service history concerns

[Bob marley fan]

Hi,

I'm currently considering buying a used audi s3 from a main dealer a 2009 with 43,000 on the clock. Audi have offered two free services and an mot with the car along with a 1 year warranty. However they say they have no history from before they received it. I assume the car must be ok as it has been deemed used approved, but I am worried about resale time. Has anyone heard of anything similar before?

Thanks


Edit: good news it turns out the sales man was just a dumb ass and after speaking with his manager it turns out there is service history the salesman just knew f all about the car

Edited by Bob marley fan on Tuesday 20th January 00:07

[Driver101]

Any concerns like that, walk away.

There is plenty of them out there and you don't need to buy that one. Plenty of better cars for the money too.

[kent_phil]

I'm amazed an Audi franchise is allowed to resell a car with no proven service history at that mileage - was at my local dealers a year ago when they had a low mile TT traded in which looked spotless to me but apparently the work required to bring it up to approved standard wasn't worth it so it was off to auction.

I would walk away on the basis of any future warranty claims having a question-mark over proving the services had been done in accordance with manufacturers recommendations - if they cannot do this to sell a car then I doubt they would help in the event of a claim...

[va1o]

I am also very surprised if the dealer is selling it without any known service history. Give Audi UK a call quoting the registration number and see if they have any records for it

[Dr G]

Do you mean no service records AT ALL or just no invoices to accompany?

If the latter very few people keep service paperwork these days.

[blank]

As above. Amazed a main dealer would sell something with ZERO service history.

It will have needed a cam belt, haldex oil, spark plugs and DSG oil if applicable by now.

So if no proof of those being done it's probably due a grands worth of servicing!

[Crafty_]

If it has ever been serviced within the Audi network everything should be recorded on a central system (IIRC this is Europe wide).

I'd ask the dealer if they have got the service department to look it up.


If there is nothing recorded its either been serviced outside of the network or it hasn't been done, either way its one to avoid.

[morgrp]

blank said:

As above. Amazed a main dealer would sell something with ZERO service history.

It will have needed a cam belt, haldex oil, spark plugs and DSG oil if applicable by now.

So if no proof of those being done it's probably due a grands worth of servicing!

This^^ complex car that you can't skimp on the servicing with - just find another one or get a substantial discount - Audi more than likely won't want to give a discount or will bull st you with a "the service history has already been considered with the price" answer. If so, you're better off walking away and they're better off selling to some mug who doesn't give a st

[mikeyscott]

Dealers appear to be doing this more and more. I'm finding R32s at VW main dealers with key areas of servicing such as DSG at 40k missing. Read the small warranty print and that then makes the "approved warranty" invalid.

I did also find an Audi S3 missing a key service at an Audi main dealer.

Got annoyed with a dealer this week and their attitude over the car servicing that in the end I've raised the complaint with VW. They've agreed this shouldn't be happening and will be looking into it.

How can a car pass the 142 Das Auto VAG checks if the servicing isn't correct...

[ortontom]

servicing is rarely done correctly, number of bmws ive owned and the fuel filter hasnt been replaced ever.....

[Adrian E]

Glad they've managed to find the service book! Treat approved used as you would a back street trader - there's really no difference in the likelihood of you buying something that's been crashed and badly repaired, missed service work, requires work which won't be done because it's a week after you've bought it etc etc. You must go in to any car purchase with eyes open to the potential for it to be a dog - even if it's priced £5k more because of where it is!

Speaking from bitter experience of time wasting, Audi dealers are just franchises and depending on who owns them will buy whatever they can get and rarely turn anything away that's been sourced from Audi UK. Some will be tighter than others on what they'll accept, but I've never visited one that's got standards as high as mine! Having said that they'd probably have no stock to sell if they did lol

[mikeyscott]

I have an r32 approved, purchased 27/12 and "covered" by DAS auto. Guess what warranty rejected due to a servicing issue.