Do I need to have my service done by a VW dealer?

[hungerdunger]

The first service on my 1st Edition is nearly due. From what I can gather it consists of an inspection, brake fluid change and pollen filter replacement.

For several years I've taken my VWs (2 sciroccos and a Caddy) to a local garage with no problems. I asked him about doing my ID.3 service and although he knows nothing about ID.3s, he reckons he can do what is necessary for a cheaper price and a lot less hassle (it's a 30 mile drive and the best part of a day to my nearest dealer).

So I need advice please: Firstly if I go to my local garage instead of VW, will it have any effect on my warranty? Secondly does anyone know what the "inspection" entails? Is it the sort of thing an experienced mechanic with no experience of the ID.3 could do, or does it involve specialist knowledge?

[gailjon]

I would go to VW for the ID3. There are too many things to go awry with the warranty for the sake of a two year inspection. Without knowing the exact checks that VW do it would IMHO be a riak too far in case anything happens within the warranty period.

[Scratch]

Sort of reluctantly agree with gailjon. Although, I think any workshop can do it if they follow the VW recommendations and use their parts. The issue would be if they do need parts. Parts in general are in short supply, especially bespoke parts. My question would be, how is the online service record kept up to date?

[chrisfs]

Much of the work will be perfectly straightforward, but most mechanics aren’t going to have a scoobies what to do with an electric motor nor the software side of things.

I plan to stick to VW for mine. Of course they may not have a scoobies either for anything out of the ordinary but they will have an obligation and the resources to sort it out.

[monkeyhanger]

I'm pretty sure that the only parts needed for servicing are the pollen filter, and the brake fluid change (although it would be far more responsible for VW to request a moisture test on brake fluid in place and only replace if necessary.

EU law (yes, most of that still applies in post-Brexit UK) allows you to get your car serviced anywhere using official parts/consumables and following the same regime.

There seems to be none of the service checks that require specialist equipment or connection to VAGCOM that an unfranchised garage won't have.

The garages just need to be clued up on the full scope of visual checks around motor and battery connections.

[daern]

There are too many things to go awry with the warranty for the sake of a two year inspection.

A reminder that Block Exemption rules in the UK do not permit manufacturers to tie car warranties to franchised dealer servicing or parts. These are actually up for review next year, so it will be interesting to see what comes from it, but I can't see them being revoked: https://www.gov.uk/cma-cases/motor-vehi ... regulation

Obviously, you may wish to maintain a full set of dealer stamps in order to increase residual value, but it looks to me like this service is really just a tyre-kicking exercise. Would be different if you needed a software update, or anything more specific to the EV, of course (and this would be warranty work anyway, I presume), but otherwise I'm not sure I'd bother.

[Goode]

Having spent £30,000 or so on a car I don’t think I’d be too worried about saving a few pounds on a service that’s only needed after two years.. OK it might be a bit overpriced but in the scheme of things a drop in the ocean of the cost of buying and running a car.

[Big277wave]

Given that a brake fluid change is around £50-£70 and the pollen filter costs around £10 and any numpty could change it in a minute it's hard to see how they justify the charge. As far as I can see the only check that's done that's not on a MOT test is a visual check of the HV cables and you can get an MOT test for less than £50, there is of course no emissions test which takes up a substantial part of the test, so £100 for a service including pollen filter change sounds fair, if you want a courtesy car then perhaps you should be charged an extra £40 for a basic model.

[monkeyhanger]

Having spent £30,000 or so on a car I don’t think I’d be too worried about saving a few pounds on a service that’s only needed after two years.. OK it might be a bit overpriced but in the scheme of things a drop in the ocean of the cost of buying and running a car.

It's not "a few pounds" though, Nissan dealerships charge £129 for the same scope of works on a Leaf. The service pack that VW and Cupra are touting is £339, and if you're lucky, you might get the VW one for £199 with the 2.4 workshop update with battery replacement. To date, Cupra offer collection and drop off of your vehicle too to try and justify the eye watering charge. Its not that it's a colossal amount of money, its that it's for a colossal amount of money for the scope of works.

VW and most other BEV manufacturers tout low servicing costs as a benefit of BEV ownership, but are charging costs I'd associate with a Golf GTI, which include the cost of 6L of fully synthetic oil to (more convincingly) justify the cost.

[Big277wave]

With a two year service interval and 3 year warranty, you only have to go to a VW dealership once to avoid problems should you need the warranty.

[dodders]

Do you need to service at VW after the three years is up bearing in mind there's a battery warranty for 8 years?

[monkeyhanger]

Do you need to service at VW after the three years is up bearing in mind there's a battery warranty for 8 years?

Nope, the battery is not a serviceable item, so doesn't need any maintenance. It only needs looking at under warranty if it goes wrong.

This could lead to costly out of warranty work though - if you have an issue that seems battery related between years 3 and 8 but the battery issue is only the symptom and not the cause.

[TimF]

When our car comes up to 2 years it will go to our local non-franchised workshop, which has given us excellent service and servicing for decades. I checked with them that they'd be able to do the servicing before we bought the car. With our previous car, a Hyundai, the only time it went to the Hyundai dealer was for the "anti-perforation" inspections required at 1, 3 and 5 years to maintain the anti-corrosion warranty.

[Mensrea]

Hi don't you have five years free service program with your ID3. here in Denmark is for free just asked your service dealer for more info

[Scratch]

Hi don't you have five years free service program with your ID3. here in Denmark is for free just asked your service dealer for more info

This is rip-off Britain, so I doubt whether any deal like that would be available.