[DrMagical]

Just got an email from the largest dealer chain around here (Lookers) that they are closing as of now, that's new car sales, aftercare and servicing. Likely others will follow. Very worrying about what happens if car breaks down from here as I presume could remain off road for 3 months or more. As a front line NHS worker I wonder what provision there is for breakdowns?

 

[srichards]

It is worrying. I don't think they've thought through all the consequences of this at all. Things like puncture repair and tyre replacement could also become difficult. Especially if councils use this an excuse to do even less road repair than they do already as well.

 

[burnt_crisps2]

Just got an email from the largest dealer chain around here (Lookers) that they are closing as of now, that's new car sales, aftercare and servicing. Likely others will follow. Very worrying about what happens if car breaks down from here as I presume could remain off road for 3 months or more. As a front line NHS worker I wonder what provision there is for breakdowns?

Trust there is something in place as service and support is key to keeping all manner of things up and running.

 

[cah197]

I had my service cancelled today. They said they’d call in a fee weeks when things got back to normal.

 

[Flying Dodo]

More like months......….

 

[Kev86]

Non essential shops closed... I'd say all dealers are now ordered to close!

 

[Snax]

Maybe give your emergency call out people a ring. RAC will surely have good info

 

[Rei]

They better suspend MOTs...

 

[Kev86]

They better suspend MOTs...

The DVSA already have for HGVs

 

[cdlb]

Somebody on the town Facebook group said that our local Kwikfit will be open for repairs.

 

[EricM]

Somebody on the town Facebook group said that our local Kwikfit will be open for repairs.

Or to put it another way : probably best to leave your car at home !

 

[cdlb]

Or to put it another way : probably best to leave your car at home !

Our local one ain't too bad, not my first choice but I'd use them in a pinch. Wouldn't go anywhere near the one in my parent's town though, you may as well save yourself the trip and just try and repair the car yourself with a sledgehammer and a few fireworks.

 

[Swagman]

Dealerships might be closing, but garages are very much on the essential list of businesses that can stay open.
It'll be the sales side that is closing, I would assume.

Coronavirus: Sports Direct U-turns on opening after backlash

Retailer says it will not open its shops "until we are given the go-ahead by the government".

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[electricdriver]

Dealerships might be closing, but garages are very much on the essential list of businesses that can stay open.
It'll be the sales side that is closing, I would assume.

Coronavirus: Sports Direct U-turns on opening after backlash

Retailer says it will not open its shops "until we are given the go-ahead by the government".

www.bbc.co.uk

May just be an excuse...but the main dealer I use has been coping with (/ creating?) a variety of tedious faults on my car, it was due in for work on a safety system and airbag warning fault this week. They have cancelled this as they are closing. Doesn't sound like they have any service capability open, they told me this yesterday so had made the decision independently of the new measures introduced yesterday evening.

 

[Swagman]

May just be an excuse...but the main dealer I use has been coping with (/ creating?) a variety of tedious faults on my car, it was due in for work on a safety system and airbag warning fault this week. They have cancelled this as they are closing. Doesn't sound like they have any service capability open, they told me this yesterday so had made the decision independently of the new measures introduced yesterday evening.

The dealership model has been under great strain for a while already, essentially relying on mechanical servicing and maintenance to keep their heads above water.
At any time of crisis businesses will flounder, while others prosper.
Although anecdotal, my own experiences of service from dealerships when purchasing my I-Pace and E-NV200's for the business were that they just didn't care about the sale of EV's or where the future market was going. It looks like it's coming back to bite them on the arse now.
Such a pity.

 

[WonkoTheSaneUK]

They better suspend MOTs...

As has already been stated, commercial MOTs have been suspended for 3 months.
As for cars, Boris said this:-

I appreciate this is a difficult time for the whole country, at this moment in time there is no exemption or extension from MOT testing, and no contingency plan in place.
If your vehicle MOT expires whilst you are in isolation, then you are only able to drive the vehicle directly to/from a pre-booked MOT test after midnight on the date of expiry of the current certificate.
After that time the vehicle must not be kept on a public road until it is re-tested and taxed etc.

In other news, I just had a phone call from the dealership supplying my EV, confirming that they're shutting down tomorrow morning until the lockdown is lifted.

 

[srichards]

My local nissan dealer has shut. No idea what happens if the car breaks as I'd bet Nissan don't have a big load of spares hanging about either. For those requiring a service to maintain the warranty what happens then? It's a right mess.

 

[cah197]

My local nissan dealer has shut. No idea what happens if the car breaks as I'd bet Nissan don't have a big load of spares hanging about either. For those requiring a service to maintain the warranty what happens then? It's a right mess.

If you need a part from Japan or Sunderland, you might be SOL.

 

[JeffG]

Just read that BBC News article. Why are newsagents classed as "essential" retailers?

Sorry, bit off-topic.

 

[Snax]

Just read that BBC News article. Why are newsagents classed as "essential" retailers?

Sorry, bit off-topic.

printed media has huge legal weight and differs in law to online articles. If you close the newsagents you are damaging so many laws and legal principles, not to mention all the associated industries. A lot of the legal system requires hard copy and so does central government, so paper supplies and office materials as well as print media. Also the post office is based in many newsagents across the country, and you can access savings. So apart from law, government, print media, money and the mail system, no reason