Dealer Shop vs Independent Garage
Your car requires proper maintenance if it is going to continue running well. Investing money on oil changes and tune-ups can save you a bundle on costly repairs and even at the gas pump. So when it is time for scheduled maintenance on your trusty automobile, are you better off heading straight to the dealership, or should you trek on over to your neighborhood garage? This debate has been carried on almost since the invention of the wheel.
There is an age-old assumption that dealerships service centers are upstanding, clean and pricey. The other side of this coin is that the garage on the corner will probably be a lot less expensive, and a lot more likely to exploit customers particularly women. We would like to think that we have risen above this kind of stereotypical judgment, wouldn't we? However, there are still many people who have at least a kernel of this thinking buried deep inside.
While the notion that dealerships provide shiny clean automotive techs that provide top-notch service, some surveys divulge a different opinion. The May 2008 edition of Consumer Reports revealed details of a survey on this very subject. According to the report, dealers had a customer satisfaction rate of 53%. This might not sound too bad, but when you consider independent garages received a 71% satisfaction rate, you have to reconsider.
Taking your car to the dealership does have its advantages. You can be relatively certain they will only use parts, fluids and techniques best suited for your make and model. However, unless you have a rare type of foreign car, you can probably find a local shop that will know and employ the proper components. If you drive an American-made vehicle, most garages that specialize in American makes will know how to treat your car. If you have a foreign model, you would be best to look for a mechanic who does not just focus on imports, but on your car's make.
If you like the feeling of knowing your auto technician on a first name basis, you might want to seek out a neighborhood garage with only a handful of mechanics. They will become familiar with you, your car, how you use it and what type of history it has. Then again, some people simply prefer the anonymity of pulling up to a service attendant who takes a quick rundown of what you need, takes your keys, and hands you the canary-colored copy before moving on to the next customer.
The bottom line is knowing what makes you comfortable. If you purely feel uncomfortable walking into the corner garage, believing you sound like a fool describing the whirring-wheezing-whimpering sound coming from your front end, and you don't mind paying a bit more for the ease and comfort of heading to your dealer, just do it.
And if you want to find an independent garage with techs you can trust? Just ask around. Talk to people with cars similar to yours in make and age. Chances are, people will be thrilled to tell you who they recommend and who to avoid.
