AA praises high levels of car service intervals

MORE than 90% of car owners in South African service their vehicles, with 88% saying they do so at the service intervals recommended by manufacturers.

This information is part of the Vehicle Service Survey recently concluded by the Automobile Association (AA).

“We often speak of the necessity to service vehicles regularly, and to keep them in good running condition. This not only maintains the performance of the vehicle, but ensures it has a longer lifespan,” the AA said.

“This also means our roads have vehicles on them which are road-worthy, which is critical to road safety. These results are encouraging, and we hope motorists continue servicing their vehicles in this way.”

According to the results, 53% of car owners say they service their vehicles at the original dealer franchises, while 37% use private mechanics. Some owners are comfortable to service their vehicles themselves, while a small percentage indicate they do not service their vehicles at all.

The rates of satisfaction among those who use original dealer franchises and those who use private mechanics for their services are equally high. Eighty percent of owners who use dealer franchises rate the service experience as good or great, while 85% of those private mechanics share this sentiment.

The results come against the backdrop of the Competition Commission’s inquiry into the Automotive Aftermarket, and the campaign by private operators in this sector for more official recognition of their services.

The process is ongoing and industry role-players are being consulted with a view to developing a second draft of a code of conduct for the automotive after-market. “What these results show us is that vehicle owners are equally satisfied servicing their vehicles with private mechanics they trust, or by themselves, as through original dealer franchises. But, importantly, most owners (57%) still prefer using original parts for their cars, although the vast majority (77%) believe these parts are expensive,” the AA noted.

Only 16% of respondents believed original spare parts are fairly priced with most of the comments received indicating these parts are “greatly overpriced”.