Learn The Warning Signs Of Car Problems

If you are thinking about purchasing a foreign vehicle, make sure you understand what goes into major repair jobs. Most major repair jobs on foreign vehicles require more labor than domestic vehicles.

Domestic Vehicles

The majority of American made vehicles have their engines located right under the hood. Most of the major engine components are easily accessible just by opening up the hood of your vehicle. That means, when it comes time to fix many components on your engine, your mechanic does not have to move other parts in order to perform work.

There are some parts of American made vehicles that require a little extra work to get to, and thus, more labor hours. However, most of these parts are ones that do not commonly break down or need repairs.

Foreign Vehicles

On the other hand, most foreign vehicles are constructed a little differently. Only the top of the engine is accessible when you open up the hood of your vehicle. Most of the other parts of the engine are tucked away.

In order to work extensively on your engine, certain parts have to be moved out of the way before any real work can begin. That can add a few extra hours onto your repair job, since your mechanic has to spend time getting to the troubled area before they begin working, and they have to put additional parts back in place when they finish up the repair job.

One advantage of this type of engine set-up is that your engine components are protected. They are wrapped up inside of your vehicle, and are not as exposed as the parts on most domestic vehicles. Although it can take a few additional labor hours to reach these parts, it also protects your engine. This results in less engine work needing to be performed on a regular basis.

By cutting down on the frequency that your engine needs to be worked on, it balances out the difference in labor hours between domestic and foreign vehicles. Generally speaking, on a foreign vehicle, you don't have to perform the same repairs as soon as you would on a domestic vehicle.

If you decide to purchase a foreign vehicle, you may have to pay for additional labor hours whenever a big job needs to be done, but those big jobs should not come up as frequently. Make sure you are prepared for the repair bills that come with a foreign vehicle before you purchase one.  

For more information about foreign auto service, such as Volkswagen service, contact a local auto mechanic.