Help!! Queries Regarding Expensive Servicing!

[Keeh]

Hey everybody,

I have a Skoda Fabia and I've just had my first annual service done (after just covering 1435 miles!!!). It came to

[devonutopia]

You want to try shelling out just shy of

[big k]

Originally posted by Keeh in this post

Hey everybody,

I have a Skoda Fabia and I've just had my first annual service done (after just covering 1435 miles!!!). It came to

[Keeh]

Thanks guys for replying to the post!! Much appreciated!!

My car is the Skoda Fabia Classic 1.4 8V bought brand new november last year. After only running just a measely 1435 miles (YES, you haven't read it wrong..ONLY 1435 miles!!), I am very surprised to find out I had to fork out this massive bill for the very 1st service!!! I would understand if after running the car several years that the chances of wear and tear are greater hence a possible larger service bill.

As Devonutopia, replied above..if it was a service after 10,000 miles, I would have felt less conned!! A smidge over

[redbaron]

if you do not service the car every 12mths or at the required milage WHICHEVER COMES SOONER the warranty would lapse..

sorry .. you could always drive it a bit more.. will be better value that way?

[robmawer]

Originally posted by Keeh in this post

After only running just a measely 1435 miles (YES, you haven't read it wrong..ONLY 1435 miles!!)

Surely if you're doing so few miles it would be cheaper to hire a car when you needed one?! Assuming you do fairly longish journeys, and haven't done 1435 one mile journeys...

Rob.

[TaviaRS]

Hate to say it, but, it is a 10,000 mile or annual service and hence the cost remains the same. It would seem from your mileage that you use it primarily for short journeys, where the wear and tear is higher.

Question for Big K, do Skoda do a variable service routine on the Fabia?

If so you might want to switch to that as it will tell you when it needs a service rather than going by time or fixed mileage.

Must say thouth that 2 hours for an oil change and topping up the screenwash seems a tad steep.

[redbaron]

the variable serive will still trigger at 12mths even if mileage doesnt justify.

[devonutopia]

1435 miles? in just under one year's driving? - That's incredibly low mileage, for a brand new car. TBH, I wouldn't have bought new for that level of driving, not wanting to condone your purchase of a new Fabia. I knew I'd be doing 15000+ each year so probably get better value for money TBH, I mean I went all the way Germany and back in the first month - 5 days in which I probably did as many miles as yourself in one year... and now at 45,000 miles after 28 months ownership.

If I were you, I'd start using the car a bit more...

Another thought - The value of the car will not be keeping that high due to the low mileage, which unfortunately means your depreciation (in mileage terms) is quite high too. :(

PS: JON? Could you imagine doing 1500 miles per year, instead of 60,000+ or whatever you do at the moment...?

[Welliesorter]

Isn't charging the 59p for screenwash a bit tight? If this is typical I'll have to remember to make sure mine is full before the first service!

[KentStu]

Keeh - im afraid that that is quite a cheap service and it will only get more expensive from now on. Simple fact is that for skilled people to check certain things on your car will cost you - and any manufacturer will need this to happen to be happy to honour your warranty. Mileage is now deemed irrelevant by most manufacturers as most people will not do enough mileage in a year to cause real concern.

Must echo Rob's comment that if your mileage is that low it can't be cost effective to own and run a car (servicing, depreciation, insurance, road tax, petrol etc) :(

[robmawer]

Originally posted by Welliesorter in this post

Isn't charging the 59p for screenwash a bit tight? If this is typical I'll have to remember to make sure mine is full before the first service!

Assuming they're trying to run a business, no. And it's better that's it's itemised rather than just lumping 60p onto the price!

But yes, if your bottle is full, and they try and charge you for it then you can kick off and refuse to pay on the ground's they're lying...

Rob.

[Freakcrab]

My dealer normally tops mine up and leaves the rest in the bottle in the boot when I pick it up.

Seems fair enough.

[SkodiRS]

Keeh,

sorry but I have to agree with everything that everyone else has said.

Your low mileage would suggest many short trips which is higher in "wear and tear" on your engine than longer trips.

Can understand your disappointment but you also have to remember that labour costs in London (I'm assuming that's where it was serviced) are generally much higher than the rest of the country.

I guess also that Skoda's servicing policy is inline with other manufacturers....if your car isn't serviced as per the schedule, 10k miles or 12 months (whichever is sooner), then you void your warranty.

Unfortunately it looks like you'll either have to do more mileage or potentially get rid of the car.:(

I'd personally get out a do a bit more driving and enjoy the great little car you have.

Cheers.

Adrian.

p.s my dealer charged me

[Welliesorter]

Originally posted by robmawer in this post

Assuming they're trying to run a business, no. And it's better that's it's itemised rather than just lumping 60p onto the price!

I take your point but I really meant in these exact circumstances, where it was clear that Keeh was getting very little for his money. Maybe if the dealer was eager to retain Keeh's custom, when he's bound to be asking whether it's worth it, some trivial gesture might make all the difference.

I'd echo the points about whether it's cost-effective to own a car at all. I've done more than twice this distance in six months but I'm still asking myself the same question.

I suppose the answer would depend on whether it would be practical to do the journeys concerned by another means of transport. The main reason for owning a car is the flexibility it provides.

Getting back to Keeh's original questions, I believe Skoda did offer free servicing until relatively recently. Some manufacturers (eg Hyundai) still do but they trumpet this very loudly as it's such an obvious selling point.

[robmawer]

Originally posted by Welliesorter in this post

I take your point but I really meant in these exact circumstances, where it was clear that Keeh was getting very little for his money.

But the oil change was carried out after 12 months - which is what should be done, even if it's got no miles on it at all! In fact, it could be argued that at fewer miles, the chances of the engine running with cold oil is higher, so it would be more likely to be needed...

practical to do the journeys concerned by another means of transport. The main reason for owning a car is the flexibility it provides.

Well, flexibility comes at a cost! And at least if the car's being serviced annually then it's only costing the service once a year, rather than every 3 months...

Rob.

[the_ape]

Or you could make sure the next car you get is on the variable service schedule saves loads of hassle, not that it will bother me probly going to be doing 25000+ a year so will have to be serviced at least once a year.

Which reminds me, anyone with the PD engine onthe variable service plan got any figures on how many miles the 'service me' light comes on at, Dealer reckons the PD's are doing about 18000 before service, but wouldnt mind knowing in real life.

Cheers

[rich1068]

As K said the free first service is a thing of the past. Usually you took a car in after about 1k miles of normal use just to have the oil changed. You would still have to fork out at (usually) 6k or 10k depending on your car, or 12 months in your case.

[big k]

Originally posted by TaviaRS in this post

Hate to say it, but, it is a 10,000 mile or annual service and hence the cost remains the same. It would seem from your mileage that you use it primarily for short journeys, where the wear and tear is higher.

Question for Big K, do Skoda do a variable service routine on the Fabia?

If so you might want to switch to that as it will tell you when it needs a service rather than going by time or fixed mileage.

Must say thouth that 2 hours for an oil change and topping up the screenwash seems a tad steep.

jon fabia unfourtantley doesn't have variable servicing although i'm lead to belive by some posts that the fab vrs has but haven't has this confirmed by skoda?

[big k]

Originally posted by SkodiRS in this post

Keeh,

p.s my dealer charged me

[Welliesorter]

Originally posted by big k in this post

[big k]

Originally posted by Welliesorter in this post

I can appreciate the brand of oil matters. I've seen endless debates on the merits of different brands of petrol. But screenwash???

NB

I know not to use Fairy Liquid!

[Steve vRS]

Originally posted by rich1068 in this post

As K said the free first service is a thing of the past. Usually you took a car in after about 1k miles of normal use just to have the oil changed. You would still have to fork out at (usually) 6k or 10k depending on your car, or 12 months in your case.

Not in the Happy world of Subaru!

My 2001 model Impreza had to be run below 4k revs for 1000 miles due to the engine being full of running in oil. After a 1000 mile service (not free) the car could be opened up. The servicing was at 7500 or 6 month intervals after that :eek:

Steve

[robmawer]

Originally posted by big k in this post

[Geoff]

The warranty bit and servicing is quite interesting. Where I am near Chesterfield in Derbyshire, a lot of Skoda SDI's are used for Taxi work. One company I know buys the Skodas over 4 years on hire purchase, puts about 150000 miles on them in two years and then sends the cars back to the finance company, with no penalty, and gets replacements on hire purchase again for another four years. These cars never have a Skoda Service, they only see a Skoda dealer for warranty work. As long as Skoda parts are used and a VAT registrered garage does the work they dont seem to have a problem with warranty. (Especially where he is the vat registered garage that hasnt even got garage facilities.)

Allright for some eh!