Dealer service or local mechanic ?

[nomodlowkmgti]

My 2006 gti is out of warranty now but has some sort of extended dealer warranty but the dealer wants to service it every 6 months from now on and i don,t see the point i have 7200km on the clock so i was thinking of taking it to my local guy .Will it make any diff to re sale or is it a mind trick. I was thinking of doing oil change myself and every 2 years when brake fluid needs change get the local guy to do it will this kill my resale ?.

[Gti Dave]

I've serviced all my vehicles myself and when it comes to trade in, I end up saving more than what I would lose for trade in from self servicing as a dealer serviced car would cost you a lot more than what you would save if you do it yourself. Generally I've found that the difference between a log book dealer serviced vehicle compared to a self service vehicle with receipts for genuine parts to show some proof of self servicing would only be a difference of $500 to $1500 (depending on how much your vehicle is worth i.e. $20,000 car compared to a $50,000 car) difference when it comes to trade in. Well that's what I've experienced anyway from buying and trading in so many cars over the past 8 years.

[leasaunce]

72,000km or 7,200km? i believe you're reffering to 72,00km, if that's the case, i wouldnt bother going to VW. Go to a reputable mechanic and you'll get exactly the same service but with less $$$ in the end (there are a lot of dodgy mechanics out there). As long as they're using the recommended parts/oil.

I asked my mechanic to do a mini service on my 10 months old car and i can't complaint! When it comes to the 15,000km service i will not be taking it to VW. $300? i heard?

[h100vw]

It's not a miss print, 7200 seven thousand two hundred.
Don't line the dealers pockets.

Gavin

[leasaunce]

damn only 7,200km for a 06!

[h100vw]

All that lost time.

Gavin

[Buller_Scott]

When it comes to the 15,000km service i will not be taking it to VW. $300? i heard?

mine was $365, if i recall correctly. apparently diesels are more expensive to service (maybe its the pretty slx longlife diesel oil they used?).

dont get me wrong- i vouch for Burwin VW in melbourne- great guys and they're not sleazy salesmen, but rather genuine people. but it seems that your trusty VAG mechanic/enthusiast will give you what you want, for less $$$, every time.

[Grant]

I think I'll get my next service at a specialist. My dealer overcharges because they offer an extended warranty as long as you service with them.

[Buller_Scott]

its a catch 22- the safety of 'extended warranty' vs the knowledge that your trusty VAG specialist will take care of your car in such a way that you wont HAVE to invoke any warranty claims.

who was it who said that they wanted to get their polo gti serviced at a new dealership in sydney, and the reply of the dealership was 'sorry, we've never done a polo before'?

extended warranty schmorranty. no way i'd trust them with my car, even IF they said they'll cover me for an extra xxx km's. lol- they'd potentially only be covering the negative effects of their own lack of experience with the model.

[NickZ]

You will probably find your extended warranty will have some serious limitations to it, I would ask for terms and conditions, in writings, including specifically what is covered and if there are any limits to claims.

If you are doing 2400km a year, there is absolutely no reason you should be changing your oil more than once a year (although I would not leave it any longer). If your dealer was fair, they would recognise that for your car and only force you to service it every year, but I guess they will make less money that way.

[gerhard]

Sell the car, use a limousine taxi service. Much cheaper.

2000k per year is silly to pay reg, ins, servicing. Tyres, battery will perish from lack of use.

[nomodlowkmgti]

Thanks for the info

I was thinking of an upgrade to new golf or polo when it comes out but with the extra $ i would need are now thinking of keeping the polo 5 or 6 years .I only had one issue where the hatch latch shuts the plastic cover fell apart 2 years ago .I was going to tell vw and get it fixed in warranty but in the end i did not care less .Last sunday i ended up pulling off the plastic surround and putting it back together i took it slow used a dremel tool to give it more room so it wont snag on the striker .I never used warranty anyway my polo has been very reliable . So thanks for the service info i think i will do my own oil changes 2 times a year for half of the cost of the 6 month service and bank the $ to put on to my nxt car.