My VW Golf 2016 is up for annual service. I always used dealer for service but just noticed from last year’s inspection report that I will need a brake pad replacement for all wheels which will cost $868.
So total cost for the service year will be capped service $449 + $215 pollen & brake oil + $868 brake pad replacement (95k km or 72mths).
Is it reasonably priced?
Any recommendation for 3rd part service in Sydney?
Maybe get some quotes on autoguru and see how you go? I've had much better advice on keeping my car in good order since moving away from my dealer (I've got a Mazda, if that matters)
Go to an independent brake specialist to see if they actually need replacing and get a quote while you are there including bleeding the brakes.
You can do the pollen filter yourself. Is that a mark V or VI? YouTube search "pollen filter golf Mark (insert generation)".
It's likely a 2 minute job probably behind your glove box. Just order a generic filter off eBay.
Get your fixed price service at the dealership if it makes you feel all warm and fuzzy.
2016 is a MK7
Stop going to the dealer and find a decent local mechanic.
decent local mechanic
That’s the hard part.
Get recommendation from friends, coworkers, family.
One of the biggest favours you can do for yourself is getting familiar with work required and prices before committing to work with a mechanic.
I found for my VWs once they got older it was cheaper to go to a third party for service.
Even better occassionaly VW or the dealer would offer me discounts via email to come back to the dealer for service (once I got a $500 discount voucher). So I'd use those but then go back to the third party service provider. The only downside of the third party was sometimes lack of parts stored onsite - as they were smaller.
Dealer Service
That's the problem there.
Is it reasonably priced?
Don't goto dealer.
close the thread right there… nothing more needs to be said
but just noticed from last year’s inspection report that I will need a brake pad replacement for all wheels
Some good ESP going right there. How do they know how many klms you've done and how worn they are??
Another tip is to buy OEM (or close to aftermarket) brakes yourself. I bought all my brakes from Bosch & Bendix via SuperCheap Auto during boxing day 25%. Or find a quality go to mechanic.
Though for VW, apparently when brake pads needs to be replaced, you'll to replace the disc rotors at the same time. And always in pairs fronts / rears / or both.
Also from what I hear, these are solid VW mechs - Platinum Automotive, Mullerhaus, HiTech, Automotive Hospital. Haven't been there myself though.
ja at a steallership.
"$868 brake pad replacement".
There's $100 in brake pads, $200 in labour and $568 dealer markup right there. If you're reasonably competent, buy yourself $200 of tools and learn to DIY. It's really not that difficult, you get to save a lot of money, learn how a car really operates, and the satisfaction of doing it yourself without paying off the stealership's owner's fifth beach house.
yeah
dealers running a scammy scam scam
thats maybe a $600 service max at an independent dealer.
Dad had a golf and as soon as he shifted from the dealership his services dropped ~$300
Doesn't capped service mean you shouldn't pay more than it though?
It usually has 25 paragraphs of fine print and *'s…..
So basically its capped in that it's a minimum price you pay before they go for the jugular?
Lol. Is that pollen filter made out of platinum and stitched with Kevlar entwined gold thread?
And who replaces brake pads based on time or set I’m and not condition/thickness.
This is why I stopped working at stealerships. I grew a conscience.
Where do you live. Sydney is a big place.
Is that brake pads only or pads & discs? If it's pads & discs all round that's reasonable. Pads only is exxy. A golf rarely needs just pads.
I'd offer to do the brakes at a competitive price (I'm a retired mech) but the last time I did that I got my wrists slapped.
I stopped doing safety related items "on the side". Things like brakes I no longer do at home and only do them at work (they have insurance).
Too much risk if something does go wrong or they have an accident and some dumb arse crash investigator determines I torqued the bolts up to 52Nm instead of 59Nm and that's why the car ran into a wood chaffing machine at 3am on a blind curve in the rain coming home from the pub…
I get your point but I don't work at a workshop anymore.
Buy Ryco pollen filter for Golf MK7 on ebay for $32. Watch yotube to learn how to replace it.
As for the brakes, if the quote is for 4 rotors + brake pads, you may be better off negotiating it down with the dealer as much as you can, for the convenience and piece of mind. VW should guarantee that they won’t squeal. Or find a trusted mechanic, don’t cheap out on the brakes. Source: a happy owner of a car with new squealing brakes and rotors.
So total cost for the service year will be capped service $449 + $215 pollen & brake oil
Interesting they refer to it as a 'capped' service but almost everything is an upsell - if that $449 is just an oil and filter change that is very steep.
$868 brake pad replacement (95k km or 72mths)
What stands out to me here is that brake pads are a wear and tear item and you can't predict their lifespan (like tyres it all comes down to how you drive), so it's interesting to see they've defined time / distance parameters. It's more normal to see brake pads offered as an optional inclusion to any scheduled service for exactly that reason.
Pricing looks high across the board, I'd be seeking out a good private mechanic for a 2nd opinion.
Toyota capped is $260 for engine oil and filter (currently)
Ford capped is $300 for engine oil and filter but they give you 1 year free roadside included (currently)
Most independent and small chain franchised mechanics charge between $150-200 for a basic (i.e Such as Here or Here , and Here …you get the point)
Average cost to DIY provided you have the tools , between $50-70 including oil filter (dependent on what oil you can get on sale beforehand) and around 30 mins of your time inclusive of prep and clean-up , The cheapest and quickest i've actually managed to service a car was $28 ($20 semi synth oil and $8 filter) and 15 mins of my time whilst taking all the necessary safety precautions ..jack and stands etc.
Outside warranty period just service it yourself and save yourself a lot of money…i'm ready for the shop owners to down vote me now.
If your car is still within warranty , you do NOT have to go back to an original dealership where you bought your car from or even the same branded dealership , any qualified mechanic can service your car and fill out the log book as long as they're using quality parts (i.e parts are required by the original manufacturer or meets the specific criteria , See HERE for more info.
OP could easily take his car to any licensed mechanic to save himself a fair chunk of change at least on the service by comparison to what he is being charged now ..but that's the price you pay for wanting a Euro car and being foolish enough to take it back to the dealership to begin with.
P.S i just checked Sparesbox and OP could even get a set of brake pads (Front + Rear) for his car for under $200 shipping inclusive , then have a mechanic fit them and replenish the brake fluid should range from around $200-300 which would save him a lot more.
Don't mechanics usually check stuff during a service or is it really just oil and filter? I'm talking for a car that only goes 2000km a year.
@Cobalt Owl
Don't mechanics usually check stuff during a service or is it really just oil and filter?
I should have extrapolated a little bit more
Basically when you pay for "a minor or logbook service" for your car , the bulk of your money is basically going towards the replacement of engine oil and the provision of a new filter in pretty much all cases.
These days from what i have seen they now have started calling them "essential service" (based on the links above) and they indicate the checks they will do so people get a better understanding of what "needs to be checked" but the reality is often different, its not about calling mechanics dodgy but if you're in the trade there are a lot of things that simply go "unchecked" because there is not enough time in the day and/or enough staff around to ensure everything is checked thoroughly or the service manager has simply accepted too many jobs and can't juggle the workload so they get the most important work done first
On a daily basis mechanics are often pulled to assist other mechanics or take business calls so there is also the element of human error which may also leave something to go "unchecked" , there are also occasions where a tow-truck brings a vehicle in and it needs to be accepted and signed off , occasions where other customers come in and disturb the mechanic from his current tasks because "they need something or want to speak with him" , you get where i am going with this.
So what you will find is they chuck your car up on the hoist , drain the oil , do the filter and then go and park the car and when you come to get the car they print of "template" of checks you the "unsuspecting customer" pays the invoice , glances at it , gets reassured by the mechanic and you trust everything was done , gets in the car and drives off , car feels good , drives good. out of sight out of mind.
Unless you yourself check over the "specified items" , at the end of the day you won't ever know if the job was done properly or not
I'm talking for a car that only goes 2000km a year.
In your service book if you look at whats required in about 90% of the total of pages , the vast majority will simply say "check or inspect" with the occasional "adjust" in there. but what actually just gets performed by the mechanic at the end of the day and what you're paying for…is just oil and filter , the only time this differs is if the car is up for a major service (timing belt/chain/spark plugs) then other "required" things get changed.
After paying wages , accounting for consumables , deducting other costs to run the business (GST , supplier costs etc) …mechanical shops don't make a lot of money by keeping cars in their shop , the longer a car is in their shop the more money it costs the business its simple math.
If you really think about it , if everything is checked properly and the car is serviced accordingly an "essential service" should take approximately 40 minutes to complete on average …if a mechanic is physically spending 40 minutes on your car , it makes you think what the quality of oil they use in your engine now doesn't it. costs have to be cut somewhere. believe it or not mechanics make the most of their money off labor charges and price surcharge on supplied parts…its a shitty scenario for everyone involved but it is what it is.
I am not saying "all mechanics" are like this but a business is a business and money has to be made , there are still a few genuine ones out there who actually take pride in their job and go above and beyond and let customers know themselves (show and tell) if there's any issues they have noticed and actually do a thorough job. but for the "bulk" of the servicing that goes on in the industry its all about volume and getting cars in and out as quickly as possible so the things you think should be checked often get skipped or not thoroughly checked , i guess i am mostly pointing the finger at dealerships and big chains rather then the small independents.
If you find a good mechanic , stay loyal to him and treat him well , its a very arduous and labor intensive job surrounded by constant chemicals as well as deafening noises and a phenomenal amount of aggravating tasks daily that doesn't pay enough as it should.
Unfortunately these days …you don't actually get what you pay for.
I always thought capped servicing is meant the work cost and based servicing is fixed and if something is needed you just pay for the parts/???
Fixed/capped price service means what is required for that service. This should include labour and all recommended parts for that service interval (filters, oils, fluids, spark plugs, timing belts, etc.) Anything outside that service interval list is “extra work” (ie: headlight globe out, wheel bearing noisy, etc)
Wear items such as tyres and brakes are not covered as they can wear at different rates and you don’t replace tyres or brakes based on time or km, but based on condition.
It all depends on what the manufacturer recommends. If they say “tyres must be changed at 45,000km”, then that would be factored into the service schedule capped pricing.
If you go to Mechanic and ask to do generic service ie change oil & filter and he will do it and return yr car and charge you around $ 150 depending upon the type and quantity of oil needed.
If you ask him to do logbook service and ask him to stamp your logbook, then he has the obligation to go through all the checks recommended by logbook for that he needs to spend more time to inspect and check and use his best judgement what work needs to be done or just go as manufacturer recommended.
He may suggest something that needs to be done and provide you a quote and he can advise what is urgent to be done and what can be rolled off to the next service depends upon your usage of the car. For that you need to trust your mechanic.
I always believe to keep your car in excellent condition, this is because if you fix your car either by the dealer or by your mechanic on time, you will avoid a serious breakdown on-road and avoid paying foot and arm to bring your car back to the mechanic to fix. Also, keep eye on how your car is running is dragging there, or the wheel needs alignment is the car looks like sunk down on one side or makes noise when you are turning. Those signs are signs to let you know that car needs attention.
I believe if you spend some money on your car and maintain it well then that car will give you easily 15-20 years of drive without any issues? but if you keep stingy and want to avoid any cost then you will lose your vehicle within a quick time and then blame I wish i had camry n carolla.
Also, there are non-essential things that dealers suggest such as wiper blade replacement, cabin air filter, anti-bacterial treatment ( now in fad due to covid) and deep steam cleaning of the engine bay, so just ignore it and you can either do it yourselves by learning on youtube.
buy german car pay german service and parts