Car Repair That You Don’t Need

Here's Todays piece of advice.

Warm Regards,
George

Car Repair That You Don’t Need
Posted by admin - December 11th, 2010

It happens all too often. You walk into a car repair shop to have a problem addressed, usually something quite obvious and simple such as a cracked side view mirror or maybe just a regular oil change. Once you go to pick up your vehicle, the mechanic meets you with a grave face. He discovered something that needs “urgent” attention and will also inflate your bill by hundreds of dollars. He pretends to be helping you, because after all, he didn’t need to give your car that extra, free inspection. Unless you know a thing or two about the inner workings of cars, you feel a bit weak and at his mercy.

Stop! Before you’re tempted to relinquish your keys for another few days while your auto gets poked and prodded for no good reason, you need to investigate whether you’re being scammed or whether your mechanic actually did help you dodge a bullet. Some shady mechanics make big business by performing unnecessary repairs or simply by claiming they have completed them when in reality your car just sat on the lot. But you might think how could you possibly find out the truth?

The easiest way to avoid unnecessary scams is by choosing a trustworthy mechanic. This is often the trickiest part. If you have a local shop that you frequent, they may use multiple mechanics throughout the life of your auto. Ask friends and family for recommendations and experiences with local mechanics. Look online for consumer reviews if available. Most importantly, visit and chat with the car repair mechanic for a few minutes before even mentioning your car’s problem. Signs of a professional, honest auto shop include fairly clean and organized premises (a bit of grease is to be expected of course), cars being serviced orderly and efficiently, qualifications and certificates displayed, and easily understandable service contracts.

Another way to avoid unnecessary repairs is to keep tabs on your car yourself. If you perform regular maintenance such as oil changes and engine checks, the less likely it is that you will suddenly have an unexpected repair. Ensuring you bring your car in at the first sign of problems can also help ward off unwanted car repair. If your mechanic does bring up some extra work that needs to be attended to, ask him to show you the problem and walk through it with you. Ask for all prices up front as well as time estimates.

One of the worst scams a car repair shop can pull is charging you far over the estimate or performing another job without first getting the approval from you. This is illegal and unacceptable. All car repair shops should contact you the moment they believe the job will cost more or if they think there is another problem that needs to be addressed. Ask for the price of parts up front as well. There is a good chance you can shop around and find a better deal than what is on offer.

By Alfred Ardis