What makes RV owners furious: silence. 38.6% of low-star repair reviews complain about no updates
We read every 1 and 2 star Google review of the RV repair shops and mobile techs in our directory, 6,462 reviews, and coded what each one complains about. Poor communication comes first, in 38.6% of them. A repair that didn't hold comes second at 31.0%, and price third at 22.7%.
By the RV Repair Centers research desk · Published October 25, 2026
Key findings
- Silence is the top complaint. 38.6% of low-star reviews mention poor communication or no updates (2,495 of 6,462).
- Almost a third say the repair didn't work. 31.0% say the problem wasn't fixed or came back.
- Price comes third. 22.7% say they were overcharged or billed above the quote; 4.8% dispute a diagnostic fee.
- 12.0% say the shop caused new damage, and 10.2% describe a warranty or insurance claim hassle.
- "Not fixed" complaints have grown. Their share rose from 23.6% of low-star reviews in 2019 to 35.1% in 2025, and stands at 30.4% in 2026 so far.
- Shops answer bad reviews less often than good ones: owners replied to 41.9% of 1 and 2 star reviews and 48.6% of 4 and 5 star reviews.
What low-star reviews complain about
Low-star reviews are a small part of the picture. Of 59,738 reviews with text, 6,462 (10.8%) give 1 or 2 stars. We coded every one of them into a fixed list of complaints. A review can carry more than one, so the shares add up to more than 100%.
The striking result is how far communication outranks everything else. Owners rarely write a 1-star review only because a repair was slow (10.0%) or a part was late (6.0%). They write it when the rig sat and nobody called. The complaint behind a long wait is usually the silence during it. Our RV Repair Wait Index finds a 30-day median stated wait in low-star reviews, against 14 days in 3 to 5 star ones.
| Poor communication, no updates | 2,495 | 39% |
| Problem not fixed or came back | 2,003 | 31% |
| Overcharged or over the quote | 1,466 | 23% |
| Other | 1,091 | 17% |
| Rude staff | 988 | 15% |
| New damage caused by the shop | 775 | 12% |
| Warranty or insurance hassle | 662 | 10% |
| Repair took too long | 643 | 10% |
| Mobile tech no-show | 390 | 6% |
| Parts delay | 385 | 6% |
| Refused service | 342 | 5.3% |
| Diagnostic fee dispute | 310 | 4.8% |
| Couldn't get an appointment | 163 | 2.5% |
n = 6,462 reviews rated 1 or 2 stars. One review can fall into several categories. Download this table (CSV)
How the complaints have changed
We tracked the five most common complaints by the year the review was posted, from 2019, when there were enough reviews to compare. The share of low-star reviews saying the problem wasn't fixed or came back rose every year from 2019 to 2025, from 23.6% to 35.1%. Overcharging complaints peaked at 25.3% in 2024. Communication complaints peaked at 46.3% in 2021, during the pandemic-era RV boom, and have held near 38% to 40% since.
| 2019 | 31% | 24% | 20% | 17% | 148 |
| 2020 | 38% | 24% | 22% | 20% | 240 |
| 2021 | 46% | 27% | 20% | 12% | 272 |
| 2022 | 45% | 28% | 19% | 13% | 376 |
| 2023 | 39% | 33% | 21% | 14% | 502 |
| 2024 | 38% | 34% | 25% | 12% | 685 |
| 2025 | 40% | 35% | 25% | 15% | 1,157 |
| 2026 | 38% | 30% | 22% | 16% | 2,822 |
2026 runs to October. Earlier years have far fewer reviews because most reviews in our data are recent. Download this table (CSV)
Who answers bad reviews
Shops reply to praise more often than to criticism. Fewer than half of the owners who left a 1 or 2 star review got a public answer. When you compare shops, read the replies as well as the stars. A shop that answers a complaint with specifics and an offer to fix it tells you more than one with a perfect score and no replies.
How to avoid the common problems
- Agree on updates at drop-off. Ask who your contact is, how often they will call or text, and the best way to reach them. This targets the single most common complaint.
- Get a written estimate and a cap. Ask the shop to call before going over the estimate by any amount. Many states give you that right by law; see repair estimate laws by state.
- Describe the symptom and ask what the fix includes. Ask how the shop will confirm the repair worked and what the workmanship warranty covers, so a problem that comes back is covered.
- Photograph the rig before you hand over the keys, inside and out, including the roof if you can. 12.0% of low-star reviews claim new damage.
- Ask about the diagnostic fee up front and whether it is credited if you approve the repair.
- Know what happens if you dispute the bill. In most states a shop can keep the RV until it is paid and may charge storage. Read our guide to storage fees and mechanic's liens by state before it comes to that.
- For a small job, a mobile tech can avoid the queue. But confirm the appointment the day before: 6.0% of low-star reviews describe a mobile tech who didn't show.
The infographic
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How we did this
- We took every Google review with text rated 1 or 2 stars for the RV repair shops and mobile techs in our directory: 6,462 of 59,738 reviews, dated 2009 to October 2026 and collected in October 2026.
- Each review was coded by a language model (DeepSeek, 20 reviews per request) into a fixed list of 13 complaint categories, with every category that clearly applied. Most reviews got one or two. All 6,462 were coded.
- Shares are the number of low-star reviews in a category divided by 6,462. The yearly trend covers 2019 to 2026, the years with at least 30 low-star reviews, and shows the five most common categories.
- Owner reply rates are the share of reviews with a public owner response: 1 and 2 star reviews against 4 and 5 star reviews.
- Automated coding makes some mistakes on short or sarcastic reviews, so treat differences of a point or two as noise. We don't name shops.
Sources
- Google reviews of RV repair shops listed on RV Repair Centers, collected via DataForSEO, accessed October 20, 2026
- RV Repair Centers analysis, October 2026. Review coding with DeepSeek, October 2026
Cite this: RV Repair Centers, "What makes RV owners furious: silence. 38.6% of low-star repair reviews complain about no updates," October 25, 2026, https://rvrepaircenters.com/rv-shop-complaints-study/
Spotted an error or have newer data? Tell us and we'll check it and update the page.
Questions people ask
What is the most common complaint about RV repair shops?
Poor communication. In our study of 6,462 one and two star reviews, 38.6% complain about no updates or poor communication. Problems that weren't fixed or came back are second at 31.0%, and overcharging or bills above the quote are third at 22.7%.
How can I avoid getting overcharged at an RV repair shop?
Ask for a written estimate, and ask the shop to call before it goes over that amount. Many states require this; our estimate-law guide lists the rules. Ask what the diagnostic fee covers, and ask for parts and labor on separate lines. 22.7% of low-star reviews in our data describe a bill higher than expected.
Do RV repair shops respond to bad reviews?
Less often than to good ones. Owners replied to 41.9% of the 1 and 2 star reviews in our data and to 48.6% of 4 and 5 star reviews. A specific, polite reply to a complaint is a good sign when you compare shops.
Are RV repair complaints getting worse?
One type is. The share of low-star reviews saying the problem wasn't fixed or came back rose from 23.6% in 2019 to 35.1% in 2025. Communication complaints peaked at 46.3% in 2021 and have held near 38% to 40% since. Only 10.8% of all reviews are 1 or 2 stars.