Finding the good car care for your vehicle is important in order to assure that it is in good shape for a long time. Whether you are driving a brand-new car or a second hand one, you want to ensure that you are making the best decision. Luckily due to the high demand, car owners these days have a number of options to choose from. Two of those options being either an independent shop or using a dealership. In this article you will find out the different pros and cons of car care at dealerships.
Pros
Guaranteed Work Under Warranty
Moving on to the pros of receiving care at a dealership. One of the best advantages you will get by getting car care at the dealership is the guaranteed work that you can receive. When you purchase a car from a dealership you will receive a warranty. Usually, this warranty lasts for about, more or less three years, and covers 70% of the maintenance costs of the vehicle. This maintenance percentage of cause varies depending on the dealership and even the making of the car. Dealerships like Vision Hyundai for example, offer free cover up to three years.
Getting your maintenance work done from a dealership ensures that your car will be guaranteed service to the best of its ability. Dealerships are also going to prioritize your car and its problems because they want to keep you as their customer. They know that if you are satisfied with their performance, then there is a large chance you will continue getting your service done there. There is also a chance that you will even purchase a new car from them again.
A Team Of Specialist
One of the best perks of getting care from a dealership is knowing that your car is in capable hands. Often, the mechanics that work at dealership are trained and certified by the manufacturer to be able to work with the cars specific to the manufacturer. This means that they can easily spot what the issue is and fix it. This way it will save you money and time.
Mechanics in certain manufactures usually get ongoing training during the years as certain models come up with upgrades. All in all, this is good because you can trust that the professionals handling your car know exactly what they are doing.
They Have The Best Equipment
Dealerships have the best equipment in comparison to smaller independent shops. The reason for this could be that they are better financed and are usually bigger. So, they are well-equipped to take care of a large number of cars. One of the points to remember is that dealerships have tools and equipment that are specially made to work for certain types of models. Whether it’s an older car or a new one you can be guaranteed it will be well taken care of.
Cons
It Costs More
Unfortunately, when you decide to use a dealership, it can get a little expensive. The reason for this is that dealerships have to pay extra wages such as union wages to their employees. Say you were to get spare parts for your car, then getting them from the dealership will be expensive because they are marked up. So as much as you get the reassurance from getting work done there, you also have to pay a little more for it. You can look at your options and decide if it’s worth going to a dealership.
There Are No Personal Relationships
The great thing about going to your small local mechanic is the relationships you can build from there. Whether you know each other from the church, school or the neighborhood, it’s always nice to know that the persons taking care of your car has your best interest at heart.
With independent shops, you can ask for discounts or specialized care and depending on how long you have been a customer, you can ask for better deals on almost anything. This is something hard to get at dealerships because they have hundreds, if not thousands of customers. The reality of it is that you will just be another customer to them.
Can Recommend Unnecessary Extra Work
Unfortunately, when working with a dealership, you run a risk of being recommended services or car parts that you don’t need. As mentioned earlier, car parts in dealerships tend to be more expensive and if they recommend changing a lot of things, it can get super expensive.
Final Thoughts
Choosing the perfect car care shop for your vehicle can be challenging. But if you consider all the points presented, you leave this article with a better understanding of what your options are. Remember to weigh the pros and cons that come with dealership care maintenance.