Warranty servicing

Honest John Back Room » The Back Room Archive
What is life like with your car? Let us know and win £500 in John Lewis vouchers | No thanks
View Threaded
Tue 16 Apr 2002 11:33
Warranty servicing - Ian L
There has been much made on this site of having a main dealer
service record 'to keep the warranty'. This was made illegal in Australia, now the warranty states that the car must be maintained/serviced as per the manufacturers schedule. So the owner can get whomever they like to do the servicing. Now there are specialist garages who keep all of the required equipment
for a few makes (mind you 90% of Oz cars are Ford, Holden or Toyota) and follow the manufacturers schedule exactly, stamp the book and you keep the warranty.

I may be wrong but this came about because of a Euro-court ruling that was taken up down under.

Any ideas if this is the case in Europe?

Ian L.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 16 Apr 2002 12:18
Re: Warranty servicing - Pete W
I didn't think you were obliged to use the dealer in Europe but simply have to stick to the service routine as laid down. However, 'dealer' history is more desirable and I am not sure I'd enjoy arguing the toss with the dealer over a warranty issue after having it serviced up the road.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 16 Apr 2002 12:18
Re: Warranty servicing - John S
Ian

Interesting question. I believe that the suppliers cannot insist on work being done by their dealerships to maintain waranty. I have just checked my Vauxhall warranty and, while it's carefully worded, it doesn't explicitly say that service and repair work must be carried out by a Vauxhall dealership. It does say the work must be carried out by a 'Dealership' (it doesn't say a 'Vauxhall Dealership') to Vauxhall recomendation and only genuine Vauxhall parts must be used (no surprise). The insistence on a 'dealership' implies that DIY servicing is not acceptable.

It seems that if you go outside the makers organisation, it's up to you to prove work was to their standards. If it's done by their dealers, then they cannot argue, so that's why most owners take the easy option.

I'll just use a genuine filter and keep quiet about the 6 month oil changes.

Regards

John
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 16 Apr 2002 16:02
Re: Warranty servicing - TG
Due to the rip-off (in my opinion), quote from my local Mazda dealer,I asked Mazda UK whether using a non-franchised dealer would affect the warranty on my wife's MX5.

They advised that as long as Mazda parts (oil filter etc.), were used the warranty would be unaffected. They did say however that there would be no goodwill payments for faults occuring after the warranty had expired
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 16 Apr 2002 21:10
Re: Warranty servicing - philip hamson
the mercedes warranty requires mercedes servicing but it does not demand Mercedes U.K. servicing. It is worth our while to have the car serviced abroad in Germany and france so far, at genuine Mercedes Garages so getting the all important M.B. stamp in the book. My view is that if the Mercedes Benz U.K. garages all get changed anyway what special treatment am i going to get from one of the big Mercedes retail centres when they have taken away the franchise from the garage where i have paid over the top for my British servicing. Has any one done any research on dealer servicing in Calais or Hook of holland ? Now that would be something for Quentin to get his teeth into and research?
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 16 Apr 2002 22:55
Re: Warranty servicing - Mark
There have been things on the motoring TV progs before showing the large savings to be had from franchised dealers in Calais.

Paid for the trip over - and of course you can fill up with dirt cheap diesel and fill the boot up with beer and fags on the way back!

Mad not to if you live in the south east - bit of a trek from the Midlands tho ...
Reply | Report as offensive | Link

10 warranty myths exposed

Here’s how to sort the fact from the fiction when it comes to car warranties.

Cheap Car Warranties

Looking for a garage you can trust? Honest John's Good Garage Guide has thousands of reader recommended garages, plus how-to guides and tips on servicing.

The Good Garage Guide