5 Car Repair Mistakes Made by Mechanics

Even the best car repair mechanics make mistakes, but unfortunately, these can cost you a lot of time, money, and patience. Until you learn how to DIY your transmission or brake pads, you are largely at their mercy. While you won't be able to avoid all of these mechanical blunders, regardless of the skill of the individual working on your vehicle, you can choose a shop with a good reputation and strong warranties backing their work. If you can't stop a problem, the next best thing is damage control. Here are five errors that you may encounter at the local auto shop.

1. Misdiagnosis

A mechanic is a vehicle doctor, which is why it's so imperative that they diagnose the problem correctly the first time, rather than after they've dismantled your transmission. Not only can it cost you extra days and plenty of extra cash, but it can harm your vehicle if they fix or change out parts that were functioning normally. There's little you can do to avoid the danger of misdiagnoses other than doing your best to find a reliable and skilled professional for all of your car repair needs.

2. Double Checking

The double check is crucial to determine whether or not the problem was fully addressed. While you need to take the time to test your vehicle on your own after retrieving it from the shop, they should also perform a decent drive and test themselves to ensure everything is running as it should. This is why it's important to pick shops that stand by their work with guarantees or reasonable warranties.

3. Laziness

Car repair doesn't' come cheap, so you should expect to get what you pay for. Too often mechanics get lazy and don't tighten the screws or fit the wires just right. The result is a sloppy solution that only lasts a couple of weeks or a few short drives. When you bring your auto in, you're paying for a long term fix, not a bandage. Check the work yourself or have a knowledgeable friend take a look for you.

4. Underestimate

A two day turnaround for extensive body work? Sounds great, doesn't it? Many mechanics may inadvertently (or even purposely) underestimate the amount of time needed to complete the car repair. They can fail to take into account important details such as part shipment or their current workload. This can be a major inconvenience for customers. A good mechanic will assist with a loaner vehicle of they are well over estimated delivery time.

5. Don't Listen

You want your spark plugs change, but your mechanic keeps insisting on something to do with the brakes. At the end of the day, the customer chooses what services they wish to purchase, not the mechanic. They can recommend and give advice all they want, but ultimately they need to listen to the customer's needs. Sometimes, a driver can't afford all necessary car repair and just needs one crucial job to get them through to the next paycheck.