5 Myths of Dealership Service
Just because they sold the car doesn’t mean they are the best place to service it.
Written by: Bradley Hayes
Automotive Blogger & Director of Marketing, Autoscope European Car Repair
There is a common misperception that the dealership service department is the gold standard when it comes to the maintenance, service, and repair of a vehicle. After all, the logo on their building is the same one on the car so they must be capable of taking care of that car better than anyone, right? That’s one myth that dealerships have been cashing checks on for decades, and their customers may not realize they have much better options when it comes to getting the best service and quality of work for their car. Here are five other myths about car dealership service…
Myth #1 – The dealer repairs all problems while your vehicle is under warranty.
Not true! The dealer only repairs the items under warranty that you identify, and many dealership service departments will often attempt to “up-sell” additional services during warranty repairs in order to make some money on the visit. This is assuming that what you need to be repaired is even covered under their warranty to begin with, which it may not be.
Myth #2 – Only the dealer is allowed to perform any service or repair on your car, otherwise the factory warranty will be invalidated.
Not true! By federal law, consumers have the right to choose where their vehicles are serviced and dealers can not invalidate your warranty for servicing your vehicle at any other reputable facility.
Myth #3 – Nobody knows the needs and intricacies of a given car better than the dealer.
Not true! The level of expertise at many elite, specialized independent shops like Autoscope is unrivaled anywhere, including the dealer.
Myth #4 – A vehicle that’s been maintained by the dealer won’t have any problems immediately after the warranty expires.
Not necessarily. The increasingly long service intervals specified by manufacturers and dealers can actually shorten the service life of critical components. A good example of this can be found in the lower-viscosity engine oils/higher mileage oil change intervals leading to increased engine wear, especially on the many turbocharged models being produced today.
Myth #5 – Only the dealer is capable of working on my complicated and technologically advanced European car.
Not true! For more than 37 years, Autoscope has been performing European car repair and service with a >95% AAA CSI (customer satisfaction index) score. We have the same diagnostic and computer equipment as the dealer, enabling us to service even the latest models. (You can read more about why you should choose an independent repair shop like Autoscope over the dealership service department in our post about it here.)
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