Understanding Auto Repair Estimates

There is a common perception that auto repair shops rip off customers and that it all begins by tricking the car owner into accepting an inflated car repair quote. This is not completely true and there are many honest and sincere auto repair shops. But the reputation exists for a reason. Unless you are an automobile engineer, it’s easy for a motor mechanic to give a lot of impressive sounding technical gobbledygook that can convince car owners that they need to spend more than they really have to for car repairs. The trick to not getting ripped off is not in knowing all about the car’s workings but in knowing how to read an estimate and what to look out for.
First of all get to know some of the key terms used:

• Aftermarket parts. These are parts that are not made by the manufacturer or the company who supplies to the manufacturer. In other words, these are not parts that have been tested and approved for use by the car repair companies, even if they match all the specs of the original part. If you are offered these parts, you should always ask why. If the auto repair shop can’t offer you a genuine reason, something is wrong. If they say the original part is in short supply, check this out with other car repair shops and dealers. If the reason is that they are trying to save you money by offering a cheaper but “as good” component, forget it.
Original equipment parts may be more expensive than non standard ones, but the peace of mind you get with them is worth the price. Also, non standard parts may cause damage to other car systems, resulting in an even higher auto repair costs in the long run. And forget about aftermarket parts that are “better than the original.” If they are so good, why aren’t they original equipment?
• Flat fees - are cover services where a fixed rate is charged for auto repair work which is clearly defined such a wheel alignment or brake adjustment. Since the amount of labor and time is known, there are no break ups in the pricing which is for the complete work, minus any parts that may be found to be required during the course of the job. Because there is no break up to the pricing, it’s difficult to know if you are being overcharged for this kind of car repair service. The best solution to this is to compare prices with other auto repair shops. However, since such comparisons are easy to make, most car repair shops don’t fool around with these prices too much.
• Labor rate. This is the per hour cost of labor that the car repair shop, charges. Here again, it’s easy to go to other shops and see if the rates in the estimate you are given are unreasonably high. Keep in mind however, that good car repair shops with highly trained and experienced auto mechanics will be paying them higher wages than a car repair shop filled with rookies. Ask about the experience of the auto mechanics who will be working on your car. It worthwhile paying a bit more for the services of people who really know what they are doing.
• Labor Time. This means the total time that will be spent on doing the auto repair and the final cost of labor will be labor rate multiplied by labor time. Once again making comparisons with other auto repair shops is easy, but someone who is charging you for a greater labor time will justify it by saying that they work with care and do not rush through the work to cut costs.
You will be told that complex jobs cannot be rushed because improper workmanship can result in not just defective repairs, but is damage to other parts of the car which will result in more repairs and additional expense. Obviously, an auto repair shop that charges you for 2 hours labor time for an oil change is ripping you off. But in bigger jobs like transmission repairs, it’s difficult to argue about a couple of hours extra because proper auto repair service may really require that amount of time. The best option is to compare the labor time with other car repair shops and ask for specifics of what more the shop will be doing to justify the higher cost.
Be careful of car repair shops that try to confuse you with a lot of technical jargon. A good auto repair service will try to explain and justify their costs in terms a layman can understand and the rip off places will try to confuse you with terms they know you can’t understand. If you are still uncertain, the rule of the thumb is to take an average of the rates you have gotten from other auto repair shops, and, if the shop you are in inspires confidence, accept a labor time of 10 to 15% above the average.
• Miscellaneous Charges. This again is an area of danger. These charges include things like rags, chemicals and cleaning agents, other items consumed during the course of car repairs, the cost of disposing of hazardous waste materials and so on. Ask for a break up of these costs so that you can compare them with other places. $100 in miscellaneous charges may be fine, but not if it includes $50 as the cost of rags.
• MSRP. This stands for the Manufacturers Suggested Retails Price. When paying for original equipment parts, make sure that you are being charged at the rates that the manufacturer has advised. Insist that the estimate mentions all part prices as MSRP. There’s not much you can do if you are forced to use aftermarket parts because the prices vary hugely and large discounts (usually not passed on tot you) are common.

The biggest problem in estimates lies in what they are – estimates. A motor mechanic may legitimately find, in the course of doing the repairs, that there is more damage than had been previously thought or that some other components are weak and need to be changed before they can cause more damage. But just because your car has been opened up by a car repair shop, don’t think you have to accept the additional costs blindly. Ask around and if the charges seem to be unreasonably high, pay whatever you have to, get the car back as it is and take it to another car repair service provider. If you are being ripped off on the costs, you will probably be ripped off on the quality of the repairs too. Chalk up the money lost to experience and go somewhere that will give you peace of mind that the auto repairs have been done properly.

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