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Hate getting your car repaired? I do, It’s usually expensive and cost an arm and leg. Extremely time-consuming and that hassle no one looks forward to. Strangely enough, it doesn’t have to be that bad. We’ve got some solid ways to save money on your car repairs. Hopefully, make the whole process easier at the same time.

Being married to a mechanic for 25 years has taught me a few thing over the years. So here at, Need It Got It Automotive site we wanted to lend a helping hand. This article is geared more for women but I’m sure there are a few men who walk away with better knowledge as well.  Nothing I hate more than the mechanics who tries to upsell you on unnecessary work. Let’s face it they are just trying to make a living. It’s not their fault but the market they are in.  If they want to provide for their family’s they are forced to steal from our wallets.

Saving Money Is Important, So Do It Right!

The fact is auto repair is or can be very expensive. Then, there’s the wait that can take hours and even days. Most of us avoid it like going to the dentist.  Eventually, we got to go! What happens then, more work and money for letting it go too long. Now let’s look at some ways you can make the whole experience as easy as possible.

First, shop around!. Look for Garages and Mechanics in your area. Second, always get a second opinion in writing. Third, find a repair shop and/or mechanic you can trust. Usually, it will be that one who is NOT trying to UPSELL or charge outrages rates. Once you find them stick with them, Loyalty is a two-way street.

You know that the “good guys” aren’t always your mom and pop mechanics. Sometimes you’ll find them in a suburban dealership. Other times you’ll find them in a gas station garage. If you hear someone tell you to avoid “X type of establishment” at all costs, reject their advice unless they have a specific place they suggest you go. Instead, here are some places to check out and cross-reference to find a trustworthy mechanic:

Consider an AAA Car Care Center or an AAA approved auto repair shop.  Are you a member of AAA? If so, consider visiting a shop operated by or approved by the organization. You pay a membership dues to them every year so take advantage of the discount they offer.

Make sure the shop is ASE Certified. The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) is the major certifying body for automobile mechanics in the United States. Don’t take your car to a shop where the mechanics aren’t ASE certified.

Check out the garage before getting any work done.

This is time-consuming put will pay off in the end. Swing by before you actually have the repair work done. Here are some things to look for.

• Clean and not a bunch of junk cars and parts laying around.
• You want a shop with a high turnover of customers.
• How many years in service? Are they a specialty shop?
• Ask about labor rates (flat rate hours) and guarantees. As well as the warranty on parts and service.
• Courtesy of staff.

Once you have checked them out. Have them inspect your car. Ask them for specification and have them actually show you. Most parts have specs that have to be met. Such parts like brake rotors and drums. Also, ball joints, tie rod ends, and engines. Then get a second opinion.

If you have to have your vehicle towed? Ask the shop to pay for the towing. If they want the work they usually will. Most places if you ask! Will give free oil changes when you get the work done.

Check Car Forums and Other Review Sites For Recommendations.

If you’re not familiar with or a fan of the deep world of auto boards and enthusiast forums, it’s okay. AutomotiveForums.com is host to forums for specific makes and models of cars, and it’s often frequented by mechanics themselves looking for second opinions or help to diagnose issues. Ask around for garage suggestions based on your type of vehicle and your location. Edmunds’ forums is another great place to look.

If you’re willing to spend money, check out Angie’s List, which will certainly help you out, but it costs money to join. Try RepairPal, a service we’ve mentioned before that does the legwork of finding a good mechanic for you. Give them your car’s make and model and the type of repair you need to have done, and they’ll do the rest.

Don’t underestimate the value of word-of-mouth.

Friends and Community

Check with your neighbors and see where they go, and if they’d recommend their mechanic or garage. If you have a community bulletin board, apartment building website, or even a local Facebook group, ask your neighbors. They’ll likely be able to give you some solid options, and there’s nothing like hearing the first-hand experience to help you pick a good mechanic.

Shop Around

Even if you’ve found a reputable garage or mechanic. Don’t stop shopping around for a second opinion if you think you’re being fleeced. Especially if your BS sensor is going off. We’ve discussed the best way to do this before. The big takeaways are simple. Get written estimates, and make sure they’re valid for as long as you plan to shop around. Then take your car to another mechanic. Ideally another trustworthy one for a second opinion. Make sure you don’t share the first garage’s diagnosis and estimate with the second one. See what the second garage says the problem is, and how much they’re willing to charge you for it.

Price Match

If you like to play hardball, you can whip out the original estimate and see if the second mechanic is willing to undercut, has any ongoing specials, or willing to negotiate a lower labor rate or discount. You can even take the second opinion back to the original garage and see if they’re willing to work with you. Be careful, though, that kind of thing can easily backfire, and while you can save money on labor just by picking a shop with lower labor or parts costs, it shouldn’t be your only consideration.

Ultimately, if you want a semi-objective opinion on how much a repair should cost, head back to those car forums we just mentioned and ask the community there. You’ll probably hear some stories from mechanics who have actually done that type of work and are willing to tell you how much a good shop should charge. You can also check out previously mentioned AutoMD for average prices, especially compared to doing the repair yourself.

Need It Got It Automotive Has the Best Price Right Here.

There’s a huge market for simple OBD-II (On-Board Diagnostics, the built-in diagnostics and reporting technology built into most modern cars) scanners you can use at home or with your smartphone to diagnose your own problems. When a light goes up on your dash or your car starts beeping like crazy, there’s usually an OBD code associated with it. These tools will take those codes and beeps and translate them into real language so you understand what’s wrong. Many of them let you do your own health checks on your car, and others will even record data while you drive and help you figure out if there’s a problem before it becomes a serious issue.There’s a whole category of OBD-II code readers and scanners at Amazon.

Phone Application For Diagnostics.

Just make sure that the app you download will help you diagnose issues and perform diagnostics. Many are aimed at enthusiasts who want to keep track of their fuel economy and performance while they drive. Which are great but may not be what you’re looking for. Look for an app that will help you check your car’s health periodically. Report issues early and decipher warning beeps or lights on your dashboard. Most importantly, tell you what the problem with your car is before you take it to the shop.

Speaking of taking the DIY approach, there are some repairs that you really can do yourself. Regardless of your abilities. Basic things like being able to check your own fluids. Replace your own fuel and air filters. Change your own oil is very easy as well. If you’re up to a challenge, you can even replace your own brakes and rotors. Believe me, you start doing these simple repair. You wonder why you ever paid to have then done.

Give yourself some time, get a few tools, and soon you—like me—can move out of the world where you just paying someone else to do everything and waiting hours or days for the privilege. With time, you’ll find yourself in a bright new future where you can change your own oil in minutes instead of waiting for hours or replace your own brakes instead of spending hundreds for someone to hold your car all day for a job that takes about an hour.

In a Financial Bind, Need Help to Pay Your Car Repair Bill?

Often times, these automotive places will offer specials and discounts for particular parts or services.  Such as brakes or wheel rotation, etc.  Take advantage of these specials and any coupons they may have available when you do your repairs.

Unfortunately, there is not a magic cash tree.  However, if your credit is not the greatest, this is one area that is the best way to rebuild your credit, in the form of a credit card specifically for car repairs.  Or if you have no credit history, this is a good way to do it also.  Dedicate this credit card only for emergency car repairs and request only the amount of the total care repair bill.

Most of these credit card offers will have a minimum spent before they offer special terms for re-payment.  For example, my car repair credit card offers me six months no interest providing my “purchase”, or total cost of my car repair, is at least $300.00.  Then, as long as it is paid in full by the sixth month, I have no interest payments.  So for $300.00, I am agreeing to pay a minimum of $50/per month to pay it in full.  I would actually recommend for a 6-month no interest promotion, always try to pay it in 4-5 months.  This helps build a strong credit score and still voids interest.  When the balance is not paid in full, the interest will be charged on the original total of the purchase, often at a high rate of interest.

Finally, Know When To Dispute Your Bill.

Check it over before you hand over your credit card. Make sure you’re not being billed for duplicate labor charges and parts. Is the total the same as the estimate you were given? It doesn’t hurt to ask for your old parts back either, usually before they start work (after everything’s said and done, you’ll probably hear “oh, we disposed of them already”) to make sure they’re on the up and up.

Some of the sites we mentioned, like RepairPal, AutoMD, DriverSide, and ALLDATAdiy help you understand Just how much different repairs cost. Research in advance is best. Meanwhile, if you’re waiting for work to be done. Why not look up the work on your phone while you wait. You’ll have plenty of time to educate yourself, and you’re right there in case you need to talk to someone.

Take Control Of Your Automotive Repairs.

At the end of the day, the more research you do in advance to find a great place, the more you learn about how car repairs work and how much they cost, and the more you can do yourself without ever going to the mechanic, the more comfortable you’ll be about the whole car repair process. Plus, if you do your homework, you’ll save hundreds. Maybe even thousand of dollars over the life of your car. Just by being a smart car owner. Preferably one that’s not afraid to get his or her hands dirty now and again. Always, remember to get the best price here at Need It Got It Automotive.

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