New car warranty and DIY servicing....

[Toaster Pilot]

Reading the conditions for the Kia 7 year warranty - my Rio is due it's 4th year service.

Customer responsibilities
Maintenance
Customers must use and maintain their Kia car properly. If they use a Kia car in severe
driving conditions, they should follow the extra maintenance steps set out in the owner’s
manual.

Maintenance records
The scheduled maintenance records should be filled in whenever a Kia car goes in for
scheduled maintenance.


So, what's stopping me from buying Kia genuine parts (or OE spec equivalent), carrying out the service myself to schedule, filling in the maintenance record and stapling the receipts to it?

[Engineer1]

The fact KIA will only honour the warranty to the exact letter if you keep paying them for servicing in a franchise garage then you may get goodwill over and above the bare minimum requirements.

[Toaster Pilot]

Not really sure that's worth £300+ a year to me (the upcoming service is £400) - what kind of stuff might that include on a 4 year+ old car?

[balls-out]

Toaster Pilot said:

Reading the conditions for the Kia 7 year warranty - my Rio is due it's 4th year service.

Customer responsibilities
Maintenance
Customers must use and maintain their Kia car properly. If they use a Kia car in severe
driving conditions, they should follow the extra maintenance steps set out in the owner’s
manual.

Maintenance records
The scheduled maintenance records should be filled in whenever a Kia car goes in for
scheduled maintenance.


So, what's stopping me from buying Kia genuine parts (or OE spec equivalent), carrying out the service myself to schedule, filling in the maintenance record and stapling the receipts to it?

there will be small print somewhere? does the handbook say maintenance must be done by a recognised Kia garage?

If you get done by a garage who are VAT registered, I think that the warranty has to be honoured.

[Sir Bagalot]

Isn't the EU directive along the lines of you have to use OEM parts and a VAT registered garage.

[mcflurry]

Is it in the T&Cs / playing ball to get the franchised dealer to do an A service for ~£100, thus getting a stamp, and you do the rest?

[Toaster Pilot]

More like £250 for a minor service at a main dealer, unfortunately!

[PanzerCommander]

Engineer1 said:

The fact KIA will only honour the warranty to the exact letter if you keep paying them for servicing in a franchise garage then you may get goodwill over and above the bare minimum requirements.

Didn't the EU make that illegal; i.e. as long as OEM parts and spec fluids were used any garage could do the servicing?

[Vaud]

PanzerCommander said:

Engineer1 said:

The fact KIA will only honour the warranty to the exact letter if you keep paying them for servicing in a franchise garage then you may get goodwill over and above the bare minimum requirements.

Didn't the EU make that illegal; i.e. as long as OEM parts and spec fluids were used any garage could do the servicing?

See here:

http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/general-advic...

Servicing a new car

Changes to the BER in 2002 included clauses intended to increase choice when it comes to servicing of a new car. You cannot be obliged e.g. as a condition of warranty, to have your car serviced by a franchised dealer.

Other changes at that time permitted multi-brand showrooms and no longer obliged dealers to combine sales and service/repair – though most have continued to do so.

The work can be carried out by an independent garage as long as that garage uses manufacturer approved parts and correctly follows the manufacturer's service schedule. Independent garages generally have much lower overheads than franchised dealers so their hourly labour rate is also cheaper.

Although you are free to have your car serviced at whichever garage you like - and benefit from the cost savings - you can't then expect much help and goodwill from the manufacturer if the car develops a major fault just after the warranty has expired. Manufacturers often cite lack of loyalty on the customer's part as the reason for their decision not assist with the cost of a repairs after the warranty has expired.

[northwest monkey]

How do you put a stamp in the service book if you do it yourself?

For the sake of a few quid I'd get them to do it.

[Toaster Pilot]

northwest monkey said:

How do you put a stamp in the service book if you do it yourself?

For the sake of a few quid I'd get them to do it.

I have a rubber stamp I can make say anything I want, Toaster Pilot Auto Service for example.

£300+ isn't really small change at the moment.

[Rickyy]

Citroen stipulate than any VAT registered garage can carry out the servicing, as long as genuine Citroen parts are used.

I'd imagine it'd be the same for KIA.

[northwest monkey]

Toaster Pilot said:

I have a rubber stamp I can make say anything I want, Toaster Pilot Auto Service for example.

£300+ isn't really small change at the moment.

But is this not all part of the "free" 7-year warranty?

I had a 3-year warranty on a BMW some years ago. To renew the warranty they quoted me £1200 for a year based on my mileage etc. I still had to pay £300 - £500 for servicing on top of that. A 7-year warranty as long as I got it serviced with them would have been very nice!

No point asking me though - ask the dealer but I think you know what the answer is going to be if you're honest.

[Toaster Pilot]

http://www.kia.co.uk/owners/~/media/general%20site... - "7 year warranty Terms and Exclusions"

[Truckosaurus]

Aren't there different rules for extended warranties than for the initial manufacturer backed warranties?

ie. You can get the car serviced anywhere for the first 3yrs but they insist on a KIA dealer for years 4-7.

[KTF]

You can buy a 'service pack' from a KIA garage then take the car along to a VAT registered interdependent to do the work.

As long as genuine parts are used then the warranty stays intact.

I dont believe that you can get away with doing the work yourself as the garage being VAT registered shows that they are some kind of 'expert'.

[Driver101]

What is needed that takes the cost up to £400?

Try this site and see if there is any good deals for Kia near you. Getting haggling too.


http://www.maindealerdiscount.com/

[KTF]

Driver101 said:

What is needed that takes the cost up to £400?

Try this site and see if there is any good deals for Kia near you. Getting haggling too.


http://www.maindealerdiscount.com/

Labour and oil generally.

That site doesnt list KIA.

[AudiWurst]

northwest monkey said:

I had a 3-year warranty on a BMW some years ago. To renew the warranty they quoted me £1200 for a year based on my mileage etc. I still had to pay £300 - £500 for servicing on top of that. A 7-year warranty as long as I got it serviced with them would have been very nice!

Fair enough - I think people expect servicing costs in that range for a "premium" car.

But the OP's Kia Rio is a Fiesta-sized car with a simple N/A engine, so £250 for a minor service and £400 for a big service sounds pretty steep.

I know Kia have to subsidise the warranty costs somehow, but I suspect a lot of people have been lured in by the "free 7 year warranty" headlines and then been subsequently shocked at the costs of servicing over that 7 year period.

[northwest monkey]

AudiWurst said:

I know Kia have to subsidise the warranty costs somehow, but I suspect a lot of people have been lured in by the "free 7 year warranty" headlines and then been subsequently shocked at the costs of servicing over that 7 year period.

I suspect you're very right.....