Finding an Honest Mechanic

One of my all time favorite movies is My Cousin Vinny. One of my favorite lines came from the character Mona Lisa Vito when she was asked what qualified her as an expert in automobiles. She responded, "Well my father was a mechanic. His father was a mechanic. My mother's father was a mechanic, my 3 brothers are mechanics, 4 uncles on my fathers side...". And so goes my life. Everyone who is anyone in my family has or had a career in the automotive industry as mechanics.

This has often been a maligned industry and that's why I feel strongly that I need to stick up for it. My family of mechanics was that rare find... honest car repairmen. People came from miles around and waited many days to get an appointment at my Father's shop. Here's a list of some things to consider when you're looking for that honest someone to fix your automobile. It's based on my knowledge of the business.

Don't be afraid to ask questions, especially those you have about the repair bill. If the mechanic (or service manager) knows that you actually look at the bill and aren't afraid to ask questions, they will be less likely to "pad the bill". I, unfortunately, have seen cases where a mechanic will charge for an additional hour or two of labor (and that's often at $50 to $70 an hour) and hide it somewhere in the bill. I think people are looking for the big outright scams, like you see on TV, not this squirreling away of an extra hour or two to perform a service that didn't need to be done in the first place. Another example might be to charge you for a water pump gasket when it was already included in the price of the new pump.

If you feel you have been charged unfairly, speak up! Complain a little! Most auto repair places will "adjust it" to keep you happy and coming back again. Don't be unfair or dishonest yourself, but if you think a part or labor quote is too high, complain... politely.

If you can't understand a company's invoice (sometimes made confusing on purpose), tell them you need an explanation of what "brake job $300" means. Don't leave until you are satisfied with their job description and what parts were used. In fact, ask them to write down a description of the work they did so you can keep it for your record of repairs on your car. It doesn't take long for the mechanic to realize you are someone who will require a full explanation or accounting of all charges and you're going to require it face to face. Never deal with the cashier, politely ask to talk to the mechanic who worked on your car or their service manager.

I hope this helps some of you who haven't had the advantage of working in the auto repair business. This is a truly needed industry and includes many, many hard-working, honest technicians.

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