Richie333

iTrader: (2)

Hi all. My car is around the 50k miles mark now so considering places to go for a service (inc the timing belt). My question: is it worth spending more for a Subaru service (so I get the stamp with the previous Subaru history stamps) or just get a normal garage to do it for cheaper? This is considering the future when I come to sell it on - is it going to add any extra value to it? (Would you pay extra for Suabru history?)

Car: '54 Blobeye WRX in black with 18" Redlines, grooved front discs and Prodrive backbox, so nothing amazingly special!

Jamescsti

Personally stamps in a book are no more valuable if they are from a main dealer or an independant, I personally use a good local garage.

I would say it'smore important to keep all your invoices from services and any other work, I would far rather see those than stamps in a book.
There is a member on here who recently bought a Civic Type R thinking it had Full Honda Service History and later found out all the stamps were fake

andythejock01wrx

I'm with James on this.

Pink_Floyd

I think as far as stamps etc go then it is a great selling tool. If there a no invoices a quick call to the dealer who carried out the service will normally confirm all you need to know. If that yields no result then you can always walk away. My opinion is that if someone is willing to pay main dealer prices then there's a good chance they have paid to keep the car in top condition.

As for continuing and price I've found my local dealer is actually cheaper than one of the big independents for a cambelt service. They give older Scoobs a discount so for me I'll go to them.

topman2180

personally id only get Subaru to do it if my car was still in warranty and it was necessary to keep the warranty. Lots of receipts a well looked after car and proof of regular servicing and cambelt change would be fine for me but everyone is different.

rapid.STI

iTrader: (5)

id say a good local garage is good enough, i personally worked in a small back street garage and some of the cars that we got in there that had there last service at stealers and the air filter looked like it hadnt been cleaned for yrs? some cases the oil filter had perished.. its call stealer for a reason

f4la k

iTrader: (1)

You dont have to go to subaru to keep your warranty.

You can use any vat registered garage and subaru must uphold your warranty.

I found this out when a vectra aircon unit went and they wanted to know if the car had been kept well serviced with records after i produced service records from a local garage they had to up-hold the warranty.
Thats how i found out that it dosent have to be main dealer servicing to uphold warranty...

s70rjw

iTrader: (2)

I steer away from Subaru main dealers due to a few less than inspiring experiences. Examples being inability to programme a key, fitting rear shocks without the bushes, overfilling the oil, to name a few. Specialists have so far been more than capable.

scooblee

I've a good mate with a garage, at least I know the work I've paid for has been done.

Richie333

iTrader: (2)

Cheers for the replies guys. Think I will go local now - would save me quite a bit in the pocket. I also remember reading a few negative topics on Subaru servicing but dismissed them as just a few glitches but now it's made me reconsider the independents.

Richie333

iTrader: (2)

Second question: can anyone recommend a good garage around the West London area (I am located in Ruislip)?!

dantastic

TFS/Surrey subaru specialists, i know they are not in west london they are in camberely surrey http://www.surreysubaruspecialists.co.uk/ but i take my spec c there, trust me these guys know subaru's inside out, well worth the extra miles.

Flaps

iTrader: (1)

I take mine to a local specialist instead of the dealers because they have a good rep and have done a great job in the past. They also seem to have a passion for the Impreza and that means more to me than having a YTS Saxo owning lad at a Subaru garage tinkering around with my car. The fact that it is cheaper is another bonus. I don't consider it to be detrimental to resale at all.