Choosing the right garage is essential for keeping your car in top condition, and will prevent you from encountering excessive bills for repairs and servicing. There are certain repair centres which may charge shockingly high bills for routine maintenance, with some garages in the UK charging as much as £230 per hour.
On the other end of the spectrum, if a garage sets their prices too low, it may be an indication that they are inexperienced or keep their prices low by using low-quality parts and cutting corners.
Using a mechanic who carries out poor-quality repairs can lead to serious car problems, which may be more costly to repair than the original problem.
With a wide range of garages and mobile mechanics to choose from, it can be difficult to establish which garages deliver a high-quality service at reasonable prices. Here's a checklist of what to look for when choosing the best garage for car repairs and servicing.
Get Recommendations
Asking for recommendations from friends and family who have had experience with using a range of garages is a quick and easy way to find a reliable service.
Make sure that you ask people you can trust who have no personal affiliations to a garage which may affect their judgement. Friends and family are more likely to give you an honest review of the garage they use, and will know you well enough to recommend a service which is a good fit for your vehicle.
It is best to speak to friends and family who are knowledgeable car owners, and who will be able to give an informed opinion based on their experience. If you have friends or family who have reliably gone to the same garage for years, it is a good sign that they are happy with their experience.
Check Online Reviews
When you’ve narrowed down your search using recommendations from friends and family, you can then start to look at online reviews. Remember, just because you’ve had a good review from someone you trust doesn’t necessarily mean that everyone has had such a good experience.
By looking at online reviews, you will get a better overall picture of where a garage is successful, and areas where they may need to make improvements. You may find that some garages are more experienced in some types of repairs and services than others, so always keep in mind exactly which services your vehicle requires when reading reviews.
Try to aim for a garage which gets consistently good reviews. Remember, some businesses may put up fake reviews to improve their reputation, so watch out for websites which feature several good reviews in the same writing style and tone.
In addition, some garages may have one or two rave reviews, and several bad ones. This is usually an indicator that their service is not consistent, and as such, there is no guarantee that you will come away a satisfied customer.
By choosing a garage which has consistently good reviews, you are more likely to have a positive experience.
Check The Price
You should always choose a garage which offers services and repairs at a fair price. As such, the prices should not be pitched too low or too high.
While using a garage which offers repairs and services at a cheap rate may be tempting, it is often an indicator that they use low-quality parts and materials, don’t put in the necessary time or care to achieve a high-quality result, or don’t have the required skills and experience to complete the job to a high standard.
On the flip side, garages that pitch their prices too high may not necessarily be better than garages that offer repairs and services at a reasonable price. And if you spend too much on a repair or service, you may find that you have wasted money unnecessarily.
Be aware that garage prices can vary greatly depending on the region you live in. If necessary, shop around in your local area until you find a garage that can offer the services you need at a justifiable price.
Check For Warranties
One of the easiest ways to tell if a garage is a reputable business is to check whether they offer a warranty.
Most reputable garages offer a warranty of between 12 months to five years on the repairs they carry out, saving you from having to spend unnecessary amounts of money to fix somebody else’s mistake.
Check Certifications And Accreditations
For certain vehicle fixes it’s vital that you hire an expert professional to do the work, and if you use a mechanic or car repair service who cannot prove their certifications and accreditations, you have no way of telling whether they are qualified to carry out the job.
Certifications and accreditation are a quick way to check whether a mechanic has gone through the necessary training and if they have been assessed by an unbiased third party.
A garage’s certifications can show you which services they are trained to carry out, and whether these skills are currently up to date. All certificates should be easily visible, and will usually be displayed on the walls or windows of the garage, and/or on their website.
If you are unable to find any evidence of certifications and accreditations, opt for a more reputable garage that can prove that they have undergone the necessary training for the service you require.
Specify Your Car’s Make And Model
Not all garages will be experienced in servicing and repairing all types of vehicle, and as such, it may be necessary to check that they are experienced with handling your car’s specific make and model.
If you are the owner of a classic car, for example, you may need to find a garage that specialises in classic models to avoid any mistakes by inexperienced mechanics. Don’t be afraid to ask your mechanic questions about their experience with your make and model, and check their website for any reviews which may be relevant.
Get It In Writing
When you’ve found a garage or mechanic you are happy with, make sure you get everything in writing, including the quoted cost for the repairs, the deadline by which the repairs should be made, and the services covered and excluded in the price.
As an extra preventative measure, it may be helpful to ensure that you and your mechanic both sign this. This also gives you evidence to use later on if you run into difficulties.
Franchised Vs Independent Vs High Street Garages
Franchised
A franchised car dealership specialises in a specific make of car, and within that, every model that that company produces.
They will have easy access to the required tools needed to carry out all kinds of repairs on that make of car, and should be up to date with the manufacturer’s servicing schedule and updates, while using only parts which are authorised by the manufacturer.
Pros:
Highly experienced in repairs and services in all aspects of every model within their specialist car brandConsistent resultsUsually comes with a warrantyStay up to date with software developmentsCars which are serviced under a franchised dealership may be considered higher-value by traders
Cons:
Can be up to 18% more expensive
Independent
Independent garages service a wide range of makes and models of car, and may offer services at a much cheaper rate than franchised or high street garages.
Some may specialise in particular makes and models of car, so make sure to check that they are experienced at repairing your type of vehicle.
Pros:
Often cheaper than franchised or high street garagesSupports local businessWide range of experience with different makes and models
Cons:
Servicing or repair problems will need to be settled in a small claims court or under Trading StandardsWarranty may be void if the garage fails to stamp the vehicle’s service book or provide a service invoiceCars that have not been serviced by a franchised dealership may become devalued
High Street Chains
High street chains such as Halfords are a quick and easy way to get your vehicle serviced, and are usually transparent about their pricing.
They are usually cheaper than franchised dealerships, and many offer payment schemes to allow drivers to make their bills in monthly payments.
Pros:
Organised and efficient, carrying a wide range of spare partsUsually cheaper than franchised dealershipsMonthly payment schemesCan carry out some complex repairs
Cons:
May not have in-depth experience with the specific make and model of your vehicleMay not have the latest diagnostic equipment for modern models
By comparing the benefits and drawbacks of the different types of car garage, and using our checklist to find a quality service provider, you can make sure your vehicle gets the perfect outcome every time!