5 Steps to Finding a Mechanic You Trust

By Lauren Fix, The Car Coach

When there’s a problem with your vehicle, where do you find a mechanic or technician to trust to work on your car?

You can go to the dealer or an independent repair shop, but which one can you trust? How do you get a discount on that maintenance?

Whether it’s an oil change or major repair, no one wants to overpay, get scammed or wait forever. Some solutions are easy. Check out these five simple steps.

First of all, don’t wait until your vehicle is being towed to start thinking about finding a mechanic. If you haven’t already chosen a mechanic you trust, then you are at someone else’s mercy.

Do your Homework
Make sure it is the right time for maintenance. All vehicles have a preventive maintenance schedule. Services such as fluid flushes, filter replacements, tire rotations, and more should be performed regularly.

If you’re told you need an unexpected service, check your owner’s manual first. No car is maintenance-free. These are machines with moving parts that wear and need to be serviced.

Check for Certification
An Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) certification is a good indicator of a trustworthy and trained mechanic. ASE experienced technicians undergo continuing education to keep up on all the latest technology and techniques.

Test out a New Mechanic
When you find a mechanic you want to try, take in your vehicle for a routine and inexpensive service, like an oil change or filter replacement. You will learn a lot about how the mechanic treats customers and runs the business.

Ask Questions
An honest mechanic should be happy to answer all of your questions about a service or repair. Even if you don’t know anything about an engine, asking questions indicates that you will not take everything at face value. If the mechanic refuses to take the time to answer questions, move on to someone else!

Billing Breakdown
A good mechanic will provide an itemized quote upfront that includes parts, labor, and additional fees or taxes. Be sure to ask any questions on any part of the estimate or bill. It is a good idea to have your written quote with you when it’s time to pay the bill to compare the two costs.

Do you Need Help Finding a Mechanic?
CarAdvise.com is a free online car care platform created to help you manage all of your car’s needs with ease. They make car maintenance more convenient and more affordable. Car Advise currently partners with over 23,000 shops around the US and Canada.

All you need is a phone, tablet, or computer to manage appointments, compare pricing at nearby shops, learn more about the repairs, approve services and even pay online. The upfront pricing saves you money. Book your appointment online and get the work done. The platform also keeps all your car repair and maintenance schedule online with easy access any time.

Lauren Fix, The Car Coach®, is a nationally recognized automotive expert, analyst, author, and television host.  A trusted car expert, Lauren provides an insider’s perspective on a wide range of automotive topics and aspects, energy, industry, consumer news, and safety issues.   

Lauren is the CEO of Automotive Aspects and the Editor-in-Chief of Car Coach Reports, a global automotive news outlet. She is an automotive contributor to national and local television news shows, including Fox News, Fox Business, CNN International, The Weather Channel, Inside Edition, Local Now News, Community Digital News, and more. Lauren also co-hosts a regular show on ABC.com with Paul Brian called “His Turn – Her Turn” and hosts regular radio segments on USA Radio – DayBreak. 

Lauren is honored to be inducted into the Women’s Transportation Hall of Fame and a Board Member of the Buffalo Motorcar Museum, and Juror / President for the North American Car, Utility & Truck of the Year Awards.  

Check her out on Twitter and Instagram @LaurenFix.

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