EU legislation requires all manufacturers to offer at least a 2-year, unlimited mileage warranty on all their new cars, which is transferable if the car is sold on.
Different legislation (the good old EU again though) states that manufacturers cannot force buyer to have their cars serviced by their official dealership network, and cannot refuse to honour a new car warranty simply because a car has been serviced elsewhere.
Of course a main dealer will want you to bring your new car back to them for servicing and may imply that this is the best thing for you and the long-term value of the car, but they cannot insist on it and saying it will “void the warranty” if you take it elsewhere is simply not true.
Having said that, the manufacturer does have the right to set a servicing schedule and insist that every detail be adhered to, down to the grade of oil used and so on. They can also insist on any repair work (not servicing jobs) required under warranty be undertaken by a main dealer.
Many new car owners are choosing to have their new cars serviced at reputable independent garages like Triggs, mainly because:
- Our labour rates are considerably cheaper than main dealers
- Our mechanics are often way more experienced than main dealers, despite what they might claim!
- We can still use all manufacturer-approved parts if you wish
- Our location is more convenient, if you’re local to the Brentwood area, than traipsing over to the main dealer
- We won’t make you wait weeks for an appointment
We give detailed invoices and receipts for all work done so you have proof that the car has been serviced according to schedule. This prevents any claim by the manufacturer, if a warranty claim is made for a fault, that the fault is down to a below-par service.
If you have a problem with your dealer saying you have invalidated your warranty then you might want to contact the Independent Automotive Aftermarket Federation (IAAF), who have successfully challenged hundreds of cases like this, and will be able to advise you.