Can a Specialist Service void warranty?

[rogerxp]

SORRY, I know this has likely be covered to death before but searches of 'service' or 'warranty' will no doubt chuck up hundreds of threads!

My Granturismo (65 plate) has just nudged 20,000 miles and is due it's 2nd service. H R Owen have quoted £2,900 for it whereas my nearest, and trusted, specialist (Autoshield) has quoted £600. As H R Owen Stockport have done absolutely nothing to restore my faith in their abilities I'd prefer not to use them. Plus the £2,300 saving using Autoshield isn't to be sniffed at.

However, the question over warranty has crossed my mind, so wanted to ask on here. I've got officially extended manufacturers warranty on my car (totaling 5 years).

Am I OK to get Autoshield to service my car without having any knock-on issues with the official warranty? I'll obviously be asking Autoshield to use official parts/items.

According to H R Owen the following is needed -:
LABOUR
LAMBA SENSORS
OIL
COMPRESSOR BELT
WATER PUMP BELT
AIR FILTER
POLLEN FILTER
OIL FILTER
UNDER FRAME SHIELD
SCREEN WASH
BRAKE CLEANER
WASTE DISPOSAL

Thanks in advance.

 

[Ebenezer]

You've been quoted a 4 year service by your Main dealer as it's got the Lambda sensors included which are not cheap. However they don't seem to have included the charcoal filter through.
You need to ask Autoshield what they are including since it looks like the labour only at £600 and none of the replacement bits which, trust me, add up very quickly.
Eb

 

[Scaf]

As far as the warranty is concerned the days of being forced to use MD to retain warranty cover a long gone.
So long as you can evidence that the correct service was carried to manufacturers specification and with OEM parts then you will be fine.

Edit : the above has now been proved to be incorrect, extended warranties CAN tie to to main dealers - buyer beware - you need to check the policy documents.

I think others have had success in negotiating MD rates down significantly though so is you are worried you could try that.

£600 sounds properly cheap -

 

[Doohickey]

I'm not sure that you have been quoted for the same service. I had a similar figure from the MD for a 4 year service (eventually) but Autoshield was around £1000 but a bit more if the Lambda sensors needed changing.

Whilst Scaf is correct, it will undoubtedly give Maserati an excuse to question any claim under the warranty. If it's on finance, those agreements almost always require MD servicing.

 

[rogerxp]

I'm not sure that you have been quoted for the same service.

I have been asking myself this very question hence asking HROwen for the breakdown. I've emailed Autoshield with the breakdown, and query on the warranty, so await their formal response. £600 (plus VAT I presume) does sound very cheap to me but here's hoping...

Thanks for all the replies. I'll report back.

 

[gb-gta]

When I had my BMW 330i I got the extended warranty after the manufacture one ran out at 3 years.
I believe that legally you can take your car outside the dealer network during the initial 3 year period, using genuine parts, as this is the law, but when you purchase an extended warranty they can set the rules. Therefore they can then dictate where you have your servicing done. Which is obviously with them!

If this is the same with Maserati extended warranty you are snookered, and are tied to the main agent.

 

[Scaf]

but when you purchase an extended warranty they can set the rules. Therefore they can then dictate where you have your servicing done. Which is obviously with them!

I did not know that ! but a quick bit of googling confirms that you are absolutely correct - so the OP will need to check his warranty policy very carefully.

 

[outrun]

Be careful here.

Theoretically you can service anywhere, as others mentioned, provided you can evidence full following of the service schedule including items such as lambda sensors and carbon canister which are pointless at the mileage but required by time just to make Maserati more service money.

They have previous on refusing warranty claims for some interesting reasons so it’s not wise to open that can of worms!

I’d be calling around 4 or 5 main dealers and playing them off against each other. Get that price closer to 2k although so look at the service schedule in the handbook as, again others have mentioned, the 2 year service should not need lambdas etc. I think it should be around a grand for what’s actually required at a main dealer. Do double check though, just saying that from memory.

 

[sionie1]

I managed to negotiate HR OWEN down to very close to an indie for the last big service, there really wasn’t a lot in it and I got a loaner for the weekend. However next time around, if I can, I’ll probably go the indie route.

 

[ChrisQP09]

I suspect if the service is like for like and the parts are OEM, you’ll be fine ref to the warranty!

 

[rogerxp]

Well, I'm still confused!

Marios at Autoshield stated his non-Lambda sensor service was £600 (plus any additional parts I think he said). He mentioned that the replacement of Lambda sensors are only a recommendation and not a requirement but would add about £1k to the bill. Looking at the service book I kind of challenge this as the book does say to please 'at least every 4 years'. Oddly the 'R' initial only features in the 7th service according to the book!

Called around a pile of dealers nationwide and have had costs ranging from £2,500 and £2,911 - HROwen Stockport were at the top end at £2,886. I'd happily pay closer to £2k for the service at a main dealer but think that's likely too much for them to flex (especially HROwen)?

I've got 1 year left on my manufacturers warranty so feel a bit pressured to do the job properly at a main dealer and they have me by the short & curlies. Getting everything replaced (included Lambda) at Autoshield I just feel might be a headache if I needed to make a claim. But, a £900ish saving does appeal, but might end up being an expensive £900 in the long run!

Any further advice on which way to jump appreciated.

 

[rogerxp]

The book ‘advises’ the use of a main dealer but doesn’t insist! Hmmmm.

 

[sionie1]

Ask the question of HR OWEN, they have flexed for me in the past...... it’ll come down to your definition of acceptable risk - save money and maybe have an issue with a future warranty claim or pay the additional and think you’re safe with any future warranty claim because you’ve followed the service schedule to the letter.

 

[JonW]

Being honest, if I were in this position, given it’s the 2nd major service, I’d go with a main dealer. I think this would help with subsequent resale (it implies it’s been maintained without regard to cost) and it means you have absolute certainty that there’s no reason for them not to pay out on any warranty claim.

I would however be haggling with them on cost, and using the quote of £1600 from Autoshield to suggest they need to get at least under £2,500…

 

[Felonious Crud]

^^ Yup, this. What Jon said.

 

[conaero]

If the mileage on your car is 60k miles or above, do the lambdas. If not, don’t bother. Carbon canister is another option. If it’s not been done at 8 years plus, you should do it.

 

[rogerxp]

Being honest, if I were in this position, given it’s the 2nd major service, I’d go with a main dealer. I think this would help with subsequent resale (it implies it’s been maintained without regard to cost) and it means you have absolute certainty that there’s no reason for them not to pay out on any warranty claim.

I would however be haggling with them on cost, and using the quote of £1600 from Autoshield to suggest they need to get at least under £2,500…

The cautious side of me agrees. Resale and warranty being the main drivers. The cheapest quote I got was £2499 from GrayPaul, Edinburgh so beating that by a nice amount would be seen as a win. Knowing my luck with HROwen I reckon they'll try hard not to budge £1 even though they owe me a great dollop of goodwill.

If the mileage on your car is 60k miles or above, do the lambdas. If not, don’t bother. Carbon canister is another option. If it’s not been done at 8 years plus, you should do it.

My car has done 20,500. Had I not got official warranty I'd leave the Lambda sensors (assuming the readings were OK) - what's the point of paying to replace something now that I'd have to pay for at some point anyway - might as well kick the can down the road until I have to do it at some stage. But, maintaining that warranty was always part of my exit strategy for this car hence getting 2 years extra as part of the purchase deal - I plan to sell privately with a decent chunk of the warranty left regardless of whether I'm quite ready to. Just makes financial sense.

 

[rogerxp]

Oh, the dilemma continues, and my mind keeps flipped. HROwen are restricted to a 10% 'trade' discount reducing their bill to £2,600. The cheapest main dealer was Edinburgh at £2,500. It's not worth the fuel bill and hassle to head to Scotland to prove a point. I was hoping for £2,400 or less if I'm honest. So, it's a clear £1k to get the dealer stamp.

HROwen did say that some people don't swap the Lambda's until they absolutely have to - it's these that are adding massively to the cost - but if I'm going to sell in about 6 months it makes sense to get them changed for that 'clean car' advert.

So, Autoshield at circa £1,600 or Main Dealer at £2,600...

(reminder, car is 4 years old, 20,500 on the clock, 1 further years manufacturers warranty)

 

[Hawk13]

The service book and the law is quite clear about permitting independents to perform the work and maintain the warranty.

Of course this does not stop Maserati refusing the warranty claim (as indeed they could even if the work was performed by an MD).

Everyone is different but as you seem to be concerned about a warranty claim, I would recommend you go to an MD.

OTOH, I would spend £600 and put the £2,000 towards future costs.

 

[rogerxp]

OTOH, I would spend £600 and put the £2,000 towards future costs.

Thing is, I always go down the route of doing what I can to preserve the resale value and then, no matter how hard I try, end up getting impatient/seeing something I MUST HAVE RIGHT NOW, and trading my car in hence the servicing history is of lesser value so never reap the rewards that I've tried to preserve. This is where a crystal ball would be useful. Part of me thinks, get the basic service done, be prepared to replace the lambda's if the readings aren't too clever, and be prepared to haggle upon sale/exchange if someone is a stickler for main dealer history. But, I think regardless of indy/MD, the lambda's should be replaced as it's too grey without doing this.