Cars have come a long way, especially compared with models made 20 years ago.
Find affordable Twin Cities car repair shops you can trust
Nonprofit Twin Cities Consumers’ Checkbook evaluated 319 shops using thousands of consumer ratings, a review of complaint records at the Better Business Bureau, more than 1,000 price checks and other sources.
By Kevin Brasler
August 3, 2024 at 12:02PM
New rides are more reliable and far safer thanks to collision-avoidance capabilities, airbags, antilock brakes, traction control, smart suspensions and more. Despite these advancements, unfortunately our vehicles can’t fix themselves yet.
When you need repairs, choose an auto repair shop carefully. Nonprofit Twin Cities Consumers’ Checkbook finds many shops disappoint their customers. They do lousy work, impose long delays, sell unnecessary repairs and give inaccurate estimates. But not all shops are lemons: Plenty almost always perform top-quality work quickly and for a fair price.
Checkbook’s evaluations of 319 shops in the Twin Cities area used thousands of ratings from local consumers, a review of complaint records at the Better Business Bureau, more than 1,000 price checks and other sources. Until Sept. 5, Checkbook is offering free access to its ratings of local auto repair shops to Star Tribune readers via Checkbook.org/StarTribune/Auto-Repair.
Make sure a shop charges fair prices before you bring in your car because, like with most repair work, it is difficult to shop for price before you know exactly what needs fixing, and prices among local shops vary widely. For example, to replace the starter assembly for a 2016 Chevrolet Malibu, we found prices ranging from $452 to $950 among area shops. Hourly labor rates range from $90 to $260.
If you know what repairs you need, you can compare prices on your own by calling a handful of shops. If you don’t, call one or more shops and describe the symptoms. Shops might be able to tell you on the phone what’s likely wrong and quote a price. When shops can’t determine the problem based on your description, you’ll have to take it in for a diagnosis and estimate. Then, with estimate in hand — and assuming the diagnosis is correct — check with other shops to see if the price is fair.
You don’t have to pay more for good service: Checkbook found no relationship between the prices shops charge and the quality of their work. In fact, low-priced shops were more likely to receive high marks from their surveyed customers than high-priced shops.
Many consumers believe dealers offer better repair service since they have access to proprietary knowledge, sophisticated diagnostic software and high-tech tools not available at independent garages. Consumers’ Checkbook found the opposite: On average, shops that nondealers operated were far more likely to satisfy their customers than dealerships, and they offered lower prices. The nondealers earned “superior” ratings overall by an average of 85% of their surveyed customers compared with only 71% for dealers. Prices at nondealers averaged about 20% lower.
Both dealers and nondealers can subscribe to the same databases that provide repair instructions, diagrams and news from manufacturers. Although many car dealerships feature spacious, nifty-looking workstations, independents have access to the same tools, equipment and technical specs. If the work you need is not under a new-car warranty, Checkbook recommends using an independent shop.
With any shop, communication is critical. You should:
- Give the shop a detailed written description of your car’s symptoms. But distinguish between what you know and what you think you know. If you mention a specific problem, say, a bad alternator, the shop might replace a perfectly good alternator (and charge you for it) before fixing what is wrong.
- If possible, speak with the repair technician who will be working on your car. Service write-up personnel at large shops often know very little about car repair, and those who do know car repair might not be able to describe your car’s symptoms to a repair technician as well as you can.
- Either ask for a written estimate in advance or write on the repair ticket that you won’t allow any work without your approval based on a written estimate.
- Obtain a written, dated invoice that details charges for parts and labor and lists the vehicle’s odometer reading.
- Pay by credit card so you can dispute the charges if anything goes wrong, and the shop isn’t responsive.
- If the car is still not right when you pick it up, immediately inform the shop, preferably in writing.
And don’t forget you have rights:
- Minnesota has a “lemon law” that provides relief for new-car buyers who have had repeated problems.
- All shops in Minnesota must give written cost estimates if requested and if the job is likely to cost $100 or more. Shops might charge a fee for the estimate.
- No shop can charge more than 10% above its estimate unless the customer authorizes it by phone or in writing.
- All shops must return replaced parts if requested in advance.
- All shops must provide a written, itemized invoice for work that costs more than $50 and/or the work was under a warranty, service contract or insurance policy.
Twin Cities Consumers’ Checkbook magazine and Checkbook.org is a nonprofit organization with a mission to help consumers receive the best service and lowest prices. Consumers support us, and we take no money from the service providers we evaluate. Star Tribune readers can access Checkbook’s ratings of local auto repair shops free until Sept. 5 at Checkbook.org/StarTribune/auto-repair.
about the writer
Kevin Brasler
Twin Cities Consumers’ Checkbook
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