VW routine servicing regime

[Sheepshanks]

Got a basic 1.4 petrol (not TSi) mk6 Golf in the family just coming up to 6yrs old.

From new, on the VW service plan, they do minor, intermediate (as best I can gather this is a minor plus pollen filter), minor, services over 3yrs. At 4yrs it needs a major service.

Is there any logic in why, after 4 yrs the intermediate service gets dropped and it alternates minor / major? Do they use lower quality plugs and filters at the dealer which don't last as long as the originals?

[Sheepshanks]

The car is on the fixed interval schedule, which is 10K miles/12mths.

It basically just feels like a scam by VW and its dealers - the car is apparently capable of running to 4yrs with oil and filter changes and some checks, and a major service at 4yrs.

Then suddenly it needs a major service (at more than 2x the cost) every 2yrs.

[Sheepshanks]

SteBrown91 said:

On my golf tdi minor is basically oil and filter, and a major is oil, filter, pollen filter, air filter, and something else

The missing thing is the fuel filter (for a diesel). On a petrol it's spark plugs instead.

It just feels like a bit of a rip-off if VW is saying the car can have minor services for the first 3 years (typically while on their service plan) with a major at 4yrs. Then after that they absolutely insist it must have a major service every 2yrs.

My Merc is on a similar 4yr schedule, but after the first cycle it repeats for another 4 year cycle.