[SydneyPat]

Hi all. My 3 week old NLine manual is my very first Hyundai. My previous car (2011 wrx) was always serviced by independent mechanics and never serviced at a dealership. This was mainly due to bad experiences with Audi dealerships on my Audi prior to that.

I can see many of you work on your own cars here. But for the newer vehicles still under warranty, do most (Australian) owners here get them serviced at dealerships or independent, trusted mechanics?

I have read more horror stories than glowing reviews on many of the dealership service centres in Sydney and I actually get anxiety just thinking about inexperienced or careless mechanics breaking things or missing faults on my new car. I'm aware of our laws that allow us to use any licensed mechanic without voiding manufactureres warranty as long as the required service schedule is followed and genuine products are used etc. However, my concern by going to my trusted mechanic is that in the event of some major fault/failure, Hyundai will turn around and blame my mechanic for breaking something. Has anyone experienced this? Should I be taking it to a dealership for servicing just for the next 7 years? And if so, recommended service centres in Sydney metro/north west would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks..

[Hati]

There is no legal requirement to service your car at the dealer. As long as your mechanic is qualified and uses quality parts, the warranty will stand. Your only downside is that any software updates to the infotainment system and the GPS in particular will not be applied by your friendly local mechanic.

[i30premy]

Hi,
Purhased our i30 Premy new in 2012. Previously we have all our co vehicles serviced by a local mechanic.
However with the i30 we decided to stick with dealer service, price didn't appear to be much higher.
Also dealer included map updates & annual roadside service.

[Dazzler]

Hi Pat, I'd be googling the Hyundai dealers within a comfortable commuting distance and checking out their reviews. As stated if you can find a reliable dealer there is some benefit in using them. I've tended to use independants on new cars in the past but fixed priced servicing has narrowed the gap price wise generally.  Here in Tassie we don't get a choice of dealer, but I'm lucky because I've bought so many cars from them I do tend to get VIP treatment.  Being an Admin on this site might come into the equation too. 

[Shambles]

Being an Admin on this site might come into the equation too. 

I used that when I bought Vayda

Didn't get me much of a discount though

[Lorian]

I dont know if its the same bargain in .au as here but I bought a 3 year service plan.  It fixes the service prices and you pay up front or monthly and effectively gets one year for free over the regular dealer prices.

Hyundai Pre-paid Servicing | Hyundai Australia

[SydneyPat]

Thanks for your replies 

I do have three dealerships fairly close to home & work but I've read too many poor reviews about their service centres.

I'm not too concerned about the difference in costs - mainly just concerned that the dealership mechanics won't service the car properly or pick up on any potential issues. But if I use an independent I feel Hyundai could maybe use that against me later on.

I think I'll take the above advice though and stick with dealership for now (if I can find a good one)!

Thanks! 

[The Gonz]

With both our i30s we've been to the dealer only for the first free service and any safety recalls. We have a trusted local mechanic who can service by the book and, while I've done my own services on all my cars once out of warranty, we now take the FD to our son since he's a mechanic.

[BrendanP]

For both the i30s I've had, I took them to the dealer for servicing, just to avoid any quibble over potential warranty claims. The last time my old car went to a dealer for service was about 95,000 miles ago. I've been doing all the servicing since then

My current car has only had 3 services during the warranty period, I haven't decided yet whether to continue taking it there or do it myself in future. I do my own intermediate service, I'm not paying £150 for them to change my oil and filter!

I intend to keep my car for a few more years and 150K+ miles, by which time I don't think a service history would make much difference to the 2nd hand value. If you document what servicing has been done and keep all receipts and sound like you know about car maintenance, that would help.

In the UK, the history of statutory annual testing is available on-line. Being able to show your car passes year after year without problems is a good sign that a car has been maintained, rather than neglected.

[Dazzler]

@BrendanP

Thanks for yet another helpful and insightful post.

Your input is appreciated!