Looking for cheap car servicing? Be sure to check your non franchised independent garage.
Published Date: 27th Apr 2017
Out of the 6,000 surveyed garages around the UK, the recent report shows that your local non-franchised workshop is, on average, 40% cheaper than the main dealers based on the hourly rate offered.
The most expensive areas include, and yes, you’ve guessed it, London, charging on average £77.42 per hour, and the dearest area was Surrey, with average hours of labour going for £81.07. The cheapest overall found by the researchers was an independent private garage in Manchester with a more appealing £36 per hour. The most expensive garage was listed as Porsche Reading at £234 for a single hour's work.
The real price differences start to show once you separate the franchised dealers from the private garages. Franchised dealers are, on average, £99 an hour, with the much cheaper independents averaging just £56 for an hour.
See how your next service could be a cheap one here.
Although car ownership costs increase with the prices of servicing, maintenance and repair, the Motoreasy Group that carried out the extensive research found that 77% (more than three quarters) of motorists admit openly they have no idea of the labour costs per hour associated with their servicing.
Female owners are worse than men for not checking their bills, as four out of five surveyed did not know the hourly labour rate at their chosen garage.
Read the article on Servicing Ford Cars Here
More shockingly, very nearly a third (31%) of motorists questioned said they never even checked the final bill before paying. Nearly three out of five said they don’t even compare the costs with anyone else before giving the ok on the work to be carried out.
Duncan McClure Fisher, motoreasy founder, said: “Today’s drivers don’t have the time or, in many cases, the knowledge to make absolutely sure they are getting the best price from garages.“It’s not made any easier by the fact that the cost of labour differs so vastly across the UK. Even so, anyone spending money should at least understand how much they are paying and for what.”
The top ten most expensive areas for servicing
| Region | Average Hourly Labour Rate |
|---|---|
| Surrey | £81.07 |
| London | £77.42 |
| Worcestershire | £77.16 |
| Berkshire | £76.77 |
| Buckinghamshire | £76.65 |
| Middlesex | £75.86 |
| Hertfordshire | £75.40 |
| Kent | £74.81 |
| East Sussex | £72.72 |
| Bedfordshire | £72.35 |
The top ten cheapest areas
| Region | Average Hourly Labour Rate |
|---|---|
| Selkirkshire | £49.69 |
| Shetland | £53.25 |
| Inverness | £55.81 |
| Caithness | £56.10 |
| Outer Hebrides | £56.10 |
| Gwent | £56.19 |
| North Humberside | £56.27 |
| County Durham | £56.99 |
| Renfrewshire | £57.00 |
| Powys | £58.20 |