Quick question on PCP & Servicing

[AddyT.]

Hi All,

I am returning my SQ5 to Audi pretty shortly and had a quick question. Its had the latest main dealer service and as I suspected would be the case, the front discs and pads need doing. Audi sent me one of their video walkarounds under the car and said the discs are lipped and the pads are below the limit. On the proposed work sheet they sent through, these items were stated to be needing urgent attention.

I am pretty sure people will say yes, but I just wanted to check that you are obliged to carry out these repairs to conform with your PCP agreement? I’ve ticked the box in getting it serviced but pretty sure you can’t ignore the urgent work needed and return the car hoping for no penalty?! BCA take the car and inspect it so I can’t see how they wouldn’t find this work didn’t need doing and would therefore get Audi to invoice me for it? I have no idea if BCA will even have access to the service records which would make it a slam dunk!

99% sure I need to do the (£1300!) work but just wanted to sanity check with you all! I did also call non Audi garages and no one can source any cheaper front brakes as their suppliers all stipulate they have to come from Audi!

[loskie]

It's got a current MOT and been serviced "as per Audi schedule" then I don't think you need to do anything unless there are warning lights on the dash. You'll have a copy of the ts and cs you signed. Probably a better idea to read those.

[AddyT.]

Thank you very much for replying so quickly and I really appreciate it! I will have to dig out what came in the post as the dealer only sent the order confirmation via email at the time. Thank you again!

[ninepoint2]

Well known Main Dealer scam, we had it for two years on a JLR product which was fine at MOT, as said above if all else is good ignore it, BCA will not inspect to that level.

[Ry.Clarke]

It won’t be checked, when we traded the missus A1 back in at the end of hers, they only spent ~23 seconds looking at it; went straight to BCA Auction.

It’s not very honest not to do it, but there certainly nothing saying you have too.

[AddyT.]

Thank you very much guys What got me spooked is VWFS are saying that the BCA person who comes to get the car is the collection driver only and the car then has an inspection once it arrives back with them. It is this alleged inspection that had me concerned as how to much detail they go into.

I completely understand it not being the most honest thing to do. If the work has to be done then I will do it. It’s just there is additional outlay going in for other repairs like alloy wheels before it goes back so just trying to work out if some money could be saved potentially.

[Smint]

If you decide to do the brake work i can't see any reason why overpriced dealer parts and labour need be used.

Decent quality discs and pads fitted by either an indy or DIY would be my route, a very quick search finds the parts for under £300.

Edited by Smint on Monday 21st April 05:59

[Earthdweller]

The discs are probably fine for now and if the pads are low then just get a local garage to do them for a fraction of the price

[AddyT.]

Thank you very much guys What got me spooked is VWFS are saying that the BCA person who comes to get the car is the collection driver only and the car then has an inspection once it arrives back with them. It is this alleged inspection that had me concerned as how to much detail they go into.

I completely understand it not being the most honest thing to do. If the work has to be done then I will do it. It’s just there is additional outlay going in for other repairs like alloy wheels before it goes back so just trying to work out if some money could be saved potentially.

[AddyT.]

Thank you ever so much!

It’s strange as the indie I spoke with who I use for this sort of work said the supplier said they could only source Audi parts for that car. However you are right and I can see on Euro parts you can indeed get the brakes for much, much less. I will call another place tomorrow and see what they say. Failing that I could get the parts from Euro myself and take them to be fitted at one of said indies as sadly I cant do the work myself. My gut does say hopefully just pads and no discs. The prices Audi charge are extortionate which goes for pretty much anything they want to do to the car which I know goes without saying. Audi tax as I call it.

Thank you so so much! Have been massively worried about this but there is clearly a good route forward here thanks to your advice!

[shtu]

AddyT. said:

there is additional outlay going in for other repairs like alloy wheels before it goes back

You -really- need to dig out the paperwork.

It's almost always cheaper to pay the "penalty" for wheel damage, than to have them done yourself.


As for the btakes, the dealer will be ladling on the doom and gloom, because brakes are the most profitable job they do. Again, there's almost certainly no contractual requirement to do them.

[Sheepshanks]

ninepoint2 said:

Well known Main Dealer scam, we had it for two years on a JLR product which was fine at MOT, as said above if all else is good ignore it, BCA will not inspect to that level.

I wonder if they even look - in the last couple of years we’ve twice had cars where the rears have worn to the metal between services.

I use a few different brand dealers and anything VW Group seems on a different level in terms of attempted upselling - I was warned on one car about 4.5mm tyres “being close to the 3mm European legal limit”. There’s no such thing.


OP - is this PCP or PCH? I thought normally PCP’s went back to the supplying dealer.

[21TonyK]

Ry.Clarke said:

It won’t be checked, when we traded the missus A1 back in at the end of hers, they only spent ~23 seconds looking at it; went straight to BCA Auction.

It’s not very honest not to do it, but there certainly nothing saying you have too.

When my 1 series went back BCA rocked up late PM, spent 10 mins chatting and drove off. Went straight to the auction.

Mine was due a service within 1000 miles and I'd done my own brakes and reset the service indicator myself a few months before.

No way I was paying PITA local BMW dealer close on a grand a week before the car went back especially as it was no longer used!

[AddyT.]

shtu said:

AddyT. said:

there is additional outlay going in for other repairs like alloy wheels before it goes back

You -really- need to dig out the paperwork.

It's almost always cheaper to pay the "penalty" for wheel damage, than to have them done yourself.


As for the btakes, the dealer will be ladling on the doom and gloom, because brakes are the most profitable job they do. Again, there's almost certainly no contractual requirement to do them.

Absolutely Shtu and something I have been trying to weigh up. They apparently allow up to 50mm of what I would call kerb rash. They have two conflicting documents. One says if the wheels buggered its basically a replacement wheel but not the cost. The other intimates £500 for a new wheel. Problem is all four wheels need some work. Three have kerb rash but one has a bad gouge. A wheel specialist has looked at it and the last owner has already had that wheel done before so its touch and go there’s enough purchase left for them to repair as new as they are diamond cut.

The price from the wheel specialist sorry to add to sort all four wheels is £654 all in.

Edited by AddyT. on Monday 21st April 10:54

[AddyT.]

Sheepshanks said:

ninepoint2 said:

Well known Main Dealer scam, we had it for two years on a JLR product which was fine at MOT, as said above if all else is good ignore it, BCA will not inspect to that level.

I wonder if they even look - in the last couple of years we’ve twice had cars where the rears have worn to the metal between services.

I use a few different brand dealers and anything VW Group seems on a different level in terms of attempted upselling - I was warned on one car about 4.5mm tyres “being close to the 3mm European legal limit”. There’s no such thing.


OP - is this PCP or PCH? I thought normally PCP’s went back to the supplying dealer.

Apologies this is a PCP, but I am VT’ing the car after three years with one year left to go. Not taking a new Audi or going into another PCP

[Mandat]

AddyT. said:

Apologies this is a PCP, but I am VT’ing the car after three years with one year left to go. Not taking a new Audi or going into another PCP

Have you considered selling the car via WBAC, Motorway, etc?

Assuming that you can get the same amount as the settlement figure (if not more), the servicing, brakes, wheels & any other issues that might get found won't be a problem anymore.

[AddyT.]

Mandat said:

AddyT. said:

Apologies this is a PCP, but I am VT’ing the car after three years with one year left to go. Not taking a new Audi or going into another PCP

Have you considered selling the car via WBAC, Motorway, etc?

Assuming that you can get the same amount as the settlement figure (if not more), the servicing, brakes, wheels & any other issues that might get found won't be a problem anymore.

Thank you Mandat that’s a great shout! I was looking at a used new shape RS3 a few weeks ago (before deciding not to do PCP again) and they contacted VWFS regarding trading it in and it’s £4k in negative equity! Apparently its because of the mileage its done. Got the car with 20k on a 4 year term doing 20k a year. Its currently at 78k 3 years in so am bang on target so no idea why they didn’t think I would actually do the mileage allowance as was clear about that from the offset!

[loskie]

OP

It's going to auction.
It will be bought by a car dealer to re sell.

Don't get any work done when you get rid of it.
It is in no way dishonest it's prudent.

You'd be mad to spend money on it unnecessarily.

[AddyT.]

loskie said:

OP

It's going to auction.
It will be bought by a car dealer to re sell.

Don't get any work done when you get rid of it.
It is in no way dishonest it's prudent.

You'd be mad to spend money on it unnecessarily.

Thank you Loskie and totally hear you

I’ve done some more research following other replies and the kerb rash wheels dont command large fees if they decide to charge me which is good. The gouged one is the one of concern as that definitely (according to VWFS’ guide) isn’t kerb rash and a replacement wheel will be £600. Here’s pictures below. May not do it justice but thought I would post in case it helps explain my predicament a bit more! “Gouge” the wheel specialists picked out is the trickiest part to repair as the last owner had already had the wheel cut and repaired before I got it…obviously didn’t know this.

[Sheepshanks]

At least you've had some decent use out of it - 58K in 3yrs isn't bad going. I'm always amazed by people who lash out a lot of money on a car to do 5K/yr.