Over 80 percent of the vehicles in Minnesota have more than one car repair that is needed, but hasn’t been taken care of. That translates into over 160 million vehicles in the U.S. alone. Some of the neglected items are minor. Others are serious safety concerns.
Why do drivers hesitate to get these repairs done?
The first issue boils down to comfort with car care. We don’t always feel we know enough to make good decisions. Some of that can be attributed to the fact that vehicles are so reliable these days. They almost become an appliance. Of course you love your foreign cars, but if you don’t have to worry about it breaking down all the time, you’re not forced to think as much about preventive maintenance.
Perhaps your dad knew a lot about cars and always made sure they were taken care of. He was very comfortable dealing with his local service advisor. People who don’t know as much about cars hesitate to ask questions because they don’t want to look ignorant.
It’s human nature. There is so much to know in this world, we can’t all be experts in everything. So we specialize. It’s very important to ask questions from any specialist, whether it’s your doctor, financial advisor or your automotive technician.
Your auto technician at Signal Garage Auto Care wants your questions. We want you to understand the recommendation and why it needs to be done.
That brings us to the next issue; people say that they don’t always know if they really need the service or if they are just being sold something.
Most recommendations are based on manufacturer’s maintenance schedules.
In other words, “you don’t have to trust me, you can trust your owner’s manual”.”
We have a computer databases that contain the manufacturer’s recommendations for almost all vehicles, so they don’t need to rummage through your glove box to look for your owner’s manual to know what to do.
Basically, the engineers who designed the car say “here’s when you need to have it serviced.” That’s who makes the recommendation, not the technician. He’s just reminding you.
Now you do need to trust your technician’s experience and judgment from time to time. When he inspects your vehicle, he may find problems or concerns. He will explain things so that you can prioritize the concern and make a good decision about whether or not to have something done.
That brings us to the third issue; money. Often the concern is about spending the money to take care of a recommended service. If you don’t take care of the recommended services at a timely manner, the repair will end up costing you more and can be very dangerous to you and your car.
Our service center invests heavily in training, diagnostic equipment and tools so that they can make repairs and perform services as efficiently as possible. We work hard to make sure that we diagnose the problem correctly and fix it right the first time. That’s the only way we can maintain our reputation and remain in business.
When there is a real budget concern, we can help you prioritize the work that needs to be done and come up with a plan for taking care of it that works within your budget.
Schedule your auto appointment today!