Auto Repairs: The Corner Garage or the Dealership?

Auto repairs and maintenance is not top on our list of things we like to do; however, necessary to keep your car running efficiently. Some people prefer to have everything done by the dealership; others are more comfortable with the friendly neighborhood mechanic.

Here are some pros and cons of the corner garage versus the dealership:

Technical Training:

Dealership: Dealership technicians are manufacturer-trained and certified to work on your specific make of vehicle. Training is also extended to the support staff and service manager. Dealer auto repair and service technicians receive ongoing training to keep up to date on the latest technologies and enhancements.

Corner Garage: Many independent auto service businesses are started by someone with dealership experience who has had the specialized training and keeps up to date by taking regular classes. Some technicians who work for the smaller repair shops are both manufacturer-certified and ASE-certified (Automotive Service Excellence).

Recalls

Dealership: The dealership service departments are notified by TSB (Technical service bulletins) of recalls. They should automatically check for recalls when you come in for service.

Corner Garage: The smaller auto repair service providers can subscribe to software that notifies them about recalls; however, it is a paid membership. Ask your garage if they subscribe to a service or if they have a way of finding out about recalls.

Customer Relations

Dealership: Dealership technicians are expert mechanics but they are also playing a salesman role; their intent is to get you to spend money. Since they usually work on a commission, they might try to convince you to perform a specific maintenance procedure that could wait until your next oil change. This doesn’t mean that they are all dishonest; however, beware of high-pressure sales tactics.

Corner Garage: Here, you will probably know who your mechanic is and he will likely be familiar with your car. You will be greeted by name and maybe something like, “Hi Ms. Vehicle owner; are you here for a follow-up to get the brakes adjusted?” They will remember that you recently had your brakes worked on and that you would be back after driving a certain number of miles for a follow-up check.

Customer Satisfaction

Dealership: Dealership repair technicians may appear to be more concerned with keeping “corporate” happy than they are about their customers; however, they don’t want an angry customer complaining to the manufacturer. The manufacturer often surveys customers to measure their degree of satisfaction with the dealership service.

Corner Garage: Your local auto repair shop is smaller and they depend on your repeat business and referrals to stay in business. The small shop is part of the community; people talk and reputations are formed. The small repair shop knows that they cannot afford to have an unhappy customer, especially if they are a long-standing, highly-respected person in the community.

Convenience

Dealership: In most cases, you will have to drive further to get to the dealership. This is inconvenient, especially if you have to leave your car overnight for service. Of course it’s worth the extra drive if the repairs are covered by a warranty or part of a complimentary maintenance plan.

Corner Garage: There are probably several of this type of auto repair shops between your home and the dealership. If you know that your friendly neighborhood auto repair man is qualified to perform the service you need, then the convenient location might influence your choice.

Warranties

Dealership: Dealerships are paid by the manufacturers to perform repairs that are covered by a warranty. Dealer warranties are good nationwide, so if you have something done and it doesn’t hold up, it can be fixed free by a dealer in another area.

Corner Garage: The small auto repair shop can offer warranties; however, the coverage may not be as long and it might just cover parts or labor, but not both. If you have a problem when traveling, your warranty might be worthless because the corner garage doesn’t have nationwide locations.

Quality and Price for Parts

Dealership: Dealerships and manufacturers use only OE (Original Equipment) parts with a standard of quality and engineering that only the manufacturer can authorize. There are some cases where you should only use OE parts for safety and quality.

Corner Garage: The corner garage can offer aftermarket parts that are supposed to be a generic substitute that works as well but cost less. In many cases these parts are inferior in design, may not last as long or they may be a threat to your safety.

Facilities

Dealership: Dealerships are cleaner and more organized. They have a nice waiting room for customers with vending machines, coffee, snacks, magazines and TV. Sometimes, they even wash the car too, making the experience more pleasant.

Corner Garage: The local auto repair shop isn’t likely to have the nice accommodations for customers who wait with their vehicle.

Price of Labor

Dealership: The manufacturer pays for the technicians to be well educated and certified to work on your specific make of car. They are required to keep up to date on the latest repair methods and upgrades. Highly qualified technicians and a nice waiting area increase the cost of operations; this cost is passed onto the customer in labor charges.

Corner Garage: The corner garage is simply there to perform auto repairs and service. They might have a sitting area; however, it will not compare to that of the dealerships. Most people make arrangements to go shopping or have lunch while their vehicle is at the corner garage.

So the decision to go to the dealership or the corner garage depends on many factors, the most important being the type of service you are having done and the qualifications of the mechanic. If you are certain that the corner garage can handle what you need done and you can save some money, let them do the work. If the item is under warranty you might be better off going to the dealership.

Willie Fisher owns Collision on Wheels, a mobile auto body shop that comes to the consumer to perform auto body work and auto painting. The customer can enjoy the convenience of having cosmetic work done on their vehicle while they go about their own business. The work is typically completed on one day or less for a fee of less than an insurance deductible. So now you have another choice to make…The mobile auto body shop versus the traditional auto body shop.

Collision on wheels of Portland, Oregon provides on-site, mobile auto body repair, scratch repair, dent repair, paint repair, auto bumper, door and fender repair for consumers in Clackamas County, Columbia County, Multnomah County, Washington County, Yamhill County, Portland, Beaverton, Gresham, Hillsboro, Canby, Damascus, Gladstone, King City, Lake Oswego, Lake Grove, Milwaukie, Newberg, Oregon City, Parkrose, Sherwood, Tigard, Troutdale, Tualatin, West Linn, Wilsonville, Aloha, Beavercreek, Clackamas, Dunthorpe, Garden Home, Raleigh Hills, West Slope and neighboring cities and communities.

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