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Sun 24 Jan 2016 18:20

Vauxhall Astra - falsly stamping service book. - chris167

Hi everybody I'm looking for advice regarding a situation that has arisen over the weekend. Ive had my car serviced on Friday thinking it was now due but the local garage that did this strongly believes this was the cars first ever service (at 50k miles!) the garage said it still had the original spark plugs (the garage was amazed they still worked) and the oil filter was in pieces. When I bought the car in august 2014 I was told it was going to be given a service before I collected the car and the book was stamped to indicate this. I am really unhappy about this and would never of bought the car knowing they had not serviced it. After looking into things I have found out now I cannot sell the car knowing it has false history. The car was bought from motor depot. Where do I stand as I feel I was mis sold the car? Chris

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Sun 24 Jan 2016 18:28

Vauxhall Astra - falsly stamping service book. - alan1302

You bought it in August 2014 and are only just having your own first service done?

Howmany miles have you don since you boght the car? Alsodepeding on the age of the car if it had only had one service then the spark plugs probably would not have been change anyway. That's normally on the 2nd main service.

Edited by alan1302 on 24/01/2016 at 18:29

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Sun 24 Jan 2016 18:29

Vauxhall Astra - falsly stamping service book. - chris167

Just under 10k. My concern is the book is stamped but it clearly never had the service which I feel I was mis sold the car under the trade descriptions act

Edited by chris167 on 24/01/2016 at 18:36

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Sun 24 Jan 2016 18:39

Vauxhall Astra - falsly stamping service book. - RT

Official change interval on Vauxhalls using twin-electrode spark plugs was 40,000 miles back in 1998 - things have moved on since then with triple- and quadruple-electrode plugs so it's quite possible your workshop is way behind the times and changed your plugs early.

Modern ECU's and the need for a good clean burn does make plugs last much longer than they used to.

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Sun 24 Jan 2016 18:45

Vauxhall Astra - falsly stamping service book. - chris167

That's good to hear but you can tell it never had the service it is showing stamped in the book. It had an oil change at best which doesn't constitute a service which it is stamped having. Where do I stand on the trade descriptions act.

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Sun 24 Jan 2016 18:53

Vauxhall Astra - falsly stamping service book. - RT

I'm not sure you're in a position to prove anything - being suspicious isn't enough.

Stamps in the service book have long been regarded as useless - you need the invoices which shows more detail - but then cowboys can falsify those as well.

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Sun 24 Jan 2016 19:01

Vauxhall Astra - falsly stamping service book. - chris167

I have the spark plugs and oil filter that were removed would the condition of both not constitute as evidence that the service was not carried out 10k ago?

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Sun 24 Jan 2016 20:00

Vauxhall Astra - falsly stamping service book. - RT

Only with an engineers' report.

Which service did the dealer claimed to have done - standard - extended - major - plugs would only be done on the major - unless you specify in writing any service done as part of a sale deal would be a standard service.

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Sun 24 Jan 2016 20:03

Vauxhall Astra - falsly stamping service book. - alan1302

Did you never notice that the car had done 40k miles without a service when you bought it?

Doubt you have any come back on this at all as it's well over a year from when you bought the car and don't have any proof other than the oil filter that may have just failed. The spark plugs aren't somsething that would necessarily have been changed as mentioned before.

Best thing would be to just keep up with servicing of the car it's it's been running fine and don't worry about it.

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Mon 25 Jan 2016 11:41

Vauxhall Astra - falsly stamping service book. - pd

I very much doubt the Vauxhall schedule includes much other than an oil and filter change in the first 50k miles.

Assuming it has been done to mileage, the interval is 20,000 miles.

It is far from unusual for a car to still be on original plugs at 50k miles and have had a full main dealer history to manufacrurer spec.

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Tue 26 Jan 2016 12:46

Vauxhall Astra - falsly stamping service book. - The Gingerous One

>It is far from unusual for a car to still be on original plugs at 50k miles and have had a full main dealer history to manufacrurer spec.

Agreed, this is quite common place. I have a Jag XF and the plugs aren't due to be changed until 70k.

All the services so far are just oil & filters. Nothing else.

If you asked the selling dealer to service the car prior to you buying it, then when you bought the car, before taking the keys simply check to see if there was clean oil in the engine (assuming its' a petrol).

You could have checked to see if the filter had been changed as well (i.e. does it look very clean) if it was visible.

These are just the things I checked when I went to pick the Jag up. dealer said they would check it over, perform any outstanding factory recalls/rectification work and an oil service and that's what they did. Car had nice clean shiny oil in it when I picked it up, as opposed to the slightly brown stuff it had before.

So after a year, I think it's hard luck. You should check these things before you hand over the cash/debit card.

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Tue 26 Jan 2016 13:00

Vauxhall Astra - falsly stamping service book. - gordonbennet

If nothing else this is another tale that highlights the importance of getting an annual oil and filter change performed, and a quick once over by someone competent if nothing else, 2 years is too long by exactly twice.

Depending on where bought i would never assume that the best of oils or filters have been used when its given its typical quick oil service before sale handover, so would be looking carefully at the oil and filter (assuming its got a dipstick and i do not want a car without, ever) and not be comppletely happy until my own oil had found its way in.

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