Ford Servicing Costs - Rip Off?! (6 Viewers)

[Wombles]

Just tried to book our Chausson on a Ford transit base in to local Ford garage for its first service under warranty & quoted over £252!!! It has only done less than 2000 miles & other than "basic checks" it is a very expensive oil change Don't mind paying when feel that we are getting value for money but feel a bit cheated. Having the hab service done seperately & that has to be £199 at Chausson approved dealership to maintain warranty so feeling a bit brassic We are used to main dealer prices for Citroen but didn't expect Ford charges to be so high.What have other Funsters paid for Ford motorhome servicing - is this normal?!

 

[PJGWiltshire]

Check the small print of your service/warranty requirement, I have a Fiat base and it clearly says 30,000 miles for service not after 1 year. Although in Fiat case there is advice by users to change the oil plus filter yearly.This is done by me for £50 without effecting warranty. It could be that yours maybe the same the dealer will not tell you this the same as Fiat they just want your money

 

[Zains Pops]

Sounds heavy to me. From memory I was quoted £160 for a simple service at our local main dealer. As I am out of warrantee I will do the oil and filter changes myself.
I would ring around and ask for a cost breakdown. I assume the service is little more than change the oil and filters.

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[Cal54]

Just had both hab and engine service done on my van, which is just 12 months old and still under warranty. Peugeot warranty required a nominal service, oil and filter change, levels all checked etc. - cost £135. Hab service undertaken by Swift local dealer (not the toss pots I purchased from) cost £163.50. Pleased with both.

 

[MikeD]

Have a look at this web site, it may be helpful

http://www.etis.ford.com/fordservice/serviceScheduleView.do

 

[PhilandMena]

Check your service manual. It may well be mileage based servicing and/or by- annual as a minimum. Unfortunately, it's not uncommon for dealers to mislead owners of new motor homes so they can squeeze money out of them. Also, whilst your hab service will be a requirement of your warranty, it should not restrict you to your dealer. As long as it's an approved (forget the title and initials) habitation technician, this should surf ice.

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[Yorick]

You don't need to take a vehicle to official dealer to maintain the warranty.
Any VAT registered garage is OK.

 

[rangi]

I've posted this before, OFT has issued a guide to say that:

You can have servicing done using an Independent Garage, which they say are 40% cheaper, and it will not effect your warranty!

Repairs do!

 

[BillyS]

Cal 54 May I ask where you had your MH service done, please? as my MH is also a Peugeot. Many thanks.
BillyS

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[Cal54]

Cal 54 May I ask where you had your MH service done, please? as my MH is also a Peugeot. Many thanks.
BillyS

The engine was done by David Hayton in Lancaster (near Asda). I have received exceptional service from them during this 1st year of ownership.
Hab service by Todds of Lostock Hall. Great dealer and I can't praise them enough.

 

[jonandshell]

Mk 7 Transit is 15k or yearly, whichever comes first.

This is a commercial useage regime, there is no 'light useage' schedule for motorhomes.

As mentioned, use an independent garage for servicing if the cost is too steep. We had our first 2 services done with Ford at about £250 a time but I now service the van myself using the printable schedule off the ETIS site and with genuine parts.

 

[bigfoot]

My Hymer is on a Tranny and as with all vans the usual service interval is 30,000 miles. Although an annual check on fluids won't go amiss.

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[dippingatoe]

when you have a Habitation Check done, what does one get in the way of paperwork ?

 

[Snowbird]

If you think thats expensive, dont buy a Smart car and take it to a Mercedes agent for service. How the hell they can charge over £300 to service what is basically a lawnmower engine is beyond me.

 

[DBK]

You can indeed now take a vehicle under warranty to an independent for servicing but can you be sure they are aware of any recall work that needs to be done? I'm not talking about safety recalls, where the manufacturer should contact you, but about other modifications which are sometimes done when the vehicle comes in for a routine servicing?

My Fiat had a major mod done on the air inlet side when it last went in for a service. There was no problem from my perspective but a valve had to be repositioned.

I guess this information might be available to independents but how are they paid for the work?

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[Wombles]

when you have a Habitation Check done, what does one get in the way of paperwork ?

Booked in for first one so not done yet but most reputable workshops use the NCC checklist
Link Removed
So think you get a copy of this with items checked & damp reading plus receipt - same as with a caravan just a slightly different checklist.

 

[Wombles]

Thank you for all the replies so far & for reminding us about Etis info. which should come in handy to check what work should be done. As such a major purchase (even if not essential) think it best to have Ford servicing & stamp in the service handbook in case we need to sell it at some point Don't know any reputable independents to tempt us to change our mind anyway. Also the software updates & any recall issues being done automatically are worthwhile - see thread http://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/threads/ford-transit-chassis-recall.87813/ . So the current plan is to ring around all the Ford garages in our area & see where we can get the best deal then maybe ask our favourite option to price match. Do think it is absolutely crazy that at 4 years plus Ford service prices are fixed at £125 for interim service & £195 for major service even on smaller commercial vehicles (motorhomes included) but on a one year old low mileage vehicle still under warranty they charge over £252 & do much less for it Has anyone had any sense out of their Ford garages & managed to get a sensibly priced interim service whilst maintaining their warranty?

 

[Wombles]

Need to go through the small print in our Ford/Chausson paperwork too - sure it stated somewhere that the first service was a "low cost interim one" hence us being so shocked - just need to find it now...

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[Cal54]

when you have a Habitation Check done, what does one get in the way of paperwork ?

My hab service receipt came with a long check list and also specified that a gas check had been undertaken ( I believe this isn't always the case). I was also advised that the details of the service had been input to Swifts computer database so that the manufacturer was aware of my compliance with the warranty conditions.

 

[Silver-Fox]

Think i would go to Ford and tell them do it cheaper or im going to an independent, do it face to face you may get a discount (i mean a reasonable quote)

 

[GWAYGWAY]

You cannot always trust main dealers,, I bought a Fiesta and it developed a gearbox fault in the first year but I had to have it serviced first to keep the warranty, 3000 miles and I took it in they phoned up a bit later and I went to collect, it paid £120 for a basic Service. When I looked in the bonnet I found that there was a little oil on the filler cap and nothing else. no drop around the filter or the drain plug just light brown road dust, I also was told they had checked to brakes but I had the locknut key at home by mistake???? They had done nothing, no oil change, no filter, no washer fluid(it was full) no airfilter but all charged for. as it was so low a mileage they could get away with it, but I could not prove it. It never went back after the box was repaired.

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[dippingatoe]

Have a look at this web site, it may be helpful

http://www.etis.ford.com/fordservice/serviceScheduleView.do

I can't seem to make this link work?

 

[Wombles]

Try inputting your VIN here https://www.etis.ford.com/vehicleRegSelector.do?

 

[dippingatoe]

By the way what do these figures look like

Service £439.20 Inc VAT
PDI £499.00 Inc VAT
Seal Check £390.00 Inc VAT

This was for a service at 7000 miles, and after I took it away the habitation batteries had bad corrosion on one of the leads plus the battery took nearly 2.5 litres of distilled water, with the water in one cell below the top of the plates.

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[dippingatoe]

Try inputting your VIN here https://www.etis.ford.com/vehicleRegSelector.do?

Thanks - I will give that a go

 

[tonyidle]

You can indeed now take a vehicle under warranty to an independent for servicing but can you be sure they are aware of any recall work that needs to be done? I'm not talking about safety recalls, where the manufacturer should contact you, but about other modifications which are sometimes done when the vehicle comes in for a routine servicing?

My Fiat had a major mod done on the air inlet side when it last went in for a service. There was no problem from my perspective but a valve had to be repositioned.

I guess this information might be available to independents but how are they paid for the work?

Another reason to use independents IMO: did the dealership ask your permission to move the valve and explain why it had to be done? A main dealer will upgrade ECU software and do any modification he's asked to do by the manufacturer - usually without asking the owners permission.

 

[Allanm]

We were quoted £350+ for a first service at Peugeot but after reading the service manual again, it seems with average yearly mileage, a service doesn't have to be done till its second year or at something like 20000 miles. Our van is 16 months old and has 12500 miles on the clock. I changed the oil at 8000.
I'll wait till next June for its first proper service, but it won't be at a Peugeot dealer
Allan

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[buttons]

Check the small print of your service/warranty requirement, I have a Fiat base and it clearly says 30,000 miles for service not after 1 year. Although in Fiat case there is advice by users to change the oil plus filter yearly.This is done by me for £50 without effecting warranty. It could be that yours maybe the same the dealer will not tell you this the same as Fiat they just want your money

I think if you used inappropriate oil or filter it would effect your warranty.

 

[PJGWiltshire]

I buy from Fiat so a tad expensive

 

[GJH]

I buy from Fiat so a tad expensive

Just had to have the windscreen washer pump replaced. £60.69 for a little plastic pump

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