Hundai is being touched by 'apprentices' and work experience kids.
If I pay $300-$400 for a fixed price service what are my expectations lol.
I use an independent for my usual out of warranty cars and he uses two tafe apprentices I know by name and I trust them.
People need to get over who works on their precious Corollas Camrys ffs.
I run pieces of equipment that is worth $100-$500k and I dont count myself as competant to work on my Nissan but the two guys who just have tafe certs. Yeh fine.
Also you are talking about cars here, not the friggn' space shuttle.
And? I don't think you know what a specialist mechanic is, they can actually provide more affordable and effective maintenance for your car because their area of expertise is in your brand, regardless of its popularity. Instead of replacing the entirety of a component, those in the know can often diagnose issues more accurately, saving you time and money.
In a car market like Australia, owning a car outside the top 15 brands definitely requires that extra bit of knowledge which can help you sort out an issue that no one else can. You surely don't want to be sent around a bunch of mechanics who'll happily charge you and not know exactly what they're doing!
People need to get over who works on their precious Corollas Camrys ffs.
Toyota is a different story. As a Renault owner, a specialist mechanic is the only place I'd go. They undercut the dealership on price and pride themselves on the work they do. Btw, the price is very similar to popular Japanese rivals.
@Techie4066: how relevant is renault to this place really?
mate i know about about specialist knowledge cars… i've had imports and a string of mercedes
even then as a mercedes gets to 5yrs plus you'll find some independents have no issues with them
i have contemplated VAG cars only because I have a mate who works on them exclusively and even then he said 'stick with what you know'
how relevant is renault to this place really?
Well, there seems to be a lot of Skoda fanboys here and the last few years they've actually sold fewer cars than Renault. Their most popular SUV is the Koleos, which is actually one of the best value for money midsize SUVs and runs on the Nissan X-Trail drivetrain, pretty ideal for OzBargainers. So perhaps nothing special is needed there in terms of maintenance except for model-specific issues.
Didn't seem clear to me before that you knew about this stuff
Again, there are a whole bunch of people out there buying outside of the top 15 brands, which are Japanese/German and now Chinese due to MG vomit.
Sticking with what you know is a boring way to live :/
@Techie4066: also nissan renault are the same damn company
some people talk up their euro trash as if its the space shuttle
unless its a renault alpine you dont need to see a specialist, except maybe a brain specialist for buying a renault in the first place i guess
also nissan renault are the same damn company
Incorrect. They formed the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance, which co-develops and shares some platforms, engines and the general electrical architecture. None of the external panels, cabins nor infotainment are the same in any way, with all components exposed to passengers being unique from brand to brand, forming different model propositions across brands in terms of inclusions and user experience. Many Renault models actually use a Renault-Daimler (Mercedes-Benz) co-developed series of engines that has no relation to Nissan.
some people talk up their euro trash as if its the space shuttle
Don't understand your obsession with equating some cars to space shuttles just because it's best to take them to specialist mechanics instead of local mechanics (who might not know what they're doing with some car brands that are built differently).
unless its a renault alpine you dont need to see a specialist
Incorrect. Many Renault models employ turbocharged Renault or Renault-Daimler engines with Dual-Clutch transmissions that vary wildly from Nissan alternatives with CVTs. My SUV has a Renault-Daimler H5Ht/M282 engine that was first used in 2018, with a 7-speed wet dual-clutch auto that Nissan has never used and had no involvement in developing. Whether you own a Clio, Megane or Captur, it's definitely helpful seeking out the right service besides dealerships which are renowned for being useless and overcharging. The exception to this being the most popular Koleos, which would be fine being serviced by someone knowledgable with CVTs.
Funnily enough, the Alpine A110 (2017) uses the TCe M5P engine, which is a variant of the Renault-Nissan MR engine architecture! Just because it's a bespoke design and more expensive doesn't necessarily mean it needs special servicing.
except maybe a brain specialist for buying a renault in the first place i guess
Renault builds attractive and reliable cars, and the Alliance helps bring manufacturing and development costs down, passing these savings onto the consumer while offering vehicles with many features. It's ok not to conform to the norms of bland Toyotas and boring Mazdas!
I negotiated 5 years free car servicing with the vehicle so then it’s done at the dealer and it doesn’t cost me anything.
When ?
Good luck getting it nowadays .May last year.
You'd hope they'd actually do the servicing properly, in that case.
It’s an expensive car, if they wanna screw it up and pay for a warranty claim because they didn’t service it properly that’s fine with me 🤷♂️
Poor servicing might not result in a failure and warranty claim, but it sure could cause additional wear over time, and issues may not be picked up. It's happened to many people.
@Techie4066: I have plenty of faith in my service department. Plus I don’t plan on keeping the car outside of warranty.
Does being part of a Corp Program and not paying for servicing count? 🤓🧐🤭
If the car is uunder warranty then OF COURSE always ALWAYS servvice before its due
i mean how hard is it to do a yearly 10,000km thing
knowing most companies are a bag of dicks when it comes to warranty claims then arm yourself by crossing your T's and dotting your I's
now when it comes to dealer servicing… the last few cars i've had going past a`decade all went back to Parramatta motor group at camelia
prices are competitve for the most part but they do like the upsell… and they dont seem to want to do recall work
so i clearly put up with this shit to maintain warranty
but once out of warranty, F those guys
but once i buy a new car of their brand then its back on the treadmill of dealing with a company i dont like
Once warranty is over, service elsewhere. Even with Mercedes their after sales service is very very poor. Email to them takes weeks to reply! Even when you call them, their staff is not knowledgeable. Shocking service for such brand!
It is interesting how different brands manage their servicing requirements from 5000 km to up to 25 000km between services and how smart some of the cars become. My Mini (BMW) determined the servicing requirements depending on the cars use. It used to manage and monitor the systems and would tell you when each system individually was coming up to needing a service. If you drove lots of easy long distance trips (country miles) you know you were wearing it out less and it rewarded you with less servicing requirements. If you flogged it or driving it around the city, being it is having a harder life, it would turn over it servicing quicker. Out of warranty, I took it to a local mechanic I trusted, who I knew paid due attention to cars and was very honest about what he did and did not do, plus he had the computers to plug into the car to check proper servicing requirements, and I got better value servicing.
For these other mechanics that you’ve seen, I guarantee once you ask for a ‘log book service’ the price will go up to similar pricing, could be $30-$50 less than the dealership (in my experience in Sydney).
I have had cars serviced at dealerships and by local mechanics and honestly you’re paying the extra so they don’t stiff you.
I’ve yet to find a mechanic that doesn’t do dodgy shit eg changing brake pads without machining. Squeaky brakes after that.
I’ve found that the dealership servicing is expensive but I’ve just done my year 2 service and they replaced the brake fluid as part of the service, something I’ve never done until year 5/6 with a regular mechanic who chastised me for not doing it earlier (I was never asked to do it).
In terms of your warranty, I would get on the phone to them to see if it can be saved by servicing it. It can’t hurt to ask but depending on how long it has been, it might be too late.
Maybe you need to seek a specialist mechanic, not some local mechanic, which generally still undercut the dealerships on price but want to ensure quality of service for that particular brand. Perhaps that's just a Euro brand thing.
Normally I take my 2012 Impreza to the dealer who I trust, I used to do it with one dealer and he returns my car just by topping oil and without cleaning the air filter, oil filter, but he wants me to replace the cabin filter, wiper arm n blades and all unnecessary items.
So you should know which dealers are really good with their service and which ones are just ripped off.
I go for basic necessity service since my car is now 10 years old, this dealer gives me a list of things to do, such as lower arm bushing, water pump replacement, radiator hose replacement and brakes conditions. then I go to my independent mechanic and give him a list of things to do, I get my car up to date at almost 60% of the dealer quoted price.
The reason why I get my car completely diagnosis is that I want my car to be reliable on-road and not to break down and cost me arms and legs to towed away and inconvenience on road.
I learn my lesson the hard way, I had holder Vectra a very good car but get it to service with independent ones, they are happy to change oil and filter and send it back, but what you need is that someone to tell you what is going wrong and need to fix as and when they are getting old.
So you haven't used your car in 4 months, but service is up, bc "they tell you".
Stick to KMs, not so much months.
While this doesn't directly answer your question, it's worth distinguishing low kilometres (due to lack of use) vs low kilometres (due to lots of short trips). If its the latter, you should definitely be servicing your car (or at least changing the oil) based on your manufacturer's time recommendations, not kilometres.
I will always go to a local mechanic. My mum bought her Camry not at our local dealership. She was told she MUST get it serviced at Toyota and it MUST be the dealership she bought it from (not our local Toyota) or else all warranty would be void. 5 yrs later we found out that was a load of BS. She was told it had 5 yrs capped price servicing which she found out the hard way when on the 4th service it was nearly $600 and being informed the capped price was only 3 yrs.
My nan had a similar dealership experience. She had only just replaced her battery when she got her service. The dealership did the battery test which stated the battery was good. Despite this they replaced her new battery and charged an outrageous premium to do so. They didn't go through the paperwork and nan didn't know until we read through it. We went to the dealership that afternoon to question their decision and they didn't want to know about it.
All of the above. I have a car I only service with the dealer, one that just get my local mechanic to service and one I just service myself.
Of my motorcycles, I service all of them myself.