When to start using Indy Garages over Main Dealer?

[SwissJonese]

My C350 2008 Merc has always been serviced by Mercedes main dealers. But as the car is now nearly 7 years old, is there much point in continuing to use main dealers or is it time to use indy dealers?

Problem is i've always had a good service from Merc main dealers (used 3 different ones) and they include a free years breakdown cover. So would I save £££ using a good local Merc specific indy garage and when is the right time to start using them?

[anonymous-user]

The years breakdown cover can be pretty valuable. I also know a chap with a decade old E270 that developed the inevitable fault with the electronic brakes and Mercedes sorted that for free due to the full dealer history. Do you get good service from your dealer that has real value to you and are they more conveniently located than your local indy that you would trust?

It's easy to knee jerk and say "use main dealers only when you have no choice" but the total proposition can mean it's not worth the trouble to save £100 a year.

[valiant]

To be honest, if you're getting a good service from the main dealer then I'd stick with them. Many main dealers offer special rates for older cars that are no longer under warranty and may not be that much more expensive than an Indy once you factor in the free breakdown cover.

I've had a few Fords now and have stuck with the main dealer simply because their pretty good and are competitive on price.

[Jayyylo]

It sounds like you have a good thing going with the main dealer.
I recently took my BMW 645 (04) to an indy to have them look at a cold misfire problem but they couldn't figure it out and have told me to take the car to BMW. Not an impressive service and I know when I take the car to BMW I will be able to get a courtesy car which is a big bonus as I only have the one car.

Basically I think it depends on how good your indy are. If I could find someone cheaper and reliable I'd be using them as soon as a car is beyond warranty.

[rallycross]

How much do you pay, what have your last few invoices been?

[billzeebub]

I always use main dealer for routine servicing. Very competitive prices on my 986 Boxster and my Corrado VR6 from the franchised dealers. Anything else that they 'spot' whilst they have the car gets the once over by my trusted Specialists. A good proportion of the time the work is not needed, always much cheaper though. If it's out of warranty all non-routine work should go to a good Specialist.

Edited by billzeebub on Monday 5th January 16:12

[SwissJonese]

rallycross said:

How much do you pay, what have your last few invoices been?

Problem is not sure, I took out the Mercedes service plan and paid about 60 quid each month for a year and that included 2 services (all receipts do not list prices just FOC). As one service was a B plan that included 6 spark plugs, air filter, re-grease sunroof and a few other necessary items it seemed like a good deal (I think I was original quoted about 700 quid for that service).

This year I will need new front discs and pads and they are massive vented discs so are likely to be quite a bit of money so maybe I will get them done at the indy and keep the service with Merc main dealer.

[scubadude]

Might not be applicable but suddenly noticed a large number of BMW's at the independent garage opposite my factory, then noticed a friends car there and was surprised he'd use them (as he hates the owner for some spurious reason)

It transpired that the nearest BMW dealers resident guru had abandoned them for the garage opposite and so BMW where simple sending all the tricky jobs to him there and paying the garage to fix them and slapping their own stamp over the top of the other stamp in darker ink :-)

If you find an honest garage use them whatever the price, frankly many/some are so crooked its unbelievable.

I now avoid Renault dealers after the one servicing my car called to suggest they do the pads while the wheels where off because "Its cheaper, we charge £20/wheel otherwise" then had the audacity to suggest a set of pads would be £300 fitted!

[schmalex]

billzeebub said:

I always use main dealer for routine servicing. Very competitive prices on my 986 Boxster and my Corrado VR6 from the franchised dealers. Anything else that they 'spot' whilst they have the car gets the once over by my trusted Specialists. A good proportion of the time the work is not needed, always much cheaper though. If it's out of warranty all non-routine work should go to a good Specialist.

Edited by billzeebub on Monday 5th January 16:12

I do this. I always get my cars serviced by the main dealer, as they give a free courtesy car, are on the way to work & don't charge much more than the nearest BMW specialist, who is miles out of the way. Anything other than the routine servicing gets done by the local garage who look after my Land Rover. I think it offers the best of both worlds - a BMW stamp in the service book for resale time and any additional work spotted at service time appraised honestly and undertaken at much more reasonable prices.

[anonymous-user]

SwissJonese said:

rallycross said:

How much do you pay, what have your last few invoices been?

Problem is not sure, I took out the Mercedes service plan and paid about 60 quid each month for a year and that included 2 services (all receipts do not list prices just FOC). As one service was a B plan that included 6 spark plugs, air filter, re-grease sunroof and a few other necessary items it seemed like a good deal (I think I was original quoted about 700 quid for that service).

This year I will need new front discs and pads and they are massive vented discs so are likely to be quite a bit of money so maybe I will get them done at the indy and keep the service with Merc main dealer.

£720 over a year for 2 oil changes and half hour changing 6 plugs does not seem great value to me, even in light of my previous comment. I guess the breakdown cover is worth £100. I would expect a simple oil and filter change at an indy to be at most £100 even if it uses expensive oil, and the "full" service with air filter and plugs to be maybe £250 - £300? So including the breakdown service you might spend £500 to get the same thing elsewhere.

In light of this three points spring to mind
1 - How much ballache is £220 worth to you?
2 - How much value is there in paying through the year rather than having to keep the money to one side yourself/cough it up all at once to you?
3 - Do they do things at service that only a dealer can do? I know Volvo always apply all the latest software updates at every full service. Suitably kitted out Volvo indys can do this but it would be a chargeable extra.

[Sensibleboy]

How about get routine servicing done at the dealer but any repairs at an independent?

[bridgland]

Sensibleboy said:

How about get routine servicing done at the dealer but any repairs at an independent?

I did just this when I had my Merc CLK. Kept the Mobilo Life (a condition on them servicing it), with basic servicing only and big repairs were done by a local specialist, for typically half the price.

[anonymous-user]

I stopped using my main Ford dealer after the 1st year of owning my car from new, have used independent mechanics since and thankfully I've found a guy who's very reliable, honest and charges less than half of what Ford do for labour.

I think it depends on the kind of car you own - people buying a cheap car won't mind as much that the book isn't full of main dealer stamps, but they might with a more expensive car.

[Noesph]

Same as joshc. I always found indys to be far better than the main dealers, mind you I am talking about Renault here.

[Pit Pony]

I have only used a main dealer once in 30 years, and that was to get them to diagnose a fault on a Metro Turbo that I couldn't get my head around. They failed to diagnose or fix the issue, but attempted to charge me for something that was completely unrelated.
That said the parts lady in the MINI dealer in Liverpool, was exceptional when faced with a lot of hearsay about keys from Independents, her own service manager and the internet. You can get a programmed none-remote key for a 2001 Mini for £46 which is a lot less than the remote key plus an hour of programming from the dealer for £210 or via the independent for £180.

And the parts Man in the MINI dealer in Southport knocked off a fair percentage off a paint stick due to a dent in the alloy tube. "We'd only have to throw it away anyway"

[GuinnessMK]

I bought my car new from a dealer in 2007, went back for a few minor items, then the 1,500 mile running in service. It's never been back to the main dealer since, always serviced every 10,000 miles or year at my local trusted indy. At the end of the first year and about 40,000 miles (so four services), the main dealer rang me to suggest that I might like to get it serviced. I happened to be in the reception of my indy, paying the bill at the time, so I put them on speaker and asked them to let me know what they would do and how much. They started a short list of items that were included in the service, and then as the car was getting on a bit a long list of additional items I might need doing, including, coolant change, brake fluid change, brake pads and other wear and tear items along with prices. My local indy could hardly contain himself.

[va1o]

We always took our Mercedes to the main dealer even when it was getting a bit old. Keeps up the service history and obviously you get the benefit of the breakdown cover. Found the dealer to generally be excellent, far better than all the tedious VAG outlets I now have to use. Only took the Merc to independent specialists for non-service items and repairs.