How Important is Main Stealer Service History ?

CrowdedHouse

As the title says folks....opinions on whether it makes much difference
Background : I have an 04 Audi A4 TDI and I have just booked it in for a service with a main dealer,it has just turned 5000 miles so all it really needs is an oil change (12 months)....I probably will get raped by them for this just to get an Audi rubber stamp in the book.The warranty doesn't say it has to be serviced by Audi,so is there any advantage ? The only one I can think of is that it might 'certify' the low milage,which might look suspiciously low if I trade it somewhere else.Other than that I'll probably just be paying crazy money for an oil change and fill of the washer bottle !

that guy

Poor old Paul Hester eh?

Silvera

A main dealer history is nice to have but, in my opinion, not worth paying over the odds for it.

I have a 1997 Honda since new. I had it serviced at a main dealer (rates were ok - surprisingly!) until it was out of warranty, and I have since serviced it myself (keeping all reciepts).

IMHO, if your warranty will not be affected, service it yourself - or go to a VW/Audi specialist.

CrowdedHouse

that guy wrote:

Poor old Paul Hester eh?

OT but very sad OK

CrowdedHouse

Silvera wrote:

I have a 1997 Honda since new. I had it serviced at a main dealer (rates were ok - surprisingly!)

Had a Honda CRV before the Audi was charged €120 odd for the above(oil change basically)

ambro25

Value of a FSH may also depend on whether your main dealer has changed affiliations (in respect of 'older cars', here). We bought our MX-5 at 3 years old, 14kmiles (1 lady owner) from the supplying main Mazda dealer, i.e. the dealer who had sold it new to that lady, and have had it serviced there ever since - only halfway through the history (service book), the 'stamp' changed to Skoda :eek: , as the dealer went with VW/Audi/Skoda and left Mazda. And now having it serviced by MSL, but there's no 'Mazda' stamp, even though they are one of the main Mazda dealer in Dublin...
So it depends if a punter will accept the seller's side of the story, kind of thing, but it just goes to show that not everything you see in a service book can be taken at face value - either in a good or a bad way

ds20prefecture

I would prefer to see the invoices of the work done for the history of the car, and those invoices should match the stamps.

lomb

a friend of mine went to trade in a good 99 bmw 318 with full main dealer history with 65000 miles at maxwells bmw, and yer man said he wansnt interested in the trade in as there were 'too many miles on it' so moral of the story is FSH=waste of money after the car is a few years old.

bazz26

65k on a 6 year old car is hardly alot of miles. That is disgraceful treatment of a returning customer.

As for the FSH, I would think that maybe during the warranty period you could justify getting a stealer to do it but after that I would bring it to an independant mechanic.

lomb

bazz26 wrote:

65k on a 6 year old car is hardly alot of miles. That is disgraceful treatment of a returning customer.

As for the FSH, I would think that maybe during the warranty period you could justify getting a stealer to do it but after that I would bring it to an independant mechanic.

it is scandelous treatment, the car was absolutely unmarked a real peach. he wasnt a returning customer of maxwell, the car had a full uk BMW main dealer history and was imported here last year. still it was serviced within the bmw network and the end result was he wouldnt even give him a price on a another car he liked, he never even asked him or enquired as to whether it was an english car, he just asked him to have a look at it, and the second he saw the mileage he said the miles were too high. sounds like they arent a 'real' garage to me.

green-blood

because this is a backwards country FDSH doesnt mean as much to buyers as it would in teh uk for instance.... where the value of teh same car with and without a service history is significant...

Kimbot

Wouldn't bother with a main dealer cos they charge and arm and a leg and sometimes don't put in decent parts so you return sooner with the car. Try C & F Motors in Mount Merrion, he is an excellent mechanic and his rates are brilliant aswell.

CrowdedHouse

Thanks for the replies,I have it booked in for this day week(15th).I'm not convinced of the need myself,the only thing that might stand to it is that it gives them less 'wiggle room' in the event of some major warranty claim.