If you don't have a good auto repair shop, now's a good time to find one. The drop in temperature increases your chance of breakdowns. And based on the latest local ratings, if you care about quality work and a fair price, you don't want to take your car to just any repair shop.
If you're not taking your car in for quality routine maintenance, you could find yourself unexpectedly on the side of the road. In fact, thanks to the recent cold weather, local repair shop owner Eric Paulus says it's already happening.
"Last week we had two cars that had a weak ignition from spark plugs that had been in the cars for 60, 80 thousand miles," said Paulus, owner of Eric's Garage in Seattle.
Paulus says deferred maintenance and a drop in temperatures equals added stress on your car's starting system -- spark plugs, alternators, batteries and more. Turns out his customers are among the happier repair shop customers in the Puget Sound region. Paulus' shop just got top ratings for both quality and price in the fall winter issue of Consumers' Checkbook Magazine.
"We surveyed 13,000 customers about auto repair shops just in the Puget Sound area and got their ratings of the shops. We check on complaints against these shops with the attorney general," said Checkbook President Robert Krughoff.
The Checkbook survey rated 429 repair shops in King, Kitsap, Pierce, Snohomish and Skagit counties for accuracy of work, quality of service, advice on service options, price and price disclosure and overall performance.
Checkbook also conducted 1,500 undercover price checks.
Check out some of the local quotes:
To replace the alternator on a 2004 Dodge Intrepid ES: a low of $332 to a high of $542.
To replace front brake pads and rotors on a 2004 Ford Taurus SE: a low of $250 to a high of $600.
To replace a water pump: a low of $392 to a high of $730.
Of the 429 repair shops in the survey, some got top ratings for price. Some got top ratings for quality, but only 51 got top ratings for both. In its undercover price checks, Krughoff said independent repair shops consistently out performed auto dealerships for accurately diagnosing and fixing the problem.
Common auto repair complaints reported by local consumers in the survey:
• Work not performed properly (40% of complaints)
• Poor customer service (27% of complaints)
• High costs (22% of complaints)
• Performing unnecessary work (20% of complaints)
• Slow turnaround (15% of complaints)
• Incorrect estimates ( 7% of complaints)
• Damaged vehicle or missing property (5% of complaints)
• Poor quality parts (2% of complaints)
• Difficult to get appointment (2% of complaints)
To avoid unsatisfactory overpriced auto repairs, don't just rely on ads or what's convenient; shop around. Compare prices, get second opinions, and get recommendations from people who get their cars serviced regularly. Avoid shops that pressure you to pay for additional products and service work you really don't need.
The top car maintenance areas to pay attention to in cold weather: tires, batteries, brakes, spark plugs, anti-freeze and windshield wipers.
Posted on
Tue, November 8, 2011
by Connie Thompson
filed under