Citroen picasso service

[Lyza]

We have a Citroen Picasso just reaching 22,000 mile and due for a service. We visit France every half term. Has anyone advice to offer as to the ease of getting the car serviced in France rather than in UK. I suspect it might be much cheaper in France.

Lyza

[Blackadder<IMG src="http:forums.livingfrance.comimagesline.gif"><BR>Blackadder<BR>Keighley and Creuse]

I don't know about Citroen but, if your car is to spend more time in Britain and you use a local dealer to yourself who you are happy with, stick with them, you can only be saving a few pounds at the most. If you're on Holiday in France, the last thing you want is to tie up two ends of a day taking/collecting a car from a garage.

Garages can get tetchy about warranty work if the car has not been serviced with them. (We had a nightmare time with our Citroen dealer on our last car, a xantia, and will never have another Citroen but I'm sure most dealers are ok)

[LesLauriers]

We find servicing cheaper and much easier to book an appointment, we usually wait while it is done. Most services are oil change and inspection, twice now I have turned up at main dealer garages and had emergency work carried out whilst I waited (new injector and new sump) labour costs tend to be much lower at between 35€ and 45€ an hour. Oil is also cheaper here.

As long as you use a main dealer, warranty should not be a problem IMHO.

[Baz]

Whilst servicing in France is generally cheaper, the competition in the UK between main dealers often leads to a big price difference between them for the identical service. On the question of warranty work my experience in France has been disappointing, on the last occasion warranty work was refused in France by the car manufacturer but immediately accepted in the UK by the same company.

Baz

[Mpprh]

Hi

it is worth saying that labour rates in France are much lower than in UK for mechanical work, but higher for bodyshop work. My local Peugeot is charging Euro 24 for mechanical work.

Regards

Peter