Will Audi Honor A Warranty If Service On The Vehicle Was Performed Not At Audi

And so you've bought or leased a new car and, like near proud owners, yous're probably promising to keep it well maintained, looked afterwards and regularly serviced.

Certainly, our advice here at The Car Expert is to bank check regularly your car's status. Information technology makes sense to maintain your pride and joy – information technology'll help keep its value, and it ensures your own safety also.

Just regular servicing is not cheap and some owners notice this extra expense more than hard to sustain than they had originally planned. And that's why many owners start to expect away from the supplying manufacturer's workshops and more towards an independent garage.

But is this allowed under the terms of your motorcar's warranty? Could it invalidate the valuable guarantee yous take confronting costly parts and labour fees in the result of a breakup or failure? Are you permitted to wait elsewhere for your servicing?

The choice is yours

It'south your choice when it comes to selecting where your automobile is going to be serviced and by whom. Besides as being required to offer at to the lowest degree a 2-year unlimited mileage warranty on all their new cars – regardless of any modify of ownership – auto makers in the UK cannot strength a buyer to have their vehicle serviced by their official dealership network.

And that means they besides tin can't refuse to honour a new car warranty simply because a car has been serviced elsewhere. It's all part of an understanding chosen the European Spousal relationship Cake Exemption legislation, which has been active for many years and which, even though the UK has now left the EU, all the same stands.

However, manufacturers do have the right to prepare a servicing schedule for their vehicles, which must be adhered to. So, if y'all do cull to plough your back on the main dealer and go instead to an independent engineer or mechanic, make certain you have your service book stamped, ensure you continue records of whatever work you lot have had done and insist that canonical parts and lubricants are used in whatsoever repairs, in line with the manufacturer's guidelines.

"Nothing much has changed in respect of the Block Exemption regulations, even though the UK has now left the European union," says a spokesman for the Guild of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). "And to be honest, nosotros don't meet anything changing in that respect for the foreseeable futurity.

"It's important that you follow the manufacturer guidelines concerning service intervals, such as i year or 10,000 miles, and you must use the approved parts. But otherwise, yous can't be forced to utilize a dealer's workshop for your motorcar'southward service."

Servicing and your new car warranty

Many manufacturers offering new machine warranty terms that are longer than the minimum two-year period, but y'all need to check that the warranty provided is the same for the whole warranty period.

Some importers offer a longer menstruum, merely after two years the warranty is provided by the local importer rather than the vehicle manufacturer, and so the terms and weather may exist unlike. Check your paperwork or ask the dealer if in doubtfulness.

If y'all do want to have your car serviced past an independent garage or mechanic, brand sure you lot choose a good, reputable organisation. It'southward your auto at stake hither, and your safety too, so don't attempt to cut too many corners in terms of cost.

For workshop suggestions, try The Good Garage Scheme which lists local garages that perform services to a strict code of conduct for quality and safety.

If your vehicle is under warranty, information technology can exist serviced by a Adept Garage Scheme member without invalidating the warranty conditions, only keep detailed invoices and receipts for all work done so you lot have proof that the car has been serviced according to its schedule.

Warranty repairs

If your motorcar requires repair work for failed parts nether its new machine warranty, the manufacturer has the right to insist that this work is undertaken past its official dealerships. They are paying got the repair so this is entirely fair.

A good dominion to remember is that if y'all're paying for the work, you accept the right to choose who carries it out. If the manufacturer is paying, they have the choice.

Not all warranties are provided by the vehicle manufacturer. Many dealers will offer extended warranties for a new auto, or a used car warranty of some description, but these are not commonly provided by the manufacturer and are aftermarket insurance policies.

As such, the requirements may exist unlike and may tie you to a item dealer or franchise for servicing.

What about my car finance obligations?

It is important to understand that although your new car warranty volition not be affected if y'all service your car exterior the dealer network, information technology may affect your car finance agreement.

Many PCP agreements volition insist that the car has to exist serviced by an approved franchised workshop to maintain its guaranteed time to come value (GFV) if you desire to give the car back at the end of the agreement. So if you accept a lease deal you might too be expected to service the auto with a dealership.

This isn't a warranty result simply rather a question of used car value. In theory, a car with a full manufacturer service history will exist worth more than a car that's been serviced at an contained garage, and the GFV is based on a auto with a full manufacturer service history.

"Information technology's of import to sympathise that, if yous are but leasing a motorcar as opposed to buying it outright, the finance company might specify which workshop you have to employ," says the SMMT.

"The difference is that rather than the auto being yours, it actually belongs to the finance company."

Summary

Although non a legal requirement, it may be advantageous for you to take your car to a franchised dealer for servicing, depending on your motorcar and your circumstances.

For more data on car servicing, read more than nigh the difference between independent garages and franchised dealers.

Here at The Car Skilful, we have some fantastic warranty offers for our readers provided by our commercial partners. If you lot're interested in a used car warranty, you should bank check these out:

ALA Insurance has provides used auto warranties in conjunction with the RAC
Warrantywise is a long-established and multi-honor-winning warranty provider
Motoreasy offers warranties and many other types of cover for car owners
Warranty Straight is one of the longest-serving names in the UK warranty market

Read more: Car warranty information, advice and offers at The Auto Expert

This article was originally published in September 2012 and most recently updated with additional information in January 2021.

Tom Johnstonhttp://johnstonmedia.com/

Tom Johnston was the offset-ever reporter on national motoring mag Automobile Express. He went on to go that magazine's News Editor and Assistant Editor, and has besides been Motoring Contributor for the Daily Star and contributor to the Daily and Dominicus Express. Today, as a freelance writer, content creator and copy editor, Tom works with heady and interesting websites and magazines on varied projects.