What does ‘to the manufacturers service schedule’ really mean? (Alfa Romeo)

Chris1712

Chris1712

Chris1712

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I’m considering a 4C for my next car, but finding a good one is excruciating.

In particular I’d like the 50th Anniversary Spider because it comes with a lot of options which rarely come together otherwise. I’m aware its not a real special edition and has no real value apart from his spec.

Anyway, as SO MANY of them are lease cars they all have completely broken service history. It seems like everyone gave them back a week early or whatever to avoid the 2nd year service, then they bounced around BCA for about 3 months before surfacing at various dealers and THEN being serviced.

Problem is this means nearly every single one has a 2nd service as the 27/28 month mark, not 24 month! Of course the car has been sat still that whole time but I’m worried the manufacturer warranty (3 years) might be awkward about it, and then the extended warranty even more awkward.

I haven’t found any examples yet that aren’t ex-lease with this problem, it’s bloody annoying.

How specific will Alfa be when it comes to a claim? What is the buffer exactly of mileage/age compared to the schedule? Anyone have actual experience with this from any other manufacturers?

If you can all refrain from telling me what a bad choice the 4C is that would be great :p. I’ve done my research and it’s on the short list.
 
Chris1712 said:
I’m considering a 4C for my next car, but finding a good one is excruciating.

In particular I’d like the 50th Anniversary Spider because it comes with a lot of options which rarely come together otherwise. I’m aware its not a real special edition and has no real value apart from his spec.

Anyway, as SO MANY of them are lease cars they all have completely broken service history. It seems like everyone gave them back a week early or whatever to avoid the 2nd year service, then they bounced around BCA for about 3 months before surfacing at various dealers and THEN being serviced.

Problem is this means nearly every single one has a 2nd service as the 27/28 month mark, not 24 month! Of course the car has been sat still that whole time but I’m worried the manufacturer warranty (3 years) might be awkward about it, and then the extended warranty even more awkward.

I haven’t found any examples yet that aren’t ex-lease with this problem, it’s bloody annoying.

How specific will Alfa be when it comes to a claim? What is the buffer exactly of mileage/age compared to the schedule? Anyone have actual experience with this from any other manufacturers?

If you can all refrain from telling me what a bad choice the 4C is that would be great :p. I’ve done my research and it’s on the short list.
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So if you're worried, buy it from a Franchised dealer and get it in writing that they'll honour the warranty?
 
They'll probably have the requirement that to honour it you'll have to have a full service carried out at an authorised dealer.
Also, for the money, there are some much better options out there.
 
Most manufacturers will give a tolerance of X(few thousand normally) miles and a couple of months where they still consider the car to have been serviced on schedule - if you can find out what that is it might help your search a bit.
 
It will very much depend on the dealer, You will get some grace on missed service schedule particularly if its been sat around in a dealer but best talk to the warranty company, on the plus side engine and drivetrain are reliable and you shouldn't really have any trouble on that side but my experience of my Fiat/Alfa dealers is the cars come out worse than they went in, so much so I choose to just mess it up my self these days but then my car doesn't hold value like a 4C :D

Looking at these again myself, prices have barely moved for 3yrs. :(
 
Quick update!

Managed to talk to MOPAR who deal with extended Alfa warranties, and also had a good chat with a service tech at Alfa Swindon.

Gist of it is, roughly 10% leeway for most cases. That’s 10% of the interval, so 1200 miles OR ~5 weeks for the 4C.
Unfortunately with so many being ex lease, they were all handed back early and bounced around auctions for a while before getting their 2nd service. All the ones I’ve enquires about so far are at least 2 months overdue!

Unacceptable on a 2 year old sports car imo, can’t see how they’re going to shift any of these - it’s certainly not priced in.
 
Alfa's CS and warranty is just amazingly, unbelievably appalling. Just buy one out of warranty and get the work done elsewhere - I've been looking at Giulia QF's, and the stories on the AO of people trying to use/extend warranties and get things fixed are beyond believable. It comes to something when even dealers are telling customers not to use Alfa's own MOPAR warranty. Problem is, I've seen the bills for QF's, and you've gotta be mega brave to run one without backup.

Anyway - good choice on the 4C. Yes, they're flawed, but they're future classics and a very safe place to put your money. I was a minutes away from buying a 4C LE about 18 months back from a dealer for £35k. Hesitated (it was solid red which stone chip like ****) and I really wanted the Rosso, and it sold by the afternoon. You try getting a 4C LE for under £40k now :( after a while, I gave up trying to find one I was happy with (color, spec, SH etc) and ended up in an Evora. Would still love to own one.
 
Matmulder said:
Alfa's CS and warranty is just amazingly, unbelievably appalling. Just buy one out of warranty and get the work done elsewhere
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Yep pretty much this

Matmulder said:
I've been looking at Giulia QF's, and the stories on the AO of people trying to use/extend warranties and get things fixed are beyond believable. It comes to something when even dealers are telling customers not to use Alfa's own MOPAR warranty. Problem is, I've seen the bills for QF's,
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Funnily enough I am also looking at these, and the car you have ended up in, when you read the workshop manual on the QF which is an interesting read if you are that way inclined, you wonder how Alfa managed to get it to work, never mind what it will be like in 6 years time, still, I am not put off, but yet to drive it, 4C and Evora a bit more special though.

Chris1712 said:
Managed to talk to MOPAR who deal with extended Alfa warranties, and also had a good chat with a service tech at Alfa Swindon.
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These guys in Swindon...… :o Sales guys lovely but getting stuff done on my car absolutely shocking number of errors, though to be fair they tried to rectify well but wow some fundamental mistakes, even so, I have been driving Alfas/Fiats for decades I have a thick skin :D

Taking my car to another dealer I managed to get warranty support, you really need a dealer that wants to do their jobs rather than fob off.
 
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One of my mates Mrs bought a brand new alfa and after about 12 months the sun roof started leaking. The garage ordered the seal in. She chasde weekly for about 9 months and it was always next week.
In the end she sold it, 9 months of getting dripped on every time it rained wasnt funny, the garage rang up a couple of weeks after she sold it, was just coming upto a year after they had ordered the part.
 
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