[njc]

Does anyone have any experience of servicing their car via an Independent Garage whilst their car is still within the warranty period?

Mine is due its 2nd service as are front brake pads - I expect the main dealer will charge me an absolute fortune and I am considering going to my local Independent garage assuming the cost saving are substantial enough.

I didn't take out a service package as I don't ordinarily keep the car long enough to warrant the expenditure, but for some reason my current F11 CBS is creeping up faster than previously experienced.

[MrPogle]

I've considered it in the past but always chickened out. OK, you are going to get stung a couple of hundred extra at BMW but you really don't want any reason at all for them to query a warranty claim. I've claimed under a BMW warranty in the past and the experience couldn't have been better. It was exactly how it would appear in an advert. I wouldn't want to jeopardise that. Basically, if they manufactured it and they maintained it any issue is 100% their problem.

[Balster]

You pay £30000+ for a car, then there is no need to skimp on a few £100 to potentially risk your warranty. Same with brakes - only £30 difference between BMW and an Indy for front brake pads.

Cheers

[njc]

Originally Posted by Balster

You pay £30000+ for a car, then there is no need to skimp on a few £100 to potentially risk your warranty. Same with brakes - only £30 difference between BMW and an Indy for front brake pads.

Cheers

Agreed - just weighing up the pros and cons of it. I must admit when I paid the best part of +£300 for an oil and micro filter change, I just wonder what profits they are making and if there was no impact on my warranty then I would prefer my money went to a local independent than the main dealership, who after all would have the shirt off my back if they could.

[AP]

I would always stick with the main dealer. My previous car (E39 530i msport) I owned for 10 years . I always had a serviced at my local main dealer right up to the end. When I traded it in (at a BMW dealership), they ha da look at the car (it was in very good condition), I had all the paper work since new (everything including MOTs) and they looked at the service history on their computers and had no hesitation taking it for part exchange.
Each to their own but that's what I do.

[Pottsy]

On my first service, my main dealer put plain water from a watering can into the coolant tank and also into the washer bottle, failed to fix a fault and filled it with 2 litres less oil than it should have had (I drove off with the oil on "minimum"). £350.

I reckon my 13 year old son could have done better.

[martin mustang]

Main dealers are not always the best and like in your case the worst, but they have KPIs with BMW, a life line to raise it with BMW directly, with an independent garage if it is not someone you trust like a friend, you may experience the same with no options.

In Ireland they piloting a star system like the one in Amazon to be rolled out globally, your give your feedback following every visits to the dealers and it is published on line for everyone to see, must admit works wonders, I get a call from the dealer following every work making sure I am happy, my experience so far so good, but managed to see some bad reviews all published on BMW website, handy top choose dealers, they have a direct impact on the garage KPI translating into a loss of revenue to the dealer imposed by BMW.

But even putting all of the above to a side, when you reselling a 5 series, you have to bear in mind the expectations in place, be it private or another dealer will be far more happier to see BMW stumps or service record, they have an option to check the history of your car now recorded on computers and your key, I am not sure this is robust with Independent garages.

Originally Posted by Pottsy

On my first service, my main dealer put plain water from a watering can into the coolant tank and also into the washer bottle, failed to fix a fault and filled it with 2 litres less oil than it should have had (I drove off with the oil on "minimum"). £350.

I reckon my 13 year old son could have done better.

[The Beast]

What I have historical done is have the service work done at BMW and have the pads and disks changed privately (buying OEM myself). However initially it was my father in law who used to change the pads for me, with me helping him out and more recently I get a BMW Master Technician that I know through a friend to do them for me on a weekend in his mates garage.

However saying that if the car is in for a service anyway and needs pads I just get BMW to do the work to save time and hassle...

[shiner]

I got quoted 650 for rear pads and disks at BMW dealer for my 530 (that I have traded in now). Sounds a rip off to me. Anyone know what pads and disks should cost and what Indy's/Kwikfit would charge?

What should a first oil service on my 535D cost?

[shiner]

Originally Posted by MrPogle

I've considered it in the past but always chickened out. OK, you are going to get stung a couple of hundred extra at BMW but you really don't want any reason at all for them to query a warranty claim. I've claimed under a BMW warranty in the past and the experience couldn't have been better. It was exactly how it would appear in an advert. I wouldn't want to jeopardise that. Basically, if they manufactured it and they maintained it any issue is 100% their problem.

Read about Block Exemption Legislation from the EU.
http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice...-campaign.html

The manufacturer MUST honour the warranty even if done by a service shop outside of the main franchised dealer network. However, bare in mind that any "goodwill" gestures will be out of the window were a serious issue with the car to develop just outside the warranty period - something that BMW are renowned to be very good at doing for their customers. I had a friend who had the entire engine replaced as a goodwill gesture by BMW just outside the warranty. He always had to serviced by BMW and could be proved as such.

Something to consider if you plan on keeping the car for a year or two after the warranty expires.

[un1eash]

Originally Posted by shiner

I got quoted 650 for rear pads and disks at BMW dealer for my 530 (that I have traded in now). Sounds a rip off to me. Anyone know what pads and disks should cost and what Indy's/Kwikfit would charge?

What should a first oil service on my 535D cost?

https://www.bmw-service.co.uk/

[shiner]

Originally Posted by un1eash

https://www.bmw-service.co.uk/

Aware of that page. It does not tell you....

[MrPogle]

Originally Posted by shiner

Read about Block Exemption Legislation from the EU.
http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice...-campaign.html

The manufacturer MUST honour the warranty even if done by a service shop outside of the main franchised dealer network.

But that isn't really the point. A franchised dealer must only honour the warranty if the servicing has been done to BMW standards. He can always claim that the indy hasn't done this and you don't need the aggro that follows. The franchise dealer cannot say that they have not serviced it properly themselves and therefore reject a claim.

[Tengocity]

I always so the regular service work (oil changes) done at dealership, and then replace my of consumables, like pads and discs, at an independent. Any mechanic can do brakes, and I always supply them so I know what's going on the car.
But for oil changes its good to have the proper record on the BMW service history records.

[Balster]

Originally Posted by shiner

Read about Block Exemption Legislation from the EU.
http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice...-campaign.html

The manufacturer MUST honour the warranty even if done by a service shop outside of the main franchised dealer network. However, bare in mind that any "goodwill" gestures will be out of the window were a serious issue with the car to develop just outside the warranty period - something that BMW are renowned to be very good at doing for their customers. I had a friend who had the entire engine replaced as a goodwill gesture by BMW just outside the warranty. He always had to serviced by BMW and could be proved as such.

Something to consider if you plan on keeping the car for a year or two after the warranty expires.

Good point about the 'goodwill' gestures. My dealership has done a number of these freebies, latest one is that they cleaned out the windscreen washer jets after I stupidly put in some crap windscreen wash from Halfords