Best (and Worst) Auto Service Centres in Canada

With a sluggish economy, Canadians are hanging on to their old cars for longer, and spending less on car repairs and maintenance as well, according to automotive industry analysts J.D. Power and Associates.

But repairs on older cars can take a toll on the pocket book. That's what Walletpop blogger Kate McCaffery recently experienced when she took her older car in for an oil change (using a coupon) -- and came out with a $976 bill.

Eventually, maintaining an old car may make little economic sense; at that point buying a new car (or even better, a slightly used car) is the way to go. But in the meantime, where does one go for the best servicing?

According to J.D. Power and Associates, their 2011 study of customer satisfaction with Canada's major car servicing firms notes that "aftermarket facilities seem to be beating dealerships at their own game", with customer retention rates significantly higher among users of aftermarket facilities compared with dealerships.

So which are the highest rated auto service shops in Canada? NAPA AUTOPRO ranks highest, receiving an overall index score of 875 on a 1,000-point scale, while Costco came out at the bottom, with 764 points. To find out where your service centre ranks, click on the photo below.

OVERALL SERVICE EXPERIENCE SATISFACTION INDEX