Why Would I Ever Service the Emira at the Dealership?

[daSchtick]

So I am 4 months and 1900 miles into ownership, and I pondered this thought - Why Would I Ever Service the Emira at the Dealership? I have already changed the oil once myself at 1000 miles (fairly easy, especially with many resources on here), and plan to perform all other maintenance myself when the time comes. (I am retired, so I have nothing but time!) The only other reason I could see is to update the software. However, being a March 2025 build, it likely has most updates, and seeing the thread on the latest update altering track mode, it makes me question why I would ever need to do this as well as long as I am happy with everything as is.

My closest dealership is 2-1/2 hours away, and I struggle with what value this service really provides me beyond what I can do on my own. I personally rather not leave my car anywhere for service, and as far as records go, I keep all receipts and thorough documentation of service in a dedicated booklet for the car. Unless I run into an extreme issue under warranty, I don't plan to ever go back.

Convince me otherwise - GO!

 

[Nick in Sydney]

Well, you provided one answer yourself: software updates. They will keep coming in future years. A second reason is resale value. It doesn't matter what records you keep; many buyers will be reluctant to purchase an expensive car without evidence of a dealer service history. A third reason is that (in my experience) if something goes wrong with the car, dealers are much less likely to advocate with the manufacturer on your behalf to get warranty coverage when you've done the maintenance yourself.

 

[cyanmauve]

Software updates.

Documentation of any issues that you can’t resolve and want resolved under warranty.

TSB/recall issues.

I took my car in for service on an unrelated matter last year, and the rubber (or plastic or whatever) skirt was added under the front hood to help prevent water ingress/divert water away from sensitive components to prevent rust.

 

[geoffbland]

Whilst it may look like a "service" is just an oil change - the technicians do (or at least should) give the whole of the car a good check over to see if there are any other issues. That's what you are paying the £500 for - not just an oil change.

Software updates and recall issues can only be done at a dealer but should be done for free (I think?).

The main reason is to get that stamp in the log book for resale value (even if I never plan to sell the car) at least for the first 10 years.

As soon as mine is out of warranty I plan to have an independent Lotus shop do any work on my Emira - the independent shops are so much better in all aspects than the dealers (at least they have been for my Elise) - but still have the service done by a dealer.

 

[Beachbum]

Once mine is out of Warranty, my car will be seen by an independent. Thankfully I have 3 or 4 that are quite close to me
Most people buying Lotus's 2nd hand, know that an independent is a better option than a Dealership, for servicing and maintenance and the independent will still stamp the service book. Assuming you use one with decent rep, you'd be good to go

 

[geoffbland]

Most people buying Lotus's 2nd hand, know that an independent is a better option than a Dealership, for servicing and maintenance and the independent will still stamp the service book. Assuming you use one with decent rep, you'd be good to go

I'm still planning to get at least the first 6 services done by an official dealer before going independent. Unfortunately many prospective owners do not know that an service by an independent is likely better than one by a "official" dealer. So need to have that holographic sticker in the log book that you can only get from a dealer.

 

[zoomdaddy]

I drove mine 6 hours to a dealership from my remote home and had a great service experience.
It's an excuse to drive scenic roadways , devoid of traffic, with an abundance of twisty turns and breath taking landscape.
We spent a couple of nights in the city. Took my bride to dinner, visited friends, picked-up the car after updates & minor warranty tweaks. The dealer was surgically thorough in servicing the car.
The Emira driving experience makes the trip seem shorter.
Its been 1.5 years of ownership and 15k trouble free miles on the odometer. Getting behind the wheel makes us incredibly happy. Looking forward to the next drive for my 2 year service.
"Life is short, drive a Lotus."

 

[tritzenthaler]

I just had my first service at 1,000 miles, and I did take it to the dealer in New York City. While I know I can take it somewhere independent for far less money, I feel the dealer has far better knowledge of the Emira, and as others have said, can install software updates (which they did for this service), and corrected a couple of other minor issues I had with the passenger side window weather stripping, and the front driver side parking sensor. I also had the dealer install the PPF (they use a specific vendor) so that they will stand behind any issues I may experience with the PPF (but I will say I did a thorough inspection and the PPF install was flawless).

Other than the minor issues above, my Emira has run flawlessly.

 

[cyanmauve]

I think it’s a relatively small price to pay for peace of mind.

My dealer is about 2 hours from where I live. Both times I have taken the car in, it has been worth the inconvenience to have it serviced there.

The service manager has gone out of his way to make sure that anything that should be evaluated and addressed under warranty is. Sure, he is incentivized to do so, as warranty work pays the bills. But. There is still benefit to me, to customer, as an independent shop (1) likely does not have access to the same internal service memos as a dealership and (2) would have to charge to correct warranty items.

Also, I believe there is value to having a dealer that services a specific make and model all the time, and has been factory trained, doing the work. For services other than an oil change or a similarly simple maintenance appointment, the guy that has done something 10 times on the same car will likely do a better job than someone who did something one or two times in an independent shop.

This changes somewhat as the car ages and issues are more known and documented.

 

[tritzenthaler]

I wholeheartedly agree, my experience with Manhattan Motorcars (Lotus dealer) has been incredible, I cannot say enough about their professionalism, thoroughness and follow up to make sure everything is exactly as I expected. They have gone above and beyond in my opinion compared to any other dealer I have experienced.