Compare car servicing centres in New Zealand at Canstar Blue. Oil Changers, Pit Stop and AA Auto Centres were compared on Overall Satisfaction, Cost of Parts, Customer Service, Effectiveness, Time Taken and Value for Money.
See our Ratings Methodology.
Yet again, Kiwi drivers rate Oil Changes No.1 for car servicing.
Our review compares car servicing on customer satisfaction, so you can discover what other Kiwis think about our compared car servicing providers before you book in your car. Think of it like asking hundreds of your friends and family which car servicing chain they think is best!
Canstar Blue surveyed 256 Kiwis who’d had their cars serviced over the past two years and asked for their feedback on the car servicing chains they’d used.
Respondents rate their satisfaction with their car service provider from zero to ten, where zero is extremely dissatisfied and ten is extremely satisfied. Brand satisfaction was rated by respondents on the following criteria:
The winning brand is the one that receives the highest Overall Satisfaction rating once all the scores from the Overall Satisfaction criteria are combined and averaged.
Car servicing chains must have received at least 30 responses to be included, so not all chains available in the market have been compared in this survey. The car servicing chains rated in this survey are listed below in order of best overall satisfaction.
Find more information on our Most Satisfied Customer methodology.
Canstar Blue first awarded its Car Servicing Award in 2015, to Oil Changers. Since then the Kiwi car servicing brand has won our top award a further nine times, cementing its reputation as the nation’s best-rated provider of car servicing.
This year, Oil Changers yet again takes home our award on the back of a perfect set of top 5-Star ratings across all categories in our awards research. It’s a remarkable achievement that’s built on a decade of Oil Changers providing Kiwi drivers with great customer service and value for money.
Oil Changers oversees 14 locations, and provides a variety of different services (in addition to the services outlined below) catering to different vehicle requirements. Note that it does not do repairs, only fluid servicing.
Service Package | Details | Prices from* |
Oil and Filter Service Package | Up to 4l of mineral oil; replace oil filter; fluid level check; visual inspection of coolants, engine air filtration system, belts and wiper blades; tyre-pressure check; exterior window clean and chassis lubrication. | $109.95 |
Engine Flush | Cleans contaminants from engine, delivering better performance and fuel economy, reduced emissions and longer engine life. | $39.95 |
Automatic Transmission | Transmission fluid replacement, to extend life of transmission and promote smooth gear changes. | $179.95 |
Manual Transmission | Transmission fluid replacement, to extend life of transmission and promote smooth gear changes. | $64.95 |
CVT Transmission Service | Transmission fluid replacement, to extend life of transmission and promote smooth gear changes. | $149.95 |
Over the past decade, Pit Stop is the only car servicing brand to have taken the crown from Oil Changes, by winning our award in 2018. And each year it has consistently rated highly with Kiwi car owners.
This year is no exception: Pit Stop has 4-Star ratings in every category, except for Cost of Parts, for which it has a top 5-Star rating.
Pit Stop has over 40 stores across the country, providing a range of products and services, including general vehicle repairs, brakes, suspension and vehicle servicing. Service packages include:
Service Package | Details | Prices from* |
Express | Oil and filter change plus a 15-point check and top-up of washer fluids and coolant. | $199 |
Extensive | Oil and filter change, computer and systems health check, 25-point check and essential fluids top-ups, lubrication of door hinges, tyre treatment, and road test and report. | $239 |
Elite | Oil and filter change, computer and systems health check, 30-point check, essential fluid top-ups, brake fluid change, brake component clean and component adjustments, lubrication of door hinges, rotate tyres (if required), tyre treatment, vacuum footwells, and road test and report. | $359 |
Eurocar | Oil and filter change, computer and systems health check, 25-point check, essential fluid top-ups, lubrication of door hinges, tyre treatment, and road test and report. | $319 |
4x4s, utes & vans | Oil and filter change, computer and systems health check, 25-point check, essential fluid top-ups, lubrication of door hinges, tyre treatment, and road test and report. | $369 |
Hybrid | Oil and filter change, computer and systems health check, 25-point check, essential fluid top-ups, lubrication of door hinges, tyre treatment, and road test and report. | $239 |
EVs | A 22-point check, computer and systems health check, essential fluid top-ups, lubrication of door hinges, tyre treatment, and road test and report. | $129 |
Rounding out our ratings table, AA Auto Centres has predominantly 3-Star ratings from its customers, plus one 4-Star rating for Cost of Parts. While 3 Stars is not indicative of high praise, it is also not a measure of dissatisfaction. Rather it reveals that the motorists that have rated AA Auto Centres in our research are happy with the levels of customer service and value they’ve received.
AA Auto Centre has 38 locations across the country, and offers four levels of service, for both petrol and diesel cars, using either standard or advanced oil.
Service Package | Details | Price* |
AA Bronze Service | A 26-point service that includes an engine oil change, oil filter replacement and fundamental item and fluid checks. | Standard Oil – AA member: $239; non-member: $259
Advanced Oil – AA member: $319; non-member: $339 |
AA Silver Service | A 32-point annual service, includes all features of the Bronze Service in addition to interior cleaning and checks of wheel bearings and seatbelt condition. | Standard Oil – AA member: $269; non-member: $299
Advanced Oil – AA member: $349; non-member: $379 |
AA Gold Service | A 40-point annual service, covering the same components as the Silver Service, plus extra checks on engine management system, air con, brakes and tyre rotation, if needed. | Standard Oil – AA member: $329; non-member: $369
Advanced Oil – AA member: $409; non-member: $449 |
AA EV Service | A 32-point annual service, covering: brake, cooling, and reduction drive/gear drive fluid levels, park brake and brake pad inspection, tyre inspection/rotation and cabin clean.
|
AA member: from $149; non-member: from $169 |
Whether you drive a brand new SUV, or a 20-year-old Hilux, one thing is important when getting your vehicle serviced: Value for Money.
In our survey, most respondents (38%) say they rate their satisfaction with their car service providers primarily on Value for Money. But it’s important to remember value is different from price. Value is an overall perception of getting a good deal for the cost involved, rather than just the cheapest price.
Customer Service is also an important factor, rated the No.1 consideration by a third of those in our awards survey.
Here’s the full rundown of what Kiwi drivers say are the main things they consider when rating their choice of car servicing chain:
How often you should service your car is usually explained in your car logbook or owner manual. Your car manufacturer will usually recommend maximum times and distances to leave between servicing intervals, considering factors such as the age, make and model of your vehicle.
But as a general rule of thumb, professional servicing is recommended every 12 months or 10,000km (whichever comes first), but this may vary. If you have an older car, you might choose to service it more regularly, such as every 5000km.
When working out what’s best for your car, you need to take into consideration:
You should also pay attention to the things you can do yourself in terms of basic maintenance between services. This includes checking tyre pressure and engine oil levels and ensuring all the car’s lights are operational, etc.
Of course, if you notice any issues between services (such as warning lights coming on, or irregular noises) it’s important to get the problem looked at sooner rather than later.
When it comes to choosing a service centre, it’s worthwhile shopping around. Find a business that you feel comfortable with, that is convenient for you, offers competitive pricing and caters to your needs.
Some factors to consider include:
It’s important to keep in mind that there are a range of options available, and if you’re looking for a new service provider, or thinking of switching providers, you should actively seek out a best deal.
Bruce Pitchers is Canstar NZ’s Content Manager. An experienced finance reporter, he has three decades’ experience as a journalist and has worked for major media companies in Australia, the UK and NZ, including ACP, Are Media, Bauer Media Group, Fairfax, Pacific Magazines, News Corp and TVNZ. As a freelancer, he has worked for The Australian Financial Review, the NZ Financial Markets Authority and major banks and investment companies on both sides of the Tasman.
In his role at Canstar, he has been a regular commentator in the NZ media, including on the Driven, Stuff and One Roof websites, the NZ Herald, Radio NZ, and Newstalk ZB.
Away from Canstar, Bruce creates puzzles for magazines and newspapers, including Woman’s Day and New Idea. He is also the co-author of the murder-mystery puzzle book 5 Minute Murder.
Believes regular car servicing saves money in the long run: 62%
Chooses a service centre based on price: 34%
Always gets a second quote for major repairs: 20%
Oil: 73%
Tyre pressure: 71%
Water: 70%
Tyre tread: 54%
Windscreen wipers: 46%
Canstar Blue surveyed 2503 New Zealand consumers across a range of categories to measure and track customer satisfaction, via ISO 26362 accredited research panels managed by Qualtrics. The outcomes reported are the results from respondents who had their car serviced in the last two years. In this case, 256 New Zealanders.
Dealerships must have received at least 30 responses to be included. Results are comparative and it should be noted that brands receiving three stars have still achieved a satisfaction measure of at least six out of 10. Not all dealerships in the market have been compared in this survey. The ratings table is first sorted by star ratings and then by mean overall satisfaction. A rated brand may receive a ‘N/A’ (Not Applicable) rating if it does not receive the minimum number of responses for that criterion.
The past winners from Canstar Blue’s Car Servicing ratings:
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