You've heard it forever-you get what you pay for-and this is certainly the case when you're taking your vehicle somewhere for service. When you go to a Ford dealer, your vehicle is looked after by technicians who are trained specifically by Ford to know and understand Fords. As vehicles get increasingly advanced, ongoing training is absolutely necessary in order to stay on top of the latest technology and advanced vehicle systems. A Ford-trained technician can identify and diagnose problems faster than someone without the most up-to-date training and equipment, and less time spent means lower bills. You pay lower labor rates for a reason when you use a Ford service department!

While local garages can try to cut their labor rates, if it takes them longer because they know less about your vehicle, they will have to cut costs other was. The likely option? The parts they use on your vehicle. A Ford dealer will always use genuine parts while others may use equivalent, non-genuine parts instead. When you opt for the generic, you likely also opt out of any guarantee that you would get with genuine parts, so if and when they fail you're likely to have to foot the bill. In the unlikely event that a genuine Ford part fails, the guarantee means any repairs would be done free of charge. Away from home? Using a Ford dealer means that you're a part of a large, friendly network of Ford dealers, any one of which will have the same level of expertise and commitment to quality. You won't find that with a local garage.

If you wouldn't go to the eye doctor to diagnose a joint problem, why would you go to a generic auto parts store or service center to diagnose what is wrong with your Ford? To get the most advanced diagnostics done, your local garage will probably have to subcontract the diagnostics to your Ford dealer anyway, which costs you more time and money. When you don't take the time to diagnose properly-or your mechanic doesn't-then you may find small problems turning into much larger, much more expensive problems down the road. If you spend a little now by taking it to the experts, you can save later.

A full service history is important for getting the most money for your vehicle when the time comes to sell it or trade it in, but a Ford with a full Ford main dealer service history will command a better price than one without. Don't forget about your warranty, either-if you've done service outside of the Ford family and it hasn't been done to manufacturer guidelines, your car's warranty is invalid. See what happens to your resale value when your car no longer has that bumper-to-bumper confidence booster.

It pays to look at the bigger picture when you're choosing vehicle maintenance providers. When you go to a Ford dealer, you can know that you are getting the job done right first time, by experts on your vehicle who is using parts backed by the Ford guarantee. Making the smart decision the first time can save you both time and money, keeping your Ford running beautifully for years to come.