Hawcara Posted November 10, 2014 Share Posted November 10, 2014 I have a problem to clarify in my own conscience and want objective advice. We have a Chausson on a Ford transit chassis. For the last 3 years we have had it serviced by the local Ford franchise in Plymouth. Last year, it failed it's first Mot on the basis of the rear discs, which were corroded. They said that contact with the disc was hardly made and that corrosion had occurred. I have never had this problem in any vehicle before and would have thought that if there was a fault that it would have been picked up in previous services. In reality, I felt I was being rippped off, but have nothing to base my feelings upon this. On a minor point, I am not that impressed with their 'care', customer service. This year I am considering taking it to a non franchised dealer, who has been recommended by our car garage, (they would carry out the service if they had a big enough ramp, but do not). So your thoughts would be appreciated, (we do about 5k pa) mostly abroad. Cost is about the same, but today this came on the email http://www.ford.co.uk/BlueService This seems to include vans (looking at the terms and conditions) and although we insure with Comfort with Euro breakdown, it is another 'string to the bow' if something unforeseen occurs. Thus the dilemma, franchise or non franchise? Thank you :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sshortcircuit Posted November 10, 2014 Share Posted November 10, 2014 My Fiat has been serviced from one year old by my local garage. As far as I understand provided it is a registered garage and genuine Fiat parts are used, then there is no need to go to very expensive franchise Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted November 10, 2014 Share Posted November 10, 2014 All our local Fiat dealers have proved to be useless. I use my friends garage for anything I can't do myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
w1ntersun Posted November 10, 2014 Share Posted November 10, 2014 I too have my van serviced by the local garage who only fits parts if required and only changes oil when its needed. He does use genuine parts though as that is most important. Its a fraction of the price and I know the job has been done Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malc d Posted November 10, 2014 Share Posted November 10, 2014 My view has always been that if you can find a good local independent garage, use that. Any large dealer operation, with workshops, showrooms, and a lot of staff, have much bigger overheads to cover - so bills are likely to be higher. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
globebuster Posted November 10, 2014 Share Posted November 10, 2014 I recall you asking a similar question last year - At the time I did advise you of a local[ish] garage that I use for both my Ford car and Fiat motorhome. As has been said, a good independent is worth knowing, and would get my vote - certainly once outside of the warranty period. Give these guys a ring - Callington Motors 01579 383251 either John or Andy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted November 10, 2014 Share Posted November 10, 2014 I too use main dealers under warranty as it just is not worth the hassle if something fails after a non franchised dealer service but once out of warranty I have always found the local garages offer better service, just as much expertise and lower costs. I look for an independent garage with light commercial experience as some van and smaller fleet operators use the independents for the same reasons that we do and they usually have enough headroom on the ramps. Before taking any vehicle in for an MOT I give it a good run to get it thoroughly warmed up and give it several good hard braking applications - including the handbrake - to clear the discs of muck and rust. Whether or not it helps I know not but I've never had a failure on brakes! I also check the lights, seat belts, indicators, wipers, washers, tyres, handbrake operation as there is no point in risking failing on something that is easily avoidable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartO Posted November 10, 2014 Share Posted November 10, 2014 I have used a local independent garge too - and they do a good job. Not cheap but not rip off either. Same garage does our cars as wll, so we get to know them as regular customers and several time they have gone the extra mile to help us out when we've needed it. It's been a good relationship but I think you only build that relationship and get that extra help when you show loyalty to them as well. The Ford Blue service looks much like a marketing package rather than anything fundamentally new about availability/quality of service. Maybe you can develop a similar bod with a main dealership and when I have teied (eg with our local Peugeot dealer when I had one of their cars) they were approachable and helpful - but of course you have to pay for the service. I wouldn't jump to outraged conclusions about rusty rear discs being first noticed at an MOT. That sort of thing happens with low mileage MHs so that could be an entirley genuine finding. Because MHs get intense use (eg for a European tour) for short periods and then either left alone or used only occassionally for long periods, so they need more servicing rather than less. I always have a "full" service every year, including checking the brake discs etc) even though the Fiat schedule (which is designed for high mileage vans) only requires servicing at two year intervals. Paying extra each year for good servicing is worthwhile in terms of reliability as well as durability. White vans are scrapped after six or seven years - you want your MH to last 20 years or more, so look after it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted November 10, 2014 Share Posted November 10, 2014 Assuming that the Ford warranty on your Chausson has now expired, as you are unhappy with the quality of the service/care your local Ford franchised dealership has provided it would seem to make sense not to continue to have your motorhome worked on by that particular dealership. I don’t know if there’s another Ford agent near you (presumbly you’d need your motorhome Ford-serviced to benefit from BlueService?) If not then you might want to try the non-franchised dealership. It would be wise to check what the non-franchised garage can and can’t do, as electronic software revisions/updates provided by Ford to their franchised dealerships very likely won’t be available to non-franchised garages. Similarly, Ford safety-related bulletins won’t necessarily be known about by non-Ford dealerships. Whether your Chausson should have failed the MOT test because its rear discs were ‘corroded’ depends on the amount and type of corrosion. My understanding is that, nowadays, if a vehicle meets the test’s braking performance criteria and there’s no indication that a disc is actually weakened by corrosion, rusting/grooving, etc. is not a reason for failure. If a disc is very badly pitted, though, the tester may decide that a new disc is necessary for safety reasons. This 2011 AA webpage may be of interest http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/general-advice/brakes-discs-drums-pads.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brock Posted November 10, 2014 Share Posted November 10, 2014 You need a garage that understands motorhomes and can do all the necessary work and one that you trust. Doesn't matter whether it is a main dealer or local garage provided any warranty is maintained [warranty is not an issue for you I presume]. A main dealer will do any warranty work and recalls and may give preference to existing customers. For the last six years, I've used a Fiat Professional dealer who understands motorhomes and A-classes. It works to a service schedule for the mileage and operating conditions of the vehicle which keeps the costs down although the labour and parts charges are standard Fiat rates. Check out whether the local garage gives any guarantees for work carried out and if so, how they compare with the main dealer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawcara Posted November 10, 2014 Author Share Posted November 10, 2014 globebuster - 2014-11-10 9:54 AM I recall you asking a similar question last year - At the time I did advise you of a local[ish] garage that I use for both my Ford car and Fiat motorhome. As has been said, a good independent is worth knowing, and would get my vote - certainly once outside of the warranty period. Give these guys a ring - Callington Motors 01579 383251 either John or Andy. I did indeed ask for advice last year and have followed up on your 'Globebuster' recommendation. My mind was almost made up, but then received the email this morning re the ' Ford blue service', hence the dilemma. Thank you all for your comments, much appreciated :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ANTAR Posted November 10, 2014 Share Posted November 10, 2014 BT FLEET are big enough to handle any service jobs and MOTs on Fords etc. They are nation wide and I believe they are authorized to carry out warranty work on Fords. They have handled my van from year one and never had any problems, the van is now 5 years old . Bills work out a lot cheaper than the main dealer I used with my previous van, and I feel they are much more trustworthy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
globebuster Posted November 10, 2014 Share Posted November 10, 2014 This guys look after a fleet of transits for a couple of local firms, and they deal with big stuff... They are old school mechanics, but with an up to the minute set-up. If you choose that route, tell them Mike with the camper and mondeo suggested you call. BTW - I have no association with them - other than being a satisfied customer :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robinhood Posted November 10, 2014 Share Posted November 10, 2014 My Ford Main dealer has been pretty good with my 'van, and it always pays to have an existing relationship if you need warranty work. (They are also remarkably cheap, but I think that is because they are a specialist commercial dealer, and the commercial side of the business won't stand the same labour rates as the car side - separate reception and staff, etc.) I've taken the Ford Breakdown Cover for cars at service time (though they were also in warranty) BUT, read the Ts&Cs fully, as there were/are limits on size and weight that would be covered. ISTR that the weight limit wasn't over restrictive, but the length one was (5.5m?) - and I've never bothered for the 'van. If you're unhappy with the current garage, if the above limit still applies, then I think you should be looking at a decent independent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wasnt Me Posted November 10, 2014 Share Posted November 10, 2014 Hello I too have a Transit Chausson and was told this year that my rear discs were corroded and they would advise replacement next year. The MOT tester agreed with the advice Derek gave also. The discs need to be almost in a state of collapse, to fail on corrosion. The key is the efficiency and if it meets the minimum standard. This is no doubt due to the lack of operation of the rear brakes and the fact they are under-worked, coupled with the fact mhomes stand for a lot. I looked at my discs and they were not too bad at all, I doubt I will replace them. As you are aware there are benefits of using main dealers and some of the benefits as you probably know are as follows: They should know what they are doing and therefore fix faults quicker They should only use genuine parts and be able to source them quicker You will maintain some of the value, when you sell. Having said that, if you can find a local garage that understands mhomes and you can trust they are also provide a very high level of service. Most should use Original Equipment (O.E) spec parts also. I suppose you may need to try a few and weigh up the value of getting that stamp in your book. Are you likely to sell privately, or trade it in? Do dealers offer much more for vans with genuine service history. Hope this is helpful Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Had Enough Posted November 10, 2014 Share Posted November 10, 2014 When organisations such as 'Which' trialled garage servicing, independents were just as likely as the larger franchises to be slipshod and dishonest. In fact I suspect that Ford dealers for instance wouldn't stay Ford dealers for long if they were constantly found to be ripping off clients. It also appear to me that the OP's dealer was doing its job properly by finding the rear disc corrosion, a problem that even I, with my limited technical knowledge, know is prevalent on vehicles that don't have hard braking and which sit around unused for weeks on end. Like Robinhood above, my Ford dealer has been excellent and reasonably priced. They are also aware of safety recalls and I had one of those in the second year of ownership. Would a small independent have known? But the biggest potential problem is major faults occurring outside the warranty period. If you have an expensive problem in say, years four to six, you are unlikely to get a manufacturer's contribution if the vehicle hasn't been serviced by a franchised dealer. This is reasonable as the maker has no idea if the servicing has always been done to its recommended standard. If I'm spending tens of thousands of pounds on a motorhome I'm not going to worry about saving fifty quid a year by having the annual service done by a small independent who, however nice and friendly he is, may not have the equipment, expertise and and up-to-date safety recall information. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EMS Posted November 10, 2014 Share Posted November 10, 2014 I have happily used for several years the local Ford Hendy Transit garage in Portsmouth so it was with dismay that this year I found that this specialist garage had been closed and I had to use the main Hendy garage in Cosham. The staff I met had no idea of the vehicle and considered it a lorry with the high cost associated with the MOT and service not a class 4 as a car! The garage did not have the facilities to MOT the Hymer Van at 3.0 tons as their lift was not capable so the MOT was performed off site. The usual time for the service and MOT was a morning but this year it was several days I was not impressed. They claim they will provide suitable facilities for service and MOT next year, but if it is like this year they will lose my custom. Naturaly the Cosham garage was a car showroom and was rather swish but this is not what I was after for the van. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malc d Posted November 10, 2014 Share Posted November 10, 2014 To test a new garage you just make sure your washer bottle is full before you take your vehicle in for a service. Then see how much they charge for topping it up. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wasnt Me Posted November 10, 2014 Share Posted November 10, 2014 Or if it has a warning light for low washer bottle when it goes in for something else. A really good garage will top it up for you! :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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