Dealership or local garage for your MOT?

[KudoWarrior]

Hey guys,

Got my MOT coming up and wondered what you guys did for your MOT's?

I'm now out of my extended warranty (2012 model) and wanted to get your thoughts on whether you thought it still had value in going to an Audi dealership or to just go to a local garage for the MOT and any services that come from it?
(FYI, I live in London)

Thanks!

 

[A4A4]

Your local INDIE Garage - all day.
A lot cheaper the Audi

 

[Nilz]

Local Independant should be fine for you mate.

 

[Sandra]

I would go with local independent garage as 1st choice.

 

[jetty]

I'm going against the grain here - always found Audi to be cheaper than the locals. You also gain MOT protection which can be useful.

 

[KudoWarrior]

Cheers guys. I'll go with the consensus!

Price wise, I know my local is better and they are trust worthy just wasn't sure about taking the leap that way.

 

[rum4mo]

I'm going against the grain here - always found Audi to be cheaper than the locals. You also gain MOT protection which can be useful.

My car is just past 6 years old and I've always used my local Audi dealer, as above with the MOT cover, though my idea of when its service is due might not coincide with their's so bang would go my protection - they seem to be very keen to contact me since that last MOT visit, but never leave a message, I was hoping that they might come round to what I'd consider to be a fair price for a 6 year service, no harm in hoping!

I ran a B5 VW Passat 4Motion for just over 13 years from new and always used my local dealer, probably just in case it needed something doing that was not too easy for an Indie as there were not too many B5 VW Passat 4Motions around (B5 A4 q in disguise) - same price as local MOT station, similarly and for the same reasons, I always used a VX dealer for my Cav GSI 2000 4X4 - again their price was very good.

My daughter, due to poor planning "broke the mould" with her late 2009 SEAT Ibiza, so it had one KwikFit MOT, followed by local MOT from then onwards! In SEAT's case, it was that servicing with booking online meant you got 12AA Roadside Rescue, which worked for her on a young person's tight budget!

 

[spartacus68]

B5 VW Passat 4Motions around (B5 A4 q in disguise

Don't want to go off topic, but B5 Passat used Haldex system, same as TT and S3. A4 Quattro is permanent 4-wheel drive.

I'd be inclined to stay with local and trusted MOT station. If they do find anything, then their labour rates are likely to be half a main dealer's rates.

 

[8163264]

Nearest council MOT centre as they have no incentive to invent fictitious problems

 

[Chop.]

Local everytime for everything

Can I ask what MOT cover is ? Never heard of it

 

[rum4mo]

Don't want to go off topic, but B5 Passat used Haldex system, same as TT and S3. A4 Quattro is permanent 4-wheel drive.

I'd be inclined to stay with local and trusted MOT station. If they do find anything, then their labour rates are likely to be half a main dealer's rates.

Oh, well then you have been reading the wrong stuff! The B5 Passat, was as I said an Audi B5 A4 q with slightly newer and cheaper clothes!

Edit:- Plus it had a short spacer in the platform to give better rear leg room and used some of the rear links from an A6 q.

Another Edit:- I do agree with what you wrote about local and trusted MOT centres in general, but in all fairness to them, I don't want to hand them in a car that at the main dealer, needs lots of specialist tooling to carry out some jobs - which can help control costs to customer. Another issue being quick/easy access to correct parts first time round.

 

[rum4mo]

Local everytime for everything

Can I ask what MOT cover is ? Never heard of it

As long as the car is serviced in line with what Audi dictates, for an extra £10, I think you can get repair costs covered, excluding silly wear and tear stuff, up to the maximum value of £750, again, I think.

 

[Chop.]

ha, sounds like a con then, considering wear and tear is 90% of an mot, sounds to me like another way for the garages to scare people into spending money

 

[rum4mo]

Yes I'd tend to agree mostly with that sentiment - but for the first 3 MOTs I wanted to try to control the costs, although I would not expect there to be any, seeing as Audi like to ask for £2.5 to paint a couple of panels, I'd worked out that replacing a bulb might require £200 and some air in a tyre £100 - once you had dropped the car off for an MOT! I can't see me continuing to pay that extra £10 and more likely I'll be servicing my car from now on so will not be operating within the Audi loop - except for MOT.

 

[wolfie138]

dealer, wouldn't go to indies

 

[youngy93]

mot cover is abit of a joke id say, i used to pay for it, however when my wipers were deteriorating i thought i would make them a definite mot fail by cutting some gaps in them, however when they did the mot and wipers passed the mot!!!

 

[rum4mo]

I would have thought that the MOT cover did not include the wiper rubbers, but there you go! For me, I tend to try to get the exact same as factory fitted wipers as all these VW group main dealers, tend to only stock Quantum fit all/none wipers at a price that very close to getting them to order in the real thing - now that is annoying!

Edit:- maybe for me, the sort of irony is, that my local MOT is a Subaru main dealer who also has what was a very well priced tyre place - now revamped into a "Quick Fit" all marques place which collects cars for MOT and drives them half a mile to the Subaru workshop! Tyre prices are still capable of being good - if pushed, MOTs very cheap, but prices to fix things that were discovered at MOT a bit steep!

 

[Chop.]

I think it just comes down to who you know and where you are, i have a cracking indy where i live and apart from myself hes they only one i let work on my cars

being a fitter to trade has saved me a fortune over the years but some people don't have that luxury and i really feel for them sometimes when i see the prices the dealer garages charge for what is basically simple work, take the old or broken one off put the new one on

I'm sure the dealers pull people in with there fancy name, garages and stamp in a book but at the end of the day the job is only as good as the person or people that are doing it and if its some snotty nose apprentice or someone who cant be ***** or doesn't like there job then an over priced dealer or a cheaper indy your still gona get a crap result either way

 

[KudoWarrior]

Quite a conversational thread this has turned into

I'll try a local place this time and see how it compares to the dealership (who keep calling and mailing be about my MOT!).

 

[Chop.]

i think you touched a nerve

 

[desertstorm]

I have taken my car and the wifes to a local MOT centre for the last few years. All they do is MOT's and they only do stuff like wipers and bulbs. They aren't interested in failing the car to get work. Book on line to get a slot and only £35.
I know the tester quite well now. Used to use the local bus station for several years, again they aren't interested in failing the car to get work.
http://www.motcannock.co.uk/

 

[rum4mo]

i think you touched a nerve

Or, you have touched a jealous nerve by having a good Indie nearby (some folk have all the luck)!

 

[KudoWarrior]

i think you touched a nerve

haha Just bants I'm sure

I have taken my car and the wifes to a local MOT centre for the last few years. All they do is MOT's and they only do stuff like wipers and bulbs. They aren't interested in failing the car to get work. Book on line to get a slot and only £35.
I know the tester quite well now. Used to use the local bus station for several years, again they aren't interested in failing the car to get work.
http://www.motcannock.co.uk/

Cheers DS. I'm in London but often go up to Brum so will keep this in mind, plus there's a KFC near it - WIN WIN!

 

[youngy93]

I would have thought that the MOT cover did not include the wiper rubbers, but there you go! For me, I tend to try to get the exact same as factory fitted wipers as all these VW group main dealers, tend to only stock Quantum fit all/none wipers at a price that very close to getting them to order in the real thing - now that is annoying!

Edit:- maybe for me, the sort of irony is, that my local MOT is a Subaru main dealer who also has what was a very well priced tyre place - now revamped into a "Quick Fit" all marques place which collects cars for MOT and drives them half a mile to the Subaru workshop! Tyre prices are still capable of being good - if pushed, MOTs very cheap, but prices to fix things that were discovered at MOT a bit steep!

Think in the mot they have to clear certain parts of the windscreen, so i modified the rubber so there would be big areas which would not wipe the screen, and ened up having to buy my own hahah went for the bosch aerotwins for 20 quid at halfrauds, being decent so far

 

[rum4mo]

Kind of off topic so sorry:- since I had my car in to Audi for its MOT, I've had 2 emails reminding me that I have not given an assessment of their service (my words not their's) - I did nothing about that seeing as these surveys etc usually have some stupid extra questions and completely irrelevant possible answer options - or at best, only allow you to make a over the top positive answer! This week I've had a mobile phone and landline phone call from them, which I also ignored, today while helping my MIL out of hospital and into the car, I got another call, so as I was caught off guard with other things on my mind, I answered the phone - basically I have not completed the survey thing, just do it now and I'll get £5 against my next service, basically a ticking off - that does not work for me I'm sorry to say, besides I was really going to try get them to give me a sensible price for my next service if I do let Audi do it and not just buy the bits and do it myself, what a load of idiots, get these prices down to a not too greedy price!

 

[oldoiler]

Hey guys,

Got my MOT coming up and wondered what you guys did for your MOT's?

I'm now out of my extended warranty (2012 model) and wanted to get your thoughts on whether you thought it still had value in going to an Audi dealership or to just go to a local garage for the MOT and any services that come from it?
(FYI, I live in London)

Thanks!

See if you have a recommended local independent .Audi h/r about £150-175 independent about £ 60-75


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