Newsletter from the Automobile Protection Association (of which I am a member) that arrived in my inbox this morning. What would I do without this fine organization. They have saved me thousands of dollars over the years. I have stories!
October 2011
Dear APA Member,
With the pre-winter car preparation season under way, I am writing to recommend you watch the video of APA’s recent investigation on auto repairs, archived on the CTV W5 website. For those of you who did not see the original broadcast, the APA took specially prepared Honda CR-Vs and a Chevrolet Malibu to 30 repair shops in Toronto and Calgary. Our mystery shoppers asked to have a simple problem diagnosed (a loose battery terminal) and for a general check-up. Visits were recorded with W5’s hidden cameras.
The cost per visit ranged from $0, at shops in Toronto that checked APA’s mystery cars free, to… $2,427! That’s the highest variation in an APA repair probe. Overall, only thirty percent of the shops tightened the loose battery terminal without performing unnecessary work to earn a Pass. When APA conducted a similar test in 2003, half the shops passed.
Several repair shops recommended unnecessary services, like brake cleaning (the brakes were brand new on our car), coolant flushes, brake fluid (all new), power steering fluid on the Malibu (it doesn’t have any, the steering is electric), and a new battery (7 times!). Our recommendations to you:
- Consult the owner’s manual for the list of recommended services and inspections before you go in for service. If you don’t have the manual anymore, the maintenance schedule for your vehicle is likely to be available on the Internet.
- Retain your service records. These will help determine how recently your vehicle’s systems were serviced and may reduce overselling.
- When in doubt, use the APA’s list of recommended repair shops for a second opinion. Your membership doesn’t even need to be current to benefit from our recommended inspection-only services.
Asking for an estimate and your old parts back seem like good policy, and the APA mystery shoppers did so for every visit. Unfortunately, this did not ensure good outcomes.
A complete written report of the investigation, and results for all 30 shops visited are on the APA website. You will also find general reviews for the Midas, Canadian Tire, Active Green and Ross, Kal Tire, and Fountain Tire chains. APA’s network of recommended repair shops is also available to you with a valid membership card. We are confident the APA information on auto repairs will help you obtain more value for your repair dollars.
Thank you for supporting the APA,
George Iny
APA Director
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