Deciding What You Want

When You Should Consider Taking Your Vehicle To The Dealership For Repair

23 November 2021 by Alex Hale

Maintenance and repair are both critical to keeping your car or truck running properly, and most of the service you need can be handled at your local dealership. Listed below are some specific reasons to use the dealer for auto repair that may make a difference when getting your car fixed. 

Essential Maintenance

There are some auto maintenance items that every car needs, including oil and filter changes, air filter replacements, brake service, and tire rotation. All of these services can be handled at your local dealership, along with more complex auto repair services.

If you purchased your vehicle new at the dealership, they might have included the oil changes and some maintenance work in the deal, so visiting the dealership allows you to have the work done at a significant discount or sometimes free. Check with the service department when you take your car in, and they can tell you if you can get a deal or not. 

OEM Parts

Some people prefer to use the local dealership for auto repair and maintenance because they use original equipment parts sourced from the parts department or the manufacturer. The parts are the same ones that came on the car when it was new, and replacing an oil filter with the same part is an excellent way to ensure the correct parts are being used. 

Small items may not be critical, but replacing something like the brakes or a steering pump on the vehicle might. If your vehicle needs urgent repair, using OEM parts can be the best way to ensure the car will run and drive like the day you purchased it. 

Often warranty work requires OEM parts, and while other parts may work, the warranty company may not approve the auto repair with any other parts.

Maintenance Records

When you buy a new car, letting the dealership handle all the auto maintenance on the car creates a paper trail that could be beneficial later. If you trade the vehicle in for a new car in a few years, having all the maintenance completed at the dealer allows them to pull the information up right away and could increase the trade-in value of the vehicle.

If you are on the road or away from home, the information from your local dealership should be available to other factory dealerships in the area you are staying in, so if you need service or a part fails early, the dealer you are at can often replace the part for you, even if they didn't install it initially. 

Many dealerships also use maintenance records to send out reminders for oil changes or other services that are coming up soon on your car as well. If you forget that it is nearing time for that service appointment, having a little nudge in your email or text messages can be a good reminder for extremely busy people.   

For more information, contact an auto repair service near you.

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