Hi All,

As the title suggests, looking at 2015 and the exchange rate ..etc. I am looking for advice on a VW car service. The car needs full service (oil, aircon reset/fill-up gas/clean, pollen & oil filters, reset the "service now" alarm..etc ). AMAG gave a quote of 1600CHF.

Keeping in mind the exchange rate, would it still be cheaper to do it Germany?

if yes does any one have any specific good experience with a specific service shop (preferably near Konstanz or Singen?
What cost did you spend in the shop for the service?

Thanks

As long as the exchange rate doesn't change to 2.5 : 1 it will probably be cheaper in Germany.

Keep in mind that a 1500 euro service for a VW would be outrageous in Germany - unless you get new brakes front and back, or have a Phaeton W12 or something else very special or big work to be done.

With the "new" exchange rate, it is even cheaper than before (20% cheaper) so it makes even more sense now to have your car serviced in the EU.

For that price in Germany, they service both the car and the driver.

Thanks for all your replies.

Has anyone actually done this major service at a shop across the border?

please give me some suggestions and hands-on experience. I know I could and I indeed will do my research and get quotes but having some guide will help.

I would also like to know how much was paid so I would make sure I have the cash+10%!

Thanks

1600CHF seems a bit steep for a "Filter and Fluids" Service, Are you sure it was just that, or does the car need the timing belt replaced? OTOH, AMAG is about as expensive as you can get.


Try an independant. Google "Garage Plus".

A normal 25K service costs about 800CHF with AMAG in Switzerland. To do your air con I would just go to an independent place for that as it doesn't affect warranty, eg. AC service at Adams Touring cost me 105CHF. For 1600CHF you must be getting something else which you've not mentioned. AMAG will happily give you a fully detailed estimate before the work is done, from their computer system, down to the last washer and tissue used, plus the standard labor charge to clean washer with tissue before fitting.

A similar AMAG service in Germany, for the same car, costs less than 500 Euros.

A friend of mine says it costs him about 600CHF for a service on an Audi at a non AMAG garage.

Are we talking 1.0 petrol or W12??? Major or minor service????
We have no details at all!!! Some VWs have factor 10 price difference on service parts depending where purchased.

A lot depends on the garage, is it VW/Audi or not (>30% cost variation), what part of Switzerland is the garage in (say 20% cost variation), the age and type of the car. AMAG near the border for example will be competitive.

Taxes are higher in Germany too, so parts from German VW dealers might cost more than Switzerland. German manufactured, replacement parts can be much cheaper than factory, by a factor of 7 to 10. There is a thriving market for second hand parts in Switzerland, used parts can be much more expensive here than new replacement parts in Germany.

The price of parts varies dramatically too. Online, Front pads (8 on some V8 Audis, Phaeton etc) can cost 25 Euro (Warehouse clearance of slower moving new parts), vs 350chf+ from AMAG, could be more from German VW dealers. Things like an airflow sensor can cost 20 euros new off ebay vs 200 from an Audi dealer.

By coincidence....

I picked up a quote yesterday just over the border from MB to do a standard 'yearly' service on an E500 .. .filters, oil, break fluid, new sparks etc.

1400 Eur .. but I'll get about 300 Eur back on the VAT

I'm not going to bother looking at the MB in Basel. I'm just wondering whether it's worth the hassle of finding an independent over the border (I'm inclined to think not..might save a few hundred Euro.. but will they put in the 'right' stuff ?)

P.S.

I could do some of the work myself... (filters etc) but.. just buying the bits seems more hassle than it's worth

Try these people:
http://www.atu.de/home

They also have 6 branches in Switzerland:
http://www.atu.de/pages/service/fili...html?gebiet=CH

A few ideas. It is not quite so simple a decision is it?

You are going through a lot of hassle, crossing the border, spending a day? abroad, etc. Plus you don't know if it is cheaper yet, vat and tax taken into account. Worth a 5 min call? Is a Swiss dealer stamp worth more on resale than German? Do you even need a stamp? Is a day of your time worth 600chf? Is it a nice day out? Can you really claim back VAT without paying import duty on 1400? Will MB Deutschland also change the discs because they might only have 18k km life left in the hands of an autobahn boy racer and the service interval is 20K?

Plugs can stay in for 2 years plus, will they get swapped this time? An independent might do this unnecessarily. MB CH will take and fit your own oil (eg Mobil 1) 40 euro 5 litres, vs 40 chf per litre etc. Plus there is an oil change only menu item in Adliswil, Kens car services, ab 75chf plus materials. Take your own Mobil1 and filter? Maybe something near you?

Not an easy decision. By the time I work that out I could have done the jobs.

I agree getting the right parts is a pain, some fanatics have been known to download the dealer parts databases and then apparently they just type part numbers into ebay.

Sounds like far too much for what you mentioned even by Swiss standards. Maybe for a Phaeton but every other VW should be much less IMHO.

I paid less than that an official Volvo dealer for a full service plus timing belt replacement.

The details I gave allow anyone to compare servicing costs with AMAG in Switzerland with that of Germany for the exact same car, which is what the OP is looking for. I said a normal service, which just meant a minor one and it was diesel car, so oil perhaps cost more. I've used many garages in both countries so it's irrelevant what type of service or what model. Something that cost about 800CHF cost 500 Euros in Germany, so if AMAG give you a quote here of 1600CHF, you might expect to pay 1000 Euros in Germany for the exact same work/parts. That's my estimate and not a quote for an particular make, model and engine size.

I have not noticed any differences in AMAG prices in different parts of Switzerland, although I only have experience with 3 of them. A VW only garage was slighty cheaper but also useless at fault finding.

I think everyone knows you can buy the parts cheaper online or non AMAG are way cheaper than you'd find at AMAG. Same applies for any make of vehicle but AMAg are particularly bad. Not much use though when you're not doing the servicing yourself.

Ok, just to clarify and give some more detail. So its an 8 year old car, it now has about 50,000 Kilometres.

last time had a service was about 4 years ago (nothing was replaced just oil added), this time I think everything will need to be changed, all the filters (pollen, oil ..etc). Aircon is not cooling and needs cleaning+refill (BTW: at AMAG that part alone is 190CHF and its on offer) It will also need Oil change and the breaks although they feel good to me, they might need some work, possibly break pad change (not sure if this part is included in the full service offer).

In basic the service light is on, the car needs is 50K service and not sure what will need work.

if I look at the TCS document regarding the service for an Alfa Romeo, the major work at 75K they are suggesting a cost of 979CHF. and this is at a TCS affiliate and we all know if its AMAG and AMAG service one could easily add another 50% on top of the number above.

BUT, I agree I should just ask for a proper offer and see what comes out of it.

BTW: the last time, I went to them was about 3 years ago, my sunroof was leaking into the car and they charged me 2000CHF to fix (3 hours the car was in the service) for it to leak again on the other side a year later. I ended up doing the research and pulling down the inner roof cover to find all they did was put glue onto the access water drip-pipe (no parts replaced). I did the same work for all 3 left pipes in 3 hours! at a cost of my labour and 15CHF worth of silicone glue.

You can get the air con serviced for nearly half that price somewhere else, even in Switzerland. I once saw Renault offering it for 60 Euros in France. No appointment required.

The brakes could easily be the reason it costs so much and 50K might mean a major service, so they will probably be changing your brake fluid too. Just because the brakes feel ok, doesn't mean they are not nearly worn out and your fluid is at least 4 years old. Sounds like a normal price from AMAG for what may be required. A non AMAG garage would be cheaper and Germany cheaper again.

If you plan on going on holiday and plan on flying, go out of one of the german airports, a lot of them have car service centres, where you can drop off your car get it serviced whilst you are on holiday and pick it up on your return, you only pay the servicing costs, no charge for the parking

Sounds very high for an E500...i had one of these a 2012 model from Germany and so no Swiss "free" servicing. A yearly service "B" (small one) cost me about Chf 500.-- in RG Autos/Fribourg.

Agreed you are OK for a small diesel car, no spark plugs, not needing expensive parts, only significant input expensive Swiss dealer labour. Main dealer parts prices were cheaper in Switzerland, lower taxes. Oils in Switzerland not regulated by manufacturer have crazy mark up, but you can supply your own to the main dealers here. Try Bashnagel VAG main dealer in Baden for a VAG service quote vs AMAG Zug. I expect perhaps > 20% difference for cars like yours. It could be a close call with Germany, and not worth the travel, hassle with problems.

Service type done, and model are relevant too. Many on here drive AMG and high end models, these types are most likely to travel to save on a 2k service for an 11 year old car. But if lots of parts are needed, the prices could be similar and the German dealer less experienced. Newer AMGs may have "free" servicing for 10 years, 10 year warranty, and you only pay consumable parts. Dealer parts were historically slightly cheaper in Switzerland (no idea since the recent Euro unpeg), and Swiss dealers fitting your own oil for free mean it is a no brainer to stay in Switzerland.

Quality of work in Swiss garages in my experience is higher, and more thorough than Germany, higher quality that is probably not that relevant in most cases. The workshops are usually better kitted out here too. Compare AMAG Zug to a small German border town VW garage for example. Some S8, S6, S4 and high end VW brakes are Girling, and genuine parts all come from Girling, getting reboxed VW, online for 1/5th to 1/10th the dealer price new, identical to "AMAG" parts. Also filters and Mercedes brakes, some are Bosch, probably the filter in your car, same story. Old model parts are getting dumped cheap now on ebay by online sellers who only want to stock faster moving parts.

A good Swiss independent garage can be a life saver. If you really want to save lots of money in Germany I find you need to go to North Germany for servicing, or Poland if you are more brave.

I am TOTALLY in favour of going to Germany for servicing if you want a day out, cheap food, and a car service. You need to shop around first though and compare if cost is the only driver and you are giving up a weekend, perhaps getting less of a saving than you thought.

I've hijacked this thread, haven't I ...

It's an F service.. it makes very little difference in terms of time if I go DE or CH (ie I'll still go to the office.. and the commute won't be hugely different)... I don't 'need' the stamp or care about the effect on resale (so ATU might be a better option) but... you're right..I wouldn't risk just claiming back the VAT on 1400 Euros.. so ...knowing the MB DE cost... I will call MB CH and a few locals. I actually have an itemised print out of the proposed service and costs.. so I can hand that over and say 'beat that'

Thank you all for your support, thoughts and suggestions. I am now somewhat wiser :-)

I will do some more background research, service the car and post my experience back to you all here.