Written by: Erin Vaughan - President, CEO and Journeyperson Automotive Service Technician
Is the Cheapest Auto Repair Really the Least Expensive?
Everything costs more than it used to 😠Groceries cost more, utilities cost more, new vehicles cost more, and yes, maintaining and repairing your vehicle costs more, too.
I've watched the cost of virtually everything required to operate an automotive repair shop increase over the last several years:
- Quality automotive parts
- Technician wages and benefits
- Oil and other fluids
- Shop equipment and tools
- Diagnostic equipment and software
- Repair information and training
- Utilities
- Insurance
- Supplies
Oil alone has increased approximately 30% recently!!
So when someone says, “Car repairs have gotten expensive,” I won’t argue they have, but they’re still WAAAY cheaper than buying a new car!
If you’re looking for an affordable option to keep the vehicle you ALREADY OWN safe and reliable the question is: are you looking for the lowest price or the best value for the money you're spending? Those aren't always the same thing!
We Aren't the Cheapest Shop in Regina
We're comfortable saying that!
There will almost always be someone willing to perform a particular automotive service for less. You might see an extremely inexpensive oil change, discounted tire service or even a free inspection - that doesn't necessarily mean there's anything wrong with the offer.
Think about a large retailer like Walmart advertising a product at an exceptionally low price. The retailer doesn't necessarily need to make much money on that particular item - getting you through the door creates an opportunity for you to purchase other things while you're there.
Businesses sometimes use automotive services similarly. A very inexpensive oil change or tire service can be a way to bring a new client through the door, this is called a loss leader.
That advertised price tells you what one service costs, it doesn't necessarily tell you what maintaining and repairing your vehicle with that business will cost over time.
At Kinetic, we're not trying to win your business by being the cheapest individual transaction, we're trying to provide good long-term value.
Labour Rate Doesn't Tell the Whole Story Either
It's tempting to compare automotive shops by asking: “What's your hourly rate?” That doesn't necessarily tell you which shop will cost less.
Most mechanical repairs use established labour times. If a particular repair calls for a certain amount of labour time, you're generally paying for that job rather than the exact time it takes the technician to perform it.
Diagnosis is different.
Suppose two technicians are trying to diagnose the same electrical problem. One may spend three hours testing, still not identify the root cause and recommend replacing a component because it appears to be the most likely culprit.
Another technician may understand the system, study the wiring diagram, perform the appropriate tests and identify the actual failure in an hour or an hour and a half.
The second shop could have a higher hourly labour rate and still cost the client less!
More importantly, the client leaves with the correct repair.
That's why comparing hourly rates without considering technician skill, efficiency and diagnostic ability doesn't give you the entire picture.
Sometimes Cheap Means Paying for the Same Repair Twice
Here's a real example:
A vehicle came to us with brakes that were grinding. That would normally be unremarkable, until we learned that the brakes had been replaced only about six months earlier. When we inspected them we found that, during the previous brake repair, the areas where the brake pads slide in and out hadn't been properly cleaned.
Instead, the new pads had essentially been hammered into place and they couldn't move back after the brake pedal was released.
They wore out dramatically sooner than they should have, and the client needed another brake replacement.
A properly performed brake repair includes replacing the pads and rotors as a set, cleaning and lubricating sliding surfaces and taking the vehicle for a road test to burnish them. This would normally be expected to last roughly 60,000–100,000 kilometres, depending on the vehicle, condition of the suspension parts, driving conditions and a person’s driving habits. Learn more about how we approach brake repair and service HERE!
This client got approximately six months.
So even if that first brake job had been considerably cheaper, was it actually less expensive? The client now had to pay to have the same job performed again, which is one of the biggest differences between price and value.
The cheapest repair isn't cheap if you have to buy it twice!
What Are You Actually Paying For?
When you bring your vehicle to Kinetic Auto Service, you're paying for more than someone physically installing a part. You're paying for:
- Educated technicians who continue developing their skills
- Professional diagnostic equipment and repair information
- Technician experience and problem-solving ability
- Quality parts
- Proper repair procedures
- People who care about the safety and reliability of your vehicle
- Consideration of the vehicle's longevity and long-term operating cost
- A business prepared to stand behind the work afterward
Our qualifying repairs are backed by a 3 year/36,000 kilometre warranty! Providing that warranty to our clients costs us money, so does training, good technicians, equipment and quality parts.
Those things aren't separate from the price of the repair, they're part of what you're buying.
You're Also Paying for Information
One of the things our clients praise us for most often isn't our ability to fix a car, it's our ability to communicate what they need and why they need it.
Automotive repair can be intimidating, particularly when someone is talking about components and systems you know nothing about. You shouldn't need to understand how a CAN bus works or know what a control arm looks like to make an informed decision about your vehicle - that's our job!
We want you to understand:
- What we found
- What condition your vehicle is in
- What we're recommending
- Why we're recommending it
- How urgent it is
- What the potential consequences are of waiting
- What can reasonably wait when everything can't be done at once
One of the tools we use to help us do that is our Digital Vehicle Inspection. Our technicians document the condition of the vehicle as they inspect it, including photographs of both good and concerning items. We then use the technician's experience and knowledge to make recommendations based on what was actually found. That gives you information you can see and use when deciding how to spend your automotive budget.
We don't want you approving a repair simply because we told you to, we want you to understand why we're recommending it.
Convenience Has Value Too
Vehicle repairs interrupt your life, so part of the service we've built at Kinetic is intended to make looking after your vehicle easier.
That includes:
- Online appointment booking
- After-hours key drop-off
- After-hours key pickup
- Communication by phone, text or email during business hours
- Digital Vehicle Inspections with photographs
- Clear explanations and recommendations
- A documented history that helps us monitor the vehicle over time
- Pre-booked appointments (like at the dentist’s office)
By providing these convenience services, we make it easier to own and maintain your vehicle, and we believe that's part of the value of professional automotive service.
Why Don't We Just Charge Less?
Because running a professional automotive repair facility costs a lot of money 😬
We need to be able to:
- Hire good people
- Pay them appropriately
- Train them
- Purchase professional tools and equipment
- Subscribe to technical information and software
- Buy quality parts
- Maintain a clean, professional facility
- Carry appropriate insurance
- Provide warranties
- Invest in the systems that allow us to communicate with clients
- Remain financially healthy enough to stand behind today's repair years from now
Could we make different choices in some of those areas and charge less - yes, we could, but we wouldn’t be able to provide our clients with long-term value.
A repair shop has to be financially sustainable to look after its employees, its clients and the vehicles entrusted to it.
How Should You Compare Auto Repair Shops?
Price absolutely matters! Most people don't have an unlimited automotive budget, and we don't expect them to but you should be getting value for your money!
Before choosing a repair facility based entirely on price, consider asking:
- What quality of parts are being installed?
- What warranty comes with the repair?
- Are the technicians properly trained?
- Does the shop have the equipment and information needed to diagnose modern vehicles?
- Are repairs being performed using proper procedures?
- Will they diagnose the root cause rather than simply replace the most likely component?
- Will they show you what they've found?
- Will they explain their recommendations?
- Can they help prioritize repairs around your budget?
- Will they stand behind their work afterward?
- Do you trust them?
Then consider the price.
Because the lowest price today and the lowest cost of vehicle ownership aren't the same thing.
What Value Means at Kinetic
To us, value is the peace of mind you will have knowing that your vehicle will START when you need it to, STOP when you need it to and if you have ANY issues, we’ll be here to help you!
We want our clients to have: Safe vehicles, reliable vehicles, repairs that last, good information, fewer surprises and a repair facility they can trust to help them make sensible decisions about their vehicle over the long term.
We’re not the cheapest automotive repair shop in Regina and we're okay with that.
Our goal is to make sure you understand what you're paying for and to provide enough value that you feel the money you spent was worth it.
Book online or give us a call to book your vehicle in for professional service and repairs!
