News

by: Mike Najjar

Reasons people give for going to the dealer for service and repairs:

• “It’s under warranty; I have to take it there.”
• “They built the car; they are the experts.”
• “The dealer is the only place with the equipment to fix my vehicle.”
• “They sold me an extended warranty and told me I have to bring the vehicle there for all services.”
• “They have the original replacement parts that are made specifically for my car.”

Important: Read this before taking your car back to the dealer.

Common misconceptions about new car dealer Service Departments explained

Misconception 1 Debunked: Warranty

You are not required to take your vehicle back to the dealer for service or repair, even when it’s brand new. It’s a very common practice for dealership salespeople to mislead and even lie to their customers about this. They will tell you that you have to bring your car to the dealer or your warranty can be void. NOT TRUE!

The practice has become so widespread that Congress passed the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, which makes it a violation of Federal Statutes for a car manufacturer to require the vehicle be returned to the dealer to maintain its warranty.

The only reason for you to go to the dealer is for warranty repairs, which are to be performed at no cost to you for parts or labor.

You can take your vehicle anywhere for oil changes and all other maintenance.

Misconception 2 Debunked: The Experts 

It used to be true that the car dealerships had the best-trained mechanics. Twenty years ago it was a good career goal for a mechanic to “land a job at a dealership.” They used to be the best equipped, best trained and best paid mechanics around.

The auto repair industry has changed. Cost-cutting by car manufacturers, layoffs and reduction or elimination of training budgets have left the dealerships behind the top independent shops in the area of technical training. Some St. Louis area car dealerships don’t provide ANY training for their mechanics.

It has become a common practice at dealerships to just keep changing parts until the vehicle is fixed. It’s pretty easy to do when the parts are all sitting on the shelf in the parts department. After all, they are the experts, right?

Misconception 3 Debunked: Equipment
 

It’s true that the new car dealership has all the equipment required to repair the vehicles they sell. It’s also true that there are many independent shops, tire stores and muffler and brake shops that do not have the same equipment as the dealer.

What most people don’t know is that any top quality independent shop can choose to buy the same equipment as the dealers.

Misconception 4 Debunked: Extended Warranties
 

A good extended warranty policy will allow you to take the vehicle to the shop of your choice. However, not all extended warranty policies are good. To get a straight answer, read your policy carefully, or bring it to us and we’ll help you determine if the vehicle has to go back to the dealer.

Misconception 5 Debunked: Better Parts
 

Yes, the dealership does have the original parts that came on the car.

The dealership is not the only place you can buy OEM parts. Independent shops can also provide you with the exact same parts as the dealer.

There are also many high-quality aftermarket parts available for most cars. The Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act protects you from having your new car warranty being disallowed just because aftermarket parts are installed on your vehicle.

How does Master Auto Repair compare to the dealerships? 
 

1. Warranty—Having Master Auto Repair Perform Your Maintenance

We can perform all the oil changes and other maintenance on your vehicle, and still protect your new vehicle warranty. We use quality parts, and our computer system keeps a permanent record, including date, mileage and details of all services performed. If you misplace a receipt it’s no problem. We can look it up for you.

2. Warranty—Our Warranty on Repairs Compared to the Dealer Warranty

Our warranty is, to put it simply, the best in the business. We offer a no-gimmick, no-hassle 2 years/24,000 mile warranty on all our repairs. In addition, many of the parts we install come with a lifetime warranty.

3. Expert Technicians

All our work is performed by ASE certified technicians. All our employees are REQUIRED to attend continuing education and training classes each and every year. We invest more time and money on training than anyone else in the area.

4. Equipment

We have chosen to “keep up with the Jones’s”; the Jones’s being the new car dealerships. Our shops are equipped with the latest test equipment, which enables us to PROPERLY diagnose and repair your vehicle.

5. Extended Warranties

We honor almost all extended warranty policies. We work directly with the warranty company so you don’t have to. If you want to find out if your warranty company will pay us to work on your car we can help you find out. Just give us a call.