I have a "free" MOT voucher as part of our Green Flag breakdown cover this year. This is redeemable at Halfords.
Despite a stamped service book, our 02 Jazz CVT has no detailed service history, as services have been done mostly by non franchised places and there are no receipts.
The only thing I DO know is that the CVT fluid was changed last August when we bought the car (I insisted) and the supplying dealer "serviced" the car before delivery - I guess that's oil & filter at least. I've also replaced the pollen filter and had the air-con recharged.
So - I've booked a major service with Halfords pre-MOT. (£215) It seems to be comprehensive enough:-
www.halfordsautocentres.com/advice/car-servicing/car-servicing-whats-included
Having heard stories about the likes of Halfords, Kwik Fit, et al, I'm wondering what sort of an experience I'll have. (They have agreed to run me home and collect me on completion, so that's a start).
Last edited by: Roger. on Sun 20 Jul 14 at 16:54
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Have you thought about getting it serviced at main Honda dealer?They often have special deals for older cars.What I find worrying with these QF workshops, is the quality of the service items used.Usually C&C products.(cheap and cheerful)
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Our nearest Honda dealer is about a dozen miles away and no way for me to get back home while the work is done.
For £215 all-in, inc the MOT I think it's not too bad a deal for the bits covered.
I'll probably revert to our usual indie next year, though.
The next job is a body-shop thing - removing the O/S roof rubber, scraping out the cracked sealer, resealing and replacing the rubber, possibly with a new one, to cure the familiar, water in the boot, Jazz problem. I might tackle that myself ;-0
I'm not able, either technically or physically, to do too much these days! Modern cars, eh!
Last edited by: Roger. on Sun 20 Jul 14 at 17:47
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My brother has always used Halfords for servicing his FRV. Until recently there was no problem, but it kept going into limp home mode due to an oil pressure problem. Diagnosis at a Honda dealer was a dirty sensor or something, which would have been checked under dealer service schedule, apparently.
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Honda fixed price servicing looks reasonable. £145 of £245 including pollen filter, air filter and brakes fluid.
Usual courtesy car etc. chucked in to, so looks more than Halfords, but I know which I would trust...
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>> Honda fixed price servicing looks reasonable. £145 of £245 including pollen filter, air filter and
>> brakes fluid.
>>
>> Usual courtesy car etc. chucked in to, so looks more than Halfords, but I know
>> which I would trust...
>>
Once I was out of the manufacturers warranty period, I wouldn't go anywhere near a main dealer.
Unnecessarily expensive (to pay for the glass palace and its accoutrements) and they are not necessarily to be trusted if my own unscientific findings are put into the equation.
I buy cars off a main dealer (his trade ins) and they will be from all sorts of different marques. Some of the newer stuff, will have had a recent main dealer service. So when I put it through my brother's garage for what you'd think would just be an oil/filter service and a safety check, that ought to be that ...er no.
He regularly shows me brakes/ oil filters/ pollen filters etc that haven't been touched in ages, certainly not 1500 miles ago or whatever the book/receipt says it was.
The ideal option is a specialist for your marque that you know and trust or comes well recommended.. next, an independent, that is willing to admit defeat on anything complicated and farm it off to a specialist, but is otherwise thorough and reliable.
Main Dealer, no thank you.
Last edited by: Westpig on Sun 20 Jul 14 at 22:53
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>> Main Dealer, no thank you.
>>
I use the relevent franchise dealer for our Merc, Honda and Mitsubishi, mainly because getting them serviced there continues the breakdown cover so that makes up for the additional cost. Having said that, a recent service on the Mitsubishi was a fairly remarkable £92 - it's seems so low that I rang them back to check they'd got it right.
I am resolved to move to an indie of some sort for our VW - everything about going near the VW feels like a scam, and VW's breakdown cover lasted 1 year from new, not even the usual 3.
I'd be most nervous about the quality of the people doing the work at Halfords. I'm sure there are good guys there. Like I'm sure there are at Kwik Fit - maybe I've been unlucky in never meeting any of the good ones.
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It's all down to your local fitters and management.
I've used our nearby Halfords Autocentre for two tyres and an exhaust this month. Both jobs were done accurately and with enthusiasm so if I were in the business of others servicing our cars I'd not hesitate to let this branch do a major service.
Re Westpig's comments... I take on another new to us car this week which was main dealer serviced just 1500mls ago... be very interesting to see how it gets on when I check it over.
Also re his comments... "The ideal option is a specialist for your marque that you know and trust or comes well recommended.. next, an independent, that is willing to admit defeat on anything complicated and farm it off to a specialist, but is otherwise thorough and reliable"
Absolutely spot on.
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Probably no better or worse than any other garage. I only take them in the garage for stuff I can't do. The local kwik fit is very good for tyre issues suchas repair. Very reasosonable as well.
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Will I regret it? - carmalade
