Cars.com, the leading online automotive marketplace, announced a strategic investment in RepairPal, the leading online source for auto repair. The investment positions Cars.com to further develop the service category with solutions for consumers seeking help and advice when it comes to maintaining their vehicles, and for dealerships looking to boost their service business.
"Cars.com has always been a trusted and credible source of information in the shopping process. Consumers rely on us at all stages of buying for research, advice and reviews to guide their vehicle and dealership selection," said Cars.com president, Mitch Golub. "But when it comes to maintaining a vehicle, there is a lot of confusion among consumers. We see an opportunity to transform the repair category and provide vehicle owners the same credible advice they have come to depend on us for when it comes time to service or repair their car."
"More than 86 percent of cars on the road today are past warranty. At a time when vehicle owners are holding onto their cars longer than ever, it's critical that they have access to high quality independent information about repairs, maintenance advice and associated costs," said RepairPal CEO, Art Shaw. "We are excited to deepen our relationship with Cars.com and work together to bring their audience new solutions for managing vehicle ownership."
Cars.com also intends to develop new offerings to help its local dealer partners reach vehicle owners in need of service and repair and to more effectively compete for their business. "We already see a high level of interest in service and repair from our visitors. In fact, more than a quarter of dealership reviews on our site are about a service and repair experience," said Golub. "By providing our large audience access to even more credible information about service and repair providers, we can help drive additional value to our advertisers' business, driving results for their fixed operations, in addition to new and used car sales," Golub added.
Cars.com's investment in RepairPal builds on the site's co-branded content partnership that launched in 2009. Since that time, RepairPal has been a featured content partner on Cars.com, giving shoppers access to auto repair and maintenance estimates, advice for common problems from expert technicians, a comprehensive auto shop directory and helpful auto ownership content, such as "How To's" and helpful hints, problems to be aware of, recalls, and an in-depth encyclopedia of automotive terms.
