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Am I being unreasonable

(27 Posts)
Galen Thu 28-Feb-13 15:32:07

To feel very miffed that the service of car is going to cost almost£300 when it is only 2years old and I have only driven about 1000 miles since the last service!angry

tanith Thu 28-Feb-13 15:48:02

If you've only done 1000 miles then does the car really need a full service? Can you not just have a Winter check done?
I do know that with a new car certain things have to be done , or at least they say its necessary to keep your service book up to date.. it depends whether you prefer to keep your service book as per manufacturer recommendations to some its essential but I know a lot of people who don't.
My car is about 8 yrs now and I only have a full service every 2yrs now . I guess you have to pay if you feel its necessary.

kittylester Thu 28-Feb-13 16:11:00

No, Galen you're not. Did he suck his teeth as well? grin

I remember a survey that showed women were charged more than men for the same service because the mechanics said the car needed more doing to it than it really did.

So, just think what they will try to get away with when a little old lady comes along. grin

Galen Thu 28-Feb-13 16:12:42

To keep the warranty I have to. It used to be every 60000 but then they altered it to every year or 15000 whichever came first and alternet big and little services. This is a big one.
I'll never buy another merc!

Galen Thu 28-Feb-13 16:13:39

I've checked on the merc site and that is what they say!

Bags Thu 28-Feb-13 16:24:16

More things can go wrong with modern cars. Not the engine so much as all the electrics. I wonder if that's what it's about.

gracesmum Thu 28-Feb-13 16:39:30

I made sure my new car came with extended warranty and 3 years free servicing, as like you, I think it's an awful lot of money for not an awful lot. But also Mercs don't come cheap - and nor does anything to do with them. sad

Barrow Thu 28-Feb-13 16:40:42

I had the same thing Galen, the service for my car (just 2 years old) was almost £300. They found a small oil leak in the gear box so I had to take it back for that to be fixed (under warranty). I'm not a suspicious person but there was another lady there with the same car as mine, same year, who also had a small oil leak in the gear box!

Stansgran Thu 28-Feb-13 18:24:51

We have a thirteen year old car. Everything seems to be £250 battery change /mot next month I know they will find something expensive. A gentle encounter with an aggressive dustbin £280 all since January .

Galen Thu 28-Feb-13 18:28:07

They're crossing dustbins with hippos these days you know! They have poor vision so they can't see you, but they can hear you and just charge blindlysad

harrigran Thu 28-Feb-13 19:14:25

We have a Mercedes Galen and that sounds about right. I must say it is the most reliable car we have ever had and thinking of getting another because the old one is two years old.

Bags Thu 28-Feb-13 19:34:12

I'd expect any car to be reliable for two years! Good grief! My Fiesta was reliable for twenty-five! It only had to be euthanised because work on the chassis was going to cost more than the car was worth. The engine was still going fine, and I'd never had to have a new gear box, nor anything else really big.

Ana Thu 28-Feb-13 20:05:31

I have to agree, Bags! My last Fiesta is 16 years old and still going strong -OH uses it now when his clapped out vintage Capri is out of action. Really, harrigan - the 'old' one is two years old.....grin

harrigran Thu 28-Feb-13 23:51:00

That did sound a bit odd but DH always had a new car every two years when he had a company car, suppose he got used to it.

Galen Fri 01-Mar-13 00:24:57

I used to when I did 40000+ a year. But not now!

GillieB Fri 01-Mar-13 11:36:15

We got rid of our Audi A4 estate just before Christmas - it had done 115,000 miles and was still going strong - 55 registration. I have a 54 Mercedes SLk which does about 2,000 miles a year as we only use it in the summer when the weather is nice and we can have the roof down! DH has given up having that serviced by the Mercedes dealer as he says it is not worth it (and obviously won't affect any warranty). He did say, though, when I mentioned your car, Gallen, that underusing a car is almost as bad as overusing it.

Galen Fri 01-Mar-13 11:44:19

I knowblush my last c class had to have new tyres at 3years with 7000 miles on the clock

harrigran Fri 01-Mar-13 12:15:22

DH used to do 40,000 miles a year, since he retired it is less but we still clock up quite a lot driving to France and Belgium four times a year.

Stansgran Fri 01-Mar-13 12:19:19

The mechanic who serviced my dear departed Peugeot used to ring up when he had reached service costs of £500 as he said it was more than the car was worth.

Movedalot Fri 01-Mar-13 12:46:27

We are thinking of replacing DH's car as it is 12 years old and done 120000 miles but will wait and see when it gets it's MOT in a couple of weeks. Neither of us knows anything about cars so have been looking around for something a bit smaller but not a 'Saga' car. Our problem is that we buy a new car and then run it into the ground so will find driving a new one with all its gismos a bit daunting. Thanks for posting this Galen as it has made me think we must ask about servicing costs before we buy.

gillybob Fri 01-Mar-13 13:03:37

Blimey harrigran A two year old car is positively brand new in my eyes !

confused

annodomini Fri 01-Mar-13 13:13:54

Mine is twelve years old and still going strong, though it has cost me a bit more in the past two years. Much as I'd like to change it, I think I have to stick with it a bit longer and anyway I don't go on long car journeys any more - I "let the train take the strain".

harrigran Fri 01-Mar-13 13:27:16

Ours gets quite a hammering gillybob with it being a seven seater. If we go anywhere as a family they all pile in ours and kids feet, food and dirty bits of treasure all take their toll.

gillybob Fri 01-Mar-13 13:35:14

Blimey when my car gets dirty I hoover it out... Not trade it in ! grin

Ana Fri 01-Mar-13 13:36:39

It's another world, gillybob! grin