7 rules of thumb for choosing a mechanic

Although he still hasn't kissed a girl, Jeff is a certified mini mechanic. Unfortunately, he could only afford to purchase one tool with his allowance. Image courtesy of buycostumes.com

It’s Monday, you’re most hated day of the week, and just your luck, something’s wrong with the car. So now you’re stuck in traffic phoning a tow truck to come and whisk you away to a garage somewhere, where your car will be fixed for a price. Negotiating this price may be a little tricky. Here are seven simple things to consider.

1. You’re going to want to make sure the mechanic is using the products you want for your car. Some of us would rather fork out the extra dough to buy a little more durable or high quality replacement part. If you’re looking to save a buck, make sure to ask about buying used parts or if they would be willing go to the junk yard and pull the part.

2. Contact information is important especially for giving the green light if there are any additional changes and charges. You shouldn’t be surprised about anything that’s been done to your car when you go to pick it up and pay.

3. Make sure all the important information about the car itself such as VIN numbers, plates, and the regular year, make, and model is documented and provided to you to protect your rights if something happens to your car while at the garage.

4. An estimate is standard practice in the auto repair world, so if your guy doesn’t give you a run down of what needs to be done, get out of there! Signing a contract based on the estimate is the best way to insure you won’t get swindled by a dirty mechanic.

5. The broken parts taken off of your car should be disposed of properly. Some parts like alternators, starters, and axels can be recycled and/or refurbished and most good garages will take care of this for you.

6. Sign a contract. If you don’t sign anything, the mechanic can essentially charge you whatever he wants and isn’t legally responsible for your automobile. On that contract should be your grand total cost for the repairs, including labor and parts. A lot of places will charge you an hourly rate for the labor hours, so ask what the rate is and how long they expect the job to take.

7. By now, you’re looking at the end of the whole ordeal, and if the mechanic is a stand up person, he will tell you about anything else that’s out of place under the hood. Hopefully you don’t have any other problems, but if you do, it’s always better to be aware of them if you have to put off the repairs.

—AJ Register

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