Landy Defender's 24000 mile service
Discussion
Just been quoted £739.00 plus VAT for his 24000 mile service ,Can any one give me a clue what landrover actually do for this obscene amount of money , This is my first landrover so I'm pretty green regarding the level of care it needs , but a broad outline of the work they will be carrying out would be appreciated , I know I could have asked the dealer , but when he quoted the price I was gobsmacked , thanks in advance ... ps its a 2005 defender 90 xs
AFAIK as long as you get it serviced at a garage then LR have to honour the warranty, so I'd be looking for a local independent specialist. IIRC a 24k service involves fluid changes for the diffs, transfer box, gearbox and engine as well as the usual checks and lubing. It took me most of a day to do my 110, but I'm very much an amateur and I did it in the street.
Bear in mind that it's not Land Rover who are asking you for a grand to change the oil etc, but the dealer. The dealer has expensive plastic pot plants to maintain and a high end coffee machine to keep topped up. Someone has to pay for this, so it might as well be you!
I, too, am astounded by the charges dealers make for servicing (we recently forked out £500 for a 24k oil change on a TD4 Freelander) and I'm not too keen to keep giving them cash.
Perhaps this is why the VIP scheme on Range Rovers is so popular?
I, too, am astounded by the charges dealers make for servicing (we recently forked out £500 for a 24k oil change on a TD4 Freelander) and I'm not too keen to keep giving them cash.
Perhaps this is why the VIP scheme on Range Rovers is so popular?
I think people are absolutely crazy to use a main dealer for servicing. And the irony being that they charge you for work IN MY EXPERIENCE that they do not largely bother doing. Their credo is no longer 'Customer is King' - but 'Customer is a Mug' - and it usually applies.
As others have said - a good independent, who will do the work for a fraction of the price, and actually LOOK AFTER your vehicle, and not see you as a cash cow. And your warranty will be intact, as long as they've followed a Landrover recommended servicing schedule, & used Landrover genuine parts throughout (which is no bad thing).
I didn't even buy my Landie until I'd found and researched the indie I'd be using. Pointless (IMO) owning one unless you're into car mechanics, or have found a good service shop.
I use Autoland 4x4 in Houghton Regis, and as it is to visit them is a 60-mile round trip - which is nothing for the peace-of-mind they provide. I'd happily travel 100/150 miles to be sure that only they work on my vehicle.
A while ago (around 80,000 mile mark) my TD5 seemed to be misfiring. Over the PHONE Andy was pretty confident it was the injector harness, and hopefully the cheaper, upper part. £90 later - it was indeed all fixed! I wake up in a cold sweat at the thought of what that simple problem would have led me through - had I used a main dealer, as they fumbled and guessed their way through what the problem could be. Oh - that was being accommodating - as they realised that they could charge me a good couple of Grand to replace a £35 wiring loom.
As others have said - a good independent, who will do the work for a fraction of the price, and actually LOOK AFTER your vehicle, and not see you as a cash cow. And your warranty will be intact, as long as they've followed a Landrover recommended servicing schedule, & used Landrover genuine parts throughout (which is no bad thing).
I didn't even buy my Landie until I'd found and researched the indie I'd be using. Pointless (IMO) owning one unless you're into car mechanics, or have found a good service shop.
I use Autoland 4x4 in Houghton Regis, and as it is to visit them is a 60-mile round trip - which is nothing for the peace-of-mind they provide. I'd happily travel 100/150 miles to be sure that only they work on my vehicle.
A while ago (around 80,000 mile mark) my TD5 seemed to be misfiring. Over the PHONE Andy was pretty confident it was the injector harness, and hopefully the cheaper, upper part. £90 later - it was indeed all fixed! I wake up in a cold sweat at the thought of what that simple problem would have led me through - had I used a main dealer, as they fumbled and guessed their way through what the problem could be. Oh - that was being accommodating - as they realised that they could charge me a good couple of Grand to replace a £35 wiring loom.
Edited by Arif110 on Tuesday 6th February 09:40
Some excellent advice there gentlemen , I have now sourced a local independent garage who has quoted me less than half of what landrover quoted , he also assures me that they use l/rover parts and follow a landrover schedule , Fantastic ..... My next question is what is the best way to find out this garages reputation ... Cheviot 4x4 newcastle upon tyne ? A little bit more advice would be appreciated .. Thanks again
FYO I found a Specialist to service our 06 Freelander (First Service).It's true
the Manufacturer's Warranty is still valid if you use a Non Franchise Dealer providing you use LR parts etc.Its worth mentioning No Car Manufacturer can dictate were he or she should get there car serviced.If you paid cash for the LR thats fine,it won't effect you.But if you've got a Lease/Purchase Plan its still worth checking the small print and phoning the Lease company to make sure you can use the Specialist.It will be interesting to see wether the LR Dealer will still honour the GMFV in 3 years time though.
the Manufacturer's Warranty is still valid if you use a Non Franchise Dealer providing you use LR parts etc.Its worth mentioning No Car Manufacturer can dictate were he or she should get there car serviced.If you paid cash for the LR thats fine,it won't effect you.But if you've got a Lease/Purchase Plan its still worth checking the small print and phoning the Lease company to make sure you can use the Specialist.It will be interesting to see wether the LR Dealer will still honour the GMFV in 3 years time though.
jtscaff said:
More great advice lads , one thing that puzzles me is something that seltaeb said , what does the abbrv GMFV stand for , Thanks in advance
Hi jtscaff
GMFV stands for "Guaranteed Minimum Future Value".In other words it means when you take your LR back to the Dealer you got it from when the 3 year Lease is up,you are given 3 options .Give it back and walk away (Laughing).Or buy the car from him at the pre agreed
price (as above).Or the one he will most likely want you to take, is to Part Exchange the car using GMFV .If its worth more you can use the extra cash to put against another new one.He must offer you the GMFV but its a chance you take ,but they may try to pick holes in your Service history if its not stamped up with an Offical LR dealer and thus reducing the PX value.(Thats me being cynical)
Sorry its a bit long winded its all on the LR Website under Finance.
jtscaff said:
Some excellent advice there gentlemen , I have now sourced a local independent garage who has quoted me less than half of what landrover quoted , he also assures me that they use l/rover parts and follow a landrover schedule , Fantastic ..... My next question is what is the best way to find out this garages reputation ... Cheviot 4x4 newcastle upon tyne ? A little bit more advice would be appreciated .. Thanks again
Believe it or not - it's often a 'vibe' thing, if you can't source customer feedback. From their website - it seems that they are true enthusiasts - and that is a large part of what you need. They specialise in Landrover - another box ticked.
Next just go along one day, have a chat with them - see the workshop - and you'll get a feel about the whole thing.
They seem very good, & if I were looking - I'd definitely be giving them a shout. Good find - and you'll know from Day 1 whether or not they try pulling fast ones or not at all. Mine more often than not are advising me how long I can get away without having to spend money on solving a problem or issue, taking into account what lifestyle the vehicle has with me of course. It's just great to know that the people looking after your car have your interests at heart (cos that's good business) - looking after your vehicle properly, and keeping your costs as low as possible.
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