Are Dealers More Expensive For Repairs

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Automobile owners might not love dealer service departments, but independent mechanics exercise. Why? Because dealers' stiff rates and by-the-volume approach can drive customers straight to a local independent specialist. Alan Prosser, owner of Alan Auto Volvo Service in Portland, Maine, tin can attest. "When a dealer changes out a common EVAP hose in the rear of a mail service-2001 V70, they demand to remove the exhaust arrangement and rear break," he says. "That'south six to eight hours of labor." Instead of deliberately protracting the job to rack up the bill, Prosser takes a holesaw and thirty minutes to do the same set up. "Nosotros independents haven't sold out our imaginations," he says. And still, that same improvisation can make a dealership'south accountability highly-seasoned. "Volvo e'er sends the states the software updates, and we're the commencement to know about a new way to do things," says Mike Profenno, service manager at Herb Chambers Volvo, a dealership in Norwood, Massachusetts. "There are handicaps when you don't have manufacturer support." So who do you get to? We asked Prosser and Profenno some questions to help the states make up one's mind.

Problem : You're on a tight schedule.

Verdict: Lean toward the dealer.

The dealership is bigger and, considering information technology'south usually more expensive, less in demand. It tin churn jobs chop-chop, whereas an contained shop will prioritize emergencies, while you expect for parts. Just the good ones, like dealerships, have loaner vehicles and plan service around their availability. "Afterward the flat-rate system, rushed jobs are maybe the greatest contributor to crappy work in our industry, so nosotros ready it up so we tin can take our fourth dimension," Prosser says. "We keep at least five loaners bachelor for customers."

Problem Your tardily-model car has an electronics gremlin.

Verdict: 50/50.

Modern vehicles require expensive diagnostic equipment that dealerships already have. "We install software updates on every auto," Profenno says. "When you pick it up, maybe the Bluetooth works better." Independents who focus on a particular manufacturer volition exist similarly outfitted, but, Prosser says, "General-service shops don't cut it. Yous're paying them to larn virtually your machine." If you tin can't find a specialist in surface area, off to the dealer.

Problem When yous sell your motorcar, you worry that buyers will balk at non-dealer service records.

Verdict: Lean toward the dealer.

"If your car is new and under warranty," Prosser says, "get to the dealer." After that menses ends, normally around l,000 miles, get independent. Information technology's cheaper, and you avoid the pitch for a new auto. But check if your manufacturer has an exceptional warranty policy. "Hither, dealer-installed Volvo parts have a lifetime warranty," Profenno says. "Y'all're not going to go that with an independent."

Problem: Your unusual car has an esoteric mechanical issue, like a BMW E36 power convertible top that stopped working.

Verdict: Lean toward the dealer.

Some problems are so complex and discouraging—in this case, a synchronized dance between motors, sensors, and bodywork—that an independent will know to walk away. "Good mechanics know when they are out of their league and volition requite you alternatives," Prosser says. Dealers and mechanics consult with each other, then you might end up with a referral to the best expert for that particular problem.

How to Find a Mechanic

• Join an online forum for your make and, ideally, specific model and ask for shop recommendations.

• Arroyo strangers who also have an quondam Volvo or Bronco or Amphicar.

• Check if candidate shops are Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) and Amend Business organisation Bureau certified.

• On your start visit, give the shop a small job, such every bit balancing the tires, and compare its cost confronting NAPA AutoCare's repair reckoner.

Ezra Dyer Senior Editor Ezra Dyer is a Car and Driver senior editor and columnist.