Why Should You Have Your BMW Serviced At A Garage? - Autos - Cars

Many BMW owners instinctively have their car serviced at their local BMW Dealership. For some this is habitual, but for others, it's the belief that Dealerships are the best option. However many independent garages employ experienced mechanics and typically have lower labour rates. It means they offer a credible alternative for BMW servicing and maintenance.

It's understandable why many owners of premium marques such as BMW may choose to have their car serviced by a local BMW Dealership. Yet there are many reasons why not using a main dealership garage makes a lot of sense.

Many motorists assume that they must have their car serviced by a Franchised Dealership because of the Manufacturers Warranty. It's a common misunderstanding to believe that using an independent garage instead, will invalidate it. However, nothing could be further from the truth.

The EC Block Exemption Regulation introduced in 2003 allows owners to have their BMW service completed by an independent garage with no effect on the Manufacturer Warranty. This is providing that the garage fits Original Equipment 'Matching Quality' parts and adheres to the manufacturers service schedule.

By using the Original Equipment 'Matching Quality' parts, the garage will be fitting items such as Oil and Fuel filters, that have been manufactured to the same quality as those originally fitted by the car manufacturer themselves. This should provide peace of mind to the motorist.

The garage also needs to adhere to the Manufacturer's Service Schedule. Many motorists will not be aware that garages readily have access to this information from a variety of sources. It enables them to follow the same checks and parts replacements that a Franchised Dealer would perform. Through Block Exemption garages are able and do provide full and interim BMW servicing to the same level of a Franchised Dealer. So, independent garages can provide the same BMW car service as a Franchised Dealership. But what are the other benefits? Well, independent garage typically don't have the overheads of expensive showrooms. It means they're labour rates are generally lower, which transcends into lower servicing prices.

Add into the mix the vast experience that many mechanics working in the aftermarket have, and the focus they must provide to their customers (after all it's often their own business reputation that's at stake), and the benefits from using an independent garage become more obvious.