We always dread taking our car in for a service or worse a repair for that funny noise its making. You never know how much you are going to end up paying for car repairs. And, are you being overcharged?

Why Labour Rates Are So High

The labor rate in most dealerships and repair shops today ranges from R 900 to over R 1200 per hour. Why so high? Because it’s expensive to run an auto repair business and the labour rate includes not only the mechanics hours but all the overhead expenses. These include the cost of the building and property, taxes, utilities, insurance, employee benefits, etc. Repair facilities also have to spend significant amounts of money each every year on equipment, scan tool updates, information access and other costs that are necessary to repair today’s cars. i.e a good diagnostic tool will set you back around R30 000.

Total Cost of Car Repairs

Besides a high labour rate you also need to assess what work is being done. Many car owner are taken advantage of on when it comes to the extent of the ‘recommended repairs’. Car shops make good margin on the parts they sell and some less reputable shop will try sell customers unnecessary repairs to enrich themselves. These are the guys that give the industry a bad name. Pirated parts are another avenue that you need to be aware of.

So, make sure that your replacement parts are OEM approved and always ask for your old parts so that you know it’s been replaced. Many wearing car parts are not actually made by the OEM’s. They will typically use well know manufacturers such as Bosch, Continental, Ferodo etc and just have a i.e BMW logo put on or OEM serial number. You can get the exact same part for less from the after sales parts market, but beware of pirated parts.

Consequently, when a shop quotes what seems like a very high price to change a relatively simple part, it may seem like they are attempting to take advantage of the situation and are overcharging for the repair. Maybe they are tying to rip you off, maybe not. Every situation is unique.

Michanic Offering

What we can say though, is that Michanic was founded with intention of making car ownership more affordable and convenient. Our ‘come to you’ mobile strategy takes away a chuck of the overheads associated with running a car service and repair shop. This means that not only is our service convenient but it is also at an affordably price point. Also, our upfront non-discriminatory pricing provides complete transparency. This ensuring fair pricing for all customers. You know you’re not getting charged more based on what you look like, or how little you know about cars.

We understand that your car plays an important part of your daily life, transporting you and your loved ones. Michanic is dedicated to providing the most convenient services for our customers, so if you have any other questions or concerns regarding your car, feel free to talk to our customer service team through email at [email protected], or by phone on 087 803 9000.

Click here to get a quote for your next service.