Audi A3 - To have service with dealer or not
Discussion
Hi all
I have a 2019 Audi A3 that I have had serviced at my main dealer since we bought it new. It has high mileage due to lots of university runs for my kids (circa 93000) and now due for oil and brake fluid change. Dealer wants to charge £250 for oil change and £84.25 for brake fluid change (£334.25) in total. Told me it’s a minor service so I asked what else is done and told just the oil and brake fluid change. Local garage near me that’s been there for over 20 years said they can do both for £160. I intend to keep having the car serviced and have no plans to sell but should I really pay through the nose to have it done by Audi because they use “genuine parts” (that I bet are made by different companies anyway)? Just nervous to make that leap away from my dealer for the car servicing. Be interested to know if others experiences. Thanks Al
I have a 2019 Audi A3 that I have had serviced at my main dealer since we bought it new. It has high mileage due to lots of university runs for my kids (circa 93000) and now due for oil and brake fluid change. Dealer wants to charge £250 for oil change and £84.25 for brake fluid change (£334.25) in total. Told me it’s a minor service so I asked what else is done and told just the oil and brake fluid change. Local garage near me that’s been there for over 20 years said they can do both for £160. I intend to keep having the car serviced and have no plans to sell but should I really pay through the nose to have it done by Audi because they use “genuine parts” (that I bet are made by different companies anyway)? Just nervous to make that leap away from my dealer for the car servicing. Be interested to know if others experiences. Thanks Al
Sheepshanks said:
Use the local garage and build a relationship with them. Taking a 6yr old car to an Audi dealer is asking for trouble - they’ll do a vehicle health check and present you with a list of very expensive things that add a lot of value for the dealer.
This, the car is relatively high miles and six years old, still has value but I suspect you will be paying double what you need to be if you take it to the dealer, probably still worth decent money but may has well save £150 or so. Personally, I would spend say £60/70 and DIY it, but appreciate that isnt for everyone. £15 for some brake fluid, £35 for engine oil, tenner or so for a filter and an hour of your time. Keep the receipts, write on the mileage and date and put it in with the cars documentation. You save almost £300 but might not be as appealing to a buyer in the future. The kind of buyers who perhaps put too much store in main dealers.
If you're planning to keep the car, I'd be making the move to independent servicing at this point.
Either that, or negotiate with the dealership - tell them the quote you've had, and say if they don't bring their price down, you'll be off. You'll be surprised how much flexibility in the price there suddenly is...
Either that, or negotiate with the dealership - tell them the quote you've had, and say if they don't bring their price down, you'll be off. You'll be surprised how much flexibility in the price there suddenly is...
Independent. Realistically, even if you sold it in the next 12 months - very few people buying a 6/7 year old A3 cares whether it has a full Audi service record vs. A mix of Audi and independent.
I think it is highly unlikely that any additional servicing cost from a dealer would be offset in higher residual value of the car.
If your car was two years old, or a performance derivative, I might look at it differently, as I think in these circumstances a full Audi history is probably worth the cost (depending on the timeline you expect to move it on).
I think it is highly unlikely that any additional servicing cost from a dealer would be offset in higher residual value of the car.
If your car was two years old, or a performance derivative, I might look at it differently, as I think in these circumstances a full Audi history is probably worth the cost (depending on the timeline you expect to move it on).
If there's a good one not too far away might be better to have a VW/Audi specialist indy work on the car.
Charges *should* be substantially lower than main dealer and still people who know the cars inside out...one of our daughter's uses a VW specialist Ricky side of Watford who is proving to be a good choice.
Yes any indy can manage an oil and brake fluid change, but if you need some more specailised knowledge or work doing down the line by using the make specialist indy you're already a known customer.
Charges *should* be substantially lower than main dealer and still people who know the cars inside out...one of our daughter's uses a VW specialist Ricky side of Watford who is proving to be a good choice.
Yes any indy can manage an oil and brake fluid change, but if you need some more specailised knowledge or work doing down the line by using the make specialist indy you're already a known customer.
With no disrespect intended, an A3 is nothing special which needs main dealer/specialist servicing. There are so many of them out there when you add in cars which are the same under the skin like the VW and SEAT equivalents.
I’d go to a local garage with a decent reputation. Actually, I’d DIY it, but I already have the tools etc to do it and if DIY service is not something you’re intending to do regularly then local garage all the way.
I’d go to a local garage with a decent reputation. Actually, I’d DIY it, but I already have the tools etc to do it and if DIY service is not something you’re intending to do regularly then local garage all the way.
If you are concerned about quality of parts whilst servicing most reputable garages will be able to obtain Audi parts for the work.
I’m a bit of a sucker for main dealer servicing but I sometimes prefer the convenience of getting a courtesy car and having a health check completed (whilst I’ve got a warranty). If I didn’t have a warranty, I’d use a reputable independent.
I’m sure if you ask on here for your locality, other PH members will be able to recommend
I’m a bit of a sucker for main dealer servicing but I sometimes prefer the convenience of getting a courtesy car and having a health check completed (whilst I’ve got a warranty). If I didn’t have a warranty, I’d use a reputable independent.
I’m sure if you ask on here for your locality, other PH members will be able to recommend
I am at the same place with a Skoda and I think I have decided now to service myself rather than Main dealer or independent.
The main dealer price is similar to the numbers you have given. The local independent I have used before for some jobs wants £175 for an oil change only.
I do my own car repairs and maintenance on every other car we have so I am going to do it myself.
I bought everything I need today ,Bosch filter VAG approved valvoline oil, cabin and air filter , brake fluid and front pads as I can see they are low, plus a wear sensor .
Receipt showing reg and mileage from my local motor factors .
£175.10.
The main dealer price is similar to the numbers you have given. The local independent I have used before for some jobs wants £175 for an oil change only.
I do my own car repairs and maintenance on every other car we have so I am going to do it myself.
I bought everything I need today ,Bosch filter VAG approved valvoline oil, cabin and air filter , brake fluid and front pads as I can see they are low, plus a wear sensor .
Receipt showing reg and mileage from my local motor factors .
£175.10.
Definitely local garage for me. As soon as my car was outside of the warranty I went local. I appreciate a car only needs to be serviced to the requirements of the manufacturer and not be an official dealer to maintain the warranty but it wasn’t worth the risk.
There’s nothing stopping you returning to the main dealer if your wallet suddenly requires a diet.
There’s nothing stopping you returning to the main dealer if your wallet suddenly requires a diet.
I love it when I see a 15 year old car with FMDSH at auction going for £3k. You just know the guy who owned it spent thousands and thousands of pounds over and above what was needed when the dealer sold him a pack of overpriced lies each year because "it'll help resale" and then when he trades it in they give him £2.5k for it anyway 
Outside of PH weirdos almost nobody buying a 6+ year old Audi cares. People ask "does it have service history" but almost never look, and if you get someone mithering about the history being indy or main dealer on a 6+ year old car they're the sort of awkward difficult tit you don't want to sell a car to anyway.
Oh, also I've seen enough "Full main dealer history" ten year old cars still sporting their factory cabin filter and air filters so blocked they're black to know they really are scamming s
ts well over and above most independent outfits. Even odds your brake fluid wouldn't actually get changed.
Outside of PH weirdos almost nobody buying a 6+ year old Audi cares. People ask "does it have service history" but almost never look, and if you get someone mithering about the history being indy or main dealer on a 6+ year old car they're the sort of awkward difficult tit you don't want to sell a car to anyway.
Oh, also I've seen enough "Full main dealer history" ten year old cars still sporting their factory cabin filter and air filters so blocked they're black to know they really are scamming s
ts well over and above most independent outfits. Even odds your brake fluid wouldn't actually get changed.Edited by GeniusOfLove on Tuesday 11th March 00:38
Just sold my mother’s A3 , 2015 one owner , when I checked the service book it hadn’t been serviced since 2017 although the mot history proved she was hardly using it.
Sold it to the first person who came to look at it , he wasn’t interested in the slightest , just more interested in the overall condition which was fine.
Sold it to the first person who came to look at it , he wasn’t interested in the slightest , just more interested in the overall condition which was fine.
BunkMoreland said:
itcaptainslow said:
I’d say at six years old the chances of any goodwill from a manufacturer would be slim to none.
Then you would be wrong! 
I know of someone who had their rear subframe replaced on their E class by Mercedes Main dealer as it was rotten and failed the MOT. Car was about 10-11 years old!
BunkMoreland said:
Then you would be wrong!
I know of someone who had their rear subframe replaced on their E class by Mercedes Main dealer as it was rotten and failed the MOT. Car was about 10-11 years old!
MB chooses to class such repairs as goodwill but they're guaranteed against inside out corrosion for 30yrs.I know of someone who had their rear subframe replaced on their E class by Mercedes Main dealer as it was rotten and failed the MOT. Car was about 10-11 years old!
BunkMoreland said:
itcaptainslow said:
I’d say at six years old the chances of any goodwill from a manufacturer would be slim to none.
Then you would be wrong! I know of someone who had their rear subframe replaced on their E class by Mercedes Main dealer as it was rotten and failed the MOT. Car was about 10-11 years old!
If you tried for goodwill on a six year old car with e.g. a failed turbo actuator you’d probably be laughed out the door.
By many accounts even manufacturers with known issues like JLR’s Ingenium engine failures are being pretty stingy with goodwill.
PSA & Vauxhall, the two brands where I served most of my time, were reasonable with goodwill in year four. But they’d only very occasionally make a small contribution in year five for a loyal customer with FSH, usually if the dealership made one too. The car would have to be an original owner from new with unbroken FMDSH, too.
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