Car Warranties

[EnthuZiaZT]

If you buy a brand new car from a main dealer, are you forced throughout the life span of it's warranty, to return to that dealer to have the car serviced in order to maintain the intregrity of the vehicles warranty? :-\

Alternatively can any dealer of that make of car, service the vehicle & maintain the warranty? :ymsigh:

Finally, can any professional garage, service the vehicle to the manufacturers specification, using manufacturers parts and still maintain the warranty of the vehicle? :|

Can anyone clarify the position on this? :-s

 

[r37]

If servicing has been carried out by a workshop that is not authorised by BMW, the authorised BMW Dealer or BMW Service Authorised Workshop reserve the right to reject any claim where the cause of the defect is due to the use of a non-genuine BMW part or inadequate servicing by the non-authorised workshop.

taken from the BMW website, the other manufacturers are broadly the same. If they can get out of replacing something they'll try any way possible.

 

[Snoops]

Clicky link to BMW's warranty page lots of info on here

 

[EnthuZiaZT]

If servicing has been carried out by a workshop that is not authorised by BMW, the authorised BMW Dealer or BMW Service Authorised Workshop reserve the right to reject any claim where the cause of the defect is due to the use of a non-genuine BMW part or inadequate servicing by the non-authorised workshop.

taken from the BMW website, the other manufacturers are broadly the same. If they can get out of replacing something they'll try any way possible.

Thanks for your reply r37, but would that be the same for any vehicle manufacturer, as the question was not aimed at BMW ownership, which is why I posted it in the lounge.
We wondered if anyone would know the law on this as we keep hearing that the dealers don't have the right to insist that the car is returned to them for a service.

 

[EnthuZiaZT]

Clicky link to BMW's warranty page lots of info on here

Thanks Snoops, have a look at my reply to r37, the enquiry is on behalf of our daughter who has an 08 car and is faced with a £700 bill from FIAT because of a cambelt change.

 

[Brian H]

If you buy a brand new car from a main dealer, are you forced throughout the life span of it's warranty, to return to that dealer to have the car serviced in order to maintain the intregrity of the vehicles warranty? :-\

No

Alternatively can any dealer of that make of car, service the vehicle & maintain the warranty? :ymsigh:

Yes

Finally, can any professional garage, service the vehicle to the manufacturers specification, using manufacturers parts and still maintain the warranty of the vehicle? :|

Unsure, In principle I believe you can take your car else where as long as it is a professional garage but when the time comes to making a warranty claim with the main dealer, the main dealer could query the parts used/procedures undertaken by the third party garage and try and refuse your claim.

I have had several vehicles now that I have been bought at one dealership and serviced at other dealerships (same manufacturer) with no detriment to the vehicle warranty.

HTH

 

[Titan]

If you buy a brand new car from a main dealer, are you forced throughout the life span of it's warranty, to return to that dealer to have the car serviced in order to maintain the intregrity of the vehicles warranty? :-\

No - this would clearly be impractical if for example you move house to another part of the country

Alternatively can any dealer of that make of car, service the vehicle & maintain the warranty? :ymsigh:

Yes - that was the purpose of branded dealerships
In theory all dealers are equal ....

Finally, can any professional garage, service the vehicle to the manufacturers specification, using manufacturers parts and still maintain the warranty of the vehicle? :|

AFAIK know this should be a "yes" but you are delving into the realms of small print and grey areas.
Clearly if you were to use a non-OEM replacement part, the manufacturer will use that as a get-out clause
The position regarding the use of a non-franchised garage to fit genuine OEM parts is less clear and may be specifically excluded under the terms of the warranty, although I would deem this to be legally "unfair".
A quick call to your local trading standards office should provide a definitive answer.

As has already been said, the main dealer is likely to use every excuse possible to refute your claim, but that doesn't mean they are acting correctly or honourably.