How to Find a Good Auto Mechanic and Avoid getting Swindled

From 3arf

Having work done on your car is expensive enough without being charged an arm and a leg for parts and labor. Sometimes, you find that your bill was far greater than the amount you were first quoted and discover that extra things were done to your vehicle or extra labor was added on.  So how to you make sure to avoid getting swindled when taking your car to an auto mechanic?  Read these tips to help you make informed decisions regarding auto mechanics and get peace of mind when having your car fixed.

If you know what is wrong with your car and just need that particular part fixed, tell the auto mechanic that you do not want charged for anything else.  This is the easy part, but what do you do if you don't know what is wrong and you end up being charged for a whole slew of vehicle problems?  To avoid large auto costs, get a quote first.  Tell the auto mechanic that you are only bringing in the car to find out what is wrong with it.  Be stern in asking for a preset quote that is broken down into all costs for parts, labor, and fluids, if you need them.  Tell your auto mechanic that you do not want any thing fixed until you get a chance to look over the quote.

Show the vehicle quote to someone you trust such as a male figure in your family, such as your husband, boyfriend, a brother, father, or uncle.  Let them break down the prices of each thing that is wrong with your car to be sure you even need all those parts and pieces and that the price being quoted seems fair.  This may be time consuming, but if you can get your husband, father, or brother to quickly look at your car to be sure the parts quoted are actually the ones that need fixed.  A male that you trust may also decide that he can get the parts cheaper for you and save you time and labor costs.  If your husband, father...etc, can do the work for you, you'll only have to pay for parts and steer clear of sneaky auto mechanics.

Unfortunately, it seems to be women that get swindled by auto mechanics the most.  This is usually because many auto mechanics believe a woman does not understand cars or car parts.  Try to be educated when seeking the help of an auto mechanic. Understand the basic terms of your vehicle.  If you know which parts need fixed, research these parts, or speak to your husband or boyfriend to fully understand these vehicle parts before going to the auto mechanic.  An auto mechanic that sees you understand your car, will be less likely to swindle you.  Try looking at your car's owner manual and studying it to further understand your vehicle.  It will be worth it to show an auto mechanic how educated your are about your car.

Make auto mechanics be competitive.  Get a few quotes from different auto mechanics and see who has the best cost on parts and labor.  Sometimes, you can take these quotes to another auto mechanic who will match the lowest cost and save you money.  During such an unstable economy, everyone wants to be competitive and get the most customers.  Many know that in order to do this, they need to beat the competitor's price.  If this is too time consuming for you, you can just take the best price and have that auto mechanic fix your car if you're comfortable with the company.  It's important that you get the best deal on your car, but it's equally important that you're treated kindly and respectfully by the auto mechanic so you need to be comfortable with him.

Find out what is still covered until the warranty of the car.  If you still have a full warranty, you can just take your car to the dealership that you bought the car from.  If you have a limited warranty, take the car to the dealership and find out what parts will be covered.  Get a quote from that dealership on the parts and labor that is not covered.  Search around for the best prices on these parts.  An auto mechanic that knows you still have a partial warranty will also know that you are having certain parts serviced by a dealership.  This often will cause an auto mechanic to do his best when fixing your car so as to not look bad to the dealership.  If a dealership sees that an auto mechanic messed up your vehicle or replaced parts that did not need done, this make the auto mechanic look incompetent and most don't want that.

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