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At one point or another you’re going to wonder whether to take your car to a dealership, or a local garage. There are many advantages of a dealership service over a local garage. Consider these factors when making your decision:

Expertise & Specialization

Mechanics have expertise and special training in your particular car model. Many of them have taken extra courses, as directed by the dealership, to fully understand each model within a certain make. For example, if you have a Chevy Silverado, taking it to be serviced in a Chevrolet dealership will gain you more specialized service than taking it to a local garage that works on several different makes and models.

While it may be true that car dealerships charge more than local garages, it’s because of the specialized training that their mechanics receive; this can drive up labour costs. Mechanics who work for dealerships receive training specific to a manufacturer’s network of dealerships.

This training is not just for service technicians; it encompasses all employees who interact with customers, from sales representatives to customer service reps.

Relationship

When you take your car to a dealership you’ll be able to build a relationship with them. You will get to know their high level of service, and they will have records of everything they’ve done to your vehicle. This helps to build trust with both the customer service departments and the mechanics. When you get your vehicle serviced at the same dealership throughout its lifespan, that dealership will get to know you by name; they won’t jeopardize their reputation by providing bad service.

When you take your vehicle to a local garage, you may receive conflicting recommendations, lack of expertise and inconsistent record keeping. Overall the level of service you receive from a garage is less than that of a dealership.

Original Parts

When you service your vehicle at a dealership you can be assured that all parts are recommended by the manufacturer. In fact, many dealerships won’t install parts that are outside of the factory standard. This is a great way to ensure that all parts on your vehicle are original and within manufacturer’s standards. Not all local garages have the same level of knowledge of knowing what is an original part and what is an after-market product.

Warranty

A limited warranty often accompanies the purchase of a new vehicle. Sometimes, though, that warranty becomes null and void if you take it for service at a local garage. Some maintenance and repairs must be done at a dealership, or you can no longer consider your warranty valid. Dealerships honour your warranty and will service your vehicle free of charge when applicable. When you purchase your vehicle, make sure you understand exactly what is covered under warranty and what isn’t. This is a mistake that many people make, and live to regret it.

It’s always best to take your vehicle to the dealership where you bought the car from; this way, they will have all of the necessary records so they can keep your vehicle in top condition. If this isn’t possible, taking it to your local dealership is the next best thing. They may even be able to communicate with the original dealership and gather all the necessary records so they know what services have been done thus far.

Regardless of what type of vehicle you have, you need to know that it’s going to be there for you when you need it. Getting regular service and maintenance from a dealership will help keep your vehicle running smoothly so you don’t have to worry about getting stranded on the side of the road.