Ford owners have three options to choose from when looking to service or repair their vehicle, a Ford dealership, a smaller independent repair shop, or a chain repair shop. While it can sometimes be tempting to service your car at an independent establishment, here a few reasons why a Ford dealership holds a significant advantage over unofficial repair shops.
1. Free Repairs Under Warranty
This is perhaps the biggest reason car owners will choose to have repairs on their car done at a dealership. New (and sometimes used) cars often come with a warranty. Any repair or maintenance work done by a dealership on your car during the period of coverage of the warranty will not cost you a dime.
Third-party garages and repair shops do not honor such warranties. Additionally, to avoid voiding your car’s warranty, you need to have it serviced according to the manufacturer’s guidelines. Voiding your warranty earlier than expected can cost you a lot of time, energy, and money later on, so it’s best to have it worked on by the dealership’s certified technicians.
2. Manufacturer Certified Technicians
The manufacturer’s warranty usually requires that you have your car serviced at the dealership. Part of the reason for this is that the mechanics and technicians in a dealership are trained and certified by Ford to work on your car. The manufacturer regularly retrains them, ensuring that they’re conversant with the latest technology.
Most of the time, these technicians are not only trained to work on all ford models, but are also certified to work on a specific model. Consequently, they know the ins and outs of the vehicle and can fix esoteric problems in the least amount of time possible. This is an important point given that cars at all price points are increasingly featuring complex, computer-controlled mechanical and electrical systems.
3. Quality Parts
Ford dealerships are officially supported by the manufacturer, which means that you’re sure of getting original (OEM) parts as needed. You’ll often get a better price for these parts at the dealership as compared to third party garages, assuming these garages even maintain the appropriate supply chains for such parts.
This means that you cannot save money by getting original parts at an independent or a chain repair shop. Of most concern, however, is that using such parts will violate most car warranties.
4. Guarantees on Any Repairs
In addition to honoring any outstanding warranties, any work done on your car by a certified ford dealer will be guaranteed. This means that if for some reason the repair fails, you can have additional repairs done for free.
Unlike third-party repair shops, a certified dealer is also authorized to sell extended warranties. Such warranties are manufacturer-backed, and at the right time, you can get one at a discounted price.
Taking your car to an official dealer ensures that it gets the best possible service. Additionally, having a comprehensive dealer service history increases your car’s resale value. Contact Jack Madden Ford today to schedule your next service session.
Image courtesy of Ford.com
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