What if my dealer goes out of business?

As of June 9, Chrysler dropped 789, or about a quarter, of its U.S. dealerships. That is, they are no longer authorized Chrysler, Dodge, or Jeep dealerships, although many will continue to sell other brands or used cars. GM has notified hundreds of its dealers that their contracts would not be renewed in October 2010, as part of its efforts to cut its U.S. dealer count from about 6,000 to about 3,600 (still well more than Toyota's 1,600 or Honda's or Nissan's 1,200). That is in addition to the more than 900 dealerships nationwide that closed their doors in 2008.

GM said that it would send letters to about 50,000 customers of the affected dealerships, advising them of other nearby GM dealerships that can provide parts and service.

In general, if your local dealership closes and you want to have your vehicle serviced by another authorized dealership, go to the automaker's Web site and search for dealerships in your area. Alternatively, you can call the automaker's customer-assistance number listed in the owner's manual.

But you don't have to take your car to a dealership for regular servicing. A good independent shop, especially one that specializes in your car's brand, should be able to handle routine maintenance and many repairs. Moreover, independent repair shops are often less expensive than dealerships and, according to our Annual Auto Survey, generally provide a higher level of satisfaction.

You will need to go to a dealer to have a repair fixed under the automaker's warranty or to have recall work performed. Since dealership mechanics are specifically trained to service its brand's vehicle, you might also want to take your car to a dealership to have a proprietary system serviced, such as a GPS navigation or other sophisticated electronics system.

Often, warranty repairs can be performed at other brand dealerships linked to the same automaker. Or an automaker's customer-service department may arrange for you to take your vehicle to another contracted dealership or shop.

Keep in mind that many of the dealers being cut off by Chrysler and GM sell multiple brands. So, they might still stay in business, and because their mechanics are specially trained, you might be able to take your car to that dealership even after it's lost its authorization to sell a specific brand.