How to save hundreds on auto maintenance [SIZE=-1]
When budgets get tight, many people are tempted to cut back on their regular car maintenance. But that can lead to serious repair problems and even larger bills down the road. Drivers can save a lot of money on maintenance simply by shopping around.
CR?s experts called dozens of dealers and repair shops throughout the country to get quotes for regular
maintenance service on three popular models. In the case of the 2004 Ford Explorer, they asked for the cost of a 60,000-mile checkup and found prices varied by as much as $252, even among Ford dealers in the same general area.
In addition, they found that dealers often wanted to charge for extra work that the automaker doesn?t
require. CR discovered this when they compared the service items included in quotes with the maintenance lists in the owner?s manuals. They also found that quotes from independent shops that included all the items in the manual were sometimes $150 below the cheapest dealer.
Read the full report on how to save hundreds on auto maintenance.
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