Let’s debunk the myth that dealership service costs more

One of the impressions about dealership service stations we all might have heard is that they cost more than your guy down the street with an auto shop or a little bit of repair experience.

It can be hard to know what you should do, especially when your tire blows out unexpectedly or you're trying to save money for big purchase—maybe summer camps for your kids or a nice vacation. You start Googling things and nothing is really clear except that your blood pressure is going up.

I was wondering about this myself, so I reached out to my friends at Edison Nissan. (You've probably heard me talk about them on the radio from time to time).  I like them, so I asked Service Manager Scott Hirsch what he thought about this idea that you could get a better deal from an independent shop.

Here's what he had to say:

1) Nissan dealerships used parts competitively priced to beat the smaller shops. For routine maintenance including air filters, wiper blades, oil changes, cabin filters, tires and brake jobs, dealerships likely will cost the same, if not cheaper. Why? It comes down to the parts: Edison Nissan uses the Nissan Value Advantage line.

"They’re manufactured specifically for your car," he said, "and they are competitively priced to match or beat some of the local independent shops.”

2) Nissan buys tires in bulk. Nissan—as in the corporation, not the local dealership or a group of dealerships—has a contract with a tire manufacturer and buys in bulk to maximize the price.

3) Nissan offers tire warranties and price matches. Nissan personnel offer a two-year road hazard warranty in which any dealership nationwide will replace a flat tire purchased in that time period from another Nissan dealership.

"We also have a price-match guarantee," he said, "so if you do find that tire cheaper someplace else, we’ll match that price, no questions asked.”

Wondering about other reasons it's best to use a dealership for service? Check out this blog post I wrote.