![]() ![]() ![]() Questioners inquired about repairs to, and part-replacement costs for, such vehicles as 1998 Lexus Coupe, 1998 Dodge Neon, 2004 Toyota Camry, 2004 Mercury Sable GS Sedan, 2002 Volkswagen Jetta GL, 2002 Chrysler Sebring LX sedan, 1997 Honda Accord EX sedan and 1998 Chevy Blazer S-10. Other repairs / replacements surveyed included a rebuilt alternator, new electric fuel pump, transmission flush and filter replacement, upper ball joints, new air compressor and rebuilt starter. Meanwhile, the cost of buying and installing front brake pads on a foreign nameplate vehicle was $138.92 more at a dealer than at an independent shop, according to the survey.Īt the low end was a $21.95 cost differential for replacing drive belts. The cost of that job, in the survey, was $325.99 higher at a dealer than at an independent shop. ![]() The widest gap for a specific repair reported by the study was the average cost of replacing an entire radiator (not just the core) on a foreign nameplate vehicle, including parts and labor. The study reported some significant differences in the costs of parts and labor between domestic and import vehicle nameplates.Īccording the survey, foreign-nameplate repairs performed at dealers averaged 36.8 percent more than at independent repair shops, while repairs performed on domestic nameplates averaged 31.5 percent more at dealerships than at independent repair shops. Here is how those average cost differences broke down, from city to city (See table, below right): ![]() In the six cities where surveys were conducted, the cost of vehicle repairs ranged from 19.7 percent more to 46.8 percent more at new car dealerships, compared to independent repair shops. Interviewers asked the dealers and repair shops what parts and labor prices they charged for 10 different types of repairs. Foreign and domestic nameplates were considered separately. The study was conducted during November and December of 2008 and was based on 840 telephone interviews with both new-car dealerships and independent repair shops in six major cities - Boston, Newark, Atlanta, St. The AAIA is a trade association representing companies that manufacture and distribute aftermarket parts, accessories, chemicals and supplies, as well as independent repair shops.Īccording to the AAIA study, repairs cost an average of 34 percent more at new car dealerships compared to the independent dealers, for a total "extra" cost of $11.7 billion a year. The verbal jousting on this topic has been going on for years.īut a recent, first-of-its-kind study by the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA) would seem to back up the truism that costs are indeed lower at those "indie" shops. As the economy continues to slump, and as more consumers are foregoing the purchase of new cars and hanging on to their old ones, the cost of auto repairs is becoming a hotter topic than ever.Įven before the current economic crisis, the conventional wisdom (for whatever that's worth) was that repairs were less costly at independent repair shops than at dealerships.Ĭountering that truism was the claim, from new-car dealerships, that their technicians had more sophisticated training and that the quality of work was higher. ![]()
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