How much should standard car maintenance cost?
Getting a fair deal takes away some of the pain when it’s time for servicing
For most of us, when our vehicle needs service or repair, we simply take it in to our regular shop, wait for the estimate, give an approval and pick it up at the end of the day, trusting that our service providers got the job done right and we were charged a fair price.
But with all the choices out there for repair facilities and parts sources, we can save ourselves some cash with a little research and the right questions at the service counter.
Let’s do a comparison on one of Canada’s perennial favourites: the Honda Civic. For a 2012 Civic LX, a set of premium front brake pads and rotors would cost about $365 before taxes at Canadian Tire ($230 for parts and $135 for labour). The same job at a Honda dealership would run you $485 ($350 parts and $135 labour). At a small Eastern Ontario independent shop, this task is priced at $355 ($230 parts and $125 labour).
LABOUR CHARGES
Notice that the labour charges are very competitive among these three examples. For those who would complain that Canadian Tire on average offers less-qualified service techs than an OEM dealership, consider that they offer the same warranty on most work as the dealers (in some cases better), and to complete this task in most jurisdictions, a tech must hold a valid provincial or territorial certification. This basically means those techs have gone through the same qualification process and similar training.
For a more common service, such as a basic engine oil and filter change, these three types of shops are all within a few dollars of each other, leading one to conclude you won’t save much by shopping around for this maintenance item.
If you’re driving a mainstream and popular light passenger vehicle, you really do have a lot of choice. Brake pads or linings for this type of vehicles should cost between $50 and $90 for quality name-brand products, and rotors should be roughly in the same price range.
If you get a quote from your garage that seems out of line, ask for a more competitive price and a different part supplier if that’s where the big difference is. While OEM dealerships are hesitant to offer this option, they are in the business to keep customers, not drive them away.
It would be really nice for consumers if automakers, their retailers and every level of service provider could provide online pricing for routine maintenance and repair items. This would inevitably lead to a more competitive playing field and provide for better service, as shops and garages could tie appointment links to such systems and be better equipped to have the parts required on hand, along with having a user-friendly scheduling system.