How To Find An Auto Mechanic
That Won’t Rip You Off
That Won’t Rip You Off
The
best way to find any service provider, including an auto mechanic, is based on
referrals from friends and family. But
automobile breakdowns rarely happen at convenient times or places, and you may
need to select from repair shops within a few miles. Look for these five things to find a good
mechanic:
1.
Certifications: Look
for a plaque on the wall for ASE certification from the National Institute for
Automotive Service Excellence. Remember
that not every mechanic in the garage will be certified for your particular
type of repairs. If they have the ASE
Blue Seal of Excellence it means that at least 75 percent of the techs have
been certified and each area of service in the shop has someone certified in that
area.
2.
Length of time in business: Experience
helps. Look for a shop that has been in the same location more than five years. If you see a shop, you can search for user
reviews of their work at a site like www.yelp.com.
3.
Billing Rate: If you can, talk to the owner of the garage. One of the questions to ask is whether they
charge a “straight hourly rate” based on the actual time spent on the repair or
“book rate” that can be higher.
4.
Referrals and opinions from the web: If
you have a smart phone, get other opinions by searching an online forum about
your issue. A good place to start is at www.edmunds.com/forums. For another viewpoint, ask a mechanic from
another auto shop who does not work on your type of vehicle. The shop specializing in European cars can
probably tell you the best mechanic for a Japanese vehicle.
5.
Getting the right thing fixed: Once
you find a shop, don’t be fooled into fixes you may not need. You can find tools for diagnosing symptoms
and estimating repair costs at www.automd.com. You’ll also find quick online advice at www.repairpal.com, which has a useful
question and answer tool.
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