Main dealer servicing costs

[Simon T]

I need to get the V12V serviced so I looked on the Aston site and looked at the fixed price servicing - £761. not too bad I thought. Called a dealer and was told it would be £1440! because... the fixed price is just an oil and filter change and it needs air filters and pollen filters and lots of diagnostic work. Called another dealer and was told that price only applies to 2012 on vehicles (Not sure how you could get a 6 year service on a 4 year old car)

Sounds a bit off to me?

Simon

[brakedwell]

One of the reasons I deserted the marque.

[AdamV12V]

Simon T said:

I need to get the V12V serviced so I looked on the Aston site and looked at the fixed price servicing - £761. not too bad I thought. Called a dealer and was told it would be £1440! because... the fixed price is just an oil and filter change and it needs air filters and pollen filters and lots of diagnostic work. Called another dealer and was told that price only applies to 2012 on vehicles (Not sure how you could get a 6 year service on a 4 year old car)

Sounds a bit off to me?

Simon

I think they are fairly clear that the fixed price servicing applies only to Nov2012 or later registered cars. It's certainly quite clear on the AM Service website. I'm not entirely sure of the differences from this point to make it cheaper and what's odd is that its cars registered from this date, not manufactured so clearly not a technical reason. Perhaps something to do with a change of warranty terms or supplier maybe?

Anyway, shop around - £1440 is way OTT. I was charged just under £1000 at JCT for my 4yr service on my pre-Nov2012 V12V and I believe the 4yr service covers a little more than the 6yr service does. Just ask for a discount, you might be surprised at the result.

Edited by AdamV12V on Tuesday 16th August 23:16

[rossyl]

It is absurd. I've never had a good reason why a pre-2012 car costs so much more to service, especially when they are all built in the same format.

However, I had seen in this forum that Fixed Price servicing was going to be extended to all Gaydin cars.

[Philip0]

I was told by AM at Burghley and again a couple of weeks ago that they were going to reintroduce fixed price servicing on pre-2012 cars: I asked again last week - they said it will be "sooner rather than later", so I, probably like many others, am waiting for the announcement. In the meantime AM and the dealer network are losing after-sales business.

Edited by Philip0 on Wednesday 17th August 08:34

[JaseB]

This is one of the reasons I went to BR last time, that and I wanted a fully independent end of warranty inspection. Have to say they did a cracking job, especially where my brakes were concerned, long story but basically the bill was £3k rather than something nearer £10k maybe.

Far better value and a more attentive service, win win in my book.

ETA Other Indies are available, I just like BR..

Edited by JaseB on Wednesday 17th August 09:36

[paulrog1]

The servicing cost the main dealers charge in my opinion is criminal, an oil change & brake fluid change for £1000..........Yes One Thousand pounds, my god, some people simply have too much money.

I suppose if people pay it they will charge it, i'm alway after value for money and that just isn't.

So independant specialist is the route i'm going down, BF, Mcgurk, Supercar rooms all good, Mcgurk charges around £650 for a DB9, Supercar rooms £450 for a basic service.

[SteveMor]

AM are going to do the menu servicing to the pre 2012 cars shortly, I contacted AM customer service, they confirmed it, but couldn't give a date, but said it would be soon.

Regarding dealer pricing, I am fuming, I had my car serviced yesterday (by new dealer in Bristol) cost £1100 then on collection they presented me with advisory list, they called it a health check, recommending nearly £5k of work needed, bulk of it for new shockers as they say they are leaking, my car has only done 17k miles from new & went through the MOT 5 weeks ago with no issues or advisories. I don't know what is going on & I am confused.

I didn't ask for a health check I just wanted it serviced & what a cheek they have to do it & price up every issue they found, never had it before when serviced by HR Owen & has left me fuming.

Will seriously consider leaving the brand, even though I love the car. Just parked in my garage when I got home & have no interest in it at the moment.

Cheers

Steve

[The_Orange]

Are Ferrari's or Lambo's cheaper to maintain? I know Ferrari offers 7 years of free oil changes on it's new models. If Ferrari charges 1000 euro for an oil change, that's a saving of 7000 euro?

I've have a few Porsches in the past, and i know Porsche is quite reasonable with it's prices (my friend payed 500 euro for it's 2 yearly oil change, that's 250/year for an oil change -> i pay that for my Golf 1.9 diesel).

[Grumpydev]

I waited as long as I felt comfortable for the fixed price servicing on older cars to come in, but finally bitten the bullet and booked my V8V into JCT - £875 for the 8th year service.

[northernmedia]

SteveMor said:

AM are going to do the menu servicing to the pre 2012 cars shortly, I contacted AM customer service, they confirmed it, but couldn't give a date, but said it would be soon.

Regarding dealer pricing, I am fuming, I had my car serviced yesterday (by new dealer in Bristol) cost £1100 then on collection they presented me with advisory list, they called it a health check, recommending nearly £5k of work needed, bulk of it for new shockers as they say they are leaking, my car has only done 17k miles from new & went through the MOT 5 weeks ago with no issues or advisories. I don't know what is going on & I am confused.

I didn't ask for a health check I just wanted it serviced & what a cheek they have to do it & price up every issue they found, never had it before when serviced by HR Owen & has left me fuming.

Will seriously consider leaving the brand, even though I love the car. Just parked in my garage when I got home & have no interest in it at the moment.

Cheers

Steve

Chill out buddy. It's only an advisory list. Means nothing. They always health check the car.
The shocks are probably just weeping / misting, no biggie and most certainly not a reason to leave the brand.

[Grumpydev]

northernmedia said:

Chill out buddy. It's only an advisory list. Means nothing. They always health check the car.
The shocks are probably just weeping / misting, no biggie and most certainly not a reason to leave the brand.

It's also something main dealers do across the marques in my experience - BMW once told me my entire rear suspension needed replacing on my M5 when all it actually needed was one bush replacing, and even that was far from at the end of its life.

[Jockman]

Grumpydev said:

I waited as long as I felt comfortable for the fixed price servicing on older cars to come in, but finally bitten the bullet and booked my V8V into JCT - £875 for the 8th year service.

They still include a collect / delivery service in that?

[SL500UK]

And is that plus VAT or inc VAT? That could make a big difference.

[SteveMor]

Thanks all for the replies to my advisory list, just to be clear, they have stated that the rear shocks need urgent attention, as it's a safety issue. Cost quoted £2600!! Even though though my car passed its MOT 7th July with no issues or advisories.

Hence my unhappiness & confusion over this.

Cheers

Steve

[steveatesh]

SteveMor said:

Thanks all for the replies to my advisory list, just to be clear, they have stated that the rear shocks need urgent attention, as it's a safety issue. Cost quoted £2600!! Even though though my car passed its MOT 7th July with no issues or advisories.

Hence my unhappiness & confusion over this.

Cheers

Steve

I echo the posts above, just step back a minute and stay calm. Every car I've put in to any garage for service comes back with some suggestions (advisory) about work that needs doing, fully priced up. Obviously this is their attempt at up selling. Take it in for a service and they try and sell you peace of mind to replace the fear they have just installed in you with a list of work.

Personally I rarely say yes at that time, I drive away and look at the work myself, and if necessary I'd get a third opinion on it. My soon to be daughter in law took her mini in for a service and was given a list of advisories including rear break pads. I checked myself and they were fine. Basically the dealer was just taking advantage of her ignorance. Same happened with my sons BMW at service time. The advisory were rubbish and I have later learned from somebody who works there that the staff are under pressure to make money "anyway you can" as business is not too good at the moment.

I'm unclear why you should fall out with the brand over this, but if you leave you'll almost certainly find the same with whatever brand you pick.

[Grumpydev]

Jockman said:

They still include a collect / delivery service in that?

Yep, collection and delivery and inclusive of VAT.

They don't use the low loader any more though so it's driven back and forth to Leeds, which is less than ideal but I'm not too fussed - less hassle for me anyway.

[Jon39]

SteveMor said:

Will seriously consider leaving the brand, even though I love the car. Just parked in my garage when I got home & have no interest in it at the moment.

Cheers

Steve

Don't lose heart Steve.

I wonder if they found a tiny dribble from one shock absorber, but routinely replace a full set. At 17,000 miles, all four cannot be leaking.

Your experience reminds me about a (non AM) so called prestige dealer, who told me I needed new brake pads and discs. I replied do pads, but not discs.

If the discs really were worn, then what is now peculiar, is that the same dealer has continued to service the car for a further seven years, and has never even mentioned brake discs again.

If a shock absorber was not working at all, it ought to become obvious to the driver. I think I would ask the dealer which absorber was leaking, then monitor it myself.

Cheer up!

[Jockman]

Grumpydev said:

Jockman said:

They still include a collect / delivery service in that?

Yep, collection and delivery and inclusive of VAT.

They don't use the low loader any more though so it's driven back and forth to Leeds, which is less than ideal but I'm not too fussed - less hassle for me anyway.

I used them for 4 years and never got a low loader - no great shakes.

Good Price that !!

[Grumpydev]

Jockman said:

I used them for 4 years and never got a low loader - no great shakes.

Good Price that !!

Do you let them wash it? As a rule I normally ask dealers not to with all my cars, but not sure if Aston dealers are any better than Audi/BM etc. in that regard.