Main Dealers

It's something that never ceases to amaze me - when you come to trade a car in, the dealer appears to regard a fully stamped dealer service history as full evidence that the car has been well looked after. After 40 years of motoring I have come to the inevitable conclusion that it means exactly the opposite.

Kev

If i was you - i'd go back and SERIOUSLY play hell. Starting with refunds for all the labour on the services or summet, or at least a decent % of it. Thats just not on :@

So, in two years you haven't had a service? Or even checked the vehicle through. Perhaps the last owner put one odd plug in, perhaps because he dropped and broke one? There is no proof that I can see that a dealer is at fault. It would be different if YOU had the vehicle serviced including plugs and then found that one plug was an odd one. MrCheerful

I agree fully, i might just have been unlucky but every time i've been forced to have a car serviced at the main stealer ( for warranty reasons) it has come back and either broken down within 48 hrs or had dents in the bodywork, crushed jacking points, missing parts or some other crap. In my opinion all they are fit for is errrm can't think of anything actually!

Jimbo

It's not, but just handing them an old plug and stating that it cam from the engine that they hadn't serviced without any other (independent) proof is just going to get yourself laughed at I suspect !...

Sounds like my last Capri. All left bank had been changed but the drivers side bank must have been in for years.

The car has had full services annually and intermediate oils changes plus the dreaded cam belt change.I've possibly spent £1500 on services and mots over the last 2 years.

True - you'd probly be better leaving them all in i s'pose - driving back, showing them the history, then getting mad.

Your original post suggested to me that you bought the car two years ago with a service history. If you have had main dealer servicing, why are you now asking a friend to change the plugs? If these plugs have genuinely been fitted by a main dealer, then yes you should complain, but I think it will be difficult to prove.

MrCheerful

My friend works for the local BMW dealership and suggested he fit the plugs as I've had a slight off beat note from the exhaust and he said a plug change was an option. As he only charged me £10 plus the plugs £14 it was a bargain! I don't mind doing basic maintenance,but after watching the stuggle he had I'm glad he did it.

Why would a main dealer fit a non-genuine spark plug such as an NGK, when they have stocks of the correct GM parts (which are branded as such, but have Bosch markings around the threaded steel portion).

Ensure you have all of the facts before making bold statements...

Anthony Remove eight from email to reply.

Whoever did this needs shooting but are you sure it was a Vauxhall main dealer who left the plug in? It is unlikely to have been a Vauxhall dealer as they would have fitted genuine plugs (or at least 5 of them!).

Obviously some main dealer technicians will cheat like that but most don't as it is too easy to prove. It just isn't worth their while. If I found out one my techs had done something like that they wouldn't have a job with me for long.