Your car needs discs and pads sir...

[Stu78]

wpa1975 said:

I worked in a VAG group main dealer, we only ever used genuine parts it would never be worth risking the franchise with anything else, the same applied to used cars being prepped for sale and would have never have fitted used parts.

Really surprised that any main dealer would be any different.

If it was in warranty then things like filters would be Merc, oil definitely not, of course it was to spec but didn't come out of the lovely Merc bottles. You can argue it doesn't matter so long as it meets spec but when you're paying a whacking price for main dealer servicing you'd expect everything to Merc. Out of warranty, they did a service scheme, cant remember what it was called but it implied all Merc parts but didn't actually specify they were. They wasn't, hence the visit from local car factors every day. As for used vehicles, I'd put a car in for prep and things like tyres would be cheap brands, a customer brings a car in and the new tyres that would be sold what Mercedes specify at an inflated price as the staff had bonuses based on tyre sales.

This was twenty years ago and the owners lost the franchise. Can't think why.

[Freakuk]

DaveyBoyWonder said:

OP are you my dad?! My old man took his 2 year old Tiguan to VW last week. Its done 16000 miles from new and my dad is what I'd class as a "careful" driver - no hard accelerating, no hard braking etc - he drives it like you'd expect a near 70 year old to drive.

Service dept call - over and above the service he's paid for, it needs a coolant flush, an "air con service" whatever that is (the air con is ice cold), new wipers but also 2 new front tyres and front pads and discs. Pads are apparently 25% worn and the discs have corrosion on them.

I've had a look since, as has a local indy and all confirmed they're having it on about the pads and discs. "Corrosion" is nothing - same as any car on the disc centres, zero lip on the discs and the pads look almost like new.

Sounds exactly like my VW experience many many years ago with an R32, local VW dealer offered a fix price service deal, something like 2 services and a MOT included.

First thing they did was an MOT, failed needed two new tyres. Why they didn't do the service first which surely would have identified two worn tyres before doing the MOT was never explained. Quoted me for tyres but rang a local tyre place, £50 per tyre cheaper, VW then stated they could match the price... sorry you should have provided your best quote.

Next the whole list of stuff that needed doing: -

Aircon re-gass - it was freezing cold
Haldex diff oil service
Suspension bushes perished
Four wheel alignment
Discs/pads

Only one I opted for was the diff oil service. Didn't bother going back for the MOT, took it to a local garage, nothing wrong with suspension bushes or discs/pads.

Next service I took it to a good VW specialist, all ex-VW techs, where I was informed that VW techs get commission on any parts they fit, no wonder the mythical list of faults above was provided.

[STe_rsv4]

Chipper said:

Reading this thread is one of the main reasons I adore my Tesla. 2 1/2 years in and 23000 miles later, all I have had to do is replace a set of tyres and change the air con filter which you can buy direct from Tesla for £15.

Dealers and ICE manufacturers are stuffed

may I ask how old your Tesla is and its outright purchase price?
Are your brake pads & discs made from unobwearium?
How much is a new battery pack for your car once defunct?
Do you point and laugh at the unfortunate peasants in their ICE cars who have broken down on the hard shoulder?

Many thanks

[irish boy]

So to update the story, I sent the pictures to the service manager. He came back to me saying that the wear was only on the inside of the pad where I couldn’t see.

Took the wheel off again to photograph the inside pad and disc and send that to him this afternoon.

I had mentioned taking it to headquarters as I thought it was deceptive behaviour.

Don’t really have a goal in perusing this but as a previous poster said, taking advantage of people who know no better in any other walk of life is considered criminal, yet these guys get away with it day in day out.

[covmutley]

Could be some good sport here, if you can accept being an annoying irritant!

Next they will be saying you dont have an approved measuring thing-a-me-jiggy to properly measure it in the same way their full trained technical engineers can.

[Sheepshanks]

ruggedscotty said:

Mates wife is involved in a prestigious main dealer....

Lots of car companies are now scrambling at how to keep the drip coming in....

subscription services are being looked at.... paying 40 or 50 a month 600 quid a year.... for 'essential' car functions seems to be the way they are eyeing up loss of maintenance revenue.

She mentioned BMW is ,looking at how to engineer in consumables.

The telling thing though is the way that manufacturers are looking to peel away from dealers etc... they know dealers are going to struggle.

The car is dead.... Long live the car.... new times ahead.

The Volvo subscription services look mental costwise so maybe they're all looking at the numbers there and thing they'd like some of that?

VW (through VW Financial Services) does a service, maint and tyres package that can look stupidly cheap on a new car - but then they put the car on longlife servicing so in 3yrs it only needs one service.

I'd be happy to pay something on an older car - not exacly what "something" is though - for peace-of-mind. I expect if you started adding in wear and tear costs on brakes and tyres, plus a bit for unexpected failures etc, then the monthly could get a bit eye-watering.

[Sheepshanks]

Freakuk said:

Why they didn't do the service first which surely would have identified two worn tyres before doing the MOT was never explained.

It's odd that they couldn't explain it - I've asked a couple of times and been told they have to test cars "as presented", which they take to mean as presented to the garage.

It's not strictly true - "as presented" means as presented for the test itself. However garages are encouraged by DVSA to test cars before they work on them to get a truer picture of the state of cars on the road. Hence you get these "xx% of cars fail their first MOT" stories - if they were worked on first that wouldn't happen.

Freakuk said:

Only one I opted for was the diff oil service

Apart from keeping the warranty that was probably a waste of time as they don't remove the pump and clean its screen, which gets gummed up.

[MC Bodge]

J4CKO said:

"better things to do" ? you are on here

Its not for everyone, but for reference, I changed the pads on mine a month ago prior to doing a track day.

20 minutes it took, including getting the the tools out and putting them back.

Jack it up
Stick an axle stand under.
Wheels off with the rattle gun (hell of a time saver)
Undo two bolts
Pop old pads out
Push the caliper back, I use a G clamp.
Put the new pads in
Bolt the caliper back on
Stick the wheel back on, do the nuts up with the gun but dont tighten
Remove axle stand, lower car
Torque wheel nuts.

I also have a garage in walking distance, prob 250 metres, but its quicker to just do it myself than take it, queue, hand keys over, walk back, wait until they call, walk back to get it, queue, pay and drive it back.

I think its familiarity and the particular car having been apart in living memory, but wouldn't anticipate anything being seized on my car, but cant vouch for every other old knacker on the road, and disks are way easier than drums, dont have the opportunity to send a vital spring somewhere into orbit with pads.

Also, garages dont like using customer supplied parts, can see why to be fair but if I asked for new pads I wouldnt get the correct track ones I wanted, am sure they would work something out as been going there years but a lot wont and bet thy would want at least £100, which is fair enough as they have big overheads but I have to sit in front of a computer for a day or more to end up with £100 of spare cash at the end of the month after everything has been paid.

I'm in full agreement.

[MC Bodge]

J4CKO said:

ARHarh said:

Dynion Araf Uchaf said:

ARHarh said:

My neighbour is like this. He asked me about noises from his brakes on his old Peugeot. I had a quick look and it looked to need new disc's and pads. I said "we can get the bits and I will do it for you, I owe you a favour". He knows I work on cars a lot and brakes will be easy for me. He said "No thanks, I will take it to the dealer as at least I know it done properly then". Never did ask him how much that cost, but guess it was more than £60.

fking hell.. Are you known as a bit of a bodger on your street then? How rude!

No was a bit cheeky, but if you look back over my car history I have not had one of my cars fail an MOT since 1987, and its not like I drive new cars, and I often MOT 3 a year, Oh and none of my cars have been near a mechanic in all that time, apart from MOT time.

Im the opposite way, would rather know I have done them, cleaned round properly, applied copper grease etc.

Suggests your neighbour doesnt have a clue and is rather rude to be honest.

Probably just clueless. The car is a black box of tricks to them, that requires the wizardry of a dealership apprentice.

[MC Bodge]

covmutley said:

Could be some good sport here, if you can accept being an annoying irritant!

Next they will be saying you dont have an approved measuring thing-a-me-jiggy to properly measure it in the same way their full trained technical engineers can.

Their fully trained technical staff will be so good that they will be able to diagnose worn pads without even seeing the car.

[ChocolateFrog]

irish boy said:

So to update the story, I sent the pictures to the service manager. He came back to me saying that the wear was only on the inside of the pad where I couldn’t see.

Took the wheel off again to photograph the inside pad and disc and send that to him this afternoon.

I had mentioned taking it to headquarters as I thought it was deceptive behaviour.

Don’t really have a goal in perusing this but as a previous poster said, taking advantage of people who know no better in any other walk of life is considered criminal, yet these guys get away with it day in day out.

Literally zero chance of recriminations.

Wouldn't be surprised if it adds up to millions of pounds per dealership.

[hiccy18]

lord trumpton said:

It's 'discs' not 'disks'

A: fking pedant
B: I'm so glad you posted that!

[Ian974]

The DIY thing is all fine and well so long as you do know what you're doing, but even though I'd do everything I can myself now, I still struggled a few times when learning things.
Even knowing the force you "should" need to put into things can take a while to learn (is it going to turn or will it break/ round?)
If you're not that experienced (and even if you are), the wrong seized bolt can ruin your day.
Doing a wheel bearing back at the start of the year "should" have been 1 nut and 3 bolts more than removing a brake disc, but ended up with grinding chunks off the bearing body as two old bolts were fully rounded and going nowhere.
Having the know how and tools you "definitely" need to do it can be straightforward, but everything else that you "might" need can really trip you up.

[Sheepshanks]

ChocolateFrog said:

irish boy said:

So to update the story, I sent the pictures to the service manager. He came back to me saying that the wear was only on the inside of the pad where I couldn’t see.

Took the wheel off again to photograph the inside pad and disc and send that to him this afternoon.

I had mentioned taking it to headquarters as I thought it was deceptive behaviour.

Don’t really have a goal in perusing this but as a previous poster said, taking advantage of people who know no better in any other walk of life is considered criminal, yet these guys get away with it day in day out.

Literally zero chance of recriminations.

Wouldn't be surprised if it adds up to millions of pounds per dealership.

I'm gobsmacked the service manager responded.

[Bryanwww]

Pica-Pica said:

Bryanwww said:

Huge mistake using main dealer for an MOT and leaving it until the last day - they raised a bunch of nonsense and a fail and tried to charge me thousands on a practically new car, I had to get the fail done (somewhere else), but lesson learnt to never use a main dealer.

Never had that issue, and I have left MOTs until the last day at a main (BMW) dealer. I think you build up a rapport and a reputation with a main dealer.
On a parallel theme, they always measure the tyre depths, but never make a recommendation.

I don't build up a rapport with someone who lies to me, I go somewhere else. There isn't someone to build a rapport with at the main dealer - there is normally a front desk with a salesman rather than speaking to someone who is going to be working on your car. The free coffee isn't worth double the hourly rate.

[MC Bodge]

Pica-Pica said:

I think you build up a rapport and a reputation with a main dealer.

?

You pay them money.

Edited by MC Bodge on Thursday 18th May 20:44

[Dracoro]

MC Bodge said:

Pica-Pica said:

I think you build up a rapport and a reputation with a main dealer.

?

You pay them money.

Quite, it’s for dearlier to “build a rapport” with YOU, no the other way round! If they want your money/business, then they have act like it.

Besides, at many main dealers it will be a different service advisor/sales/etc. each year you visit anyway, and with 365 days of 5/10 customers (i.e. thousands) I doubt they even remember who you are, even if it’s the same advisor, let alone have this so called “rapport” But maybe you get lucky and get to know the main boss etc., but even then my top point remains.

Edited by Dracoro on Thursday 18th May 20:48

[Bryanwww]

Dracoro said:

MC Bodge said:

Bryanwww said:

I think you build up a rapport and a reputation with a main dealer.

?

You pay them money.

Quite, it’s for dearlier to “build a rapport” with YOU, no the other way round! If they want your money/business, then they have act like it.

Besides, at many main dealers it will be a different service advisor/sales/etc. each year you visit anyway, and with 365 days of 5/10 customers (i.e. thousands) I doubt they even remember who you are, even if it’s the same advisor, let alone have this so called “rapport” But maybe you get lucky and get to know the main boss etc., but even then my top point remains.

Edited by Dracoro on Thursday 18th May 20:37

needs the dealer to measure his tyre depth lolllll

[8bit]

I fell out with my local Jaguar dealer a number of years ago, had my first XKR in for service work which included brake fluid change and annual health-check. They called to tell me the car was serviced and had the fluid change done but they found some issues on the health check. One of these was that both rear brake caliper bleed valves were seized shut and needed replaced, at a cost of £lots (or certainly far more than one would expect for this task). The chirpy service advisor changed tone rapidly when I asked him how they managed to perform the full brake fluid change they had just informed me they had completed and intended to bill me for, if they couldn't open the bleed valves.

Given that you normally do this starting from the caliper furthest from the master cylinder (which would be one of the rears in most cases) you'd have to wonder why they'd bother at all if the first two were seized shut - or indeed if they even did bother at all. That was the last time I used them for service work, I switched to the Jaguar dealer in Perth thereafter and used them for about 6 more years until I eventually sold the car. Definitely recommended if anyone's looking.

[Sheepshanks]

Dracoro said:

Quite, it’s for dearlier to “build a rapport” with YOU, no the other way round! If they want your money/business, then they have act like it.

Besides, at many main dealers it will be a different service advisor/sales/etc. each year you visit anyway, and with 365 days of 5/10 customers (i.e. thousands) I doubt they even remember who you are, even if it’s the same advisor, let alone have this so called “rapport” But maybe you get lucky and get to know the main boss etc., but even then my top point remains.

The little (by normal standards) VW dealer we use has between 40-50 cars through the workshop per day, I imagine a busy BMW dealer must be doing 100.

You used to be able to build a relationship with the service manager but these days they're called After Sales Directors and they don't interact with public. Even the Service Advisors don't really want to speak to you until you're in front of them - you get directed to a call centre if you ring.