![]() ![]() Many consumers believe dealers offer better repair service due to access to proprietary knowledge, sophisticated diagnostic software and high-tech tools, not available at independent garages. You don't have to pay more for good service: Checkbook found no relationship between the prices shops charge and the quality of their work. Then, with estimate in hand - and assuming that the diagnosis is correct - check with other shops to see if the shop's price is fair. When shops can't determine what is wrong with your car based on your description, you will have to take it in for a diagnosis and estimate. Shops might be able to tell you over the phone what is likely to be wrong and quote a price. ![]() If you know what repairs you need, you can compare prices from shop to shop on your own by calling a handful for quotes. Hourly labor rates range from $80 to $190. For example, to replace the water pump for a 2014 Ford Escape, they found prices ranging from $270 to $649 among area shops. You want to be sure a shop charges fair prices before you bring in your car because, like with most repair work, it is difficult to shop for price before you know exactly what needs to be done.Ĭheckbook's undercover shoppers found dramatic shop-to-shop price differences. But there are also many shops you will want to steer clear of: Dozens of the businesses Checkbook evaluated got such favorable ratings from fewer than 60% of their surveyed customers.Ĭheckbook's ratings of area shops include a separate rating for price, derived from price quotes collected by its undercover shoppers for several carefully constructed repair jobs. Many shops were rated "superior" for overall quality by 90% or more of their surveyed customers. ![]() 7, Checkbook is offering free access to its ratings of local auto repair shops to Star Tribune readers via /StarTribune/AutoRepair.įortunately, there are a lot of top-quality auto-repair shops in the area. Checkbook's ratings are based on more than 14,000 ratings it collected by surveying area consumers a review of consumer-agency complaint records more than 1,300 price checks by Checkbook's undercover shoppers and other sources. But plenty almost always perform top-quality work quickly and for a fair price.Ĭheckbook's evaluations of 328 shops in the Twin Cities area include ratings for quality and price. Unfortunately, nonprofit Twin Cities Consumers' Checkbook finds many repair shops that do lousy work, impose long delays, sell unnecessary repairs and give inaccurate estimates. That is why finding a good repair shop is so important. When your car breaks down or acts up, it is a major inconvenience - and can be a major expense. ![]()
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