lloydee

iTrader: (2)

My car's due a service anytime soon. Although it's only on about 15k miles, I believe it's due for its 2 year service being a late 06.

Not sure whether to take it to main dealer, or to a independent specialist.

What's involved with a 2-year/20k service?

Also, any idea what dealers charge for this privilege?

winker

iTrader: (1)

where r u based

lloydee

iTrader: (2)

Am in London

ISLANDMAGEEZER!

I'll keep this short,no to dealers.Now in my experience they dont really care,you'll get it scratched somewhere,it is far,far to expensive and the guys i talked to didn't really seem to know to much.Im not saying they are all like that, but i found a really good subaru specialist who has a passion for the cars and isnt all about the money.And his 30000 mile service cost less than half the amount the dealers wanted.

snerkler

There are good and bad garages everywhere. I personally took my old scoob to the main dealers and they were excellent. I'm not based London though. The next issue is warranty. As long as the garage uses genuine subaru parts you are still covered under warranty. However you could meet some resistance so have to fight your corner. I always think that you're always best to go down to the garage and make some enquiries. If they sound like cowboys and full of bs then don't book in. To be fair there's many more good garages than bad. Also ring round for prices, can vary a lot even between main dealers.

Soobmeister

As a main dealer I DO care. Accidents occur all over the place but dealers afaik do not set out to scratch cars. Ring round for prices, bet you could get a main dealer service for not much more than an independant charges.

scoobyboy

specialists make me laugh with the way they are recommended on here, like one of them on here that recently fitted an uprated anti roll bar and failed to notice knackered arb links they also failed to tighten the said knackered arb links up enough to grip the arb, not to mention the wheel bearing was hanging out it was unbelievable.
go dealer and get it looked at properly

F1 CJE UK

iTrader: (8)

take it to a GOOD specialists They will use better oils etc and charge you similar or less.

Dedrater

Dealers in my experience are shockingly bad, scratched door, broken front headlight, dent in wing, just some of the things I have experienced.

A good independent actually cares and more to the point knows what he is doing.

s70rjw

iTrader: (2)

Brecks Subaru main dealer in York took 2 days to program a key, and failed. Then fitted my rear shocks without the bushes.As aleady posted there are good and bad.Since my bad experience, I've gone independent and won't go back.

dunx

iTrader: (3)

All depends on your attitude to keeping the warranty intact, I'd advise a good dealer, and then a recommended specialist. Mine was employed at my local dealers... till they dropped the franchise, and he set-up on his own !

HTH

dunx

Dedrater

As long as a garage meets all the manufacturer's required services and intervals designated to keep the warranty valid, keeps records that detail every service performed, your warranty remains valid.

You have no need to go to a dealer.

scoobyboy

better back up from a dealer though as it's all official, specialists are a defo no go in my eyes they make too many mistakes not to mention leave cars in a dangerous state to drive

Dedrater

No it isn't, much worse and it is as official.

Prices are considered less if two identical cars are being sold, same millage, but one is dealer stamped.

People would pay more for it being serviced by a pro.

scoobyboy

nope have to disagree there if i was buying a car i wouldn't look at one if it had a specialist service history they are useless i know because i have to put right what they can't do properly

richie001

iTrader: (3)

Scoobyboy,Ive have two very bad experience with 2 Dealer's and would never go to a dealer again.One was to have my MY98 UK Turbo MOT and service,they told me that it would be ready by 2pm,i got there at 2:30pm and the car wasn't ready,went back at 4:00pm they told my it still wasn't ready and when i finally got my car back at 5:00pm,it had just under half a tank of Petrol when it had a full tank of petrol when i left it with them.I then found out that a friend had seen my car driving around town and at daft speeds.My Second was with a rear shock being replaced under warranty on my old MY05 STi,they told me that the near side read shock was knocking,i left it with them,collected it but driving back it was still knocking so i took it to a well know specialist who told me that the dealer was right the near side shock was knocking and needed replacing but they have replaced the wrong one and have done the off side rear shock.

hoskib

iTrader: (1)

are you seriously saying a main dealer stamped history is worth less than a specialist stamped history? don't agree with that one at all.

i've used the same dealer for 10 years and 3 scoobys, i've never got the 'dealers sting you' thing. looking around i don't see that you save a terrific amount using a specialist.

but i would agree 100% that it all depends if you've found a 'good one'. there's good and bad in both markets

scoobyboy

right so if you really did lose half a tank of fuel which i do find hard to believe and i dare say you went back to the dealer and got them to change the other shock absorber so you would have ended up with 2 new shockers which isn't a bad outcome after all, you think that is worse than missing a wheel bearing hanging out that could of killed someone if the wheel came off.

everyone has good and bad views on specialist and dealer and we will all have to learn to agree to disagree on the subject, we all know scooby is biased towards specialists anyway.

wolfie28

To the origional poster the 20k service is oil and fliter change, brake and clutch fluid change and a general inspection. Should be approx £200.

As regards dealers/specialists - its your choice really. I've used main dealers before and had no problems. I've used different specialists as well and had problems with one of them. After some moving/shopping around I've found a specialist that I trust and wouldn't take my Scooby anywhere else.

As regarding dealer stamps in the service book, personally I don't care but the servicing would have to be done by a reputable specialist. If that was the case I'd be happy.