Is there any reason I should use the dealership mechanic?

mechanic your trust trumps all

unless you own some odd import

What type of car? Some dealerships are ridiculously expensive compared to independent shops.

For my wife's Prius , I just let the dealer take care of the services. Their price is comparable to what several area shops charge, so it's not worth the hassle to take it elsewhere. This particular dealer has never tried to upsell me on services though, so that's another factor.

For my car, I'm familiar with the people in the service department and get good deals on oil changes and rotations, so it goes to the people I know.

Some people swear by the dealership. But most places with a master mechanic that mechanic has worked at a dealership. It really depends. Since dealership are independently owned, they are not really different than a local shop.

Thanks for the info. I'll just find a second local mechanic. A couple popped up by my house recently anyway.

Car still under warranty = Go to the dealer

Car not under warranty = Go to indie shop

In my experience, the dealer prices are twice that of indie shops.

If I can't fix it myself then I take it to a dealership. If its a special car like a prius or diesel VW, for sure take it to a dealer. These mechanics work on these cars all day long and have probably already seen the problem and can correct it the first time.

FWIW I haven't taken any car for automotive engine work in almost 10 years.

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What seems to be the problem with your car?

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When I'm going over 60 and have to turn the wheel, as on the interstate, it often shakes violently. It is a 2006 4Runner with about 96,000 miles on it.

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Car still under warranty = Go to the dealer

Car not under warranty = Go to indie shop

In my experience, the dealer prices are twice that of indie shops.

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This.

Also I think some people have a misconception that techs at a dealer are better than techs at an independent shop. I my experience this isn't always true. "Factory Trained Techs" just mean that a tech has sat through some online courses or a couple "in person" classes. I have dealt with good and bad techs at both dealerships and independent shops.

These newer vehicles are getting so complex that it is getting harder to find good qualified technicians. You can send them to all the training available but you still can't "fix stupid."

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I like to take my car to the dealership for maintenance. All of that gets put on the Carfax and I think it can help your car keep some value.

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I understand what you're saying but if you keep accurate maintenance records yourself, it's the same thing.

When I traded in my 2000 Sierra, the dealer couldn't find any online service records for my truck and wanted to slash the trade-in value. I pulled out the owner's manual that had all of the maintenance listed (I even made my own form to list everything). I got my price.