Main dealer service history - is it important?

slay

Member
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409
More importantly, would you buy a car that was serviced by the dealer selling the car?

Looking at a stradale from GC Motor, and the 4 year major service was done by GC Motor itself, a little bit concerning, they are not even a specialist!

What do you all think? Should I be worry? Or should I walk away?
 

slay

Member
Messages
409
This is what they have done for the 4 year major service - looks suspiciously cheap in my opinion.

Salesperson claimed that they are an authorised Maserati servicing centre, but I am not sure if the service was done according to manufacturer standard. It cost me 3k+ when I serviced my GTS at a main dealer last time.

How could a 4 year service cost only 1.3k - even a specialist would ask more!
 

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Scaf

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6,512
My main service (GTS MC) was £1500 including VAT via specialist independent so not dissimilar.
 

CatmanV2

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48,554
Hmmm
4.8 hours for rocker gaskets and 6.8 hours for gearbox gasket. Thos are not service items and I'd expect them to bump the price significantly. But I am no expert!

Back of a napkin indicates about £40 per hour labor......

C
 

FIFTY

Member
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3,100
Hmmm
4.8 hours for rocker gaskets and 6.8 hours for gearbox gasket. Thos are not service items and I'd expect them to bump the price significantly. But I am no expert!

Back of a napkin indicates about £40 per hour labor......

C

I thought the cam cover gaskets on the granturismo take longer than the 4200 to change which is 6hrs for a mechanic who knows what they are doing... Unless they only did one side(?)
 

zagatoes30

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20,763
Main dealer service history is nice to see but doesn't necessarily mean it was done better than an independent. In my mind service history is one of many factors in buying any car more so with a performance car but if I could see evidence of being done, detailed invoices, I would be less concerned the just having a dealer tell me they have just done it.
 

safrane

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16,749
Remove Gearbox!... I would be more concerned about that than the cost of the service.

The only approved Maserati service centres are Maserati ones as far as I am aware.
 

CatmanV2

Member
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48,554
I thought the cam cover gaskets on the granturismo take longer than the 4200 to change which is 6hrs for a mechanic who knows what they are doing... Unless they only did one side(?)

Possibly. Either way seems wildly optimistic

C
 

rockits

Member
Messages
9,167
No brake fluid change?

Looks OK to me in the main. Only thing to check is if the 4 yr service has been done to same spec as Maserati recommendations. Surely brake fluid is changed on 4 years as should be every 2 years I thought on most cars these days.
 
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To cut through the unknown quality and compliance to schedule, why dont you agree a conditional sale based on a specialist indy PPI? Will cost around £300, but could answer the unknowns and give an independent view of the car on sale.
 

TimR

Member
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2,656
Brake and coolant is annual on a 4200 IIRC..
Havnt read the pdf. Not all Maserati dealers are the same.
I turned down the non-specialist' offer of the selling dealer doing the 4 yr service on my 4200 when I was buying. Partly ignorance on my part but they quoted such a low price, I somehow doubted they werent cutting corners..(They told it had fresh oil, which it was easy to see it didnt...)
Good point about PPI. It wont catch everything but it helps. Ther were jobs mine needed that wouldnt have been covered by a 4yr service....Best £300 I ever spent...?
 

Zep

Moderator
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9,110
To be fair the front gasket on the gearboxes does leak on occasion and it’s good that they have changed it.

But, there are a few things missing from a 4 year service. The Poly-v belt should be changed. The brake fluid should be changed. The lambda sensors and carbon canister should be changed every 4 years. The coolant should be changed, in this case it has been topped up. The bill shows 500g of refrigerant, which is about half the charge so there is probably a leak.

Finally, is there a print out of the clutch wear as a Maserati Service Centre should have an SD3 on hand to do this.
 

Ewan

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6,757
Emblem charge about £1200 inc Vat for a standard (i.e. every 2 years) service for a GranTurismo. Not sure what extra jobs, if any, are required on the 4th year service. But the GC Motors self service wouldn’t overly bother me on this particular car, as MC-Strads are relatively thin on the ground, so if it’s the colour/spec/age/mileage of car you want, I’d still give it serious consideration.

It looks good value at the current asking price, so if you can knock them just a little, you could easily then justify taking it to a specialist for an extra look over and additional service work, just to be safe.

I’d agree a price with the dealer, subject to the car passing an independent specialist inspection (which you will have to pay for).
 

rockits

Member
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9,167
I'd echo above and get an indy PPI. Looks like a decent price for a 3 year jsh old Strad with low miles.

As Zep mentioned it is missing a few items for a 4 year service but not actually due a 4 year yet is it? I wouldn't be too concerned but budget for resolving these next year maybe and negotiate in the price.

I take it Strads are 2 year intervals?

At least it is not white, grey or black......oh!
 
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Zep

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Ewan (probably due to his excellent taste in model and colour of car) and Dean (despite obvious deficiencies ;)) are right. If it is the right car you will probably be able to put a deal together.
 

hashluck

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1,515
As above, negotiate down the cost of a proper 4 Year Service and get that done yourself (irrespective of what they say they have done) for your own peace of mind.
 

philw696

Member
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25,120
To be fair there are very few that change the lambda sensors and charcoal canister every 4 years unless they have done high miles.