Don't new cars need servicing these days! I find that a Suzuki Swift has free servicing for 5 years.But they won't service until 15,000 kms.Using it as a shopping basket that would take me 4 years - and no servicing needed in the meantime!All my cars have been x kms or y months, whichever comes first.
zooki007,
Jun 16, 5:38am
It will be either km's travelled or a time ie 12mth/15000kms. So even if you haven't travelled the km's you still need to service it every 12mths. I haven't come across a manufacturer that doesn't stipulate that. Read your service record book and see what it states in there.
jmhb51,
Jun 16, 5:41am
No - checked with the dealer and he said they will NOT service before 15000 kms - no matter how long it takes! Time is irrelevant.I have never come across this before.
thejazzpianoma,
Jun 16, 5:47am
I haveseen a copy of the service schedule's for those referenced online before and they definitely showed 1 year or 15'000km. My advice is to research this further and get a concrete verifiable answer. Then go back and sort them out. Assuming what I saw was correct (and it makes logical sense it would be) those Monkeys at Suzuki need a sort out. You pay absolutely top dollar for a Suzuki the least they can do is service it properly so it dosn't get prematurely damaged.
If they are stupid about it demand your money back and/or complain to the commerce commission. They are in clear breach of the fair trading act for not providing what was advertised (free servicing for the first 5 years).
Also, if you can get it serviced at another Suzuki dealer or if you are forced to stay with that one check, re-check and demand proof of everything that is done. If they don't even know their own brands service schedual and don't have enough automotive knowledge to realise that there is a time componenet involved I wouldn't trust them to vacuum my mats let alone service my car.
zooki007,
Jun 16, 5:58am
+1 What he said!
thejazzpianoma,
Jun 16, 5:59am
Here are a couple of links to help with your research. I am not sure whether you have the last of the old or first of the new Swifts but these two links seem to indicate both have the 12 month interval. Do you own checking and get definitive NZ market proof before going in guns blazing though. Also, be VERY suspicious of any evidence that says there is no time interval, that just does not add up.
I would have thought there would have been initial service at 3000 or 5000. As for the break in period and a general check over.
franc123,
Jun 16, 6:32am
The mere fact that it's being used as a shopping basket is all the more reason why it needs to be serviced at minimum every 12 months, regardless of km's.You should get five services out of that. In fact many manufacturers would regard a vehicle that was say being only driven less than 10km at a time and/or being operated at outside temps under 10 degrees as "severe operating conditions" and would stipulate an even shorter interval.I'd bring this to their attention and confirm for yourself by reading the owners info they would have given you.
jmhb51,
Jun 16, 6:43am
Thanks for this information and the links.Will follow up with more confidence now!
Oh, and I haven't actually purchased yet.Want to buy a shopping basket, and want to buy a new car .
thejazzpianoma,
Jun 16, 7:04am
That being the case my advice is DONT buy the Suzuki. They are over hyped, and under deliver. This is especially important if you want an auto one. They are pointless to buy new because underneath that pretty party dress the technology is old, in the case of the Auto transmission its straight out of the 80's. They also offer very little in the way of features for the price.
Take an auto one for a run then take a year 2000 $5000 Fiat Punto CVT for a drive and also compare its features. I prefer the cheap Punto every time. Thats not a good sign becuase a car thats 11 years older and much the same price when it was new should not be better than a new car.
My advice would be look very hard at a VW Polo or even better a VW Golf. Even if you have to buy one thats a demonstrator or a year or two old in order to meet the budget. The Golf/Polo is the opposite to the Suzuki and uses technology that the others are struggling to catch up to. I am not talking about fancy gadgets here I am talking about fundamentals like engine and transmission which at the end of the day means more power, less fuel, less servicing and a much nicer driving experience. The Polo and Golf are proper cars not just cut down go carts, they are just light years ahead of the Suzuki. Just to look again at the transmission 7 gears vs 4 gears is no contest to start with, then there is the lack of an economy sapping torque converter with the VW. So before you even look at any other part of the car the VW is already performing much better with less fuel usage. If you think 7 gears is excessive try riding a bicycle up some hills. The more gears the better in small cars with small engines. Best of luck!
twink19,
Jun 16, 2:35pm
our new car dealer had a look over at 3000km,look only dont think they even lifted to bonnet, service intervals were every 15000km, we do oil and filter every 8 - 10,000km(Desiel) at our own work shop
trouser,
Jun 16, 2:46pm
Why are the longer service intervals dangerous! They almost always also say "or every 12 months".
Oil and engine tech has come along way.
jmhb51,
Jun 16, 8:23pm
What an ignorant and un-necessarily negative response!
Suzuki offer 5 years free servicing as part of their deal.They never mention the 'only at 15000 km' rider to the deal.I was just lucky that I mentioned it as I assumed it would be every 12 months.They then assured me that servicing before 15000 km is totally un-necessary irrespective of elapsed time.
As I am no expert on cars, before pursuing it further, I wanted to get my facts straight and check whether modern cars need the servicing I am used to on older models.When a dealer tells me that servicing is only needed at 15000 miles and is not time dependent, I would hope I could trust him.IfI can't, I won't buy from him.You obviously disagree with the dealer.
I think this offer of '5 years free servicing' is mis-leading advertising and it impacts greatly on my choice of car.I had factored in the cost of 5 services to the price.Services which don't exist and which I will have to pay for.
Personal responsibility doesn't come in to it.Thankfully, all other posters have been very helpful and informative.Thanks guys.
ringo2,
Jun 16, 10:19pm
God you are biased in favour of European cars.Well Fiat Puntos and VW Golfs.
valentino,
Jun 16, 10:25pm
Hmmm, just slightly off topic but what about a brand new 2012 Nissan Leaf (to be released), no servicing required perhaps - has no motor and is the world's car of the year even though not yet here or is it!
vtecintegra,
Jun 16, 10:27pm
Of course it has a motor, just an electric one
There are still service components, just not the traditional oil change
vtecintegra,
Jun 16, 10:28pm
Because of what is starting to happen in Europe.
valentino,
Jun 16, 10:31pm
It also has no gearbox, no transmission to think of, no exhaust pipe.
It could mean an electrician warranty come service, hmmmm, just thinking, besides WOF requirements.
Cheers.
jmhb51,
Jun 17, 1:10am
The point is the information is NOT there to see.Not on any of the brochures or literature is the '15000 km regardless of time passed' mentioned.All the blurb and gump states only - 5 years free servicing.I think it is Suzuki's fault that they do not mention that their servicing differs from the norm.A reasonable person would assume that Suzuki servicing is similar to other makes.
jmhb51,
Jun 17, 1:15am
You seem not to have understood the problem! The timespan of 15000 km is fine.BUT you ,yourself, say " require servicing every 15000km or 12 months ".Suzuki have no 12 months.Everybody else has a km or time schedule.Suzuki DON'T. And they don't tell you this in any of their literature or sales pitch.They only service at 15000 km , even if this takes ten years.I think it is reasonable to have assumed a time period.
jmhb51,
Jun 17, 1:19am
I can only repeat what the salesman told me.I said I would expect servicing at 12 month intervals and got told NO.Only when I had done 15000 km.No matter how long that took.As an amateur in car buying I came here to check this situation out.
audi_s_ate,
Jun 17, 1:34am
What a waste of a new car if your going to do 15km in a few years. It will cost you 10x as much in depreciation than the cost of a service and gas.
ceedoubleyou,
Jun 17, 1:44am
I took in wifes car last month for service and wof, mechanic rang me and told me, car had only travelled 3,500km, it didn't need a service, but I informed him it had been a year since last service, he said it didn't matter, oils are for 10,000km despite the length of time.
elshaun,
Jun 17, 1:49am
I worked for a suzuki dealer for 3 years.We carried out services at 15,000 km or 12 months.Some cars came in with less than 5000 km over the 12 month period (our older owners).Most people wnt their services to coincide with their wof.Never though of turning away a customer if they want a service.
crzyhrse,
Jun 17, 1:57am
4 years to clock up 15,000km!
Don't buy a car - just take taxis. It'll cost much less than what you'll lose in depreciation.
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