A4 Servicing Costs

[markpetty]

I've just had my second variable service done on my 1.8T (190), the car's two years old and has done 31000 miles. It cost me £237 from an independant. This included the standard long life service and the brake fluid change that you need after 2 years on the A4.

I'd be interested to know how much other people have paid at dealers/independants for their servicing. I know someone who just had their TT done at a dealer and it cost £400 for the actual service and something like £150-£200 for the additional haldex service, I can't remember exact figures.

I was happy with the place I went to, although a bit apprehensive at first as I'd never used anyone apart from a dealer before.

 

[AndyMac]

It's definately the way forward, dealers generally are just taking the pi$$, too used to dealing with lease cars and charging way over the odds for parts they don't even make and their £90+ per hour labour rates are a joke.
There are some good ones but they tend to be the exception (see the excellent write up on cambelt change on here).
They can't even agree on the labour needed for routine jobs, with some charging over double for the same task.
Definately a good move on your part, you've saved at least £200 on that service alone!

 

[A6QuattroDriver]

one of the reasons I made the jump and purchased my car in the Audi Used Car event of last month as it has given me 2 years Unlimited Servicing for routine items such as Oils, Fluids & Labour, still debating over the Timing Belt - because I think from the pre event publicity material provided by Audi it is included - they of course have other ideas !

I know that as soon as this deal is over and my warranty will be expired on mileage alone I'll be heading straight for the independants

 

[gizze]

I have just been quoted £362 for a 30,000 mile service and brake fluid change on our A6 that was registered January 2004.
It would have cost me around £250 from an independant but I can't see the point of trying to save £100 now because I know I will loose a lot more than that when I sell the car in 12 months, or find it harder to sell without full Audi stamps in the book.
I sold our '98 1.9tdi sport avant and it had full audi stamps to 64k miles and then independant stamps at 76k, 88k and 99k and this put people off a car with 100k miles on it and 5 years old. If you are likely to keep it for years and years then I guess it really doesn't matter, but if you are thinking of only keeping it another 2 years that £100 saving may come back to haunt you.

 

[AndyMac]

If it's still under warranty then stick with the dealer, but anyone put off a 100k mile car by lack of FASH was never gonna buy the car anyway as they clearly haven't got a clue what they're doing. It also needs to be a reputable specialist not just any old independent.
Appreciate for £100 saving on a relatively new car it's not worth it, but that was on a 10k service where they basically do nothing apart from change the oil. If you are only doing 10k miles in 2 years then again the saving is minimal, but with normal 15k miles a year driving you are looking at over £500 saving plus any other work like timing belt brakes etc which really starts to add up.
In the first 2 years of switching over to an Audi specialist we made a saving of over £1300 in 2 years on 2 cars and it was a much more pleasurable experience than dealing with Southampton Audi. Even if they charged the same I'd rather give my money to Autotechnik any day of the week.

 

[AndyMac]

When I sold my wifes A3TS (67k on the clock, 6 years old) it had the last 3 services done by Autotechnik and the guy who bought it actually appreciated the better standard of work you get from a good specialist as he'd had Audi's before.
I guess if you've got kwik fit stamps in the book then it's not gonna impress anyone, but specialist stamps are as good if not better these days.

 

[markpetty]

It will be interesting to see whether people are put off or not. I sold my last car at two years old, the one before at four years and the one before that at five years (all private sales) and I can't remember anyone ever checking the service record

I am inclined to think that it won't make any difference as the stamp in the book says "Audi" and the average joe won't look beyond that, I'll definitely be going back to the same garage, which in case anyone's interested is M Chapman in St. Albans. I checked the car over afterwards to make sure they'd done everything and it was all spot on.

The dude that owns it reckons he gets a discount on tyres from the supplier and passes half of it on to the customer. Since I'm due a set of 4 in a few months I'm going to go back and see what the deal is, if it's good I'll let you know.

btw. I'll tell you all in three years when I sell it if I lose money

 

[gizze]

I think that people sometimes become more anal about servicing when it goes out of warranty.

Have a look here...

http://www.amdtechnik.com/product.details.cfm?ProductID=839&VariantID=14&ReferenceID=4942

Inspection 2 for your 1.8T (190bhp) with AMD is £220 including vat, and that is one stamp I would prefer than main dealer.

 

[markpetty]

Hmm, I don't really trust AmD after a bad experience there. On the flip side if you're an AmD fan then it's still cheaper than a dealer. It's £40 more than I paid before VAT though; my price included the 2 year brake fluid change as well.

 

[stressfrees3]

2003 A4 1.9TDI 130bhp...£530 . Dont let them change your wipers £22.99+vat each. The service did include a front brake pad change. I have no choice its under warranty

 

[markpetty]

You do have a choice, you keep your warranty now if the independant does it to the same standard as a dealer. This all changed as part of an update to the block exemption laws.

 

[AndyMac]

That's the theory, but when Audi weasel out of blatant warranty work when they've done all the servicing I'd hate to think of the additional weaselling if it's via an independent.

 

[jwo]

I am keep my A4 130tdi (03) serviced by audi until out of warranty. Then off to VagTech near leighton buzzard. Jon -the owner- decent chap, did brake pads and discs all round for just over £300 (Audi discs and pagid pads)

 

[howatsi]

Also don't you invalidate the Audi Assistance if you have you serviced outside the Audi network?

 

[markpetty]

Is that the breakdown thing you get with the car? If so then that only lasted for the first year on my car so it didn't need to be serviced until after it expired.