Dealerships Fall Short

Jan. 18, 2019
A Consumer Reports study reveals that consumers report a more satisfied experience at independent shops than dealerships.

Jan. 18, 2019—A recent study by Consumer Reports revealed that consumers report a more satisfied experience and are more successful at negotiating a discount than those who go to repair chains and dealerships.

"In our survey of 40,000 Consumer Reports members, we found that in most cases, regardless of car brand, customers who brought their car to a non-dealership were significantly more satisfied than were those who went to a car dealership for repairs. The biggest differentiator is price. People get much better deal at independent and chain repair shops than they do at dealerships," says James McQueen, communications specialist, Consumer Reports.   

Independent retailers scored 90 with those surveyed, followed by Jiffy Lube and Goodyear with a score of 88. The dealerships that scored the highest reader score in regard to courtesy, timeliness, quality and price of repair were Lexus, Volvo, Toyota, Acura, Honda and Lincoln, all with a score of 81 or above.

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