Experiences with dealer servicing

[01CDsedan]

I would like to hear about some good and bad experiences with dealer servicing for Opel based cars.

I had my 60,000km service done last Thursday by Rolfe Holden, Braddon ACT and as usual I am satisfied - job was done on time, to my satisfaction, and nothing came back broken. It was the same story at the 30k and 45k services.

This compares favourably with the experiences I had at the dealer I bought my car from, whom we will call "A large Holden dealer in Western Sydney". While the sales guys there are great, when I had to get the crank angle sensor replaced it came back with a floppy bonnet release cable. After the 15k service, it came back with a 'flat spot' on its exhaust tip that I still can't figure out. On the upside, they did replace the driver's door rubber seal when it was my fault it tore in the first place.

Warning: This is an Old Thread This discussion is older than 120 days. information contained in it may no longer be current . Please think of the children before resurrecting this ancient thread!

[Nem]

Kerry Holden Darwin
Service is crap
Took my astra there during warranty to have the front seat cushion fixed. They ended up doing it up again on three separate occasions only to have it come undone within the next 24 hours.

North City Holden Perth
These guys cannot do enough for you. Bend over backwards. Nothing is a problem for them. Fixed all my warranty issues with replacement parts (seat covers + sticky ignition) and all without booking it in once the spares had arrived. Congrats to Carl and the team at NCH Perth!

Unfortunately Im back in Darwin and there's only one Holden dealer. Think I might find another mechanic now my cars coming out of warranty.

Cheers
Ben

[Mitch]

Lancaster Holden Singleton, NSW

DO NOT GO THERE

Had to go without my car for a week because they couldn't figure that a nut had come off the fuse box bracket and it wouldn't start. Then yesterday I check the oil and everything, it's all fine until I get to the air filter and see that the air box has just been ripped out and the brackets are broken and have been glued back together unsuccesfully so now I have to go show them and get them to replace the whole air box.

[Anonymous]

Patterson Cheney Melbourne are extremly Good, I can't say a Bad word about them. There Pricing is Good, Parts are Reasonably Priced.
Any Warranty Item fixed STRAIGHT AWAY, None this Bring it back on XXXday routine. Only Prob is, They can't wash ya car when they finish due to Melb. Water restrictions.

[Anonymous]

ahhh yes i hav had a few problems with one of the holden dealers here on the gold coast. (Robina Holden)

one of the majors was a broken tensiner when they thought it was the timing chamber. took them one day to look at it and tell me they needed another day to spot where the noise/problem was coming from. i said no, took the car back to the mechanic where i work and within a hour it was fixed. :evil:

other problems included paying for broken air con 3 days out of warranty. ($600) :x
ive refused to go to this dealer again and am now going to take it to ultratune, my bro takes his scoobidoo there and reccommended them. :?:

[mfl]

My Vectra is serviced by a Sydney GMH dealer (located in Arncliffe). They don't have a clue. The car still has its niggling problems after 54,000km and after numerous visits I have given up, trying to get them fixed.


regards

mfl

[SmellyTofu]

mfl, I used to have some involvement with that company in Arncliffe (and know the people working there fairly well) and what I've noticed with all of its branches (as well as other marque it holds except for Ferrari) is that the service, parts, new cars and used car departments operate independently to each other as if they were their own company. They are all in it for their own pocket and worry about their own department rather than the whole dealership as a whole. Departments screwing other departments are a common occurance throught the whole car dealerships.

What someone should do when a new car is picked up is to go take the people to the service departments, let them know what services it provides and why they are better than dealer X in the next suburb rather than force customers to pay $140 (the amount I paid 2 yrs ago) for the extra 3 yrs warranty and force customers to "service" their cars every 10k and expect customers to come back.

Anyone with a half decent mind and knowledge about running a business should actually get out in the real world and re-evaluate the way that customers want out of pre-sales and post-sales service from all departments coz there is no loyalty to manufacturers for getting their car serviced after they've driven out the door. Of course if you want a new car, you are forced to go to them but if it was available from say an independent person and probably get a much better deal than go to a dealer.

[anicorsa]

I better stop going to said Arncliffe dealership...


Anyone know of any good holden service centres? Around the same area, im willing to travel, but not too far.

[dazza015]

For those in Brisbane

I purchased my car from Zupps Hillcreast brand new and as promised received a 6 year 175,000km warranty which would be fully honoured if I continued to have my car serviced through Zupps.

Have a few little warranty problems with the car but generally always leave satisfied.

For instance I took delivery of my car at about 4.30 in the afternoon, at about 7 that night I noticed a warning light come on, then the car lost a heap of power then coughed and spluttered the whole time, rang the salesman first thing in the morning and he told me to drop it over first chance I get and they would have a courtesy car waiting as it would take at least a day to fix. Got there to find no courtesy car available, so they gave me the sales department company car! Got the car back next afternoon as promised fixed & washed again. Left very happy.

Since then the few minor problems I have had have all been fixed with minimal fuss (except the cruise control problem took them four tries) even down to a slightly squeeky clutch pedal (which hasnt made a noise since!) and just about everytime I was given a courtesy car.

As far a servicing goes pricing is good and I get a courtesy car each time.

They even gave me a full tank of fuel after my 1500k service, because I dropped the dealer survey form back to them instead of posting it direct to Holden.

Will be sticking with these guys because from what I have heard some of the other local dealers are not up to their standard. My Uncle and my mate have both had problems with John Sivyer Holden at Moorooka in the past, like putting the wrong oil in my uncles rodeo and the engine damage it caused, I could tell you all what my uncle thinks of them but it would probably look something like this "Those F*%$ &*#% ^#*& (&(&* !! * *** stards!"

[Anonymous]

John Sivyer Holden?? i got me car & mum's Astra there too.

but i don't intend to service my car there...... i have my service done @ Zupps Mt Gravatt. those idiot @ JSH even forgot to take those plastic springs stops off my car when it was delivered!!

Zupps has been quite good. i asked them NOT to wash my car & they remember not to wash it. while many dealers i used to go (diff brands tho) would forget/ignore small items like this.