The latest Castrol Professional Car Servicing and Repair Trend Tracker report for the UK market shows that the franchised dealer sector has finally managed to turn around a decline in dealer service visits. For the last seven years this figure has been in decline, however, in 2013 the percentage of drivers surveyed who used a dealer service outlet remained the same as in 2012.

28.8% of motorists questions said they had their car serviced at a manufacturer aligned workshop. This figure was over 30% in 2005, but since then independents have been increasing their market share.

Trend Tracker analyst, Chris Oakham, said, “The data suggests that the independent sector’s run of growth could be coming to an end, and franchised dealers might well be at the start of an upturn in their fortunes.” However, commentators have also suggested that any slight decline in independent servicing could also be a result of increased new car sales and extended warranties.