VW Dealers or local garage??

[fraz1776 0]

I took my rado into the VW dealer by mine for a check up before the MOT they gave me a list of stuff that needs done and if I get them to fix it it'll be about £700 (about 250 parts the rest labour and VAT!! I thought it was a bit steep!!)

 

Are dealers much more expensive than a local dealer or is the difference not that great? (I'm a total noob when it comes to garages!!)

[Andy665 0]

Typical VW labour rate is now about £85 per hour + VAT. A good specialist will be a lot less and they'll actually know something about the car they're working on.

 

Wouldn't go near a main dealer with a bargepole and I work for Volkswagen :lol:

[fraz1776 0]

£85 an hour!! :shock: bloody daylight robbery!!

[Andy665 0]

Plus the VAT don't forget, thats about the national average for Volkswagen, I know at least two who are over the £100 + VAT mark.

 

You'd struggle to find a technician in the network who was ever trained to work on the Corrado so paying the inflated labour rate is a total waste of time in my opinion

[The Hub 0]

Wouldn't go near a main dealer with a bargepole and I work for Volkswagen :lol:

 

I would hope your bosses aren't reading this :lol:

As for VW technicians not being trained to work on a Corrado.... why is a FVWSH seen as so important when buying one :crazyeyes:

[Jay2 0]

I think the main thing is to find a mechanic who knows about Corrado's or has worked on them before.

 

As even each different model of Corrado, G60, VR, etc, has their own little quirks.

 

Take mine to a local VW specialist, as the blokes are old enough to have worked on the Corrado's when they were new, rather than the more yoof mechanics, who weren't even born then! :shock:

[craigowl 0]

As above.

Find yourself a good local non franchised garage and save about 50% (several hundred ££s in your case) on labour as I do.

[Andy665 0]

I think most people on this forum would accept that a good specialist service history is at the very least as good as a main dealer history - on a purely personal basis I would not pay more for a Corrado with a main dealer history than one with a specialist history

[cymru-corrado 0]

alot depends on what dealer you use and what techie ends up with your car, i know of at least 3-4 in my place that would be perfectly at home working on a Rado, kind of pot luck.

also labour rates can fluctuate ours is £65+vat, which is still going to be higher than a specialist.

[craigowl 0]

Our two local garages with VAG trained staff charge £35 + VAT/hour. 8)

[latestarter2 0]

same here..i use a local chap vw trained and he does the work here at home...got my C and the missus's mk5 golf fully serviced for £200...Result!!

[corradoboy34 0]

i used main dealer to fix bonnet release cable ..big mistake !!!!never again ,couldn,t find part not listed ,asked if i could get it !they took 4 days to source part and charged me £190 !!!thievin b*stards !

they chipped the paint on the wing tryin to fix cable aswell !!

THANKS CHISWICK VW !!

[blue95 0]

DIY is best! :lol:

 

Invest in some good manuals - Bentley for the body work and haynes is just about acceptable for the engine.

 

With the money you save from doing all work yourself invest in decent tool sets.

 

Learned a while back if you want to hang on to your Raddo long term, you need be able to do work on it yourself.

 

Most garages seem to think, feck it its an old car anyway, and always manage to bust something in the process of fixinf it!

[lesarcsneil 0]

I had a nightmare at the VW dealers when they replaced the alternator I bought there under warranty...

 

It took 3 days for them to

a) Work out the alternator was broken and order the new part

b) get the new alternator in (ok another day, fair do's but they could have pre-ordered the alternator as I had booked the car in in advance)

c) realise the new alternator had a different thread size on the spindle

d) look around for a bolt to fit on the spindle (another day or so)

e) finally steal a bolt from the Ford alternator the AA man had bodged on and not tell me (no complaints, it got me to Brands and back home again).

 

No loan car, no nothing.

 

And they wonder why I don't go there for servicing?

 

I use a specialist in Manchester for servicing (350 mile round trip from Cambridge, my folks live there so I make a weekend of it) and am more than happy with this arrangement. It works out cheaper including fuel than a dealer service. I have to book about a month in advance as he's a busy man.

 

Neil

 

94 Flash Red 16v

[diamondblack 0]

I took my rado into the VW dealer by mine for a check up before the MOT they gave me a list of stuff that needs done and if I get them to fix it it'll be about £700 (about 250 parts the rest labour and VAT!! I thought it was a bit steep!!)

 

Are dealers much more expensive than a local dealer or is the difference not that great? (I'm a total noob when it comes to garages!!)

 

 

It might help if you say where you are, then someone could recommend a garage nearby.

[Critical_Mass 10]

Have to agree, i wouldnt take my rado to a vw dealership. Took my girlfriends lupo to them to get a pedal box fitted. They came back saying it needed 2 rear suspension bushes front brake pads (id fitted new ones about a month or so before) rear window washer and new front ball joint. It had just passed its MOT 4 months earlier also. I just dont trust them, i get the impression they will say anything, even if its taking advantage of someone that doesnt know anything about cars such as my girlfriend. They just want your money.

 

Luckily we go to a VW specialist which is a bit further to travel then we'd hope, it being just outside Leeds in castleford. But he knows his stuff, he's honest and wont try to get you to have work done on your motor just to make himself some cash. His customer service doesnt stop once he's taken your money if you're still having problems with the car. To top it all of he charges £26 inc VAT an hour 8)

[Jay2 0]

Where abouts in Castleford mate?

 

Just down the road and always on the look out for more local VW specialists.

 

Looking for somewhere 'local' that has a bit more experience with Corrado modifications.

[Critical_Mass 10]

Volkswagen Spares Castleford

Unit 9, Raglan Works, Methley Rd, Castleford, West Yorkshire WF10 1NX

Tel: 01977 518254

 

His name is Craig, its not a huge garage but then you arent paying big garage kind of prices. He's just fitted an new VR lump for me along with clutch among other things. Was happy for me to go see progress and also advised me in regards to what i should change while engine is out etc. Top bloke. I go to him all the time as does my girlfriend and her dad. Though ive only ever seen one other corrado there he knows his way round them.

 

Though he is a great believer in keeping things standard it'd be worth asking him about mods.

 

 

Gareth