Plan To Sell Scout Vehicles Directly To The Public Has California Volkswagen Dealers Hopping Mad
Plan To Sell Scout Vehicles Directly To The Public Has California Volkswagen Dealers Hopping Mad
Scout Motors wants to sell its vehicles direct to customers. Car dealers in California and elsewhere are objecting strenuously.
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The only potential downside I see to plans like this are warranty service. As long as they have s way to ensure covered break-fix and recall support, let’s do it.
You don’t need a VW branded service center. You just need a certified mechanic.
Your first part is correct. The “just” is not correct. You need logistics and reporting, esp for recalls.
Edit: posting this at the top so new readers don’t have to read through the stupidity that ensues:
There are virtually no manufacturers that allow non-dealers to perform recall and warranty work today.
Federal regulations (primarily under the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act) require automakers to provide a remedy for safety defects at no cost to the consumer. Automakers fulfill that obligation by designating “authorized” service locations—almost ALWAYS their franchised dealerships or manufacturer-owned service centers—to perform the recall repairs.
From a practical standpoint dealerships are bound by their franchise agreements with the manufacturer. Those contracts typically require authorized dealers to perform warranty and recall work on behalf of the automaker. So, while the government obligates the manufacturer to fix the defect, the manufacturer in turn relies on its dealerships (as spelled out in their franchise agreements) to handle the actual repairs.
Don't we already have that? I imagine the dealerships already use such a system.
Not for recalls. It’s easy for folks to sit on social media and assume any mechanic can do it, but that’s not the case. The whole system would have to change. With the biggest being the requirement to track compliance with federally mandated recalls. There is no responsibility of the mechanic to report completion of a repair, nor certification regarding efficacy.
Edit: I actually just re-read your question. I thought you meant brands, but you said dealerships. So.. your argument for bypassing dealerships is to use dealerships?
There isn't some recall reporting system? That would be surprising to me, I'm pretty sure I've been able to look up recall status on my car before (not that any have applied so far).
There is. It uses dealerships. This is my entire point.
So we do just need to give non-dealership mechanics access.
There is that word “just” again. You need to require them to report completion and to certify efficacy. Are you going to also require car brands to honor warranty repairs completed by a third party mechanic? What I’m attempting to point out to you is that this all requires a network and established agreements, not “just” some ad-hoc repair services.
I don't see how an independent mechanic would be less likely to report completion of a recall repair than a dealership. It sounds like a similar process to safety and emissions inspections and service.
If they need to be Toyota-certified or something to do recalls, then great. Even better if that lets them do warranty work.
But that certified mechanic needs to go through a whole training process for a new brand of vehicle and needs access to all the OEM diagnostic tools and parts.
It's not something a typical jobber can do. Even dealerships will have specialized crews to handle specific cars.
Audi and VW are technically under the same umbrella, but I'm not taking my Q7 to a VW shop, or vice versa with my wife's Tiguan.
It's almost as if we should have better standardization/regulations against manufacturers requiring excessive proprietary tooling in order to freeze out third-party mechanics.
I think freight trucks operate similar to what I’ve proposed.
thats a shop level determination.
depending on how the shop is run, and how strict of regulations set by the manufacturer there is, your mileage may vary.
in plain english. yeah if you go to a ***** dealer they might do everything by the book, refuse to work on other brands, and basically sabotage your car to rack up a more expensive bill because of corporate level corruption.
on the other hand, the place I work at , we're toyota, but we take Fords all the time because our head tech worked at ford for 10 years. and has no problem working on somebody's hoopty as long as he's getting his flat rate.
I think that depends on the brand and the shop. I've seen Audis, Toyotas, VWs, and Lexuses(?), all in the dealer shop I take my Toyota to.
Lexes?
But Lexus is Toyota anyway.
Manufacturers should offer and be responsible for warranties - for used cars it'd probably be healthier if the certification was separate from the seller.
They already are. When the dealership does a warranty repair, the manufacturer covers the costs.
The point is, where are you going to get your warranty service without a dealer? They need to work this out first, whether with local shop agreements or whatever. I understand they should be responsible, but I don’t think buyers will want to drive their car back to the factory.
Oi.
Where does my insurance get a repair done?
That’s not a warranty repair, nor will the repairs be covered under manufacturer warranties (assuming you had coverage).
My point is dealers are redundant to the system.
My point is dealers are part of the system.
But the system would work fine without them.
It could. It wouldn’t today. Feel free to go back and read my first comment. Then leave me alone.
It absolutely would work today. There are certified mechanics that aren't dealerships.
Franchised dealerships serve as the direct link between you and your vehicle’s manufacturer, ensuring warranty repairs and recalls are carried out correctly, on time. These technicians receive specialized, brand-specific training and have access to advanced diagnostic tools and software unavailable to many independent shops. Dealers also streamline the administrative side of warranties by billing manufacturers directly, reducing hassles for customers.
When a recall is announced, dealers receive replacement parts, software updates, and instructions straight from the automaker. This close coordination helps them meet regulatory standards, fulfill recall requirements quickly, and maintain consistent quality. Their established physical infrastructure also enables them to handle sudden increases in repair demand. Today, dealerships ensure accountability between manufacturers and customers, creating a more dependable system than would be immediately possible with a fragmented network of independent service centers.
So. Smart guy. This would not work TODAY at any scale. Especially since third party shops do NOT have the same accountability requirements that dealers do.
Can it work? Yes. As already stated.