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Van Nuys Auto Repair & Service Center

Courtesy Car vs. Rental Car: What’s the Difference?

By Jack Bulko

If you own a vehicle, no matter the make or size, there will come a time when it must go into the shop for repairs. Sometimes the visits are for a routine check-up such as an oil and filter change or belt replacement, not anything that will put your car out of commission for more than a day. And other times your car requires far more work and parts may need to be ordered.

You feel lucky because unlike your friend who goes to a local, family-owned repair shop and has to rent a vehicle when his car, truck or van needs repair, you get off cheaply. You have all your repairs done at the dealership. Not only do they offer a free courtesy car and shuttle service, you also get to wait in their luxurious customer service lounge replete with a large screen television, croissants, muffins, latte and designer water. What a bargain! NOT.

For starters, most dealerships charge more for car maintenance and repair than your neighborhood repair shop. The dealership will tell you that you are paying more because their mechanics are specially trained to repair your brand of car. What they don’t tell is that many of the mechanics who work at other repair shops are also trained to meet manufacturer repair standards and are certified to work on your car. As a AAA approved shop for over 30 years, AutoAid maintains an ASE Certified Master Technician on staff as required by the Auto Club. This title is bestowed on mechanics by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence, which sets a benchmark for the industry through testing and certification of auto professionals.

Besides charging you for their mechanics “extra knowledge,” the dealerships are also factoring in the cost of that latte, those croissants and that designer water, as well as any incidentals such as the number of rags their mechanics use while fixing your vehicle and that courtesy car you are driving. Non-dealership repair shops are just as diligent about fixing your car with authorized parts and are much more likely to offer transparent pricing and excellent customer service. You may not get a latte but you won’t be paying for one, either.

AutoAid Repairs Your Car without Taking You to the Cleaners

Why can’t getting your car repaired be transparent? No one wants to deal with a bunch of hidden fees. AutoAid streamlines the car repair process for you so that you can stay mobile and get things done. Our close affiliation with Enterprise and Hertz puts you back in the driver seat as soon as you drop off your vehicle for repair. Within minutes of entering your information into our database, you will be picked up and taken to the local Enterprise or Hertz office so that you can get back to doing the important things in your life.

For shorter repairs, inspections or maintenance, we invite you to relax in our Customer Service Lounge. We provide light refreshments, comfortable seating, a television, reading materials, a playroom for the kids and a very clean restroom. Did we mention the bathroom has a changing table for those little tykes?

And like the dealerships, we too have a shuttle service that can take you home, to the office or to a local venue so that you aren’t stuck at our shop while you wait for your repair.

We make our clients a promise. We’ll provide excellent auto repair, fair pricing and good old customer service all the time to each and every customer. When you are satisfied with our work and our hospitality, then we know that we’ve attained our goals.

Schedule an appointment today with Jack and David’s friendly team of automotive specialists. We make it our business to keep you safe on the road. And if you do break down, we can tow you. Please feel free to contact us with any questions or to visit our Car MD website page.

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