Four in ten Dutch people occasionally scammed by car garage
46 percent think they overpay for maintenance service by default
Every car needs maintenance. To minimize the chance of future breakdowns, it is important to take your steel steed to the garage for servicing once in a while. How does the average Dutch motorist experience these periodic visits; do they feel that they sometimes pay too much - or perhaps even get ripped off? And to what extent are people still able to carry out (minor) repairs to their cars themselves? To find out, Alpina conducted research among 1,108 Dutch motorists. Curious about the most striking results? You can find them below.
Utrechters most often feel conned by car garage
Your car is at the garage for a standard service and the mechanic calls with the news that there is all sorts of things wrong with the car. The cost will be a lot higher than expected beforehand. Meanwhile, the question arises as to whether it all adds up. For four out of ten Dutch people, this is a very recognizable scenario; they have felt cheated by a car garage and/or mechanic on occasion. Utrechters feel cheated most often and Overijselaars have this feeling the least. What do people in your province think about this? You can see it in the visual.
BMW and Citroen drivers in particular often find servicing too expensive
Those who don't know much about cars have a hard time estimating exactly what will be done during a service. Often there is a lot of time and (expensive) parts involved in a repair. It can therefore be a bit of a shock when the mechanic tells you what the costs will be. Consequently, 46 percent of Dutch people feel that they generally pay too much for a service. BMW and Citroën drivers in particular feel that servicing is often too expensive. Curious how owners of other car brands think about it? Check it out in the visual.
Vast majority of women cannot make minor repairs to car
In some cases it is more economical to repair the car yourself. Of course, you must then have the right knowledge, otherwise there is a chance that you will break more than you repair. Almost half of the Dutch say they have too little technical knowledge to perform minor repairs. Mainly women are skeptical about their car knowledge. You can find the differences between men and women divided over different age categories in the visual.
Drenthe residents biggest proponents of more technology during driving lessons
Driving instructors prepare you for life on the road. You learn to drive, read traffic signs and recognize dangerous situations. But what should you do if you end up with car trouble on the side of the road or if all kinds of lights come on on your dashboard? As many as seventy percent of Dutch people say that we are far too little prepared for this. They think that more attention should be paid to the technical aspects of the car during driving lessons. People from Drenthe are the biggest advocates of this. Check out the visual to see what your provincial counterparts think about this.
Audi and BMW drivers most affected by lack of money
Having a car is expensive. Besides gasoline costs, road tax and compulsory insurance, its maintenance can also be quite expensive. For one in five Dutch people, this has been the reason to postpone a necessary garage visit. Fifteen percent have tried to repair damage themselves for lack of money. It is striking that especially Audi and BMW drivers are guided by financial considerations. Curious what owners of other car brands think? Check it out in the visual.
Survey results by proposition
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