Main dealers - car can't be looked at for 4 weeks
Discussion
I have a problem with my Kia E Niro and need to get the dealer to look at it - going to an independent isn't an option as it's warranty work and it's a company car. Don't need a courtesy car and the issue is electronic so only needs running up on the diagnostics.
Earliest the two nearest dealers can see me is 4 weeks!
Is it just Kia or because it's an EV, or are all dealers struggling with delays?
Earliest the two nearest dealers can see me is 4 weeks!
Is it just Kia or because it's an EV, or are all dealers struggling with delays?
I’ve had similar delays in the past with both Land Rover and VW main dealers.
If it’s a safety/warning message issue the advice was actually to call the breakdown service instead - they will recover to a main dealer if needed and you get priority.
It’s been going on for a few years around here (S England), maybe dealers are having issues with staff/workshop size.
If it’s a safety/warning message issue the advice was actually to call the breakdown service instead - they will recover to a main dealer if needed and you get priority.
It’s been going on for a few years around here (S England), maybe dealers are having issues with staff/workshop size.
Most dealers are booking a few weeks in advance. Mainly due to to staff levels, people of with Covid and now people starting to take annual holidays on top of March historically being the busiest new car month so all those 19 plates will be in for MOT and service plus the ones that would normally have swapped into a new car by now are getting work carried out due to new car delays.
If it’s a company car you can get priority if booked in via 1-link.
If it’s a company car you can get priority if booked in via 1-link.
A friend of mine has 21 plate Porsche Cayenne Hybrid. He had to book it in for service (with a car) the day he bought it as there was a 6 month lead time.
In my old job I used to work as a Regional Manager for a car company. If any of my dealers gave this level of service they'd be very quickly given 6 weeks to improve or else its a meeting with franchising, to discuss how badly they want to keep the badge above the door.
In my old job I used to work as a Regional Manager for a car company. If any of my dealers gave this level of service they'd be very quickly given 6 weeks to improve or else its a meeting with franchising, to discuss how badly they want to keep the badge above the door.
Auto810graphy said:
Most dealers are booking a few weeks in advance. Mainly due to to staff levels, people of with Covid and now people starting to take annual holidays on top of March historically being the busiest new car month so all those 19 plates will be in for MOT and service plus the ones that would normally have swapped into a new car by now are getting work carried out due to new car delays.
If it’s a company car you can get priority if booked in via 1-link.
Agree with this. Also any 20 and 21 March plate cars will also be coming up for annual services if they are not on condition based servicing.If it’s a company car you can get priority if booked in via 1-link.
With c.85% of vehicles now being leased, dealers are busier than ever. Gone are the days with dealerships with 2 ramps, most have half a dozen now. When I were a teenager (cue Hovis music) it was common for lead times at main dealers to be no more than a few days or next week at the latest. Now if you have a problem with a car, you can be stuffed with a long lead time.
Rozzers said:
If the problem is serious, certainly with other brands, you call their breakdown line and they arrange the appointment, courtesy car etc. Also if it’s a big company with a big fleet provider, they can sort this too as they go to the top.
that doesn't work. The dealer will just turn the AA man away. And the car will end up miles away and you'll be massively inconveniencedhepy said:
I have a problem with my Kia E Niro and need to get the dealer to look at it - going to an independent isn't an option as it's warranty work and it's a company car. Don't need a courtesy car and the issue is electronic so only needs running up on the diagnostics.
Earliest the two nearest dealers can see me is 4 weeks!
Is it just Kia or because it's an EV, or are all dealers struggling with delays?
Is it within 12 months of buying, or if older do you have the Kia recovery? If it's dangerous in any way they will send RAC and recover to nearest dealer, it'll be looked at very quickly and you get a hire car (in your case can decline).Earliest the two nearest dealers can see me is 4 weeks!
Is it just Kia or because it's an EV, or are all dealers struggling with delays?
We had an issue with a Kia EV being supplied with a duff 12v battery from new, it had all sorts of electrical gremlins, we struggled to get it into the dealer (or them to let RAC fit a new battery) but as soon as we found out RAC would 'recover' Kia forced the dealer to take the car even though 'full'.
Edited by boombang on Monday 4th April 08:36
been a problem with dealers since i worked for Ford. and that was north of 16 years ago.
I still dont understand why a dealership, especially an out of town location cannot have a second shift of mechanics and service staff on. Drop your car off on the way home from work handed the keys to a courtesy car and pick it up on your way to work the following morning. Cost is an obvious factor as dealers dont want to employ a second team or the increased rates that this would incur for unsociable hours or bear the cost of running fleets of courtesy cars. But i'm positive there is enough demand especially given the modern generations desire for everything to be done right here right now to charge a premium for a service like this.
Most people lead busy lifes they simply cant afford to take a day off work to get their car serviced or get time off from their employer during the day to arrange pickup and drop offs. You own a magnificently expensive glass palace and the attached workshop is an asset running into the millions of pounds tools modern diagnostic equipment fixtures and fittings. why does it lie dormant 60% of the week when it could be put to good use earning your dealership good money. there cant be many dealerships sitting that dont have a backlog of work at the moment my local indy is quoting 2 weeks lead time my bmw dealer quoting 3 weeks. offer me the choice of paying a bit extra for my service and you can drop it off tonight/pick it up tommorow and i'll bite your hand off.
I still dont understand why a dealership, especially an out of town location cannot have a second shift of mechanics and service staff on. Drop your car off on the way home from work handed the keys to a courtesy car and pick it up on your way to work the following morning. Cost is an obvious factor as dealers dont want to employ a second team or the increased rates that this would incur for unsociable hours or bear the cost of running fleets of courtesy cars. But i'm positive there is enough demand especially given the modern generations desire for everything to be done right here right now to charge a premium for a service like this.
Most people lead busy lifes they simply cant afford to take a day off work to get their car serviced or get time off from their employer during the day to arrange pickup and drop offs. You own a magnificently expensive glass palace and the attached workshop is an asset running into the millions of pounds tools modern diagnostic equipment fixtures and fittings. why does it lie dormant 60% of the week when it could be put to good use earning your dealership good money. there cant be many dealerships sitting that dont have a backlog of work at the moment my local indy is quoting 2 weeks lead time my bmw dealer quoting 3 weeks. offer me the choice of paying a bit extra for my service and you can drop it off tonight/pick it up tommorow and i'll bite your hand off.
Glasgowrob said:
been a problem with dealers since i worked for Ford. and that was north of 16 years ago.
I still dont understand why a dealership, especially an out of town location cannot have a second shift of mechanics and service staff on. Drop your car off on the way home from work handed the keys to a courtesy car and pick it up on your way to work the following morning. Cost is an obvious factor as dealers dont want to employ a second team or the increased rates that this would incur for unsociable hours or bear the cost of running fleets of courtesy cars. But i'm positive there is enough demand especially given the modern generations desire for everything to be done right here right now to charge a premium for a service like this.
Most people lead busy lifes they simply cant afford to take a day off work to get their car serviced or get time off from their employer during the day to arrange pickup and drop offs. You own a magnificently expensive glass palace and the attached workshop is an asset running into the millions of pounds tools modern diagnostic equipment fixtures and fittings. why does it lie dormant 60% of the week when it could be put to good use earning your dealership good money. there cant be many dealerships sitting that dont have a backlog of work at the moment my local indy is quoting 2 weeks lead time my bmw dealer quoting 3 weeks. offer me the choice of paying a bit extra for my service and you can drop it off tonight/pick it up tommorow and i'll bite your hand off.
there are many reasons why dealers don't do 24 hour working:I still dont understand why a dealership, especially an out of town location cannot have a second shift of mechanics and service staff on. Drop your car off on the way home from work handed the keys to a courtesy car and pick it up on your way to work the following morning. Cost is an obvious factor as dealers dont want to employ a second team or the increased rates that this would incur for unsociable hours or bear the cost of running fleets of courtesy cars. But i'm positive there is enough demand especially given the modern generations desire for everything to be done right here right now to charge a premium for a service like this.
Most people lead busy lifes they simply cant afford to take a day off work to get their car serviced or get time off from their employer during the day to arrange pickup and drop offs. You own a magnificently expensive glass palace and the attached workshop is an asset running into the millions of pounds tools modern diagnostic equipment fixtures and fittings. why does it lie dormant 60% of the week when it could be put to good use earning your dealership good money. there cant be many dealerships sitting that dont have a backlog of work at the moment my local indy is quoting 2 weeks lead time my bmw dealer quoting 3 weeks. offer me the choice of paying a bit extra for my service and you can drop it off tonight/pick it up tommorow and i'll bite your hand off.
noise abatement rules
staff not wanting to work nights
communication between day and night shifts
management of loan cars
health and safety.
In reality long lead times can be managed in various ways
more loan cars
focus on tech efficiency and competence (how quickly and how well they can repair the car)
more techs
incentives for overtime
planning the workshop diary
ensuring that the call centre doesn't book two hours out of the diary to fit wiper blades, leading to the impression that the diary is full
ensuring that at the start of the day there is some free hours available to deal with walk ins
WYW appointments, and customers sticking to the allocated time slot
better parts planning
daily wash up meetings
the list goes on and on.
Fundamentally it's down to process and staff and then management. it's also a s
t job.A Vauxhall dealer near me has a night workshop. They are located on the edge of an industrial estate so noise isn't a problem. It's mainly for van servicing. The car park changes in the early evening from cars being collected to being filled with vans.
I had an issue with my old Zafira and they said they were awaiting a part which would arrive early evening and be fitted by the night crew. They said I could keep the courtesy car, but could I return at 7am to collect.
I had an issue with my old Zafira and they said they were awaiting a part which would arrive early evening and be fitted by the night crew. They said I could keep the courtesy car, but could I return at 7am to collect.
hepy said:
I have a problem with my Kia E Niro and need to get the dealer to look at it - going to an independent isn't an option as it's warranty work and it's a company car. Don't need a courtesy car and the issue is electronic so only needs running up on the diagnostics.
Earliest the two nearest dealers can see me is 4 weeks!
Is it just Kia or because it's an EV, or are all dealers struggling with delays?
4 years ago on my F34, driver side ABS sensor lose all signal, try to book local BMW dealer for diagnostic, two weeks wait time.Earliest the two nearest dealers can see me is 4 weeks!
Is it just Kia or because it's an EV, or are all dealers struggling with delays?
Same dealer, if I am booking service or MOT, can easily book within same week
Dynion Araf Uchaf said:
that doesn't work. The dealer will just turn the AA man away. And the car will end up miles away and you'll be massively inconvenienced
Well it’s worked for me twice, the AA / whomever guy also organised a hire car and the manufacturers help line took up the case.I've always had this, and it was one of the main reasons I got rid of my Range Rover (as well as poor service from LR dealer and the constant faults). To book in with no courtesy car was always 4-6 weeks, with a courtesy car could be 8 weeks or more. Once, I actually waited for the courtesy car, only to be told on the morning I was due to go in that it had broken down (must have been a Land Rover too). I also had the same with local BMW dealer, minus the broken courtesy car.
As some posters said above, I found the best way to deal with it was to get LR assist out when I had a problem and see if they could recover it to the dealer as a breakdown, or book me the appointment (worked a couple of times) so I could jump the queue.
I ended up paying taxi fares and driving a faulty car for much of my 18 month ownership as I was seemingly always waiting for the next service appointment.
Interestingly, whenever I booked a car in for a service at that dealer, they had availability within a few days. I guess they prioritise £600 oil changes over fixed rate warranty work!
As some posters said above, I found the best way to deal with it was to get LR assist out when I had a problem and see if they could recover it to the dealer as a breakdown, or book me the appointment (worked a couple of times) so I could jump the queue.
I ended up paying taxi fares and driving a faulty car for much of my 18 month ownership as I was seemingly always waiting for the next service appointment.
Interestingly, whenever I booked a car in for a service at that dealer, they had availability within a few days. I guess they prioritise £600 oil changes over fixed rate warranty work!
Mechanic at a truck dealer here. We can't get staff anymore because nobody wants the job.
We have had loads of apprentices that have not finished their apprenticeships over the last few years, the last 2 didn't even finish a full month before leaving.
Workshop booking in times are ridiculous because we are doing "breakdowns" that are not really breakdowns ,which means our mechanics are never in the workshop to clear the work.
Some recent examples are 40 mile round trip to change a bulb. A cracked mirror back cover (the mirror want even cracked.)and the drivers window was stuck down on another , hardly "breakdowns" but everybody is now using the breakdown service as a queue jump system when we tell them the lead time to book vehicles in.
T.B.H us mechanics are getting sick of not being able to look after customers that have actually booked vehicles in ,only for us to have to tell them that we have not had a chance to work on their vehicles due to breakdowns.
We have had loads of apprentices that have not finished their apprenticeships over the last few years, the last 2 didn't even finish a full month before leaving.
Workshop booking in times are ridiculous because we are doing "breakdowns" that are not really breakdowns ,which means our mechanics are never in the workshop to clear the work.
Some recent examples are 40 mile round trip to change a bulb. A cracked mirror back cover (the mirror want even cracked.)and the drivers window was stuck down on another , hardly "breakdowns" but everybody is now using the breakdown service as a queue jump system when we tell them the lead time to book vehicles in.
T.B.H us mechanics are getting sick of not being able to look after customers that have actually booked vehicles in ,only for us to have to tell them that we have not had a chance to work on their vehicles due to breakdowns.
What's wrong with the car? If it's still working, book it in with the dealer for 4 weeks ahead for the warranty work and tell them you need to keep using it in the meantime so ask them if running under whatever fault code it's reporting is ok. If they tell you that you shouldn't use the car while waiting for them, ask for a courtesy car.
If it breaks down in the next few weeks, call the breakdown people.
It's a company car, so if it does completely expire the company car provider will be able to find you a replacement of some sort pretty quickly.
If it breaks down in the next few weeks, call the breakdown people.
It's a company car, so if it does completely expire the company car provider will be able to find you a replacement of some sort pretty quickly.
Glasgowrob said:
been a problem with dealers since i worked for Ford. and that was north of 16 years ago.
I still dont understand why a dealership, especially an out of town location cannot have a second shift of mechanics and service staff on. Drop your car off on the way home from work handed the keys to a courtesy car and pick it up on your way to work the following morning. Cost is an obvious factor as dealers dont want to employ a second team or the increased rates that this would incur for unsociable hours or bear the cost of running fleets of courtesy cars. But i'm positive there is enough demand especially given the modern generations desire for everything to be done right here right now to charge a premium for a service like this.
Most people lead busy lifes they simply cant afford to take a day off work to get their car serviced or get time off from their employer during the day to arrange pickup and drop offs. You own a magnificently expensive glass palace and the attached workshop is an asset running into the millions of pounds tools modern diagnostic equipment fixtures and fittings. why does it lie dormant 60% of the week when it could be put to good use earning your dealership good money. there cant be many dealerships sitting that dont have a backlog of work at the moment my local indy is quoting 2 weeks lead time my bmw dealer quoting 3 weeks. offer me the choice of paying a bit extra for my service and you can drop it off tonight/pick it up tommorow and i'll bite your hand off.
There isn't the staff to run normal hours let' alone 2 sets of techs service advisors parts guys etc needed to run a dealership. 2500 mot testers have left the industry this year and I know of 4 techs that have left the trade I wouldn't be surprised that close on 10k people have left the trade either retired or left. I still dont understand why a dealership, especially an out of town location cannot have a second shift of mechanics and service staff on. Drop your car off on the way home from work handed the keys to a courtesy car and pick it up on your way to work the following morning. Cost is an obvious factor as dealers dont want to employ a second team or the increased rates that this would incur for unsociable hours or bear the cost of running fleets of courtesy cars. But i'm positive there is enough demand especially given the modern generations desire for everything to be done right here right now to charge a premium for a service like this.
Most people lead busy lifes they simply cant afford to take a day off work to get their car serviced or get time off from their employer during the day to arrange pickup and drop offs. You own a magnificently expensive glass palace and the attached workshop is an asset running into the millions of pounds tools modern diagnostic equipment fixtures and fittings. why does it lie dormant 60% of the week when it could be put to good use earning your dealership good money. there cant be many dealerships sitting that dont have a backlog of work at the moment my local indy is quoting 2 weeks lead time my bmw dealer quoting 3 weeks. offer me the choice of paying a bit extra for my service and you can drop it off tonight/pick it up tommorow and i'll bite your hand off.
As for work this time of year used to be busy but covid screwed all that up April is now the quietest month for mot and service work. Also new car sales have been hit hard so the effects will be felt for years. Dealers may have few weeks lead time depending on dealer but that not because they have a massive amount of jobs.
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