MG HS Auto - Maintaining Warranty

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Wed 8 Mar 2023 09:54
MG HS Auto - Maintaining Warranty - crowncd

Our car is shortly due it's 3 year service but the quality of service we've received from our local MG dealership has been very poor. Pre-booked appointments cancelled at short notice, wrong grade of engine oil used at the last service plus poor communication.

The car has a 7 year warranty (some parts are obviously excluded) which requires that the vehicle is serviced by an MG dealer.

Over the years we've always taken our cars to a local independent garage who have been in business since 1919 and have always been pleased with their service and honesty.

Given the choice we'd like to use our local independent garage but are concerned that as we wish to retain the car for a number of years we don't want to invalidate the warranty.

Would it be wise to take the car further afield to another MG garage or will we retain the warranty if we use the local independent?

Many thanks.

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Wed 8 Mar 2023 10:16
MG HS Auto - Maintaining Warranty - Falkirk Bairn

I would try another MG dealer to see if they are any good.

Another 4 years cover for "big ticket items" is worth a try - surely MG have recruited some good outlets.

I trust my local Indie and have done for 25+ years - the owner has retired and now back working as his son is very ill. Looks like I could be looking for a new Indie at some point - the dad cannot recruit more good mechanics with the skills he needs - he runs a 10+ fleet of mini-buses and has his car customers.

I gave up my Honda outlet for servicing after the 3 year warranty expired as their servicing was hit & miss or rather miss & miss.

No repairs needed in the 7 years since other than a pot-hole damaged front spring.

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Wed 8 Mar 2023 10:41
MG HS Auto - Maintaining Warranty - elekie&a/c doctor
Moving a car outside the dealer network during the warranty period could cause problems. Any work needed during this period could be rejected by the dealer network as they may argue that servicing has not been done to the requirements of the manufacturer. With a 7 year guarantee, I’d want to be in a rock solid position in the event of any claim .
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Wed 8 Mar 2023 11:08
MG HS Auto - Maintaining Warranty - movilogo

One needs to factor maintenance cost while buying any car.

Main dealer service, at least during warranty period, is part of the maintenance.

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Wed 8 Mar 2023 11:23
MG HS Auto - Maintaining Warranty - crowncd

We're more concerned with the poor service than the cost. Appreciate that when you buy a new car main dealer servicing is going to be more expensive and this has to be considered.

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Wed 8 Mar 2023 12:00
MG HS Auto - Maintaining Warranty - _

1. Where in the country are you?

If we know we can make suggestions. Brown & Gammons have a good reputation if you are not too far. Some SAIC MG dealers who have lost the franchise are still servicing centres.

2. MG WILL NOT honour ANY warranty claim with outside dealer servicing. They are bad enough when you have a genuine problem with a new vehicle, so don't count on ANY help.

Edited by _ORB_ on 08/03/2023 at 12:01

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Wed 8 Mar 2023 13:32
MG HS Auto - Maintaining Warranty - crowncd

We are in Cannock, Staffordshire and the local dealer is Brindley MG located in the town.

Our next most local MG dealer is in Wolverhampton also under the Brindley marque. Different staff so maybe better service!

A bit further afield we've an MG garage in Telford and Pinkstones up in Stoke-on-Trent.

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Wed 8 Mar 2023 14:03
MG HS Auto - Maintaining Warranty - _

Read the customer reviews for the dealers...!!!

MG in Longbridge? MG owned dealership.

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Wed 8 Mar 2023 12:10
MG HS Auto - Maintaining Warranty - Chris M

I'd have thought the attraction of buying an MG is the price and the 7 warranty. You don't buy one for the badge or looks (personal choice I know). So to give up on that warranty doesn't make sense to me. I'd be looking for another dealer even if it was some distance away. There must be one close to a decent shopping centre or visitor attraction so you can make a day of it.

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Wed 8 Mar 2023 14:02
MG HS Auto - Maintaining Warranty - Andrew-T

We're more concerned with the poor service than the cost. Appreciate that when you buy a new car main dealer servicing is going to be more expensive and this has to be considered.

I bought my 207SW at 8 months old from a Pug dealer nearly 30 miles away. When servicing time came round I preferred to use my trusted local indie rather than a distant Pug dealer. The indie agreed to check with Peugeot how the warranty terms would be complied with, such as correct grade of oil. No problems have been met since, so I cannot advise, as no warranty was tested. But I know that some makers accept such an arrangement, especially for those owners a long way from a franchised dealership.

All said and done, you are tossing a coin: service, convenience and cost against the chance of possibly expensive repair which is covered by the warranty. Do you feel lucky ?

Edited by Andrew-T on 08/03/2023 at 14:06

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Wed 8 Mar 2023 14:23
MG HS Auto - Maintaining Warranty - Falkirk Bairn

The OP is looking at years 4 to 7 - outside of the average 3 year warranty - check on their T&Cs

Toyota is 3 year warranty - extended to years 4 to10 CONDITIONAL on using Toyota for servicing - going elsewhere there is no extension. 3rd Party warranty would cost at least £250 for even basic cover so the Toyota scheme is a no brainer IMHO

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Thu 9 Mar 2023 11:44
MG HS Auto - Maintaining Warranty - John F

Looks as though MG are making up for their cheap prices by insisting on six presumably expensive services in future. I wonder how much these 'services' cost? Judging from the £200 cost of the first (and last) dealer 'service' for our Peugeot 2008 - for a few checks and 3.5 litres of oil and possibly a filter - I would guess around £1500 in total. Plus probably a full price MoT charge. There is also opportunity to persuade you to have remunerative but unnecessary work, e.g. brake pad replacement before fully worn, brake fluid replacement, windscreen wipers, screenwash etc to add to the bill.

For a low mileage careful driver, the odds of an expensive electromechanical failure in the first few years of a car's life are pretty long these days. If you change the oil yourself every 10,000 miles, you know the right stuff is going in. After 3yrs the MoT inspection duplicates most of the 'service' checks and mentions any immediate or impending maintenance requirements. Why pay twice?

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Thu 9 Mar 2023 11:58
MG HS Auto - Maintaining Warranty - _

The 1.5 petrol ZS i had a few years back was £400 for the 2nd service including 4 spark plugs and all the filters and a new keyfob battery, (mandatory it seems) .

Some dealers charge more..

The price of spares is high, there are few pattern parts available.

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Thu 9 Mar 2023 12:39
MG HS Auto - Maintaining Warranty - paul 1963

Couple of questions to the op, how did you find out the wrong oil had been used? Wonder if that may have already effected your warranty?

Personally all the time it's under warranty I would keep it serviced by the dealer network.

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Thu 9 Mar 2023 19:44
MG HS Auto - Maintaining Warranty - crowncd

The invoice/receipt from the dealer stated which oil they had used and was different from the one specified in the MG handbook.

The garage had previously been a Mitsubishi dealership and I suspect it was the oil they had left over in the service department.

The car has run fine and I've proof that it has been serviced by MG so am not worried about the warranty.

I booked the car in for it's third service some weeks ago reluctantly using the same garage but two days before I was due to take it in I had a phone call to say they couldn't do the service as their computer wasn't working.

When I booked the car in I mentioned that the wrong grade of oil had been used last year. The receptionist said that they'd have to 'get in' the correct grade for me. Appears not a lot has changed and maybe I've had a lucky escape!

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Thu 9 Mar 2023 13:28
MG HS Auto - Maintaining Warranty - Chris M

"The price of spares is high, there are few pattern parts available."

Possibly because the long warranty keeps servicing in the dealer network (as intended), there's little demand at present from aftermarket suppliers. But buyers of new cars will have included service costs as well as spares availability, insurance, tyres etc. in their buying decision. Won't they??? :)

Edited by Chris M on 09/03/2023 at 13:29

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Thu 9 Mar 2023 14:10
MG HS Auto - Maintaining Warranty - skidpan

But buyers of new cars will have included service costs as well as spares availability, insurance, tyres etc. in their buying decision. Won't they??? :)

I do, always have (include depreciation as well), but most cannot see past the sales patter and excitement of a purchase.

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Thu 9 Mar 2023 14:53
MG HS Auto - Maintaining Warranty - pd

You can't always even get spares from MG.

There are some things which have been on back order for months, MG6 clutches for example, which is why they are worth £2.50 second hand to the trade.

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Fri 10 Mar 2023 09:37
MG HS Auto - Maintaining Warranty - Tester

Spark plugs at second service must be quite unusual, isn't it? My Toyota didn't require the plugs out until 60,000 miles. Mind you, they were startlingly expensive when the time came around!

Further to an earlier comment regarding Toyota's conditional 10-year warranty, folks might not know that you can regain the warranty after servicing outwith the dealer network. Mine had a 5-year warranty originally; I took it to an independent for its 6th service but wasn't very happy so went back to a dealer for the next one. I was very pleasantly surprised when they told me it was now covered by the warranty, although I was open about having missed one dealer service.

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