Hello,

Has anyone had an audi heath check done on a new car? I have just bought mine and wondered if this was something worth while? Its just went through an MOT with no advisory's as well?

Also does anyone have a service plan with audi and would they recommend this?

 

thanks Paul  

The free health check is free but you wont leave there without a report and quotes for jobs that they deem will need doing in the future, when i had mine done they found nothing wrong with the car but still wanted to sell me expensive tyres which i never needed till the following year and they dont give up they email and call to see when you want to book the car in lol

41 minutes ago, Paul A6 said:

The free health check is free but you wont leave there without a report and quotes for jobs that they deem will need doing in the future, when i had mine done they found nothing wrong with the car but still wanted to sell me expensive tyres which i never needed till the following year and they dont give up they email and call to see when you want to book the car in lol

Yea I was expecting something like that as well.

I agree with Paul, and I can confirm this is how it works as I used to work in a volkswagen service department. As my gran says "you don't get anything free in this life". 

It might be worth you looking at the service plans and ring round other Audi dealers to see if any of them can do it cheaper :) 

Cheers guys

I think it depends on the Audi dealer. We have had free health checks. Free coffee, free advice, no pressure. Salisbury Heritage thanks.

Tried a free health check recently ( Nov 2025 ).

Technician's video was actually excellent - e.g. he gave the pads/dics measurements but more importantly actually gave a comment to clarify their condition:   'lots of life in them!  Amazed and equally grateful for his  helpful / informed assessment.

However, the service 'handler' then leaves voicemail to say there is some damage to undertrays and priced for then.....they were superficially scuffed, no cracks, all fixings intact! 

Also priced for a front bumper vent grill - that I already told them I had bought but just hadn't fitted it.

Noted down the service due timescale incorrectly.

Noted down that the first aid kit was 'missing'......but it was in the rear armrest ( isn't that where they always are on an A6 avant? )

Mentioned that to the service handler - not bothered, didn't even comment - like trying to talk to a teenager glued to a screen.

Then on collection there was no actual conversation  / discussion on the findings when I picked up the car - so it's as if it is an almost entirely pointless exercise- the handler sticks some stuff on the quote, they expect you to ignore it....everyone has had an almost total waste of time ( apart from nice coffee + biscuits, and a car wash )

Seems an utterly self-defeating exercise by Audi - as most people feel the health check is just a moneymaking scam.

If they bothered to throw in a miniscule bit of common sense / basic good business practice.  So actually allow to have a straightforward chat with the customer -  explain they have to note everything down they spot - but equally, they totally appreciate that some items ( e.g. replacing a scuffed undertray ) is functionally unnecessary etc. Give full information - so a customer can make an informed decision - e.g. this is the dimensions of dics / pads / trye tread etc. etc. and so that that is likely to equate to X no. of miles left in them ( obviously with a caveat on depend how you drive etc. ).  Now we've informed you  - would you like to get them done now or wait until later?  Bother to ask the customer if any recent work has been done rather than just blindly quoting for work based on mileage / age.

It just seems such epically stupid  / short sighted business practice - unless the majority of the public are lambs to the slaughter, and just blindly follow their 'recommendations' for work?

 

Coffee was good, technician info on brakes helpful and reception staff very friendly.  Actual service manager / handler - largely just a waste of time!

 

Interesting list of negative comments Tim.

Positive- It’s free! 
I seriously doubt whether your main dealer experience will be that much different from most others, where you simply speak with a service receptionist, and you are in their hands in terms of what they decide to pass on to the technician.

There are a significant number of owners who firmly believe that anything short of a main dealer service history is inadequate, and take some comfort in being addressed as Mr….. and offered a free cup of coffee, so …….

What were your boiled-down major discontents with the service you received, compared with your expectations? 

What is your intention for the on going maintenance of the car Tim? 
Regards,

Gareth. 

Hi Gareth,  yes guess typical experience. Yes agree a lot rests on how well 'handler' communicates with the technician.

Receptionists 

Just seems a wasted opportunity - for Audi to show how well / how professional they could be etc.

Positives:

1. really useful to get the technician's feedback that the brakes / discs - and general underside ( bushes etc. ) all seemed good, and especially good that he commented on the pads etc. having lots of life left. ( so that totally exceeded expectations ) In the past they've just given a wear %, and then used that to drum up work without actually say how close to the 'limit' parts actually were.
2. Coffee, biscuits, friendly reception staff, + an old newspaper to read!🙂
3. 5 miles from home! ( so biscuits and coffee  = mileage for 10 miles!🙃
4. Also - health check paperwork gives you a bit of lovely Audi headed paper to add to a service history!🙂
5. Also you get a car wash, and a bit of vacuuming😀

 

Negatives - overall - just generally lame/carelessness/unprofessional ( but yes...it was free! ).

So if you're careless when you're trying to demonstrate professionalism to 'win' a customer, and you stuff up ( albeit little things ) - doesn't bode well for when you do an actual service.

I'd gone into it absolutely expecting a pure money spinner, but now I'm actually more wary - purely because of the  lame handler, and now wondering what they might they be like if there was a problem with actual paid-for work?

Future:

I might ( just just just ) might consider using the main dealer, purely for basic oil changes servicing - ( frustratingly the car has a 100% full dealer history so feel I should at least consider it! ( yes I may well be a lemming, following the other lemmings... . Warranty on the car require audi approved parts, local indie quote was about £75 cheaper than audi to do the oil change - so weighing up if the extra £75 on Audi, just to maintain the complete service history can be justified! )  (( don't think I'd be able to consume £75 of the coffee and biscuits if car did go in.....but could try😆 )

But - as I'd expect majority of us do - I'd use an independent for everything else.

 

 

 

Main dealer history on a 12 year old car, won’t be worth the paper it’s been written on - to you as the would-be seller when you come to sell it. 
To me, the all important factor is to be able to talk directly with the proprietor, and avoid the need for secondhand comments from front of house receptionists. This is particularly important where repairs are necessary - beyond normal servicing. Well worth building up a rapport with a trusted local garage. 
Regards,

Gareth.