How To Find A Transmission Repair Shop

Locating a quality transmission repair service is an important task! Leafing through your local yellow pages may work wonderfully when looking for a new pizza place, but when it comes to issues with your transmission, you owe it to yourself to devote a sufficient amount of time to addressing the problem properly. Though you may be intimidated by the amount of services available to you, all it takes is a little drive, persistence and patience to find your match. In this article, we will offer up a few tips to help you find a reputable transmission repair shop.

Step 1 - Get in touch with friends, neighbors, family members and coworkers to see if they have any recommendations. If you find someone with a past experience, ask a few questions regarding the issue that was addressed, the service provided, the pricing and the location of the shop itself. Word of mouth and customer reviews are two great ways to get a true gage of the mechanic you're working with.

Step 2 - If you have a regular mechanic that you use for regular maintenance and engine issues, call them up to find out if they have any recommendations as well. Most auto mechanics are well aware of other industry specialists in their area and can point you in the direction of someone worth while.

Step 3 - Search for shops online. These days, there are a variety of sites available to consumers that post user-submitted reviews and ratings. Take a close look through a few of these sites and jot down contact information on shops that appear to have good reviews and satisfied customers.

Step 4 - Once you've gathered a solid list of prospects, get in touch with your local chamber of commerce and consumer advocate groups to find out whether any complaints have been registered against the shops in question. Be sure to dig a little deeper, keeping in mind that many people may complain about minor service flaws.

Step 5 - Narrow down your list to three shops and call each of them to explain the issue at hand. Have a list of questions ready for them and take notes on the answers provided. Be sure to obtain an estimate from each prospect and compare your notes from each conversation. A quality shop will have no issues explaining themselves and will be able to give you a list of fees up front.

Step 6 - Make sure that the mechanics working at the shop have been certified by ASE. The ASE is a non-profit organization that tests and certifies mechanics across the country. Keep in mind that this organization certifies only individuals, not businesses. This information can be obtained by simply asking the owner.

Step 7 - Look for red flags. If you are charged for unauthorized work, be sure to take up a complaint with the management. The vehicle owner should approve any work done to their vehicle. If you feel uneasy about an additional repair, be sure to have the mechanic explain themselves when they call for authorization.