227 West Davie Street, Raleigh, North Carolina 27601, United States
Getting my car serviced at an Independent Shop versus the Dealer?
It has been long-held that independent shops offer high quality service and repairs than a franchised new-car dealer. For example, Consumer Reports wrote:
“Our annual survey of Consumer Reports subscribers found that independents outscored dealership service once again for overall satisfaction, price, quality, courteousness of the staff, and work being completed when promised.”*
Federal law gives you the right to service your vehicle wherever you like without affecting your warranty coverage. So your regular maintenance and any out-of-warranty repairs can be done by any quality shop.
Some maintenance agreements (where you are not specifically paying for the repair or maintenance) require that you go to an authorized shop. Authorized shops come in all shapes and sizes. Benchmark Autoworks, for example, is authorized to service cars for Enterprise Fleet Maintenance Plan, and we also work with almost all aftermarket warranty and insurance repairs.
If your car repair is to be paid as a warranty repair from the manufacturer, however, you will need to go to a dealership for that.
Estimates
We provide good-faith estimates for all work we perform. Estimates that are provided after we have had an opportunity to diagnose your car’s problem are by definition more accurate than estimates done without diagnosis. In some cases it is not possible to provide an estimate without first performing specific testing, but we will make you aware of that in advance. Phone estimates are the least accurate, as they rely on just a conversation based on your description of what is needed.
Parts
Benchmark Autoworks uses original equipment manufacturer (OEM) parts where ever we feel that they are better than the equivalent aftermarket part. We have several suppliers for these, including the dealer when necessary. There are some cheap or inferior parts available on the market, so we work with trusted suppliers for trusted parts.
Warranty
We offer a 24 month, 24,000 mile warranty on our repair work, backed also by our parts suppliers with few exceptions. Warranties on internal engine work or engine/transmission replacements vary, so please inquire about these at time of estimate.
Thanks for checking us out,
Call us at Benchmark Autoworks 919-664-8009 to schedule an appointment for service on your vehicle.
Recommended Maintenance
These are our recommendations for service for general use vehicles. Your owner’s manual may have more specific recommendations for your car. Recommendations may vary for certain vehicles. We can advise you when you schedule service.
3,000 Miles or Every 3 Months
- Change Engine Oil and Filter (you can stretch this to 5,000 miles if you use full synthetic oil)
- Check and Top Off Fluids
- Check Tires and Pressures
- Courtesy Multi-point Inspection
6,000 Miles or Every 6 Months
- Change Engine Oil and Filter
- Check and Top Off Fluids
- Check Tires and Pressures
- Rotate Tires
- Courtesy Multi-point Inspection
15,000 Miles or Every 12 Months
- Change Engine Oil and Filter
- Check and Top Off Fluids
- Check Tires and Pressures
- Rotate Tires
- Courtesy Multi-point Inspection
- Replace Engine Air Filter
- Perform Fuel Injection and Intake System Treatment Service
30,000 Miles or Every 2 Years
- Change Engine Oil and Filter
- Check and Top Off Fluids
- Check Tires and Pressures
- Rotate Tires
- Courtesy Multi-point Inspection
- Replace Engine Air Filter
- Perform Fuel Injection and Intake System Treatment Service
- Replace Transmission Fluid
- Replace Cabin Air Filter
60,000 Miles or Every 4 Years
- Change Engine Oil and Filter
- Check and Top Off Fluids
- Check Tires and Pressures
- Rotate Tires
- Perform Courtesy Multi-point Inspection
- Replace Engine Air Filter
- Perform Fuel Injection and Intake System Treatment Service
- Replace Transmission Fluid
- Replace Serpentine Belt
- Replace Coolant
- Replace Cabin Air Filter
Additional Services
- Timing Belt (90,000 miles)
- Replace Spark Plugs
- Valve Adjustment
- Brake Service
- Air Conditioning Recharge
- Tires
- Radiator and Hose replacement
- 4WD Service (every two years, shortly before winter)
Magnusen-Moss Act (1975)
Federal Law prohibits new car dealers from implying or denying Warranty Service because routine scheduled maintenance was performed at an independent repair facility.
Magnusen-Moss Act (1975)
Consumer Product Warranties
U.S. Code 15 Chapter 50, 2301-2312