Independent Car Repair Shops Preferred Over Dealers
Consumer reports recently confirmed what we already believe, that local, independent car repair shops offer better repair satisfaction than franchised new-car dealerships.
The analysis by Consumer Reports weighed five key car repair factors to determine their findings. They five factors they examined were:
- Price
- Quality
- Courteousness of the staff
- Work completed when promised
- Overall satisfaction
The data was based on Consumer Reports subscriber surveys collected from more than 120,000 individuals. 80,000 readers had their car serviced at a franchised dealer, while 41,000 had car repair work preformed at independent service centers. Although their overall scores tended to be lower, Consumer Reports did note that mechanics at both independent and dealership centers earned high marks for the quality of their work.
“To be fair to mechanics at franchised dealerships, our respondents also reported being very satisfied overall with their repairs despite being outscored by independent shops,” said Mark Rechtin, Consumer Reports Cars Content Development Team Leader.
Overall, the biggest issue consumers had was with the total cost of the repair. Certain specialty car owners like Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar and Mini drivers were much more satisfied with the overall service and price they received at independent dealerships than at franchised new-car dealerships.
“Mercedes, Jaguar and Mini dealerships got dinged in our survey for price. The customers feel they overpay for parts and labor,” said Consumer Reports spokesperson Simon Slater.
Other foreign car owners were equally satisfied with repairs from dealerships and independent shops. Consumer reports stated that drivers of BMW, Porsche and Volkswagens typically were equally satisfied with the quality and cost of their repairs, so you don’t need to drive 30 miles to get to that specialized new-car dealership to get the same price and quality as a local, independent dealer.
Related source: Consumer Reports
-
The 4 Most Common Car Diagnostic Codes
Apr 2, 2014Since the teams competing in the Final Four and the Frozen Four (Go Gophers!) have been determined, we thought we’d stick with the theme and come up with a list of four on our own. Behold, the four most common car diagnostic codes! Oxygen Sensor Codes – As we made mention in last week’s post […]
-
3 Common Car Problems After Hitting a Pothole
Jul 31, 2013Minnesota is known as the land of 10,000 lakes, but during the springtime it can look like the land of 10,000 potholes. These holes can prove dangerous, especially if you drive over a deep pothole. Below, we’ll discuss why potholes form, and what kind of damage they typically cause. Pothole Problems Ever wonder why potholes […]
-
What Causes Tires To Wear Out Faster?
Jun 3, 2015Your tires are an essential part of your car. The problem is that most people don’t give their tires a second thought unless they get a flat. People believe as long as their tires are inflated, they are in proper working order, but that’s not necessarily true. If you don’t take care of your car’s […]
