I’ve seen some manufacturers, such as with a new Subaru my wife and I own, offering similar services to DriverSide, but not quite as polished in my opinion.

Hey Peter! Long time no see! I hope you are well. We are doing some great work with RepairPal here at CustomerLink. Their model is great for us and our automotive repair and service center customers. (For whom we provide extensive loyalty, acquisition and CRM shop marketing service for) We always knew local online directories were powerful. Adding to that a service or industry specific overlay the way RepairPal has and you really have something.

Jad’s model is an interesting one as well. For the passionate, probable specialty car owner, we see interesting applications. My personal concern with the model there is the “average” car owner’s attitude towards creating a facebook-like page for his car. It takes a lot of time it would seem to keep an online journal of vehicle maintenance. If they (the consumer) will do this and if the issues around car maintenance history availability to would be buyers doesn’t create a privacy issue for the current owner, it may get some traction. However, it seems many automotive aftermarket service providers have a “My Glovebox” or “My Car” kind of functionality already, I’d be interested in understanding better the uptake on such offerings. Finally, by offering DIY advice and repair videos it seems a bit at odds with the goals of local shops and more in line with a retail parts seller. Who knows right? Great job keeping on top of it Peter!