April 2, 2014—RepairPal on Wednesday released the results from its second annual Car Care survey, which the company said pointed to the importance of shop certification to earn consumer trust.
In a new survey question this year, nearly 60 percent of respondents significantly valued certification of quality and a knowledgeable staff over the convenience of a particular location.
Over half of respondents still believe they have been ripped off at an auto repair shop, while 68 percent said the costs associated with repairs and finding a trustworthy mechanic are what they dislike most about taking their car to a repair shop.
In addition, roughly half of respondents ranked unexpected automotive costs as a top cause of financial anxiety, with 64 percent admitting that they do not include costs associated with auto maintenance and repairs during budget planning.
The majority of respondents (75 percent) also said they take their car in for evaluation immediately or within a week of the “check engine” light turning on.
“The purpose of the annual car care survey is to better understand and measure consumer sentiment as it relates to car ownership and auto repair,” said Art Shaw, CEO of RepairPal. “Based on our findings, it has become clear that there continues to be issues around trust, making repair shop certification paramount.”
