2012 Volkswagen Beetle: First Service
July 31, 2012
(Photo by David Landsness)
Yesterday we delivered our 2012 Volkswagen Beetle to the dealer for service. Normally, VW picks up the tab every 10,000 miles with its Carefree Maintenance Program. We choose to give our cars the severe service treatment once before falling into the OEM recommended intervals. So we knew this one would come from our pocket.
These services aren't counted against the ownership tally for the car. But they do offer some peace of mind, which to us, is worth it. They also give us a bit of insight as to what we will be paying once our free maintenance expires.
Santa Monica Volkswagen had our car for about three hours. We weren't waiting, so it was not a big deal this time. The experience rated as average until we had to call our advisor to follow up. Then it lost a point. We can't hold it against this dealership exclusively, however. The unfortunate reality is that this extra step is required at more dealerships than I can count.
Oh, and the cost for the oil change and tire rotation...
Total Cost: $148.19
Total Days out of Service: None
Mike Schmidt, Vehicle Testing Manager @ 3,813 miles
