Independent Garage or Main Dealer?

The blog this week is about if you are looking to keep your servicing and maintenance costs down you could be better off using a reputable independent garage over a main dealer. Everyone is trying to save money at the moment, interest rates are rising, fuel bills are rising, food costs are soaring, insurance costs are rising etc so when it comes to owning a car, we need all the help we can get to keep costs down. Read on to find out more:
There's not really much that you can do to stop your car from having problems now and again, but you can make sure that you limit issues by sticking to your regular service schedule and addressing issues that crop up during your MOT. For example, if there are advisories on the MOT instead of neglecting them get them rectified. If a dashboard light comes on in-between servicing or if you notice something wrong with your car don’t ignore it. Get straight down to your independent garage and get it looked at. We cannot stress enough that preventative maintenance is always going to be cheaper than reactive repairs. Also, by ignoring an issue you could inadvertently be causing bigger more expensive The longer you leave a problem for, the more likely it is to develop into something more serious - not to mention far more expensive. The whole point in regular car servicing is because these items that get changed during servicing intervals have come to the end of their shelf life so to speak and are no longer effective. Therefore filters, oil, break pads, discs etc need changing/replacing.
When it comes to servicing your car, do you go to a main dealer or should you find an independent garage to do the job for you? It's really a matter of personal choice. Since October 2003, the European Regulations that surround new car services have changed to allow new car owners to go somewhere other than the franchised dealer to have their vehicle serviced during the warranty period. However, if you choose to do this, you still need to get the car serviced in accordance with the manufacturer's maintenance schedule and only use their approved parts to carry out any necessary repairs. This new ruling allows car owners to shop around for more competitive quotes for servicing of their vehicle.
If you go to somewhere outside the main dealer network, then you must make sure that you keep records that will prove to the manufacturer that you have adhered to their service and preferred parts criteria to ensure that your warranty is still valid. IE your servicing book is stamped at the required service schedule, invoices kept proving parts used and obviously only genuine manufacturer parts are used.
There are plenty of independent garages that specialise in specific makes, such as Volvo or Toyota. These specialist independent garages will often have master technicians that have trained in the dealer network, and they will have specific equipment and tools to enable them to work on these cars as opposed to a run of the mill garage that specialises in nothing in particular. If you are looking to reduce the costs of your annual servicing and repairs, then using a specialist independent garage will definitely be the way forward – their hourly rates over a dealership can sometimes be up to 50% less. Happy Safe Motoring Folks!
Here at ACC UK Ltd, Winners of The Motor Trader Independent Garage of The Year 2015, 2019 & 2020, The IGA Big Awards 2022, The Inspire Customer Service Excellence 2016 Award, The Eagle Radio Customer Focus 2017 Business Award, The Workshop Magazine Workshop Manager of the Year 2017 Award, The LiveWire Excellence In Vehicle Servicing 2019 Award and The Aftermarket Excellence Award for Best Website 2019, The Eagle Radio Biz Award – Entrepreneur of the Year 2020 & the SME News Magazine Most Trusted Car Servicing Provider 2020, we pride ourselves on offering an outstanding customer experience for a fraction of the cost of a dealership. Give us a call and let us quote you for your next service or repair on your Volvo or Toyota. We service all areas around Farnborough, Fleet, Aldershot, Farnham, Guildford, Frimley, Camberley, Hook, Sandhurst, Crowthorne, Yateley, Hampshire and Surrey. We offer free collection and drop off services. We also have a fleet of courtesy cars to allow you to get on with your schedule whilst your Volvo or Toyota is with us. Happy Motoring from all at ACC UK Ltd – Independent Volvo & Toyota servicing, repair and MOT specialists based in the heart of Farnborough, Hampshire