Independent Vs Main Dealer

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JoeS3

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Been looking for an audi s3 for about 4/5 months now. (2007-2009 plates)

Ive been to 3 independent dealers and i'm finding it hard to trust these shifty fellas. just plain rude.
Ive test driven 3 cars - 2 with clutch slips and the other was just terrible yet the mileage was under 35k & just recently serviced.
They're warranty isnt exactly warming either. half of them dont even cover the main points.

Question: How easy is it to clock a car? roll back the mileage


im not one to generalise as i bought my previous car through an independent dealer but these days its different. im just thinking of paying a little extra to go for a main dealer


whats your thoughts? is it worth the extra...

Thanks!
 
Easy £40 for just dash £70 for Ecu and dash
 
'sakes

thanks for the info.

must be happening everywhere then..
 
audi upgrades
im thinking theres no way of actually knowing is genuine mileage then?

even if the car had full audi service history, doesnt mean anything.
someone can just come along .... flash the car and make a few extra quid on it.
 
sliced said:
Easy £40 for just dash £70 for Ecu and dash
Click to expand...

Depends on the year, chassis & systems, that's very cheap tbh & I for one do not condone this illegal activity.

I only use 1 guy when we need to fit a used cluster & return mileage to the legal values, we never clock cars ever & anyone that does needs to be arrested & charged accordingly, I'll happily report anyone that does, as all it does is rips of joe public into paying more for a car that's worth thousands less, disgusting.
 
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JoeS3 said:
im thinking theres no way of actually knowing is genuine mileage then?

even if the car had full audi service history, doesnt mean anything.
someone can just come along .... flash the car and make a few extra quid on it.
Click to expand...

I guess any supporting documentation i.e. servicing, receipts, MOT might help shed some light on suspect mileage. If there isn't any or something doesn't stack up = walk away!
 
the general consensus is that audi s3 have weak clutches, and a simple stage 1 remap would very likely make it slip. So mileage could be correct but its just the fact that its been remapped with extra torque would make it slip. Also they are performance cars, so do expect them to be booted around quite a bit.
 
​yes of course, the MOT mileage would shed some light. true.
 
JoeS3 said:
im thinking theres no way of actually knowing is genuine mileage then?

even if the car had full audi service history, doesnt mean anything.
someone can just come along .... flash the car and make a few extra quid on it.
Click to expand...

Its a very risky business tbh, if you get caught you're royally fecked bit time, they really go to town on you with massive fines & potentially jail time, so anyone that nats to invest thousands in the tool, if they pick an undercover guy to clock, then its game over, its not worth the risk whatsoever.
 
Depending on how old the cars in question are, MOT's can be checked online & should have mileage recorded.

FWIW I went the main dealer. You will pay more, but you can't beat the warranty cover Audi give you & the peace of mind that comes with the feeling your expensive purchase is mechanically sound ...take it to an indi for your servicing needs when your warranty runs out.
 
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sure, perhaps you're right NHN. but once the car exchanges hands a few times, theres no way of knowing who did the clocking in the first place
but yeh, risky business

Artimus, can i use the warranty at ANY audi dealership?
 
Yes! It's almost as good as a new car warranty, as they supposedly check the vehicle history (including mileage) before they'll offer them for sale.
 
They would find out who did it by a natural deduction of mot's, owners etc, so these people can try & hide but they will get caught & justifiably so.

Tone the bold text done mate please, its considered shouting on forums :)
 
I Bought my 07 s3 from bradford audi and I'm pretty glad I did as it's been back for warranty work several times.

All I would say is I'd research the dealer you buy it from as not all main dealers are perfect, bradford being one.
Ive had no end of trouble with some of the warranty being honoured, and after some quick research I've found that bradford have been pretty poor with other people.

However after speaking to audi uk I've realised warranty can be honoured at any audi dealership.

Thats just my 2p's worth :)
 
thanks!

art, is there anywhere i can check what a 2nd hand warranty covers?
 
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2nd hand warranties are tbh mostly shxt, you'd be lucky to get anything covered without written proof from an independent trusted body or a vosa intervention advising it isn't wear & tear lol.
 
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cheers lank.
suppose its a good idea to research good audi dealerships before taking your warranty issues to them.

will do!
 
NHN said:
2nd hand warranties are tbh mostly shxt, you'd be lucky to get anything covered without written proof from an independent trusted body or a vosa intervention advising it isn't wear & tear lol.
Click to expand...

you mean audi ones?
 
As NHN said, third party warranties cover EVERYTHING until you make a claim, then they cover NOTHING & you're left relying on Goodwill gestures... so if the Indy's have been Rude or Ignorant before you buy, guess what they'll be like to go back to with a claim.
 
Sorry, I should of written aftermarket warranties, I've found audi ones to be good & fair mostly tbh.
 
I think this is a relevent thread to link into here. The chap bought it from an independent dealer after Audi auctioned it off away from their network.

http://www.audi-sport.net/vb/genera...t-now-its-been-stolen-recovered-repaired.html

I looked at a few at independent dealers and they where all nails, high milers with tatty interior's etc with no spec. In the end i went for one from Audi, low milage that had a top spec & a DSG box. I paid literally thousands more than i was going to but at the time it was the only one that ticked all the boxes so i just went for it!

As it happens i had it on a Dyno yesterday and the results where lots higher than what i expected, i was a little nervous before it went on but i was amazed. Dead smooth power curve with 280BHP and 296Ftlb peak values! The torque is around 40Ftlb higher than factory quotes!
 
I bought my S3 just over 2 weeks ago from an independent.
It took over a month and hundreds of miles of going to view these pristine cars only to be let down.
Some of the cars I viewed were main dealer cars asking top money which looked more like trade cars. As above if it doesn't sound or look 100% then walk away.
 
thanks dave, that was quite a read!


absolutely marshy, if in doubt just walk off.
these indi's just dont give me any confidence anymore. im going for main dealer and paying the extra!
 
JoeS3 said:
thanks dave, that was quite a read!


absolutely marshy, if in doubt just walk off.
these indi's just dont give me any confidence anymore. im going for main dealer and paying the extra!
Click to expand...

Could always buy privately :)
 
JoeS3 said:
thanks dave, that was quite a read!


absolutely marshy, if in doubt just walk off.
these indi's just dont give me any confidence anymore. im going for main dealer and paying the extra!
Click to expand...
No worries, its a high performance car and repairs will be expensive, at least buying from a main dealer you have 12 months total peace of mind with the option to extend afterwards! I know i couldn't afford an expensive repair after forking out tens of thousands on a car within 12 months!
 
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