Auto Repair: Should You Use a Dealer or Independent Shop?

By TOM TORBJORNSEN

With over 35 years of automotive experience, Tom makes learning about cars easy. Get more of his advice:

For years people have asked me this question quite frequently ... what kind of shop should I use for automotive repairs, a dealership or an independent shop? I have shied away from answering it because I see benefits both ways and, no matter how I answer it, someone always gets offended. I can no longer duck the question because it comes up so frequently from people everywhere. Readers in the US as well as abroad are posing it to me relentlessly! So let's discuss it. I will present advantages and disadvantages of both types of shops, then you decide what's best for you ... dealership or independent shop.

Has anyone noticed that dealerships are expanding their marketing campaigns to draw the retail customer into the dealership for service? Check out the advertising lately - Ford ("America's Newest Tire Store") and GM ("Good Wrench Service Plus"). Dealers are offering longer nationwide warranties, certified technicians, and original equipment parts at competitive prices. Why is this happening? ... for a number of reasons. The new car profits are at such a low that the service departments must step up to the plate and become profitable for the dealership to survive. Another reason, warranty work use to represent 70% of the service done at dealerships. Today that figure has fallen to about 20% because cars are made better and last longer! And, finally, dealerships are offering better service in an effort to capture the customer's car purchases.

Let's take a look at some of the advantages dealership service departments have to offer. First of all, In order to maintain their franchise licenses, dealerships must pay for training their technicians and providing special tools and equipment. Dealers also have access to proprietary information, usually one (1) year's worth of information on new vehicles they sell and service. This means that no one else can access this information, which is often necessary for diagnosis and repair. In addition, dealership service departments work mainly on the makes and models that they sell. Since they are very familiar with the particular car line, they can usually pinpoint a problem more quickly and more accurately.

Dealership technicians are usually paid according to a method called "flat rate." When a job is dispatched to a technician, the clock starts. If an operation calls for a time frame of two hours, then the labor will be 2X the shop's hourly rate. If the technician is proficient at this particular operation and can do it in half the time, the customer still pays for two hours of labor and the tech earns two hours of pay for one hour of work. Conversely, if the tech does the job in more than the allowed time, the customer still pays two hours of labor. This method of payment holds a standard hourly rate for the customer, and yet rewards highly skilled technicians.

A drawback to this method is that technicians may find themselves hurrying to make a quota. In addition, the technicians may be reluctant to work on vehicles other than the car line they usually service because they are not as familiar with these cars and, consequently, the job will probably take longer. With these considerations, there is the possibility of "cutting corners" to get the work done faster; or lack of expertise if the tech is working on a vehicle that he has little experience with. These potential problems are averted in a reputable service department by a good service manager whose goal is to serve the customer and develop a long term relationship with him/her.

Traditionally, dealerships' hourly rates were higher than the independent shops because of overhead, cost of tools, and training. That trend is changing. Why? Because independents are realizing escalation of costs associated with the rapid technological changes taking place ... the need for ongoing training and purchasing of new equipment and tools.

Now, let's take a look at the independent shop. Independent repair facilities have always been there to serve the neighborhood. In the past, many dealerships viewed the customer as a potential car sale. The focus was not on customer service. Consequently, the customer was driven (no pun intended) from the dealership to the independent facility, where one could enjoy a cup of coffee along with a sincere conversation about the customer's family as well as his car (we've coined a name for it now ... Personal Service!). In addition to a personal relationship, the independent offers versatility of services on diverse makes and models of vehicles. Today, top quality independent repair facilities also offer nationwide warranties through the parts suppliers and the associations they deal with. Comparing them with the dealerships, the "scales are balancing" in this arena! As far as the hourly rate for work, as I mentioned earlier, independents have been able to offer better prices. However, this consideration is changing because of factors discussed below.

More New Car Buying Tips:

What about the cost of repair? Independents charge a "flat rate" for their services. They use the same "book" as the dealerships to determine the time a job should take, and they charge the customer accordingly. The difference is that the technician is usually paid an hourly rate (based on his actual performance) or a salary. There is no incentive to hurry through a job or compete with other techs for the "easier" job. Also, seasoned techs who have worked in independent facilities have a wealth of experience and knowledge from years of working on a variety of vehicles. They are an excellent resource for difficult car repairs.

Because of the rapid changes in automotive technology, it is vital that the independent facility you associate with is qualified to work on your car. They must be "up to speed"on the latest technology, methods, training, and equipment. The trend in the past ten years has been for the independents (the ones who are serious and in for the long haul) to upgrade their facilities and equipment, as well as train their technicians, because automotive technology is escalating at rocket speed! Shingles to look for?

ASE certification ("Automotive Service Excellence")
NAPA Autocare
Triple-A
ICAR
ASP
AC-Delco
BBB
Parts Plus Car Care
PPG Certification

Just to mention a few.

With all this said ... what is my opinion? Find a facility (either a dealership service department or an independent) that you are comfortable with and one that suites your individual needs. Make sure they are highly qualified to do the work. Develop an ongoing relationship with them (don't hop from shop to shop looking for the next "deal"). And, at last, enjoy driving a safe and reliable vehicle.

'Til next time ... Keep Rollin'

Read More about Auto Repair, Ownership and Maintenance:
- Choosing a Repair Shop
- Eight Great Auto Questions
- Oil Change Intervals

Must Read?

94 %

6 %

0 VOTES

Recent Comments

Post Your Own

1 - 10 of 766

766 comments

seachaser04 12:32:17 PM Jun 03 2008

Report This!

We live in Tyler, Texas- Our Chevrolet dealer is the most awesome business I have ever encountered. Including malls, fast food, home improvement centers...it does not matter. They always great my wife or myself promptly. For repairs and service, I trust them 100%. They are local and very involved in our community, support local public and private schools, yet have a very modest attitude. They WANT to make us happy every time we go in. For ANYONE in the world wide web that needs service, YOU can NOT make a mistake by using Peltier Chevrolet in Tyler, Texas.

Kak3y 06:22:40 AM Jun 03 2008

Report This!

Nov Storm,
Did You know if you are a Napa Auto Care Center, you have your labor and parts warrantied all over the country at any other napa Auto Care center? I live and work in a beach town, all Summer long, we see customers from all over that may have an alternator failure...which by the way from Napa carry a lifetime warranty...we switch them out, no chargein fact, many of napas parts carry a lifetime warranty. I have sent 100's of customers back to the dealership to get warranty assistance on things that have broken within their original manufacturers warranty, like catalytic converters...7 years 70,000 miles. That is mostly when the dealer gives them a price to replace. I outline the are in manual that shows it and send them off. many times the customer calls me from the dealership because the service writer is terrling them no way.Don't shoot your mouth off until you know what you are talking about. OE parts come with a 1 year warranty tops...except things like Engines and transm

Kak3y 09:38:09 PM Jun 02 2008

Report This!

HastingsRoberta 06:53:16 AM Jun 02 2008

Report This! Take your vehicles to the dealer! I used to work for GM and with all the electronics on cars these days, the independents don't have the equipment or the training to work on new cars, even the tires (tire pressure sensor gauges).

I just love that statement....Any decent private repair facility has huge money in diagnostic equipment, you Roberta are living in the dark ages...Ride a bicycle, you will still be a menace, but no computerized equipment needed

Kak3y 09:26:05 PM Jun 02 2008

Report This!

Why would a good shop 'allow" you to bring in your own parts...or allow u to go to parts house and pay that price? Do you go into a reetaurant with your own steak?
wake up all you freakin maniacs...You are driving a complex machine...and you want to arrive at each and every destination safely...why do you expect discounts? Why is it these guys have to discount honest work? Do you hagle at the dentist? The doctor? We deserve to be paid a fair wage, my techs deserve benefits!
Think about how flippin selfish you are!
They work hard, they have to know so much, these aren't the kids that can't make into college, I know many yechs that have college degrees, degrees in computers, you try working on computerized engines of late model cars...where every single operation from windows, to wipers, to door locks have their own "computers"....wake up and realize...this aint 1955...and this aint daddys Chevy Belair

Topspeed674 09:06:26 PM Jun 02 2008

Report This!

As far as dealers are concerned a Ford dealership tried to rip me off when i had an extended warranty on full size van with rear A/C that quit working. They told me it would cost me over $400 to fix the rear unit. I refused, took it home and diagnosed it myself. Turns out it was a simple vaccum operated valve that opens and closes the rear vents inside the rear panel. I bought the offending part from the Ford parts counter for about $50 and installed it in about 45 minutes.
More recently our 2004 Land Rover Discovery left us stranded. Turns out it was the Crank Trigger Sensor which controls the ignition. It was covered under warranty. No problem, but of course they told me I needed a full brake job for $1200 dollars!! Well I took it home reasearched the parts needed priced premium aftermarket parts pads and rotors which would have totaled about $500. Fortunately the rotors speced out fine and all i need to change were the pads on all 4 wheels. This cost me about $100 for better per

Topspeed674 08:52:09 PM Jun 02 2008

Report This!

When i was a kid my mom had a 1970 Ford Fairlane. Fairly simple car by todays standards. Afew year sinto owning the car the transmission stopped shifting. She took it to a "trusted" local mechanic who in turn charged her $250 for a "new" transmission (big money in the mid 70s). We we kept the car way into my driving years I went to an auto mechanic's program and learned to work on cars. I put the old Faidlane on alift and found that the factory tabs on the belhousing had never been touched. Hmmm.a little more digging and I found the Vaccum Modulator that controls the transmission's gear changes had been replaced. This was a part the cost about $20. Therefore my poor hardworking mom was ripped off for over 10 times what it should have cost to fix the old car. From that moment on I never trusted another shop again. I always try to do my own work. other than highly specialized work I cant perform at home gets handed over to a shop and they know I will check on their work. I always ask fo

Jaggwolfgang 07:12:32 PM Jun 02 2008

Report This!

I know we techs at a dealer ship are the bad guy's and the good (independent techs)
calling us for help to fix there Probl over the phone ore bring the car to us whitout tellen there
custm. we fixed it for him.

HLSjogren 06:42:13 PM Jun 02 2008

Report This!

I LIVE ON LONG ISLAND NY. I HAVE A FORD WINDSTAR 2001. I DEAL WITH RAMP FORD IN PORT JEFFERSON STATION. I WILL NOT GO ANYWHERE ELSE. THEY ARE GREAT. COFFEE ON HAND AND NEWSPAPERS AND GOOD CONVERSATION. HEY STEVE YOUR THE BEST. THANKS

Ira9282 04:03:33 PM Jun 02 2008

Report This!

First message didnt go through .I live in Wisconsin and have had 2 saturns.. never again. I had to pay $ 60.00 for a pair of wiper baldes i could only get through the dealers. now they want all most $600.00 for front brakes and roters. that is insane. i try to be loyal to my dealer but it is getting very hard. paid money every 6000 miles to clean and addust my brakes . it did no good at all. to bad there is no place in wisconsin i can trust

whtturbobeetle 04:02:48 PM Jun 02 2008

Report This!

I think this was a good informative article! Both types of Shops have there advantages and disadvantages. Personally I like to have my car looked at and worked on by a master tech for the vehicle make. As the saying goes you get what you pay for, and I find that is the case in car repairs! And if you are one that doesn't like to deal with the repairs do the scheduled maintenance and you will have less repairs! I maintain my cars, and they treat me well!

1 - 10 of 766

766 comments