If you own a car, your car will need occasional servicing or work at a car repair shop. But unless you are already a mechanic, this may mean a substantial repair bill, depending on the type of work your car needs.
So how can you save on your repair and maintenance costs? As we’ll see, all it takes is a simple action, and this action may save you some significant money.
Car Dealer or Independent?Sometimes you’ll be able to save some cash if you go to an independent car repair shop instead of going to your car dealer’s service department. But this really depends on what type of car you have.
If you own a luxury or upscale car, owners of these types of vehicles said they were highly satisfied with the service they received from Buick, Lincoln, Cadillac, Lexus, Porsche, Acura, and Tesla franchised repair shops.
But among this rarified crowd, Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar, and Mini-BMW owners griped about overly high labor costs and parts at dealership shops.
Virtually all respondents to a survey conducted by the Consumer Reports National Research Center, from all car category groups, said they were more happy with independent car repair shops regarding price, friendly customer service, on-time delivery of repairs, and overall satisfaction.
The message seems to be: If you can find a dependable and honest independent car repair shop, go for it because you’ll save money.
Discounts Anyone?Everyone likes a good deal, and when it comes to a car repair shop, this is doubly true. So how do you save money on your next car repair bill? Simple; ask for a discount.
According to the survey, less than 20 percent of the respondents said they haggled over the price of repairs. But for those who did ask for a discount, about 71 percent said they were successful in lowering their repair bill.
So how much did they save? The average savings turned out to be $120 for dealerships, and $94 for independent car repair shops.
BMW and Mercedes-Benz dealerships were willing to take about $183 off of the repair bills when people challenged the charges. Other examples of getting repairs bills knocked down were averages of $153 less at Subaru dealerships, $135 off at VW shops, and $135 off at Chevrolet. But as they say, YMMV (your mileage may vary).
Get Written EstimatesIf you have more than one good car repair shop in mind, you can hedge your bets, or in this case, your repair bill costs, by going with the lowest bidder for the work. But if you don’t have the time to go from place to place, just try renegotiating the price down at your favorite car repair shop.
You may also get a good deal by looking out for special coupons and offers from independent service shops and dealerships, which can save you up to 20 percent or more on car maintenance.
Source:
MSN Autos