Car repair: For older models, many owners prefer the "independent workshop"
Created: 01/03/2023, 06:00
By: Sebastian Oppenheimer
Do you prefer to go to an authorized workshop or to an independent workshop?
According to a survey, this decision is based primarily on the age of the vehicle.
The year 2022 was anything but cheap for motorists - above all, the high fuel prices made things difficult for people.
But even if you wanted to buy a new car, you had to dig deep into your pockets – prices even for used cars rose significantly.
According to a study, new vehicles should also remain expensive in the long term.
Especially in such times, a high workshop bill hurts.
In any case, according to a study, the owners of older cars mainly rely on independent workshops.
Car repair: For older models, many owners prefer the "independent workshop"
According to a current survey by the expert organization KÜS, a clear majority (73 percent) of car owners visit the manufacturer's authorized workshop for maintenance or repair work on relatively new vehicles (up to three years).
Only 14 percent go to an independent workshop.
However, the picture changes as the vehicle ages: for vehicles between the ages of 4 and 7 years, only 52 percent go to the authorized workshop, while 36 percent go to the “independent” workshop.
From a vehicle age of 8 years, the independent workshops are the first choice with 55 percent, then only 21 percent go to the authorized workshop.
Especially with older vehicles, many owners prefer to go to an independent workshop.
© David Ebener/dpa
Change of workshop: In most cases, the reason is that the price is too high
When car owners change workshops, it is usually because the price is too high (52 percent).
Other reasons include unfriendly staff (24 percent), loss of trust (21 percent) and poorly executed work (18 percent).
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In fact, according to the survey, many car owners practically have their “trusted workshop”: Only ten percent of those surveyed have changed workshops in the past two years.
A good workshop accounts for job satisfaction for 65 percent of those surveyed.
A good price-performance ratio is an important criterion for 55 percent, and competent advice for 51 percent.
A good location from a traffic point of view still plays a role for 38 percent.
Incidentally, expensive repairs are also a thorn in the side of insurance companies – they want more used spare parts to be used.
