Whether you know a little or a lot about auto repair, there will come a time when you have to enlist the services of a mechanic. Learn how to find the best mechanic in your area.
Whether you know a little or a lot about auto repair, there will come a time when you have to enlist the services of a mechanic. If you know but a little, that time will not be far off. If you know a lot, you may be able to tackle some problems on your own. Still, some problems will almost certainly be beyond your scope. Either way, it pays to have the line on a good shop you can trust. A dream mechanic for most people is a skilled individual or shop that will play fair with you, be up front, and won't charge you an arm and a leg for parts that should only cost...an arm. Here are some tips that will help you find this mythical beast. Hint: it isn't that hard.
The internet has made finding quality people in the service industry quite a bit easier. This includes looking for auto repair shops. If there's one thing people like, it's being able to express their views in a public forum. The internet, of course, is the ultimate public forum. It provides a way for people to get the word out, which they will certainly want to do if they have been wronged in any way as a customer. Generally speaking, people aren't quite as anxious to lavish praise on a shop when they are treated exceptionally well (many feel this should be the default standard and thus not worthy of any special acknowledgement), but a few good reviews will always shine through.
Make some calls. Find out which auto repair shops in your area your neighbors choose to use when they need maintenance. Ask your co-workers. Nearly everyone you know probably owns a car. They must be taking it somewhere. See where that "somewhere" is. If you see the same name continue to pop up again and again, you know you might be on to something. Enough real life favorable reviews will give you the confidence you need to trust a mechanic. From there, all you'll need to do is evaluate your own experience with them to see if it matches up.
The most important thing is not to wait until your have emergency auto repair work needed before you start looking for your dream mechanic. That mechanic may come in the form of an individual working out of his home garage, or a major national chain. But you won't know who to trust if you have only a couple of hours to decide where to go. Give yourself some leeway and find a good shop before you actually have any problems.
