You may be packing the kids into the minivan for a trip to Disney, piling in with your friends for a drive to Burning Man, or heading to Boston to see an old flame, but if you’re planning a road trip you’ll be joining millions of other people in this year’s great Summer Driving Exodus. You have at least one thing in common with all these folks… absolutely nothing will ruin your trips more completely than an automotive breakdown. Here’s the single most important thing you can do to insure safe, fun, and smooth summer driving… Bring your vehicle in for service NOW, at the START of the summer, well BEFORE you plan on heading out.
Why is this so critical to protecting your vacation? You know that your vehicle needs to be in top shape, but sometimes people put off their vehicle check until the day before they leave. Here are some reasons this practice can put your trip in jeopardy…
Last minute appointments can be hard for us to accommodate. You’re not alone in wanting to get your car checked out for the summer, so this is the busiest time for any auto shop. We are certainly no exception. During the summer rush we are frequently scheduled 2 or 3 days out on our appointment calendar, and sometimes even farther. This can present real problems getting your vehicle in if you have a short window of availability. As an example, one of our clients called on a Wednesday to have his vehicle serviced Thursday for a Friday trip. Unfortunately, we were already full for the week and we weren’t able to help him in that instance. We hate saying “no” to any of our clients, and planning ahead helps us avoid having to say “no” to you.
Quick turnarounds don’t leave any room for the unexpected. An issue particular to short repair deadlines is that there is no margin for error if something unexpected pops up. For instance, some engine leaks can take two days to repair. We can’t fix it, much less fix it right, if you drop it on a Friday and need to leave Saturday. Suppose you have a problem that would be a quick and easy fix, but the only replacement part available has to come from Tulsa? Little glitches like this can put your vehicle out of commission and ruin your vacation, and they’re all the more frustrating because they’re completely avoidable. Please, call us with enough time to give you the quality service you expect and deserve!
You’ll need a couple days to make sure the repair worked. We fix most vehicle problems on our first attempt, but that’s no comfort if you are the rare person that needs to bring your vehicle back. Repairs can fail for many reasons- parts may be faulty, the original diagnosis may have been wrong, problems may develop in a related system after the first repair, or the original problem may have masked another problem that no one knew about. As just one example, a replacement alternator may test well and work fine for days before it suddenly fails. Our 24-month/24,000-mile local and 12-month/12,000-mile nationwide warranty will cover you, but you don’t want to test it out on your vacation! The only way to be sure repairs are successful is to drive long enough to make sure they hold up in the real world. Always leave a couple days of margin for a shakedown period before you head out of town.
Advance planning is important, but don’t “risk it” if you see a problem coming. If you are getting ready to go and your vehicle starts doing anything that makes you nervous, call us before you hit the road. We take break-downs and emergencies without appointment at any time, and we’ll always do our best to get you back on the road in time for your trip. Even if there’s not enough time to fix an issue, we may at least be able to keep you from breaking down or get you into a rental car.
Rely on us if you DO run in to problems on the road. If you’re our client, then we will help you any way we can, anywhere you are. We might not be able to send our Courtesy Shuttle to Minnesota to pick you up, but we can give you complete vehicle information over the phone if you have a breakdown. If you find yourself broken down and don’t know if the local shop is giving you good advice, we’ll be glad to offer our opinion. Also, our work carries a nationwide warranty for 12-months or 12-thousand miles. If you are out-of-town and have a problem, or if you can’t reach our shop, call 877-252-4609 and explain what’s happening. They’ll refer you to a local shop that will take care of you.
Give us a call if you have ANY questions. Many questions can be solved with a quick call to 503-230-2300 or email to tomdwyer@tomdwyer.com. Our salaried Service Advisors will be glad to discuss any vehicle concerns you might have. If you’re in doubt about anything, a quick call could save a lot of vacation headaches.
