Shabby main dealer cars

[Adrian888]

It is not just cleaning but also lack of technical preparation. My Selekt V60 has been a joke, too many faults that were obvious and not attended to - even after they said they had repaired the faults, downright lies.

[Welton]

Someone recently said to me "I bet there'll be some right bargains at car dealers with all this Covid and that".....

I think the opposite, I think the profit margin on the car will have to be fiercely protected and you're more likely to struggle to resolve technical issues as they cost money....eating into the margin.

[andy_d]

Originally Posted by Welton

Someone recently said to me "I bet there'll be some right bargains at car dealers with all this Covid and that".....

I think the opposite, I think the profit margin on the car will have to be fiercely protected and you're more likely to struggle to resolve technical issues as they cost money....eating into the margin.

your Spot on you Are going to be paying "top end price"
you wont be getting service consumerate to the price tho
and expect More than the usual aggro to get Any issues/faults fixed

[green van man]

In 17 years of useing the same dealer for annual service and mot, this year was the first I had a problem.
2 days and 40 miles after getting the car back had the engine service message come up on the dash. Suspected I knew the cause and a dip stick check confirmed. 6.5 l of oil in the sump.

Sacked 0.75 l out, reset light and visited dealer to tell them I knew what the problem was and had sorted it myself. Just so they are aware not to try it on again next year.

D5 has been 5.7l of oil for years, why suddenly pour 6.5 l into it unless to generate a return visit with the additional costs of diagnosis and repair. 3 months closed and they are trying to make up lost revenue. Not off my back they ain't.

Paul.

[Welton]

Why not do your own servicing from now on?

I've been servicing our household cars for 5 years now and never looked back, it used to be a proper PITA dropping cars at garages and arranging lifts etc. now I do the service at home I can take my time, let the oil drain properly, have a cup of tea, fit the under-tray properly......and save lots of money.

The other thing is I can prove the servicing with receipts, dates, miles etc rather than some dubious 'stamped' book with no paperwork. My service history is a full Lever Arch folder!

[green van man]

Originally Posted by Welton

Why not do your own servicing from now on?

I've been servicing our household cars for 5 years now and never looked back, it used to be a proper PITA dropping cars at garages and arranging lifts etc. now I do the service at home I can take my time, let the oil drain properly, have a cup of tea, fit the under-tray properly......and save lots of money.

The other thing is I can prove the servicing with receipts, dates, miles etc rather than some dubious 'stamped' book with no paperwork. My service history is a full Lever Arch folder!

Because of the system downloads if any.
Part of the service is connecting to the computer for Gothenburg to check if your car needs any updates and if so the car is updated.

While I have Vida dice I do not have the live link to sweden to perform these actions which as a stand alone item cost £90. I supply my own oil to volvo spec and they use it rather than pay the inflated price for their bulk bought oil, £11+ vat a litre when I can get it for £10 including vat a litre. So given the update cost and the oil saving a service comes in very reasonable, plus I get a years breakdown cover and a heavily discounted mot as well as knowing the system is up to date.

I do most of the other work on the car and the LandRover sees a garage once a year for mot.

Paul.

[Welton]

I see what you mean, thanks.

I wonder if there's any missing updates for my 2005 car, I did have a Gothenburg hook up in around 2012 and they said 'files were exchanged' but I never noticed any discernible difference after.

[SignumGB]

The dealer I got both my Volvos has been top notch. But the comments referring to money spent is right. Ie they wont fix anything unless the buyer spots it and it forms part of the deal to get it rectified at dealer expense. Which Volvo did do for me both times.

In between Volvos when the first one was written off, the insurance money wasnt enough to cover another Volvowagon... so off I went to find something affordable at Arnold Clark and ended up with a Volkswagen. The buying experience wasnt too bad, but I am convinced after purchasing, they swapped the pristine wheels with a set that were curbed! I never even noticed until I got home and never took any photos before hand! So had no evidence to back it up. Yup they got me!

[Adrian888]

Heard too many tales about Arnold Clark, barge pole and wouldn't touch come to mind.

[GMcL]

While I'm not going to defend any dodgy dealings in the motor trade which may or may not happen I think it only fair to put the motoring public under the microscope too.

The manufacturers offering low cost servicing deals to try and keep the vehicles serviced over the duration of the lease. The company car leasing companies using third party garages and replacing parts with the cheapest available e.g. car is supplied by the manufacturer on Michelin/Continental tyres which get replaced with the cheapest budget tyre available.

Some cars never see a bucket of water or the inside of a garage workshop from supply to return.

Looking for a sporty car, as the OP is, at the lower end of the cost scale is going to need a lot of research and many cars viewed to find 'the one' I think. These cars are used on track days, how many are going to go through an approved workshop for repair if they have a close encounter with the Armco ?

People do not look after cars like they used to. They are white goods which get disposed of every three or so years. Of course, this is a motoring forum where people take care of what they have, many are private motorists. This is the exception now rather than the rule.