Where do you service your not so new car?
- Thread starter tsobo
- Start date
Caporegime
An Elise is not a Kuga.
But I'm really only posting to add to the procession of "use a local independent". Ford dealers are not at the same level of cost as some other manufacturers but you can usually still make a significant saving (although things may have changed in the decade since I last had a Ford...). I'd ask friends and neighbours who they use, rather than relying on websites if possible.
Soldato
My 16 year old Mondeo goes to a local Indy that has been running donkeys years and has a decent reputation. I’ve never understood why people spend dealership money on old bangers but I’ve worked with people who spend more than a car is worth on an annual service!
Same here, and it's great when you find a garage you can trust implicitly.
Soldato
I have noticed it of the stigma is around when you are selling a car, some people want to see full dealership servicing even on a fairly old car.
When in effect the car will be looked after better by an Indy in my experience.
When in effect the car will be looked after better by an Indy in my experience.
Learn to DIY it, it's so easy, in all probability you won't even need a Jack.
Just get the engine a bit warm & run the car onto some wooden blocks to give you a bit of ground clearance to get at the sump plug and/or filter, I do this with my lowered ST220 so a Kuga will be fine for space.
The only remotely complex part on mine is getting to the plugs on the rear bank as the upper intake manifold has to come off but that's 7x13mm bolts & about 10 minutes & they are out.
Air filter is 3 screws to get at, cabin filter 2-3 10mm bolts from memory, fuel filter I think is 1x8mm bolt, oil filter just unscrews. It takes about an hour, of which only about 20 mins is actual work, the rest is waiting for the oil to stop dripping whilst you sit in the house drinking tea.
Just get the engine a bit warm & run the car onto some wooden blocks to give you a bit of ground clearance to get at the sump plug and/or filter, I do this with my lowered ST220 so a Kuga will be fine for space.
The only remotely complex part on mine is getting to the plugs on the rear bank as the upper intake manifold has to come off but that's 7x13mm bolts & about 10 minutes & they are out.
Air filter is 3 screws to get at, cabin filter 2-3 10mm bolts from memory, fuel filter I think is 1x8mm bolt, oil filter just unscrews. It takes about an hour, of which only about 20 mins is actual work, the rest is waiting for the oil to stop dripping whilst you sit in the house drinking tea.
Underboss
I take my one to my local independent, good reputation, I find that particular one is better than all the other garages I've tried, cheap too, sometimes they do things for free like the other day they cleaned out my washer pump etc , no charge
Soldato
Looking at a Ford dealership service for my 2014 Focus and it gives me 3 different prices yet doesn't say what's included in each. Do people really go blind like this when it comes to servicing?
All a service entails in my book is an oil & filter change, air filter change, and if you're really really lucky they might change the pollen filter.
What I do hate are places, especially back street independent garages, who cover the door hinges in white grease. Had it on a 206 10 years ago and I could never get it all off and it made a right mess once it had attracted all the dirt. Never again.
All a service entails in my book is an oil & filter change, air filter change, and if you're really really lucky they might change the pollen filter.
What I do hate are places, especially back street independent garages, who cover the door hinges in white grease. Had it on a 206 10 years ago and I could never get it all off and it made a right mess once it had attracted all the dirt. Never again.
For me, only 2 types of places seem worth using for servicing;
1) Main dealer, preferable, paper trail, proper digital history updated. Mega expensive with some brands and therefore often not worth it against any residual gain.
2) Proper specialist, as in a real one who are known well and who a likely buyer will have heard of. They'll have main dealer grade equipment and only work on that marque and to main agent standards, not a back street place which claims to specialise.
Everywhere else i just see no value in using whatsoever (in fact, negative value, as they likely wont use OEM parts, you get a naff off brand receipt, and you will need to wait around at a garage). Personally I buy the parts from the main dealer, with a headed main dealer receipt filled with the cars mileage and VIN detail, etc. This then at least looks fairly nice in the SH, to have a big wad of matching branded receipts from the local main dealer.
1) Main dealer, preferable, paper trail, proper digital history updated. Mega expensive with some brands and therefore often not worth it against any residual gain.
2) Proper specialist, as in a real one who are known well and who a likely buyer will have heard of. They'll have main dealer grade equipment and only work on that marque and to main agent standards, not a back street place which claims to specialise.
Everywhere else i just see no value in using whatsoever (in fact, negative value, as they likely wont use OEM parts, you get a naff off brand receipt, and you will need to wait around at a garage). Personally I buy the parts from the main dealer, with a headed main dealer receipt filled with the cars mileage and VIN detail, etc. This then at least looks fairly nice in the SH, to have a big wad of matching branded receipts from the local main dealer.
Caporegime
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In my garage, an OBDII resets the clock.
Soldato
I tend to use an indy but I've used Halfords plenty of times too with zero issues. Infact their interest free 4 month payment plan made an unexpected repair easy to stomach.
They have hundreds of garages under their autocentre name so having complaints allover online isn't really surprising. I imagine a lot of indies do crap work without much of a public flogging
They have hundreds of garages under their autocentre name so having complaints allover online isn't really surprising. I imagine a lot of indies do crap work without much of a public flogging
I'll add my vote for - avoid Halfords!
Plenty of good independents around. In some instances I would rather go to an independent than a main dealer. The service is more personal and you general are in contact with the owner and the mechanic that will be carrying out the work.
Also generally is much cheaper
Plenty of good independents around. In some instances I would rather go to an independent than a main dealer. The service is more personal and you general are in contact with the owner and the mechanic that will be carrying out the work.
Also generally is much cheaper
Soldato
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- 12,749
A local honda specialist, well local'ish
Been going for years now since Stretford honda shut down
Best thing to do is join an owner's forum and post up asking for a good indy or specialist within an area you're willing to travel to
Been going for years now since Stretford honda shut down
Best thing to do is join an owner's forum and post up asking for a good indy or specialist within an area you're willing to travel to
Main dealers are expensive but probably the best option' having worked at Halfords as a contract tester and seen the skill levels I would avoid, on some days the highest skill level was a second year apprentice leading the rest with no idea of how cars work.
Good to hear the rumors are true from someone with first hand experience!
Soldato
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- 22 Feb 2014
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been using the same back street garage now for 17 years, and because of me, pretty much my entire family use him.
There is one slight issue, he doesn't like doing paperwork so getting a bill of him is a nightmare, I just managed to get 2 years of bills off him for 2 cars as i was selling them.
£1600!
I think my brother said he is up to 3 years now.
But he is well priced, honest and I trust him, also does loads of small jobs for free a lot of the time, most recent example being I was having battery issues, he swapped over to a spare battery he had a couple of times before we ended up just replacing the battery, which he ended up fitting for free.
There is one slight issue, he doesn't like doing paperwork so getting a bill of him is a nightmare, I just managed to get 2 years of bills off him for 2 cars as i was selling them.
£1600!
I think my brother said he is up to 3 years now.
But he is well priced, honest and I trust him, also does loads of small jobs for free a lot of the time, most recent example being I was having battery issues, he swapped over to a spare battery he had a couple of times before we ended up just replacing the battery, which he ended up fitting for free.