Survey: High Prices Major Complaint About Auto Repairs Shops - East Idaho News
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Survey: High Prices Major Complaint About Auto Repairs Shops

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GETTY B 042012 Mechanic?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1334915337784Comstock/Thinkstock(YONKERS, N.Y.) — Just hearing the words “auto repair shop” can send shivers up the spines of motorists who dread bringing their cars in for anything other than a tune-up.

Still, the latest Consumer Reports survey on auto repair experiences seems to indicate that most people are generally happy with the work that gets done.

Of the 5,400 respondents to the Consumer Reports Annual Auto Survey, just over three quarters said they were either completely or very satisfied with their repair shop.

That leaves one in four who weren’t.

Of that group of disgruntled customers, 38 percent said they were bothered by the high cost of repairs.  This complaint was more prevalent with dealerships than independent shops.

Consumer Reports learned that number two on the list of repair shops gripes, which was about equal for dealerships and privately-owned businesses, was that the work wasn’t done right.

Beyond that, car owners complained about the length of time it took to get work done and having to bring their vehicles back to the mechanic because the repair “didn’t hold up.”

Among customers who decided to give up on an auto repair shop with which they were unhappy, 30 percent of women respondents said the reason they stopped using a dealership or independent was due to being taken advantage of because of their gender, even when the service manager was a woman.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

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