Auto Repair – Car and Truck Service Shops
Dealership or Independent Repair Shop – Pros and Cons
Jul 15, 2009
With today’s complicated vehicles, do-it-yourself car repairs are almost next to impossible. Legitimate auto repair facilities spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on equipment to perform vehicle diagnosis and repairs correctly. Car repairs can be a stressful endeavor and choosing the right auto repair facility doesn’t help the stress.
Dealership Auto Repair vs. Independent Auto Repair.
- Cost of Repairs. The dealer always seems to get a bad rap when it comes to the cost of the repair. In some cases this is a true statement. Dealership locations are often in areas with higher property values. In many cases they pay their factory-trained technicians a higher wage then the independent facilities. In short the dealer usually has a higher overhead and has to charge the consumer a higher price.
- Parts. The dealer will usually use original equipment (OE) parts that typically cost more than non-OE parts. Keep in mind that OE parts are usually better quality, so that’s a plus. It’s important to know that some parts are not available in the aftermarket and independents have to buy those parts from the dealer.
- Warranty on Repairs. Independents often times will have a warranty that’s just as good as a dealer. Some parts installed by independents may even have a lifetime warranty. Make sure that you get a warranty in writing and that parts and labor are covered. One advantage the dealership has is the parts are covered across the nation at any dealership. Some franchised independents may also have nationwide coverage.
- One-Stop Repairs. Dealerships usually do most of the repairs needed at one location. Independents may just specialize in one area like transmissions or tune-up. Dealerships can also perform warranty and recall repairs in conjunction with other repairs being performed.
- Technician Competency. Dealerships often have factory-trained technicians, but not always. There are lots of competent technicians at independents, but knowing which repair shops have good techs can be difficult to gauge. If a vehicle is taken to an independent or a dealership ask the service advisor if the techs working on the car are ASE Certified.
Searching for a Good Independent Auto Repair Shop
If the independent car repair shop seems like a better option it’s important to find one that’s competent. Once a list of shops is gathered, do a search on the Internet and see if there’s any negative feedback. On the search engine simply type in the shops name followed by the word “complaint” and see what pops up. Ask neighbors if there are any shops that they’d recommend. Below is a list of questions that should be asked and compared with other shops in the area.
- What’s the hourly labor rate?
- What’s the warranty (time and mileage) on the repairs?
- How much is the charge to diagnose the problem?
- Do they have certified technicians?
- Are genuine parts installed?
- How long will take to look at the vehicle?
Doing some research before making a decision on where to get a car repaired can save a lot of money in the long run. Ask some questions of various shops in the neighborhood and compare the answers. Once a good repair shop is found, getting the car repaired in the future will help relieve some of the stress involved in car repairs.
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