Thanks for the info on CSI. First I heard of it, and coincidentally a local
TV news program ran an item on it tonight. Hard to believe, but they say
that the CSI is actually higher for independents than it is for the
dealorships here in the SF Bay Area. That really floored me.
That's not really unusual but in dealership's defense, it's also not a fair
comparison. Most independent places really only do maintenance and light
repair work. You will undoubtedly have a more positive service experience
if you're getting brakes replaced than if you have some intermittent
drivability problem. Take that drivability problem to most independent
garages and they will send you back to the dealer. They don't want to mess
with that stuff but the dealership has no choice. Other tactics I've seen
are aftermarket shops sending a customer back to a dealership (work they
don't want to / can't do) and telling the customer that the repair is
probably covered under warranty when they are well aware that it isn't.
They set customers up to have bad experiences at dealerships so they won't
want to go back. It's quite a business. According to NADA Americans spend
about $200 Billion a year on parts and service (Billion is correct).
If you go to an aftermarket shop be aware of a few things. First parts are
not parts; you get what you pay for. Lifetime brake pads are hard, they
don't slow the car down as quickly (stopping distance will increase) and
they don't dissipate heat as well. That can warp rotors. The pads are at
fault but consumers blame the "cheap factory rotors". Also, the aftermarket
lives on up selling. A jiffy lube oil change is somewhere around $25. The
average repair order (work done on your car that you pay for) at the same
jiffy lube is over $80. Wiper blades, Air filters, belts, all sorts of
maintenance items get replaced along with the oil change. What most folks
don't understand is that all of that stuff (except the wiper blades) is on a
factory schedule for inspection and replacement. Get to know your cars
scheduled maintenance - it should be outlined in the owner's manual.
Brian
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