Auto Repair: How to Find an Ethical, Reliable Mechanic

Many women (and some men) fear going to the mechanic because they are afraid they will be swindled out of their hard earned money. Rumors of bogus repairs, false claims of worn out parts and inflated prices often scare away consumers, usually because they do not know if they can trust the person that is working on their vehicle. So what should you do if you need work done on your car or truck and you are not sure who to trust?

The first step in finding a reliable auto repair shop is to check with people in your life that you trust. Your good friends, your family members and your neighbors will all be able to give you recommendations of reliable shops. Also, these same people can serve to warn you about mechanics that they think have not acted ethically. The best form of advertisement is word of mouth! Start asking around and you might be surprised at how many of your friends and family are thrilled with their mechanic and are eager to recommend to you the auto repair shop of their choice.

Next, you should look up a few auto repair businesses in the phone book or online. A quick internet search can reveal positive and negative reviews about a company. Keep in mind that more negative reviews are posted than positive ones, as displeased consumers generally voice their displeasure more frequently than happily satisfied consumers do. Call a few of the companies and ask a few questions to get an idea of how friendly the staff is and whether or not they offer free estimates. You will be able to tell a lot about the business by the way the phone call is handled.

Another resource for checking on the ethical practices of a business is the Better Business Bureau. The BBB can inform you of the number of complaints that a company has received and can let you know if the business is in good standing overall. If a business has multiple negative reviews or is not in good standing with the BBB, you should probably avoid it altogether.

Keep in mind that a majority of mechanics are ethical, hard-working individuals. They strive to earn a good living and are not likely to try and bilk you out of extra money by recommending work that does not need to be completed. Generally, you should be able to trust a mechanic that is always busy (an indication that he has a lot of happy customers).