Can you still get your car or SUV serviced in Australia?

Car brands around Australia are enacting more stringent cleaning procedures to ensure the safety and hygiene of customer cars during maintenance and aftersales services.

Despite the drop in foot traffic to dealerships as the Coronavirus pandemic continues, service centres and outlets are remaining open to carry out vital vehicle safety checks and services to keep cars on the road.

For example, Ford Australia is now offering ‘contactless’ servicing with pick-up and drop-off of vehicles for customers.

The brand will also disinfect all touchpoints of the customer vehicle before handing it back, including the steering wheel, door handles and bonnet.

Mitsubishi Australia has also changed its processes recently, prioritising the service and repair of vehicles owned by healthcare and essential workers to minimise downtime.

Some dealerships are also able to offer collection and drop-off of vehicles from home or work, according to a statement released by the Japanese brand, while facilities and customer cars will be cleaned more stringently.

Toyota Australia said that “the well-being of our customers, people and the wider community is paramount” and that “dealers are continuing to provide essential vehicle service, sales and repair in ways that prioritise customer health and safety, including increased cleaning and hygiene measures”.

Customers are also able to book services through the MyToyota smartphone app or online.

Suzuki Australia has also put out a similar statement, stating that “the health and safety of our customers and staff is always our top priority”, and that extra cleaning measures are in place at dealerships and workshops.

Aside from vehicle servicing, the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) is also urging customers to not neglect recalls such as the potentially fatal Takata airbag fix.