I’m comfortable with them looking after it, least I’ve got coffee, a warm lounge with TV and free wifi while I wait. Most of the “specialist” tuners are in backyard workshops run by Bruce with greasy fingers and dirty overalls.
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Independent BMW. Mark Loram at Hemingstone Garage near Ipswich has been absolutely brilliant with all of my cars.
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Maybe things are slightly better down under with a different climate. Somerset perhaps not ideal.
There’s a lot of independent Alfa workshops in Sydney especially around the Inner West (little Italy) but while it’s under warranty I won’t be taking it anywhere other than the dealer.
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Tesla make my absolute dream car (so much better than a Bentley or Battista) - but unfortunately unless I have a large lottery win it will have to remain a dream way beyond any possibility of realisation.
A good friend used to own an Alfa SZ. He’d drive past two Alfa main dealers to go to an indie specialist. He’s moved house now, so only drives past one to get his 4C serviced by the same indie in Royston.
Another mate hasn’t taken his last few motorcycles, bought new, to a main dealer for anything except recalls. He even changes the tyres himself. His E39 M5 and Y plate Audi S8 are all the better for not seeing anyone except him for all work!
If I had a second car and the freedom to spend the time learning, I’d do all the work myself.
I’ve driven past there a few times. When I had my BMWs, after the warranties ran out I was going to go to them - they’ve got a good reputation.
I’m always wary of recommending people but in Mark’s case I think it’s warranted.
They have recently moved to a much bigger and better equipped site just down the road (opposite the bridge on the road from Henley).
They have 3 BMW trained staff but their labour rates are less than half what the local main dealers charge.
They also service and repair other marques and my other half and the step-daughters all use Mark for their various cars.
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mmmm can’t agree there, its a badly made pile of trouble IMO, i wouldn’t want a free one. https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2019-tesla-model-3-survey/
See my cafe post 
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The company I used to work for put Alfas on the car list. Naturally, everybody went for one. The dealers were so bad it was genuinely hilarious. Or at least it was when you were not left high and dry by a shrugging service receptionist. This was a common occurrence because the cars went wrong so frequently.
Now that Alfa make cars that aren’t built for people with short legs and long arms, the only spike filled pit, is the main dealer network. If this has risen to match the levels of competing manufacturers it is very good news indeed. Miraculous even. Feedback that this is indeed the case is encouraging. Thank you Pete. It’s the minimum the marque deserves and it puts blips on my radar.
Dealers were a problem years ago my first 159 broke down often enough we were all on first names with all the guys in the workshop. What’s changed here now is they’re part of FCA, they own Jeep and Jeeps are popular here, while not all Jeep dealers have Alfa’s there’s at least a network of dealers to support the ones that carry the low volume sales. Alfa’s are sold in the same yard as Maserati’s and Ferrari’s in Sydney. I love telling everyone in family that my number plate frame as a Ferrari brand on it, it’s the closest I’ll get to owning one.
And the award for best use’s of grocer’s’ apostrophe’s of the day goe’s to…
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I failed to take into consideration our geographic differences. The situation in the UK used to be absolutely dire. It couldn’t have got any worse, so hopefully it’s going the other way.
I had many Alfas in my younger days, most of them bought new. One particularly troublesome red Alfa 33 had to go back to the dealer multiple times to have various broken things fixed under warranty. I would call the garage and they would always say “Sorry Mr Hendon it’s not ready yet.” So the family used to call the car Ethel. As in Ethelred the Unready.
Best
David
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When I switch on the heated rear window the fuse for the radio blows.
Don’t use the heated rear window.
When I listen to the radio the heated rear window fails.
Don’t listen to the radio.
The cassette player keeps jamming and chewing tapes.
Listen to the radio.
My fuel gauge is inaccurate and sometimes registers empty when the tank is full.
Use the trip meter to calculate when you need fuel.
I can’t get 5th gear.
They all do that.
Something fell off.
Did you pick it up? We can refit if possible but the replacement is on back order and has been for three months.
One of my speakers has stopped working.
Have you tried hitting it? That works for us. The part is on back order but if you use the mono feature it will improve matters.
What colour do you want?
Red.
We only have white. Sorry.
I wish I was making it up. Although in fairness, this was 15-20 years ago. It stays with you though.
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A few years ago someone ran into my newish BMW very fast, doing a lot of damage but not enough to write the car off, and it was off the road being repaired for more than 3 months. One of the issues was that it was the first such model the local BMW body shop had repaired and they had to hire the fittings for their chassis straightening/checking jig. That took a while. The other big issue was various minor body parts (trim, seals, clips) that there wasn’t normally a need to replace and so these parts weren’t in stock at BMW in the UK and some of them weren’t even in stock at BMW in Germany. So the dreaded words “It’s back-ordered in Germany” always heralded a further two or three weeks delay.
So since that time “back-ordered in Germany” is family-speak for any unwarranted long delay. As in “Where has our main course got to, we’ve been waiting 45 mins?” answer: “It’s back-ordered in Germany.”
Best
David
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