Cost of servicing (1 Viewer)

[maison]

I have just had my 2015 Ducato serviced. It was the first major service, 28,000 miles or two years. Carried out because of the "two year" clause, only 19,000 miles recorded, in order to preserve the Warranty.

FIAT Professional quoted £545 for the service. I have just had it carried out by the garage I use for our car, cost £323.45.

A difference of over £200 for the same work and with original FIAT parts fitted.

I know the FIAT Professional garage will gave higher labour rates, but wondered what others are paying for their major services?

 

[Neckender]

Our Peugeot based Auto Sleeper, Peugeot quoted £450 1st service 17,000 miles.
Independent garage £120, and last month had dash binnacle changed at Peugeot under warranty no problems.

John.

 

[maison]

The local garage informed me that they had changed the diesel filter, as that was required as part of the service to preserve warranty and as this was the first full service.

However, he suggested that, if when the next service falls due the vehicle is out of warranty, we should not replace it. He showed me the cost of the filter and said that relatively low mileage vehicles like motorhomes don't need such frequent, and expensive, changes.

I can't imagine FIAT Professional would make the same suggestion as it cuts their profit margin. Or am I cynical?

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[The Nomad]

Labour cost for ours is zero, as I always service it myself.

That way I KNOW the work has actually been done; and has been done properly, to spec, with care and quality.

 

[maison]

Labour cost for ours is zero, as I always service it myself.

That way I KNOW the work has actually been done; and has been done properly, to spec, with care and quality.

Except FIAT, and as far as I know every other vehicle manufacturer, will not accept DIY servicing during the warranty period.

 

[MC 55 FUN]

Agree with all of the above, apart from the fact that non main dealer services will / may omit any software updates which can be critical to the optimum operation of the engine.

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[The Nomad]

Except FIAT, and as far as I know every other vehicle manufacturer, will not accept DIY servicing during the warranty period.

They have no option other than to accept it.
The legal requirement per the EU court decision on this subject is that the person(s) doing the servicing must be "competent".
I will be happy to test in any court my level of mechanical competence against the Trainee chimp who'll be doing the basic servicing at a Fiat dealership, should Fiat try to wriggle out of warranty.
I've lost count of the number of times that over the years I've had to put right, or indeed do in the first place, service items done wrong/missed entirely by Main Dealerships.

 

[Camdoon]

I have the feeling the FIAT professional do not want motorhomes bunging up their garages when they can service fleets. The price is to encourage you to go elsewhere.

 

[maison]

They have no option other than to accept it.
The legal requirement per the EU court decision on this subject is that the person(s) doing the servicing must be "competent".
I will be happy to test in any court my level of mechanical competence against the Trainee chimp who'll be doing the basic servicing at a Fiat dealership, should Fiat try to wriggle out of warranty.
I've lost count of the number of times that over the years I've had to put right, or indeed do in the first place, service items done wrong/missed entirely by Main Dealerships.

I like your sentiment but, with only you defending yourself against the legal might brought forward by the multi-nationals, I wouldn't take the risk with a warranty.

Anyway, having been a "competent" mechanic in the past I admit that, personally, I am not capable of dealing with the complications of modern engine management systems, multiplexing of wiring circuits etc. Basic things like replacing brake pads, oil changes, yes, but that's not what we were referring to in this instance.

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[MC 55 FUN]

I have just had my 2015 Ducato serviced. It was the first major service, 28,000 miles or two years. Carried out because of the "two year" clause, only 19,000 miles recorded, in order to preserve the Warranty.

FIAT Professional quoted £545 for the service. I have just had it carried out by the garage I use for our car, cost £323.45.

A difference of over £200 for the same work and with original FIAT parts fitted.

I know the FIAT Professional garage will gave higher labour rates, but wondered what others are paying for their major services?

A major service from our local Peugeot dealer for the MH is £300.00 inc' v.a.t.

 

[The Nomad]

I like your sentiment but, with only you defending yourself against the legal might brought forward by the multi-nationals, I wouldn't take the risk with a warranty.

Anyway, having been a "competent" mechanic in the past I admit that, personally, I am not capable of dealing with the complications of modern engine management systems, multiplexing of wiring circuits etc. Basic things like replacing brake pads, oil changes, yes, but that's not what we were referring to in this instance.

Sorry but that is nonsense.
Basic things are EXACTLY what we are talking about.
Have a look at the actual Fiat checklist for the ordinary service. Every single item is something that a 12 year old with a plastic spanner could do.
There is NO diagnostics, NO dismantling, NO electronics.
It is simple inspection, level checking, and filter swopping. An averagely gifted sloth could achieve that in an hour.

 

[maison]

Sorry but that is nonsense.
Basic things are EXACTLY what we are talking about.
Have a look at the actual Fiat checklist for the ordinary service. Every single item is something that a 12 year old with a plastic spanner could do.
There is NO diagnostics, NO dismantling, NO electronics.
It is simple inspection, level checking, and filter swopping. An averagely gifted sloth could achieve that in an hour.

And still potentially have to fight a claim for warranty work.

You said earlier that you are a "competent" mechanic. I am sure that you are. However, a Barrister friend of mine stated that his two favourite words in the English language are "reasonable" and "competent" , as he can claim hundreds of billable hours arguing the exact meaning of both words. They provide him with more work in civil litigation than any others.

Carry on your good work.

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[Sheddy]

Just had the 25,000 mile service on our Ducato 3L Tag base unit by the Fiat Motorhome service unit in Swansea.
As the van is nearly 6 years old I elected to have the brake fluid replaced at the same time the total cost was £340.
(300 service 40 for the Brake Fluid).
Cheers
Ed

 

[laurieash]

my first service at Fiat Brighouse was £155.00

 

[iandsm]

I haven't read mine to check but surely Fiat and other manufacturers will have warrenty terms and conditions and I doubt DIY work would be acceptable, after all I could claim to be competent etc when I don't know one end of a spanner from the other. Also I thought that the ruling was that one does not invalidate warranty if the vehicle is taken to a VAT registered garage. At least that provides some evidence that a competent ( one hopes)person carried out the work.

I expect that in any warranty claim for a vehicle that only had DIY servicing would be outside the T&C and rejected and as to the arguing the point in Court The DIYer wouldn't stand a snowballs chance however competent they claimed to be if that is the case.

Having said that, once outside the warranty period DIY servicing is going to to be cheaper and if done properly perhaps to as good a standard as garage work or even better.

I wonder what the position might be in the event of an accident claim should an insurer ask for proof of when the vehicle was last serviced, but that's a whole different question.

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[busby]

A

A major service from our local Peugeot dealer for the MH is £300.00 inc' v.a.t.

A major service for my Boxer at my local garage is about £130 ,,,,,Busby,,,,,,,n

 

[Lenny HB]

As it doesn't need servicing for 2 years and the warranty is 2 years I will have it done when its 2 years old like I did with the last van. Local independent £120 light service, £250 full service.