Hi all - just had (today) my first service (10,000 mile) at the Bounemouth dealer and I am still loving my roadster. The price (£201 GBP) and the level of service seemed very good.
Got the following small problems sorted today:
- Adjusted tailgate - was hard to close (had to slam it), now good.
- Re-fitted no.plates - they were not quite straight and really really annoying.
The following problems will be sorted free of charge when the parts arrive:
- High level brake light is only partially illuminating - requires new part.
- Water ingress to both headlights - requires parts (TSB.)
The dealer was unable to recreate the slight but annoying leak around the passenger window that occurs only when Jet washed but did check the seals and adjustments.
The dealer assured me that it is normal for the tail pipes to go rusty - don't believe this, will pursue this further when the car goes in for the other jobs.
The only real mishap I have had was a rear blow out while touring the west country in the summer. Puncture repair kit was useless (cost nearly £60 to replace) and recovery service was rubbish and oh so so annoying. The day went something like this:
09:00 Driving over Exmoor with disabled Father as passenger- handling goes bad + knocking, pull into Nation Park car park (lucky) and notice flat rear tyre.
09:10 Try the puncture repair kit - Just pi**es foam all over car park - notice tyre is off the rim.
09:15 Say very bad words due to a lack of mobile phone reception.
09:20 Chat up nice National Parks Lady to get use of office telephone.
09:25 Get though to insurance company that handles our free recovery. Explain the problem in detail.
09:40 Insurance firm rings back to ask if I am just being Lazy by not fitting the spare tyre myself - explain that the roadster has no spare tyre.
09:50 Recovery company ring me to ask if I am just being Lazy and not fitting the spare tire myself - explain that the roadster has no spare tyre.
10:10 Insurance firm rings back again to ask if I am not just being Lazy and fitting the spare tire myself - explain again that the roadster has no spare tyre.
10:30 Recovery company ring me to explain that they are going to recover me to the Chrysler dealer in Exeter (80 miles away) - I explain I have a disabled person with me and would much rather be taken to Bounemouth (only sixty miles further and very near home).
11:00 Insurance firm rings to inform me that I am only covered for recovery to the nearest Chrysler Dealer which is Exeter and that the dealer does not have the required tyre in stock, but they should have it in by lunch time tomorrow - I ask what am I supposed to do with a disabled elderly Gentleman once we get dropped off in the middle of an industrial estate in Exeter. They say they will provide a hire car. I ask "would it not be cheaper to just take me to bournemouth". They repeat that I am only covered for recovery to the nearest dealer.
12:30 Recovery low loader arrives -Roadster just does not look right on the back of a lorry.
14:30 Arrive at dealer in Exeter - started trying to sort out the hire car!
16:30 Got hire car at last, crappy Merc ML350 - hate it - rushed to tourist information to try to book accommodation for night.
16:50 Made it to tourist information - apparently they can not book accommodation for you after 16:00 - gave me a booklet of the local hotels.
17:00 Lots of phone calls to find hotel with a restaurant and disabled access - found one.
17:30 Check in hotel.
19:00 - 23:00 Had far to much to drink and a very nice meal and start to realize that this Hotel bill is going to be a doozy.
Next Day
09:00 - 12:00 Wallowed around the countryside in the ML while waiting for the tyre to arrive and try to ignore hangover.
12:00 Got roadster back and a nice £400 bill (new tyre + rim check).
12:30 realized this whole stressful experience had cost me nearly £700 - ouch.
18:00 Re-joined the RAC - got to be worth the money.