How to find an auto repair service you can trust
You don’t have to pay more for good service: Nonprofit Delaware Valley Consumers’ Checkbook found no relationship between the prices shops charge and the quality of their work.
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Cars have come a long way. Compared to models made 20 years ago, new rides are more reliable and far safer, because of collision avoidance capabilities, air bags, antilock brakes, traction control, smart suspensions, and more.
Despite these advancements, our vehicles still can’t fix themselves (yet?).
When you need repairs, choose an auto repair shop carefully. Nonprofit Delaware Valley Consumers’ Checkbook finds many shops disappoint their customers. They do lousy work, impose long delays, sell unnecessary repairs, give inaccurate estimates. But not all shops are lemons: Plenty perform top-quality work quickly and for a fair price.
Checkbook’s evaluations of 356 shops in the Delaware Valley area for quality and price are based on thousands of ratings from area consumers, a review of complaint records at the Better Business Bureau, more than 1,000 price checks, and other sources.
Until Sept. 5, Checkbook is offering free access to its ratings of local auto repair shops to Inquirer readers via Checkbook.org/Inquirer/Auto-Repair.
Shopping around can be a key part of finding the right auto repair shop for you, because prices among local shops vary widely. For example, to replace the water pump for a 2016 Ford Focus SE, Checkbook’s shoppers found prices ranging from $275 to $816. To replace the alternator for a 2017 Honda HR-V EX, prices ranged from $813 to $1,504. Hourly labor rates ranged from $100 or less to more than $225.
If you know what repairs you need, you can compare prices on your own by calling a handful of shops. If you don’t know what work is needed, call one or more shops and describe the symptoms — what the car is doing or not doing.
Shops might be able to tell you over the phone what’s likely to be wrong and quote a price. When shops can’t determine what’s wrong with your car based on your description, you’ll have to take it in for a diagnosis and estimate. Then, with estimate in hand — and assuming that the diagnosis is correct — check with other shops to see whether the shop’s price is fair.
You don’t have to pay more for good service: Checkbook found no relationship between the prices that shops charge and the quality of their work. In fact, low-priced shops were more likely to receive high marks from their surveyed customers than high-priced shops.
Many consumers believe dealers offer better repair service because of access to proprietary knowledge, sophisticated diagnostic software, and high-tech tools not available at independent garages. Consumers’ Checkbook found the opposite.
On average, shops operated by nondealers were far more likely to satisfy their customers than dealerships — and offered lower prices. The nondealers were rated “superior” overall by an average of 87% of their surveyed customers compared to only 73% for dealers. Prices at nondealers averaged about 27% lower.
Both dealers and nondealers can subscribe to the same databases that provide repair instructions, diagrams, and news from manufacturers. Although many car dealerships feature spacious, nifty-looking workstations, independents have access to the same tools, equipment, and technical specs.
If the work you need is not covered by a new-car warranty, Checkbook recommends using an independent shop.
With any shop you choose, communication is critical.
What to do when you reach out to a repair shop
Give the shop a detailed description of your car’s symptoms. But distinguish between what you know and what you think you know. If you know what needs to be repaired, tell the shop, but don’t guess. If you mention a specific problem — say, a bad alternator — the shop may replace a perfectly good alternator (and charge you for it) before fixing what is wrong.
If possible, speak with the repair technician who will be working on your car. Service write-up personnel at large shops often know very little about car repair, and those who do know car repair may not be able to describe your car’s symptoms to a repair technician as well as you can.
Either get a written estimate in advance, or write on the repair ticket that no work is to be done without your approval based on a written estimate.
Get a written, dated invoice that details charges for parts and labor, and the vehicle’s odometer reading.
Pay by credit card — you can dispute the charges if things go wrong and the shop isn’t responsive.
If the car is still not right when you get it back, immediately inform the shop, preferably in writing.
Know your rights
Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania have “lemon laws” that provide relief for new-car buyers who have had repeat problems.
Cost estimates: All shops in the area are required to provide a cost estimate before work begins. Shops in Delaware and New Jersey must provide a written estimate; shops in Pennsylvania may provide either a verbal or written estimate. All area shops may charge a fee to provide an estimate.
Cost exceeding the estimate: In Delaware, no shop may charge more than 20%, or $50, above its estimate, whichever is less. In New Jersey and Pennsylvania, no shop may charge any amount above its estimate without customer approval.
Time estimates: In Delaware, shops are required to provide an estimated completion date for repair work. New Jersey has no time estimate requirements. Pennsylvania does not require time estimates, but if the customer and the shop agree to a time of completion, the shop must complete all work within 24 hours of that time.
Return of parts: All shops in the area are required to return replaced parts, if requested. Parts that must be returned to a manufacturer under a warranty agreement are the exception, but customers have a right to inspect parts covered by warranty.
Invoices: All shops in the area must provide a written invoice that includes a description of the work performed; a list of parts supplied by the repair shop; all labor charges; and whether the shop used new, used, rebuilt, or reconditioned parts.
Delaware Valley Consumers’ Checkbook magazine and Checkbook.org is a nonprofit organization with a mission to help consumers get the best service and lowest prices. We are supported by consumers and take no money from the service providers we evaluate.