SUV Repair

SUV repair can be very expensive. Generally, the rule of thumb is the bigger the vehicle the more expensive the parts are going to be. However, there are ways you can keep your SUV repair costs affordable.

One way to keep auto repair costs low is to talk with the garage owner about billing before having your vehicle serviced. There are two ways of billing in the auto repair industry. They are called "straight hourly rate" and "book rate." The straight hourly rate billing system charges you for the amount of time it actually takes the mechanic to repair your SUV. The book rate way of billing charges for the amount of time is should take to repair your car. It may not seem like there is a difference but the outcome could potentially cost you hundreds of dollars.

For example, if you need to have your tires changed and the garage you take your SUV to charges $60/hour for labor plus parts and it takes 1 hour to change your tires, you will be billed for $60 in labor. However, if the SUV manual says it should take 2 hours to change the tires and the garage uses the "book rate" billing system then you will be charged $120 for the labor even though it really only took the mechanic one hour to change your tires. Book rate billing rarely favors the customer and oftentimes mechanics use this system to make a bigger profit.

Another option to keep SUV repair costs down is to compare dealership or garage parts prices to those of retail parts stores such as Autozone or O’Reilly’s. Some car repair garages will allow you to buy your own vehicle parts at one of these retail stores and only charge you for the labor portion of the repair. By finding a mechanic who will use customer bought parts, you may be able to save a great deal of money.

Although SUV repair is generally more expensive than car repair, by using practical tips such as the ones mentioned above, you can get your SUV serviced without breaking the bank. By doing a little research, you will most certainly be able to drive around in a well maintained, affordable SUV in no time!