The Dreaded Auto Repair - Who Do You Trust?

There's nothing worse than having your car break down, especially if your household owns only own car and there is no public transportation.  I have had many friends tell me that they have been burned big time when they've had to pay for auto repair. There are a lot of honest mechanics, but there are also plenty who will take advantage of you if they think you have no idea about what might be wrong with your vehicle. If they sense you don’t know a carburetor from a spark plug, they may try to take advantage of you, and you may never know the difference. This is why you need to find a good shop for auto repair and then use them every time something is wrong with your vehicle.

I am lucky because I have a brother who owns a garage. I know he is going to be honest with me and every once in awhile, he will give me a break on the labor for some of my repair bills. Not everyone is this lucky, however, and if you have no idea what is going on under the hood of your car, you have no idea whether you are being ripped off by being told that you that you need repairs that you don’t really need.

Some Tips on Avoiding Auto Repair Ripoffs

Ask Around.  If you have no idea what is wrong with your car, or what to ask a mechanic in the first place, then ask friends and relatives where they go and who they trust. Most everyone owns an automobile that needs to be serviced from time to time. Friends and family are usually happy to recommend someone for auto repair who they trust. They'll also be more than happy to tell you their horror stories about who ripped them off!  You might also ask around at work, and if your company has its own fleet, you can use the same company for auto repair as your employer.

Get Auto Repair Estimates.  If you still don’t know what to do, and something goes wrong with your car, take it in and ask for an estimate. Tell the service agent to give you a price on auto repair, but refuse to have the shop do anything until you have been told exactly what is wrong and how much it might cost. An estimate should be close to what you will be billed. If you are happy with what you hear, have the garage go ahead with the auto repair, but tell them they can only do what they have told you in the estimate. If something else pops up, they should call you before they start billing your for more labor and parts. If the shop does it on its own without your permission, you have every right to be suspicious.

If you can drive your car around before it gets repaired, check out a couple of other garages for an estimate on your auto repair and what it will entail. 

Guarantees and Auto Repair

When buying auto repair services, see if the repair work or parts are guaranteed.  If you are buying a new radiator, for example, the radiator will generally be guaranteed not to leak or split for a few years.  Sometimes a garage will even offer a guarantee for its labor.

"The Dreaded Auto Repair - Who Do You Trust?" contributed by Mary Lou Andresson