This is in What Car? mag:
Local garages are better - What Car? - 30 September 2004
Thousands of motorists are being ripped off when they get their cars serviced. The shock findings of a special investigation by What Car?, to be published in the November issue on the shelves from October 5, reveal that buyers could be better off sticking to local garages than paying top-dollar at manufacturer-approved main dealers.
What Car? conducted a nationwide undercover investigation, dispatching qualified vehicle inspectors to locations across the UK to see which type of garages performed best in real-world tests. Examiners turned up at garages with cars that had been doctored with seven deliberate defects – to see if the mechanics could identify and fix the faults. The results make surprising reading.
Independent, often family-run, garages did best in our investigation, spotting 93% of deliberate faults on test cars. Seven of the 10 independent garages we visited identified and fixed every defect.
Main dealers – branded garages representing manufacturers (for example Ford or Toyota) – lagged behind. Despite usually being more expensive than independents, the standard of service was worse. They spotted only 83% of deliberate faults – missing a worrying 17% of defects. One Toyota dealer near Edinburgh (Western Toyota, Whitecraig) even failed to spot the low, and potentially dangerous, brake fluid level.
Last and definitely least were Britain’s fast-fit centres, the type of drop-in garages that used to specialise in tyres and exhausts, but now offer full servicing, too. They missed more than a fifth – 21% – of the faults. More than half the outlets under scrutiny failed to spot at least one fault. One AA centre in Scotland returned the car with every single defect still present, after agreeing to service the car but then performing (and billing for) a simple oil change.
The research is published as plans to raise industry standards through new codes of conduct, approved by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT), are in disarray. The Retail Motor Industry Federation (RMI) and Scottish Motor Trade Association (SMTA) have abandoned plans to have their CarWise scheme approved by the OFT, although the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders has obtained approval for its New Car Code of Practice.
What Car? magazine’s editor, David Motton, said: ‘We were shocked by our findings. When your car is serviced, you should expect the job to be done to a high standard. This is not happening. We’re also very disappointed the Government-backed CarWise scheme has fallen by the wayside. If you buy a car on credit, the finance company must be licensed with the Government – so why shouldn’t garages be properly regulated? Getting your car serviced properly can make the difference between driving a safe car and one that is more likely to be involved in an accident.’
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Fast-fit car repair firms failed to detect 21% of defects
CAR owners who want their vehicles tested and repaired should steer clear of fast-fit outlets and franchised garage dealers because they are failing to spot common faults, it was claimed yesterday. Research carried out by What Car? magazine suggested that local independent garages offered the highest quality and best value service.
The study found that fast-fit dealers were worst at conducting safety checks, with 21 per cent of defects missed, while franchised dealers were close behind, with 17 per cent of faults undetected.
However, independent garages showed themselves to be best for maintenance, with 93 per cent of problems spotted and rectified.
For the survey, What Car? sent vehicles doctored with seven defects for a full service at 30 garages - ten of each type - across the whole of the United Kingdom. Among the faults on each vehicle were low levels of brake fluid, faulty nearside tail-lights and low nearside rear tyre pressure, all of which can have a serious effect on the performance and safety of a car. A fast-fit outlet in Edinburgh failed to notice any of the faults, while one franchised dealer in the Scottish capital did not top up the brake fluid - an omission that could have led to brake failure.
Another serious omission was made by mechanics at two fast-fit outlets and one franchised dealer - they failed to notice the deflated rear tyre, a fault that increases the risk of a puncture at high speed. Only four fast-fit and four franchised garages identified and fixed all seven faults, compared with seven of the independent outlets. The research showed that franchised dealers were most expensive; however, they were more likely to clean cars before returning them, and to finish work on time. The fast-fit outlets were found to be the least punctual, with just 60 per cent finishing on time.
David Motton, the editor of What Car?, said: "We were shocked by our findings. When your car is serviced, you should expect that the job will be done to a high standard. This is not happening.
"Getting your car serviced properly can make the difference between driving a safe car and one that is more likely to be involved in an accident."
The magazine’s investigation followed the collapse of the government-backed CarWise scheme, policed by the Office of Fair Trading, after the Retail Motor Industry Federation and the Scottish Motor Trade Association pulled out. "We’re very disappointed that the CarWise scheme has fallen by the wayside," Mr Motton said. "If you buy a car on credit, the finance company must be licensed with the government - so why shouldn’t garages be properly regulated?"
Gerry Sutcliffe, the consumer affairs minister, said the survey showed that the £9 million car servicing industry needed to raise standards. "It is important that consumers have confidence in the car servicing industry. There is clearly room for improvement," he said. Tim Yeo, the shadow transport secretary, said: "This latest research is extremely disturbing in terms of car safety."
Douglas Robertson, the chief executive of the Scottish Motor Trade Association, admitted that there were problems but said there was a fundamental difference between the independent and franchise dealers. "The survey’s findings are not completely surprising, given that, in independents, the owner tends to be more hands-on when it comes to work, so it’s his own personal reputation at stake when it comes to carrying out work," he said. "In the franchises, the pressure comes from the car manufacturer to get the car in, looked at and repaired as quickly as possible. The fact that they are under this pressure means that there is the potential for problems being missed, though never deliberately. "I feel that research like this is necessary as it keeps us on our toes to get rid of the bad image we have in some areas. "I’d just like to see the good results get as much publicity as the bad ones.
