Service before warranty ends - Dealership or elsewhere?

[Simonnca]

Hi all,

I purchased a 2017 GTI back in October 2019 with only 16,000 kms on the clock. Loving it!

I was pleased to discover early last year that the original purchasers had bought an extended 5 year warranty. The person I purchased it off hadn't been aware of that. Warranty expires January 2022.

I took it in for its annual service in January 2020. Everything was fairly straightforward. Service history has been only with VW dealerships.

It's now due for its 2nd last service before the warranty ends in January 2022.

I am wondering whether I should book in the Jan 2021 and Jan 2022 services with the dealership.

OR

Whether I will get a more honest opinion about potential faults - which could/should be replaced before the warranty is up - if I take it to a VW specialist (non-dealership).

Does anyone have a view on this?

Many thanks in advance

[Guest001]

Probably dealer especially if its on the service plan pricing

[Sharkie]

I would recommend an independent VW specialist for the services. That way at least you are practically guaranteed to actually get a qualified mechanic to work on your car (dealers have about a 2-10 ratio of qualifieds to apprentices) and a good independent won't try to get you to fix things that aren't broken. If they pick up an issue that will be covered by warranty, you then take it to VW to fix that specific issue.

[Simonnca]

Thanks both.

My thoughts on going to a non-dealership before the warranty ends is so they can identify any big issues or things for repair before the warranty ends.

Whereas, I’m sceptical that the dealership may look at the same issues and push it off for another year so it’s out of warranty.

Does anyone have a view on that?

Also, any recommendations for a vw specialist in Sydney metro?

[tigger73]

I’d find a good independent to do the service and end of warranty inspection. It’s quite common.

The workshop will want to prove their worth by finding any warranty issues.

If you just take it to the dealer more that likely you’ll have a junior/apprentice mechanic working on your car and won’t know what to look out for and won’t have any interest in it either (just making more work for himself).


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[Ozsko]

I would recommend an independent VW specialist for the services. That way at least you are practically guaranteed to actually get a qualified mechanic to work on your car (dealers have about a 2-10 ratio of qualifieds to apprentices) and a good independent won't try to get you to fix things that aren't broken. If they pick up an issue that will be covered by warranty, you then take it to VW to fix that specific issue.

I have worked in dealers and owned my own independent workshop and you make a lot of assumptions that simply are not necessarily true. An independent WS is more inclined to invent work as they gain directly and a technician in a dealer gains nothing if he invents work.

[Simonnca]

Any suggestions for good independent VW garage in Sydney?

[Simonnca]

Any suggestions for good independent VW garage in Sydney?

Has anyone had experience with VW Village in Kensington (Euro Car Full Service Mechanic in SydneyVW Village) as a substitute for VW Dealership service (going for a 60,000km / 48 month service - $982 at dealer)?

[Dakis75]

Has anyone had experience with VW Village in Kensington (Euro Car Full Service Mechanic in SydneyVW Village) as a substitute for VW Dealership service (going for a 60,000km / 48 month service - $982 at dealer)?

Where did you end up taking it mate? I’m in the same boat up for a 48 month service and don’t know if I should take it to dealership or euro specialist


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