Posts Tagged ‘car repair’

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Customer expectations are high for car servicing – JD Power Survey

Tuesday, November 1st, 2011

JD Power study released on Monday, points out that customer expectations are high and they want quick turnaround time for car servicing.

The administrative processing and booking of appointments at car service station are some of factors affects the survey for customer satisfaction. The Customer Satisfaction Index Study is based on evaluation of 6821 car owners. The study was fielded from May to August 2011 and includes customers who purchased their vehicles between May 2009 and August 2010.

J.D. Power and Associates has been conducting customer satisfaction research based on survey responses from consumers worldwide. J.D. Power is translating survey responses from consumers and businesses into studie. Their reports are used to improve businesses worldwide.

The study measures satisfaction among car owners who visited their authorised dealership service centres for maintenance or car repair during the first 12 to 24 months of ownership. The study measures overall satisfaction by examining five factors (listed in order of importance): service quality, vehicle pick up, service advisor, service facility and service initiation. Overall customer satisfaction is measured on a 1,000-point scale, with a higher score indicating higher satisfaction. (India Today)

Maruti Suzuki India has topped again in customer satisfaction with dealer service for a 12th consecutive year, with a score of 879 points. Maruti has a large network of Maruti Authorized Service Station.

According to reports, 94% customers who are highly satisfied from authorized service station say they will definitely revisit their service dealer for post-warranty service, but according to Muti-brand car workshop chains (source HT) 60% car owners change their decision after post-warranty and visit other car workshops. The major reason is high labour cost post warranty.

Source:
http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com
http://indiatoday.intoday.in

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Race for making fuel efficient small cars – Hyundai EON, Maruti Alto

Sunday, October 16th, 2011

With increase in petrol prices, car buyers look for fuel efficient cars. Now automotive companies are adopting new technologies along with reducing weight of cars and improvement in powertrain to make fuel afficient cars.

Today, Hyundai has launched new small car Eon. It has mileage of 21.1 Kmpl and same power as Maruti Alto (814 CC). Maruti Alto has a fuel efficiency of 20.2 kmpl. Tata Nano is powered by a 600 cc engine, lightweight with mileage of 23.7 kmpl.

Eon takes over from the Alto K10 as the most fuel-economical entry-level car in the country besides the Nano. Major reason for Maruti Alto for becoming largest selling car is its frugal drinking habit.

Maruti is the only car manufacturer which has a large network of 2992 Maruti Authorized Service Station in 1406 cities across India. This is one of major reason car buyer prefer Maruti cars. Last year when Tata Nano improved their sales by changing focus to small cities by improving convenient car service options. After sales service impacts the sales of the vehicle.

To increase after sales service, Hyundai is also opening more Hyundai Authorized Service Stations. Earlier Hyundai dealers were the only option for car servicing.

Multibrand workshops are new trend in the aftermarket industry and there are 19000 workshops in the country. Every corporate look for these multibrand and independent car workshops to make them authorized service station. With increase in cars, multibrand business is becoming more profitable than doing servicing for one make, so workshop owner prefer multibrand servicing. Mobil1 and Bosch Car Service are making authorized service centers by providing them their products and support services.

For Hyundai Service, please click here to search Hyundai service center near you.

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Costly car repair Cheap car bumpers

Sunday, October 2nd, 2011

Car bumper is the front and rear-most part designed to allow the car to sustain an impact without damage to the car’s safety systems. They are not helpful in high-speed impacts but prevent damage in low-speed collisions.

According to recent insurance company survey , replacement of car bumpers have increased the cost of repair. Most of the cars do not have good bumpers. Surprisingly, there was only one vehicle 1981 Ford Escort passed the test for best bumber during testing and survey.

“Automakers could equip new cars with bumpers that are every bit as good as the 1981 Ford Escort’s, but they choose not to,” commented by president of agency which conducted tests.

All parts don’t cost the same. The total cost to fix damage after a minor bump is influenced by more than the extent of the damage. Another issue is that the price of the same part a fender, hood, or other part varies from vehicle to vehicle.

Besides the cost of damage in low-speed collisions, there’s the aggravation. Most people want to avoid having to get repair estimates, arrange for repairs, and then do without their cars while they’re in the auto shop.

Reducing the damage required the bumpers to engage the barrier and absorb the energy of the impact, but this mostly didn’t happen.

Good bumper performance requires not only engagement with the test barrier but also strength sufficient to absorb the energy of a low-speed crash.

Source:

http://troubleshooterjudd.com

Read more:

http://www.foxbusiness.com

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Why fitness is necessary for your car

Tuesday, July 26th, 2011

When you go for servicing your car the next time, ask the mechanic or the service center in-charge whether they have an appropriate inspection program for your car. Most service centers examine the cars with test investigation drives and give a detailed report enabling the owners to decide on their car maintenance needs.

Normally, the inspection reports comment on the condition of the parts that are crucial for safety and reliability. For instance, the report will tell you whether the suspension parts are worn out, which you would otherwise fail to notice until it was too late.

Regular car maintenance will help you avoid expensive repairs at a later stage, while you can as well prevent accidents due to failing parts during a very important drive on a busy road. Regular maintenance also helps you enjoy a smooth and problem-free drive on a day-to-day basis. You must always bear in mind that it is better to fix a small problem before it is too late, which is less expensive. Service needs if unattended can lead to further damage besides affecting the other parts.

Some of the regular car maintenance activities necessary for you as a car owner include

  • Getting to know the leakage in the air conditioning refrigerant before the leakage can injure the AC compressor. You will appreciate the stand that it is far less expensive to perform a leak check than replacing the compressor. Regular leak check must follow re-charge of the system with Freon.
  • Regular inspection of the radiator and hoses which will avoid major problems like damage due to overheated engine.
  • You need to keep in mind that little things like checking the tires for damages and ensuring proper inflation is a very important task. In fact, during every fuel refilling, you can ensure the regular practice of checking tire inflation.

Following these tips can help you ensure a secure and reliable drive without getting embarrassed or disappointed due to a breakdown during an important drive.

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About the author:

Vivek is a mechanical engineer and has more than 7 years of experience as a writer. He blogs about various topics; entrepreneurship being one. His interests range from poetry, music to photography and travel. He can be reached at sdkrdk@gmail.com

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Repair costs hit car owners hard

Monday, July 4th, 2011

Many of us buy a new car because we presume that the chance of something going wrong is less likely, plus for the first three years your car should be covered by the manufacturer’s warranty. After warranty expired, we have no choice but find another car service center to save costs. Manufacturer dealers offer extended warranty but overall labour costs and repairing costs are increasing.

45% motorists retained by dealers even after warranty. They are more quality conscious and ready to pay heavy, but trend is changing now. With increase in petrol prices, car owners could be feeling more strained than ever and would like to save repairing costs.

In India, on an average car owners spend Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 20,000 annually after warranty for servicing and minor running repairs. Major repair costs are very high. In UK, research shows thousands of three and four-year-old cars cost an average £338 to repair after the manufacturer’s warranty has expired.

There is no other agency to cover for car warranty, but UK has company like warranty direct which claims providing better warranty after manufacturer;s warranty expired.

Source:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk

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