Main dealer service centres often get a bad name for being expensive, but does the brand connection make them more trustworthy and professional when repairing your car? We take a look at the pros and cons of using a dealership garage for servicing. 

Dealership or Main Dealer garages are those in connection with a manufacturers car dealership, most dealerships also have a repair garage for servicing, sale preparation and major works. 

Most dealers are run by third party franchises, such as Synter Group, who are authorised dealers and repairers of 

 and many other marques. They are supported by the manufacturer with access to genuine parts and workshop/repair guides. 

The alternative to dealer garages are independents, these cater to any car brand and do not usually have an affiliation with a manufacturer. 

Yes! Dealer mechanics and service centres know everything there is about your model of car, they don’t have to guess or figure out repair procedures, and genuine parts are easily sourced internally. 

Benefits of Servicing Your Car at the Dealership 

Manufacturers don’t want their reputation tarnished by bad workmanship or poor customer experience, so the standards of service received from dealer service centres is usually good. 

Because the service centres are so closely linked to the manufacturers, genuine parts are the only thing that will be fitted to your car. This is to both ensure the work can be warranted, as well as maintaining the genuine parts supply chain for the manufacturer. Either way, it means your car is getting the best parts it can. 

Training and Expertise from The Manufacturer 

Regardless of where the vehicle was originally made, the main dealer mechanics will have access to all the information and training they need to repair them properly. 

Manufacturers create internal guides and workshop manuals that explain the best possible way for a part to be replaced, coming from the engineers that designed it. This saves time and makes sure nothing is missed or repaired improperly. 

, which for some manufacturers is now up to ten years subject to regular servicing with the main dealer, then you’ll want to make sure independent repairs do not invalidate it. 

Many manufacturers will not honour warranties at all if non-dealer mechanics have been used to replace or service the car. 

Modern cars have more computers than ever before, and manufacturers are keen to prevent un-informed or even ill-intentioned mechanics from fiddling with the software that makes them work. Dealer garages will always have the latest, most up to date software to interface with your car. 

Drawbacks to Using a Dealership Mechanic 

Because of the higher levels of training, tools and equipment and in some cases manufacturer fees, dealer garages tend to charge more per hour. This can range from £30 to £90 more per hour than independent garages. 

Whilst it’s generally a good thing that genuine parts are used, as they tend to be of a higher quality, there are some instances where reputable brands make equally as good parts at a fraction of the cost. 

Regardless of these parts’ claimed longevity or quality, main dealer garages will only fit genuine parts, driving the cost of the repair up higher. 

Dealer garages will sell cars every week that need 

 for the next 6-10 years, they also handle any recalls that may crop up. This means a steady stream of work for the mechanics, but it makes it harder to book in your car for repairs. 

In some instances you could be looking at have to book your car a few weeks in advance to get it looked at. 

Should You Use The Main Dealer Garage Or Independent? 

As you can see, there are positives and negatives to using main dealer garages, the main factors being quality vs cost. 

If your car is still in its warranty period, it makes sense to get it repaired at the dealer, having a potential warranty claim in the future declined because you went to a cheaper garage may end up being a false economy. 

On the other hand, if you drive a vehicle over 10 years old, not only will it be out of warranty, but there will be plenty of information out there to help most garages fix the problem, as Information trickles down over the years. 

Specialist independent garages, those that mainly work on one or a few specific brands, may be able to offer a service just as well informed and high quality as the main dealer, at a fraction of the cost. 

If you’re unsure of what garage to take your car to one of

 Bumper’s approved partners all over the UK

 including both independent and dealer garages, what's more you can split the cost of car repairs with interest-free monthly payments.

has been writing about cars for over seven years and writing for Bumper for over two, blending his passion for automobiles with a talent for storytelling.

Joseph has written about engineering and cars for Autozilla, Komaspec, and several engineering manufacturers. When he's not writing or tinkering with one of his five cars, Joseph dreams of owning an Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale.

Can You Trust A Dealership Garage For Servicing?

Taking your car to a mechanic always requires a certain amount of trust, both in that they know how to repair your car safely, and that they aren’t going to overcharge or rip you off in the process. 

Most scams in this regard follow a similar pattern or premise, so short of training as a mechanic yourself, the best way to avoid some common scams is to learn about how they work. In this blog, we discuss 17 different car repair scams and how to avoid them. 

1. The garage quoting one price, but charging another

If you aren't sure how much something should cost, it's perfectly fine to ask a garage to provide a quotation before starting any work, but make sure you get this in writing, including parts and labour. 

It is important to note that some car repairs take an unexpected amount of time to complete, for instance, if something else is broken that wasn't visible before disassembly, but a good garage should always confirm this with you before incurring more labour fees. 

2. Charging for parts that haven't been replaced 

This is as simple as it sounds, some very unscrupulous garages may try to con you by charging for work and parts that have not been replaced. To combat this, before the work is approved, ask the garage to keep the old, worn-out parts so you can see them. 

3. Incorrectly claiming you need new brakes 

Brakes are one of the most common parts to get replaced when they don’t need to be. This is because on most cars it is not easy to check the wear without disassembly (unlike tyres) and the thought of having faulty or worn-out brakes is not easy to ignore. 

If you’ve had your brakes done recently - most cars can go at least 25,000 miles between brake pad changes - ask to be shown the part in question, whilst your car is still on the ramp. 

Garages add a markup to parts to cover the cost of sourcing them, but in some cases, these can be disproportionately high. If the price you; 've been charged sounds high, look up comparable prices online for these parts. A reasonable markup would be 10-25%. 

It is important to note that some parts from local motor factories or main dealers will often be more expensive but of higher quality than those found on popular online marketplaces, so be sure to compare like-for-like on brand quality. 

Suspension components such as ball joints and CV joints have rubber boots fitted to prevent dirt from getting in. These being intact is an MOT requirement and as such some unscrupulous garages have been known to “find” a split or tear in the boot whilst inspecting, requiring a replacement. 

Regular air expands and contracts with temperature, meaning the pressure in your tyres will increase as they get warm, and decrease when cold. Nitrogen is sometimes used in racing cars as it expands and contracts less than air. 

Some garages will offer to fill your tyres with Nitrogen, at a much higher price. The fact of the matter is that you don't need nitrogen in your tyres, even when driving a sports or supercar on the road. 

Sometimes new problems crop up whilst the job is being done. Advise the service centre that you want to sign off on any new work that’s needed. Stating the opposite could give some garages the opportunity to charge more than the going rate. 

Your car contains many different fluids, including coolant, brake fluid, engine oil and transmission fluid. Not all of these need flushing at every service, often just replacing and refreshing is sufficient. 

Some manufacturers don’t require flushing some systems at all, so be sure to double-check your manual before being up-sold.

9. Problems found on a free inspection or check-up

A common way for garages to drum up new business is to offer free check-ups of your suspension, brakes or the whole car. Whilst most are legitimate and necessary, it would be easy for the mechanic to flag up work that isn't yet necessary. 

 on what can and can't be repaired when it comes to punctures. Give these regulations a quick browse before taking your tyre to be repaired, as some garages will claim a repairable tyre isn’t, just to get the sale of a new one. 

Air con systems use a compressed gas to work, over time this can leak from the system and need topping up. Some manufacturers recommend doing this every 2 years, but in reality, a new can will be fine for longer than this.

Before agreeing to a regas - especially if it’s added on to other work - check the prices of local specialists who will often pressure check the system free of charge. 

When doing a service or interim service, various fluids will be drained and replaced, such as engine oil, coolant or brake fluid. As with many products, fluid can range from cheap to extremely expensive.

The cost of parts can be researched online and via car parts vendors, but the labour time required to complete a job is much more difficult to know. Some mechanics may add time to a job that wasn’t spent, meaning you pay more for no extra work. 

To mitigate this, ask for a quote before starting work, and get a comparable estimate, including a labour time estimate from a different, ideally specialist garage. 

14. Telling you your car is dangerous and should not be driven

In some cases, this may well be true, but adding pressure to the situation is a common tactic for unscrupulous mechanics to get you to agree to expensive repairs without getting a second opinion, especially as most of us need our cars to get to work. 

Get your car regularly checked and serviced to help with this, a mechanic may well notice problems before they become desperate, giving you time to consider your options and shop around.

15. Taking the car apart before demanding more money

Another high-pressure tactic is when a mechanic tells you they need to fit another expensive component, and they need you to agree right away, as the car is in pieces in their workshop. Whilst this may well be the case, you still have the right to consider your options.

Ask ahead of time if there are any expensive faults that may crop up during a certain job, to get a feel for how trustworthy the mechanic is. 

Wheel alignment or tracking is a vital element to vehicle maintenance but is an easy upsell for a mechanic to charge more than the market rate. Your tracking is done with the car completely assembled, so it won’t usually be cheaper to “have it done whilst you’re here”. 

Check online for a local tyre and tracking company, they will often offer free tracking checks with a printout, and advise their prices online, meaning you won’t get overcharged. 

Yes, wipers are a very important part of keeping your car safe, and they do wear out, but most people - after watching a video online - are capable of changing their own wiper blades, and can buy the same blades from car parts shops for half the cost a garage would charge.

It may feel like every garage is an unscrupulous team of con artists, but that is far from the case, like anything bad word travels faster than good. 

Most mechanics just want to help you on your way and make a fair wage. To avoid getting caught out, choose garages with good Google reviews or those recommended by friends or family. 

 split your bill into interest-free monthly payments.

 has been writing about cars for over seven years and writing for Bumper for over two, blending his passion for automobiles with a talent for storytelling.

17 Common Car Repair Scams and Rip-Offs To Watch Out For

In this guide, we explain what vehicle health checks are, what they actually check, how they are carried out and more. 

What is a Vehicle Health Check in the UK? 

Vehicle health checks are carried out by both independent and main dealer garages, with the aim of giving the driver an interim report on the condition of their car, in addition to the 

Vehicle health checks are a great way to keep an eye on your car’s general and mechanical condition, they are not as intensive as an

 but do often cover a few things MOT tests do not. 

Legal Requirements In The UK for Vehicle Health Checks 

Whilst there are no legal requirements for having regular car health checks, keeping your car in a roadworthy condition is a legal requirement. With 

 being carried out yearly, this leaves a large period of time for an issue to develop into something dangerous. 

Differences Between MOT Testing And Vehicle Health Checks 

The primary difference between MOT tests and vehicle checks is that 

 are mandated by law and are required before you can legally tax a vehicle for use on the public road. They test only the systems concerned with the safety of your vehicle, such as 

, body integrity and safety devices such as 

On the other hand, vehicle health checks look at the MOT safety checks alongside others including visual engine condition, and advice on servicing. In summary, your car will not pass or fail a VHC, unlike an MOT. 

There are various advantages to taking your car for a regular vehicle health check. These benefits include: 

Split the cost of vehicle maintenance into monthly payments with 

What's Included In A Vehicle Health Check? 

Whilst they generally don’t use the same testing equipment as an MOT, VHC covers most of the points, varying from garage to garage, the most frequently covered items are: 

What Happens During a Vehicle Health Check? 

Much like an MOT, you can book health checks both online and over the phone. Once you have arrived, the technician will take your keys and put your car on a ramp, this enables them to have a proper look underneath. 

They will then systematically check all components listed above, using various tools and techniques, to look for damage, excessive wear and any other minor issues. Some health checks will include either a road test or the use of brake rollers, but not all do. 

Whilst doing this, the technician will log any findings, these will then be presented to you via a printed report. Many garages use a traffic light system, giving each category a Red, Amber or Green verdict. If serious problems are noticed, the technician will sometimes offer to show or talk through what's needed. 

A typical vehicle health check will take 20 - 30 minutes to complete, plus any time for the technician to inform or explain the findings. 

How To Prepare Your Car For a Vehicle Health Check? 

As there are no pass or fail consequences to a vehicle health check, don’t worry if you don’t have time to prepare, but if you do, we’d advise simply giving the car a clean, to make it easier on the mechanics. 

Simply call a local garage that offers vehicle checks, or make a booking online for a time that suits you. 

Am I Obligated To Have Work Carried Out From a Health Check? 

No, a health check is simply an advisory service, and the garage has no power to prevent your car from being driven away. 

That said, if a serious fault is pointed out and the garage advises spending money then and there, ask to be shown the problem in person, and get a second opinion if you feel pressured. 

How Much Does a Vehicle Health Check Cost? 

Often garages will do health checks on your car for free, especially alongside a service, warranty work or recall visit. If not, most health checks will cost less than £40. 

Now you know all about vehicle health checks, you can cruise with the peace of mind that your car is safe and sound. If your health check raises faults, however, there’s no need to panic, 

 offers zero-percent interest finance on car repairs. 

 with our online tool, and spread the cost of the work over a time frame that suits you. 

Vehicle Health Checks Explained

Like car insurance, breakdown cover is an expense you begrudge paying for until you need it. But with modern cars being that much more reliable and requiring less frequent 

In this blog post we explore breakdown cover in detail, including what types are available, the secondary benefits of having it, and most importantly is it worth the cost or can you afford to ditch it? 

 cover is primarily roadside assistance, where a mobile technician will come to your location should you break down at the side of the road. This could be due to anything from a 

In some cases, the technician will fix the car then and there, but almost all roadside breakdown vans have recovery systems built in to safely tow the car to a local garage or your home, if close enough. 

What Are The Different Types Of Breakdown Cover? 

Breakdown policies are not a one-size-fits-all solution, with most companies offering different levels of coverage. Make sure any comparisons are made like for like, as some companies term their types of cover differently. 

Roadside assistance is a level of cover usually included as a minimum with most providers and means your car will be recovered or fixed from the roadside should you break down. This does not include non-starting issues when your car is at home. 

Roadside policies usually cover the entirety of the UK, but double-check if you live or travel to places such as the Scottish highlands or Channel Islands. 

Roadside recovery is usually capped at a certain distance from where you broke down, e.g. to a 

 within a 10-mile radius, if the nearest garage is further away than this, you may well be charged extra. 

In addition to roadside cover, national recovery includes the towing of your vehicle to anywhere in the country. This would usually be to a garage of your choosing close to home but could be your house instead. 

All companies will differ on how they enforce this, so check carefully before purchasing. 

, but that applies to Europe to, invaluable if you travel or are planning to travel to Europe. 

Again, different companies have different extras included, for example, the AA offers a £500 emergency hotel fund should you need to stop somewhere unplanned. 

Should you break down on your way to an important event, then onward travel cover includes cover for your onward travel expenses. This includes hotel stays, hire cars or taxi fares. 

If you regularly drive long distances to see family or for work, this could save you money and hassle when you need to get to your destination no matter what. 

Most breakdown cover policies specify the person(s) and car to be covered, personal breakdown covers any car you may be driving, regardless of who owns it or why you are driving it. 

Some policies don’t cover things like company-hired hire cars and such, but this could still be handy if you find yourself behind the wheel of a different car every month. 

Most breakdowns happen at the side of the road, mid-journey, but it can also be a huge inconvenience to go out to your car one morning and 

. Home start cover allows a certain number of callouts to your home address per year. 

The answer to this question depends heavily on the amount and type of driving you do and the car you drive. What’s invaluable to some drivers may be a waste of money to others. 

Some considerations as to whether breakdown cover is worth it for you include: 

What Are The Benefits of Having Breakdown Cover? 

Despite the costs, many people choose to pay for breakdown cover, for the following reasons: 

Breaking down on the way to work might sometimes be a blessing. But say you need to attend an important meeting that day, or have deadlines to meet, something as trivial as a puncture would often require an expensive tow, followed by a day desperately trying to sort out a 

Many breakdown services have dedicated tyre repair vans that will be dispatched when you tell the operator your problem. Depending on wait times, it’s likely your car will be back on the road and you make it in by mid-morning. 

Your bags, the boot and the roof box are packed with clothes, pets and everything you need for a week's staycation, but a faulty 

 when leaving a service station stops everything in its tracks. 

Having roadside assistance means you could be underway within a few hours with a new battery fitted, which the alternative doesn’t bear thinking about. 

Ranging from £10 to £50 per month, the monthly costs of breakdown cover vary depending on vehicle age, location, yearly mileage, cover type and more, so it’s always important to get multiple quotes, comparing not only cost, but the level of service, and customer reviews too. 

Like most products and services it pays to shop around, and breakdown cover is no different, here are some useful tips to to ensure you get best deal with your breakdown cover: 

For more information on ways to save money on Breakdown Cover, check out the 

Policies can be tailored to suit, from the most basic cover-up to anything and everything that could go wrong with your car. Some providers will offer these services even if they’re not included in your plan, but will be chargeable at the time of repair 

These are a few of the things most basic breakdown policies 

Is Breakdown Cover Legally Required in the UK? 

No, breakdown cover is not a legal requirement to drive in the UK. Unlike tax, insurance and 

, you can legally drive without paying for breakdown cover. 

This is also the case across Europe, so European breakdown cover is not legally required either. 

If you’ve never taken out breakdown cover before, the process will be alien to you, so we’ve put together a handy guide to help: 

Factors To Consider When Choosing A Provider 

As with any service, price is not the only factor to consider, and with how vital breakdown cover can be, you want to make sure you’ve picked correctly before signing up for 12 months of cover: 

 by WhatCar? ranked Green Flag as the best provider for 2023. This was based on multiple areas such as response time, customer satisfaction surveys and price. 

The best service provider for you is one that can also offer all the services you require at a good price, so be sure to check through all the information available before committing. 

Deciding whether or not to take out a breakdown cover policy is another one of the decisions we’re faced with when running a car, and the answer is dependent on your personal circumstances. 

Split the cost of car repairs into monthly payments with 

. Apply online before your visit to the garage and choose between 1000s of repairers already signed up to 

Is Breakdown Cover Worth It?

Car finance is a great tool for getting a modern, safe, and 

 without the massive expense of buying it outright. However, as with any finance agreement, you should always be aware of all the terms and conditions, balloon payments in particular are one of the most important things to be aware of. 

In this blog, we’ll discuss balloon payments in-depth, including whether or not it makes sense to pay them and potential benefits. 

Most commonly offered on PCP (personal contract purchase) 

, balloon payments are the last one-off payment that allows you to purchase and own the car. They are calculated at the start of the contract, based on the car's predicted value at the end of the finance term. 

Balloon payments are optional, and many choose to either allow the deal to end, exchange the car for a newer one, or take out a new PCP deal on the same car. 

What is Personal Contract Purchase? (PCP) 

To fully explain what a balloon payment is, it helps to fully understand 

. Personal Contract Purchase is the most commonly used finance option in the UK. It allows the customer to drive a new or used car for a lower monthly payment than through HP (hire purchase) but without the upfront cost. 

PCP allows the purchasing of the vehicle at the end of the finance term, by paying the balloon payment, at which point the car ownership would pass to the customer. 

For more information about PCP vs HP, check out 

Balloon payments are an estimation of the car's value at the end of the finance term; different finance providers use different methods of calculating the balloon payment. 

Your monthly payments are then adjusted to accommodate this final value, including the interest you pay to borrow the money. 

If you’re already in a PCP finance agreement you can choose to pay the balloon or not, if you don’t wish to pay the balloon many finance providers will offer another finance term for the same vehicle. Bare in mind that the rates for this may not be as competitive as with a new deal, as you are already locked in. 

If you haven’t yet taken out car finance, and would rather pay more per month instead of paying a balloon, consider 

 agreements instead. These have higher monthly payments, but you own the car - with no balloon - at the end of the term. 

Before signing up to a finance agreement, make sure you are fully aware of the costs and payments required from you. The best way to check these is to read the documentation fully, but to help understand that documentation, the below example should help. 

In this example, the financier estimates the value of the car to be £6,520 at the end of the 48 month/4 year term, this means that the total paid in order to own the car is 

. To hand the car back the amount paid would be 

If you like your car and have the cash to hand, it may be best to pay the balloon and own the car. However, If you don’t mind paying a monthly payment or want a newer car, handing the car back and finding a new finance deal is always an option. 

Still Don’t Know Whether to Pay the Balloon Payment? 

Paying the balloon can be a good or bad financial decision, regardless of your thoughts on the car itself. 

 can almost be described as a fixed-term lease, with the option to buy at the end, the caveat being that the final cost is estimated at the start of the finance term. 

If you are indifferent to the car, and purely want to make the best financial decision, look up your vehicle on something like Autotrader for a comparable price. If your balloon is significantly more than comparable values, it’s probably not worth paying. 

Conversely, if your balloon is lower than market value, as may be the case if your 

 started before the current spike in the used car market, buying may make more financial sense. 

Unfortunately, you cannot change the balloon payment once it has been agreed between you and the finance company. Even upping your monthly payments cannot decrease the final value settlement, as the car value will still be the same. 

If you are thinking of taking out a finance agreement, increasing the 

 can decrease the balloon payment, as the car will theoretically be worth less if it has more miles on it. This only makes sense if you intend to do those miles, as your monthly payments will increase slightly. 

Benefits and Drawbacks of a Balloon Payment 

Compared to finance methods that do not feature a balloon payment, such as HP or leasing, balloon payments offer some distinct advantages: 

These benefits are possible with leasing or HP, but they cost more per month for the entire finance term. 

Depending on your circumstances, another kind of finance method may be better, these are a few of the downsides to balloon payments: 

Balloon Payments Vs Other Types of Financing 

 is the only type of finance arrangement that typically includes a balloon payment. Depending on your intentions there are other financing options that may suit you better. 

Hire purchase agreements can be considered similar to buy now pay later credit schemes, whereby you pay off the total amount for the car - plus interest - in monthly instalments over a period of time. 

The monthly payments are typically higher on hire purchase deals, as there is no balloon, but it can make managing your finances easier in the long run. 

HP is perfect for those looking to buy a car and own it past the end of the finance period, if you can make the monthly payments you will own the car at the end of the term. 

Leasing a car is the same as renting a car, just over a longer predefined period of time, these can often range from 2 to 6 years. With leasing you will never - and usually don't have the opportunity to - own the car. There is no balloon payment with car leasing. 

The monthly payments on a lease are typically of a similar cost to 

, but leasing is generally only offered on new cars, so if you’re considering a vehicle a few years old, leasing is likely to be the most expensive option. 

If you do not intend to own the car, and want a brand new one, leasing can be a more straightforward process over PCP, and often works out cheaper. As with PCP there are strict guidelines on vehicle damage, servicing and mileage limits, though. 

Personal financing - Bank loan or Credit card 

In addition to the financing options given by a dealer or seller, there are some options to help cover the costs of buying a vehicle. The most popular of these options is a personal loan. Many banks and credit unions offer unsecured financing for buying cars. 

The interest rate on a personal loan is often better than on PCP or contract hire, but you will have to make sure you can afford the payments, as the interest rates on late payments can be substantially higher. 

 option is a credit card. Quite a few card providers offer zero-interest credit cards for a set period, often up to 20 months. You will need a reasonable credit score to qualify, and find a car dealership that accepts credit cards. 

If you are worried about your end of finance fee, but you have only recently entered your finance period, there are a few things you could do to alleviate the stress. 

Joseph Law

Bumper Content Writer

Can You Trust A Dealership Garage For Servicing?

17 Common Car Repair Scams and Rip-Offs To Watch Out For

Vehicle Health Checks Explained

Is Breakdown Cover Worth It?

What Is A Balloon Payment On A Car?

Can You Put A Private Number Plate On A Lease Car?

What Happens At The End Of A Car Lease

9 Most Reliable Mercedes To Buy