Dealership service loaners are nice until you actually need one

[brandonhillg]

I totally get the frustration. The waiting game is the worst part of any car trouble. It is interesting to see how different brands handle the communication side of things. My cousin had his truck at a shop for over a month waiting on a specific sensor and they kept blowing him off. When he finally got it back, they tried to say the delay was normal. I think a lot of people underestimate the difference between an independent mechanic and a dealership. The independent guy might be faster because he has fewer cars in the pipeline, but he might not have the specialized tools for a deep diagnosis. The dealership has the resources, but they overbook their schedules constantly. If they quote you two days for a diagnosis, mentally double it. They usually have a specific formula for dealership repair time expectations that is based on book hours and technician availability, which never seems to match up with real life. The key is just getting them to be honest with you on day one about parts delays so you aren't sitting by the phone for a week wondering if your car is just sitting in the parking lot untouched.