Americans happier with independent garages than dealers

According to a survey by Consumer Reports, about 84% of car owners are very satisfied with maintenance performed at independent repair shops, compared with 77% at dealerships.

The report also showed that satisfaction with dealers depended on the automotive brand. Among the top scorers in dealership maintenance satisfaction were Lexus, Buick and Acura, with 85%, 83% and 82% satisfaction rates, respectively. At the lower end, Volkswagen, Suzuki, Jeep and Nissan were rated at 67%, 69%, 70% and 70% respectively.

Among owners whose cars needed repairs as well as maintenance, the difference was even more pronounced, with 75% very satisfied with independents, versus only 57% with dealerships.

Six domestic automakers ranked among the top ten in terms of customer satisfaction with dealership maintenance, namely Buick, Saturn, Mercury, Cadillac, Lincoln and Oldsmobile.

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