AAIA: Vehicle Repairs Cost 34% More at Car Dealers

Vehicle repairs cost an average 34 per cent more at car dealerships than at independent repair shops, according to a study by the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA). That price differential, AAIA said, results in $11.7 billion annually in excess costs to consumers. The study also reveals differences in the costs of parts and labor from city to city. Consumers in Los Angeles, the study showed, pay as much as 46.8% more for repairs at car dealers than at independent repair shops.

The study also shows:

• Vehicle repairs for parts and labor averaged 34.3% more at new car dealers than at independent repair shops

• Foreign nameplate repairs performed at dealers averaged 36.8% more than at independent repair shops while repairs performed on domestic nameplates averaged 31.5% more

• Total 2008 cost difference for consumers having repair work performed at car dealers rather than independent repair shops for the 10 jobs equaled 11.7 billion.

AAIA’s Vehicle Repair Cost Analysis: Comparing New Car Dealerships vs. Independents looks at the parts and labor costs of 10 vehicle repair jobs for domestic and foreign nameplate vehicles in six cities across the country, including Boston, Newark, Atlanta, St. Louis, Los Angeles and Seattle. (Tire Review/Akron)