Why aren't car software updates provided to independent workshops?
James Foxall's article about servicing struck a chord with me. My Volvo S40 is now out of warranty and I plan to take it to my local independent for its next service, partly for cost reasons and partly for convenience and because I wasn't particularly impressed with the main dealer's thoroughness. My one concern is that I understand independent garages do not have access to manufacturers' software updates. To my mind if a software update is necessary then that indicates an original software design fault which should be provided FOC and unconditionally by the main dealer under the Sale of Goods Act - or am I living in Cloud Cuckoo land?
Cloud Cuckoo Land. With manufacturer servicing, cars are updated every time you take them in for a service to cope with changing conditions, not to merely correct a manufacturing fault. With independent servicing they are not. But once a car starts getting older there are fewer updates and going independent makes sense.
Answered by Honest John on
