Most car owners figure this out quite quickly after warranty expires - the dealer is the most expensive place to go when you need basic repairs and service. They service department at the dealership doesn't want to 'repair' your car, they want to sell you new parts, rather than take the asssembly apart and fix the smaller issues.

But finding a dedicated, nearby after-market repair shop in Thailand can be a challenge if you don't speak/read Thai. I tried the facebook groups, translated to Thai, but little response. Asking a Thai colleague that has the same car as you might be an approach - but if he lives on the opposite side of the city, maybe not. Surprisingly, even many Thais with out-of-warranty cars go to the dealer for repairs and pay through the nose, ordering new parts that aren't necessary.

Looking for a repair shop that specialises in your make and model is a challenge. Google and google maps can help - but still hit and miss. If you have a Benz there are plenty of specialty shops. If you have a Toyota/Honda you could probaly just take it to the nearest auto repair shop. As for other models or imports - good luck.

Owners of the Mazda CX-5 2.2L xdl diesels should always have their rig serviced at the dealer, that way when the pressure of the water pump blows the head gasket and destroys the engine they’ll put a new engine in even after the warranty has expired.

Just an example of knowing your vehicle and when/when not to use dealer service.

Edited June 6Jun 6 by novacova

In ten years, I've had the Fortuner serviced 13 times (every 10K) at Toyota. It generally runs about B3.5K, the 80K service was about B9.2K

Each service is 8 liters of full synthetic oil, oil filter, oil-plug gasket, grease, and brake cleaner.

To do it myself, the oil & filter would cost B2K.

B-Quick will do the service for B2.6K

I do not see spending an extra B1,000 twice a year as much of an incentive to not use the dealership. And if I ever sell it, I can show that the vehicle has been serviced every 10K by Toyota.

What I do not like at Toyota (or anywhere) is what they try to up-sell. I buy the tires and batteries from B-Quik, and had the brakes done by local "speed" shop which saved a bit of money.

Buying the tires and batteries from B-Quick is like getting free roadside assistance, as they will come out and change a tire, of jump the battery free. With tires, B-Quick also does "free" balance and rotation every 10K and "free" unlimited nitrogen air-ups.

Not sure if the old adage that mom and pop mechanics are less expensive and a better bet than dealerships is applicable in Thailand.

For one thing the parts you need are far more likely to be immediately available at the dealership, and you can have a high degree of confidence that any parts which are replaced will be standard issue and not some off brand slap job solution. Also the dealership is almost certainly going to have the proper tools, and you can be pretty confident about the experience and technical skills of the dealership mechanic. On my last oil change service, the mechanic recommended a few things on the under carriage be replaced. I was a little skeptical if it was really necessary, but my 14 year old Isuzu D-Max has been noticeably quieter and smoother running since then, so no complaints with my local dealership.

Is it possible that a battery or windshield wipers were replaced slightly pre-maturely over the years? Yeah, but I have a high degree of confidence that my truck isn't going to break on a road trip, and for me that's worth the little bit of money I might be overpaying by having the car serviced at the dealership.

Edited June 6Jun 6 by Gecko123

9 minutes ago, Gecko123 said:

Not sure if the old adage that mom and pop mechanics are less expensive and a better bet than dealerships is applicable in Thailand.

For one thing the parts you need are far more likely to be immediately available at the dealership, and you can have a high degree of confidence that any parts which are replaced will be standard issue and not some off brand slap job solution. Also the dealership is almost certainly going to have the proper tools, and you can be pretty confident about the experience and technical skills of the dealership mechanic. On my last oil change service, the mechanic recommended a few things on the under carriage be replaced. I was a little skeptical if it was really necessary, but my 14 year old Isuzu D-Max has been noticeably quieter and smoother running since then, so no complaints with my local dealership.

Is it possible that a battery or windshield wipers were replaced slightly pre-maturely over the years? Yeah, but I have a high degree of confidence that my truck isn't going to break on a road trip, and for me that's worth the little bit of money I might be overpaying by having the car serviced at the dealership.

I had a few Isuzus, and for my money, Isuzu has the hands-down best service network in Thailand.

While my company Highlander service was costing B1,600, the wife's Fortuner was costing B3,000. And never an up-sell from Isuzu.

Sure. As the OP, I'm nost suggesting simple things like an oil/filter change should be avoided at a dealership. They tend to be competitive.

I'm taking about 'repairs' - electric mirror stops opening closing, something in the dashboard isn't working correctly, something in the braking system isn't working, or there is an issue with engine cooling. In almost all these cases (including my own experience) the dealer wants to sell you a new mirror assembly (not take it apart and change the small cheap motor that it could order from its warehouse), or they want to replace the entire cooling system when a small repair would suffice, or change the whole breaking system when something minor was the problem. This is what they do. They SELL NEW PARTS, not simply repair what needs to be repaired. Bear in mind labor even at a dealership service dept in Thailand is cheap compared to western countries - but the full assembly parts they sell are the same price they are in the West. They sock it to you, when it's not necessary to buy the full assemly.

It’s completely different now with electric vehicles.

They typically come with a lifetime warranty on the battery, motor and drivetrain electronics, but you have to service at the main dealer to qualify

10 hours ago, JBChiangRai said:

It’s completely different now with electric vehicles.

They typically come with a lifetime warranty on the battery, motor and drivetrain electronics, but you have to service at the main dealer to qualify

That's sensible though.

15 hours ago, Gecko123 said:

For one thing the parts you need are far more likely to be immediately available at the dealership, and you can have a high degree of confidence that any parts which are replaced will be standard issue and not some off brand slap job solution.

I usually buy the parts needed at an auto parts store and take them to the mechanic. That means I provide the parts I see fit and it also solves any misunderstanding from my limited Thai. (Singha song Kap :-) )

2 minutes ago, VocalNeal said:

I usually buy the parts needed at an auto parts store and take them to the mechanic. That means I provide the parts I see fit and it also solves any misunderstanding from my limited Thai. (Singha song Kap :-) )

Who is diagnosing what parts are needed? You? The mechanic?

Do you really think you are saving money by acting as a purchasing agent for the mechanic? You're saying the mechanic tells you what parts are needed, and after you make a determination of whether you (really) need them, hightail it over to a parts store, purchase the parts (if they're in stock), or order the parts and come back to get them when they arrive, and then bring them back to the mechanic to have them installed? How are you saving money by doing this? Also, isn't the auto parts store (if the parts are genuine) getting the parts directly from the manufacturer same as the dealership? I'm just confused what benefit is being derived from this.

Edited June 7Jun 7 by Gecko123

@ronnie50 The other thing I'm not sure the OP fully appreciates is that nowadays car components and parts are replaced as full units. For example some doo-hickey in a water pump fails, you can't order the doo-hickey for 50 baht, you have to buy a whole new water pump. The mom-and-pop mechanic is going to be confronted with the same problem. The only way the mom-and-pop mechanic would be able to get around this would be to jerry-rig or improvise a solution which probably would compromise the reliability of the repair. So I'm not sure the OP's complaint that the dealerships are forcing customers to buy unnecessary parts is valid. It's just the nature of how parts and components are sold nowadays.

I also wanted to mention that from what I can tell there aren't that many full service auto mechanics outside of dealerships in Thailand. Yes, oil change, tire, brake, shock, muffler, body, and heavy lorry shops abound, but from what I can tell from just driving around, there aren't that many traditional automobile repair shops around of the type you might find back home, and if you manage to find one, chances are they're gonna be ordering whatever parts are needed from the local dealership for your make and model.

Edited June 7Jun 7 by Gecko123

2 minutes ago, Gecko123 said:

Who is diagnosing what parts are needed? You? The mechanic?

Me. The diagnosing is not often the hard bit: that is the groveling around.

If I need a new timing belt I buy a timing belt and tensioner bearing. I present it to the mechanic and he knows exactly what to do. Same goes for O2 sensor or brake pads or, or.

We are not communicating in Thai or in English ; we are communicating in auto engineering.

I have bought parts from the dealership (Alternator belt) as the mechanic said the one I originally supplied him with was not OEM. Turns out the OEM was identical (Gates) to the auto parts store one just in a box with the Suzuki written on it. I didn't say anything and neither did he.

I have asked the parts store if the mechanic gets a trade discount and makes a bit extra if he buys the parts. Apparently not.

I have asked the mechanic if he would rather cross the road and buy the parts. He said he was happy either way.

Me doing it just makes the process easier.

Edited June 7Jun 7 by VocalNeal

The OP has a point in that money can be saved by avoiding the dealership. But it is difficult to find an independent shop that does the job properly, which is my current problem here in Pattaya!

41 minutes ago, DaRoadrunner said:

The OP has a point in that money can be saved by avoiding the dealership. But it is difficult to find an independent shop that does the job properly,

Yes, this is one of my main points. It is difficult to find a shop that has a mechanic with lots of experience with models like Subaru or Mazda or Hyundai or Kia. But if you find one you stick with it. For example, I used to have an older Volvo. Eventually I found a shop that specialized in Volvos. Much cheaper than the dealer and happy to take something apart fix it and put it back together without buying an entire assembly. I think the language barrier is one thing, as I'm sure there are shops that deal predominently with various models aside from just Toyota and Honda.

On 6/7/2026 at 12:31 PM, ronnie50 said:

Yes, this is one of my main points. It is difficult to find a shop that has a mechanic with lots of experience with models like Subaru or Mazda or Hyundai or Kia. But if you find one you stick with it. For example, I used to have an older Volvo. Eventually I found a shop that specialized in Volvos. Much cheaper than the dealer and happy to take something apart fix it and put it back together without buying an entire assembly. I think the language barrier is one thing, as I'm sure there are shops that deal predominently with various models aside from just Toyota and Honda.

Yeah but I have this beast

On 6/6/2026 at 7:52 PM, Yellowtail said:

ten years, I've had the Fortuner serviced 13 times (every 10K) at Toyota.

I'm the same, wouldn't go anywhere else.

It's strange how I keep going through wiper blades 😊

I just had a mom and pop repair shop take apart my entire steering column to find a rattle and click. The culprits were two small plastic gears on the head of the power steering control module that had shattered - 300 THB for the parts. The whole PS CM assembly costs USD 800 (and of course includes the little plastic gears). The dealer would sell only the assembly - so around 40,000 THB. I paid the mom and pop shop 8,700 THB - including an oil change, oil and air filter.

23 hours ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

I'm the same, wouldn't go anywhere else.

It's strange how I keep going through wiper blades 😊

I am pretty picky, and wiper blades last me about two years.

I always change the air filter and cabin filter before I go, and I tell them, "oil and filter only".

I

On 6/6/2026 at 4:21 PM, novacova said:

Owners of the Mazda CX-5 2.2L xdl diesels should always have their rig serviced at the dealer, that way when the pressure of the water pump blows the head gasket and destroys the engine they’ll put a new engine in even after the warranty has expired.

Just an example of knowing your vehicle and when/when not to use dealer service.

Good info. But the dealer (Mazda) has been a pain for me. Two years ago both headlights extinguished simultaneously high and low beam. I was certain there must be a sensor or relay issue, or short for both to go out at the same time. But no, the mechanic at Mazda insisted I needed to replace the entire headlight assembly on both sides. It cost a bomb. Then a year later the same dealership said I needed a new alternator (only 45,000 Km). I asked if they could take it apart and find the issue or if they could buy a reconditioned alternator instead of new. Nope. Another big credit card bill. Anyway I have since found a mom and pop repair shop nearby that will get their hands dirty and fix the problems rather than order new parts for an old car. I don't mind paying the extra labour if it saves me tens of thousands of baht on parts.

17 hours ago, ronnie50 said:

I have since found a mom and pop repair shop nearby that will get their hands dirty and fix the problems rather than order new parts for an old car. I don't mind paying the extra labour if it saves me tens of thousands of baht on parts.

Personally do the same and use a mechanic that works exclusively on Mazda/Ford vehicles. Though again, anything relating to the engine on the 2.2 xdl should be serviced by a dealer because those engines have a engineering flaw and are at a near 100% failure rate that Mazda is aware of and will honor replacement under the given condition.

I just stick to dealers, they are cheap and i would pay the small premium over some chancer with their workshop, given anyone can just open a business and operate, i have more faith that the oil/parts the main dealer use are genuine.

Your mom and pop places will service your car, but they won’t do the things your main dealer will do like lubricate the bonnet release cable.

1 minute ago, JBChiangRai said:

Your mom and pop places will service your car, but they won’t do the things your main dealer will do like lubricate the bonnet release cable.

I'm not suggesting you should never go to the dealer. We should do that precisely for the 50k check or 60k check - and they will lubricate your cables and door hinges etc., and all the rest on their check list. While there, you can get an oil change. My only point is that the dealers I've been to in Bangkok (Mazda and Volvo) won't dismantle something to fix a small thing inside an assembly that has shorted, or broken - when they clearly could do that given the smaller parts also have original and available part numbers. No, they will only replace the whole assembly at great costs as I outlined above. Why? Because they make a lot more money ordering the whole assembly and then spend less time working on your car. Labor is cheap. Assemblies are very expensive (western prices)

18 hours ago, JBChiangRai said:

Your mom and pop places will service your car, but they won’t do the things your main dealer will do like lubricate the bonnet release cable.

They might do if you asked them.

I took my truck to the dealer to get new front wheel bearings installed. The engine warning light was on and had been for a while and still is. (probably O2 sensor but I run on LPG) The dealer never mentioned that to me.

My take is that the dealer is not interested in doing inexpensive preventative maintenance once the vehicle is out of warranty. They want something big and easy to identify to go wrong so they can make money fixing it.

6 minutes ago, VocalNeal said:

My take is that the dealer is not interested in doing inexpensive preventative maintenance once the vehicle is out of warranty. They want something big and easy to identify to go wrong so they can make money fixing it.

My take exactly. And they don't want to spend much labor time (little money in that) - they just want to install a new expensive assembly of some kind. A wheel bearing is exactly the type of thing they don't want to do for the above reason.

On 6/10/2026 at 4:45 PM, ronnie50 said:

I just had a mom and pop repair shop take apart my entire steering column to find a rattle and click. The culprits were two small plastic gears on the head of the power steering control module that had shattered - 300 THB for the parts. The whole PS CM assembly costs USD 800 (and of course includes the little plastic gears). The dealer would sell only the assembly - so around 40,000 THB. I paid the mom and pop shop 8,700 THB - including an oil change, oil and air filter.

The dealer quoted you 40k or did you just pull that number from your arse ?

1 minute ago, Ralf001 said:

The dealer quoted you 40k or did you just pull that number from your arse ?

My bad math. Should be around 800 USD for the assembly - so 26,000 THB plus an oil change and filter around 3,000 so around 30k not 40. Still..