YONKERS, N.Y. (May 5, 2009) — A large majority of car owners are apparently “very satisfied” with the maintenance performed by independent repair shops vs. car dealerships, according to a new Consumer Reports survey.
About 84 percent of car owners whose vehicles needed maintenance reported satisfaction with independent shops compared with 77 percent at car dealerships, according to a Consumer Reports National Research Center survey involving 349,000 vehicles owned by the independent magazine's subscribers.
There was a larger differential when it came to both repair and maintenance services, with 75 percent of respondents very satisfied with independents vs. just 57 percent with dealerships.
“In many cases, we heard that independent shops were more thorough and consumers were more satisfied with repairs they made. There was less of a difference in routine service,” said David Champion, senior director, Consumer Reports Auto Test Center.
Respondents said they were more satisfied with the dealer service of some car brands than of others. Among the top scoring in dealership maintenance satisfaction were Lexus by 85 percent, Buick by 83 percent and Acura by 82 percent. At the other end of the spectrum, Volkswagen, Suzuki, Jeep, and Nissan owners were far less satisfied with dealer service at 67, 69, 70 and 70 percent respectively.