Finding a Good Car Mechanic
One of the most under-appreciated professions out there is that of an auto mechanic. How many people do you meet in your life that have such an impact on you and your family’s safety as well as your finances? A good, trustworthy mechanic can save you a ton of money in the long run.
Seinfeld fans may remember how Jerry traded the right to use his “move” to Putty for his cheap and reliable auto mechanic services. That’s deep. A good auto mechanic can be hard to come by. And when you find one, you don’t want to let them go. Here are some pointers on how to find them.
Where Should I Take my Car for Service?
You generally have three options: large national chains and dealerships are two of them. They typically have revenue goals in mind and this can create conflict of interest when they look at your vehicle. Small issues or issues that can wait become urgent matters that you should attend to in their opinion. You’ll rarely be able to meet the mechanic working on your car, and forget ever discussing your car with the mechanic. And by all means, avoid dealerships, unless your vehicle is still under warranty due to lofty prices.
For anything more than an oil change, locally owned, independent garages are the way to go.
The Local Mechanic Advantage
Local mechanics have their reputation at stake and know that the key to their success against the giant chains is to build long-term relationships with their customers. The guy working on your vehicle may be the owner or he works closely with the owner. They get to know your vehicle inside and out over time, and you’ll always be able to discuss your vehicle’s health with them.
Additionally, with a local mechanic, you are keeping more of your money local. When it comes to expenses, you’ll probably find that their prices are typically as good or better than some of the national chains. The only problem with local mechanics is that word-of-mouth and drive by traffic are typically their only forms of advertisement, so they can be hard to find at times. The good ones don’t need paid advertisement because they retain all of their customers.
How to Find a Good Auto Mechanic Locally
There are a number of ways to find a good local mechanic.
- Ask your friends or neighbors if they know of a good local mechanic. If you start to hear a name pop up consistently, you might be on to something.
- Check with local car enthusiasts at auto shows or find local members of a car club and see who they recommend.
- See if your local news organization does a “best of town” series. Many times auto mechanics are covered.
- Check out cartalk.com’s Mechanics Files. Cartalk.com is run by NPR. You plug in your zip code and get ratings for mechanics in your area. Mechanics are rated on honesty, competence, price, speed, the job they do, and more.
- Look at the reviews on Google Maps.
Get Multiple Quotes Before Getting Auto Service Done
A good mechanic is one who doesn’t rip you off. Therefore, it’s wise to price out a particular job from a number of sources before you get the work done by a mechanic. You need to know if you are getting a good and honest quote.
You can get a good price baseline by using the the RepairPal, cars.com, or NAPA repair estimator tools. These tools will give you some good baseline estimates for repair work.
After getting these estimates online, you can begin calling around to the different shops that you’ve selected to call. Always get your estimates in writing before authorizing the work.
How do I know if I’ve Found a Good Auto Mechanic?
Ask yourself the following questions to determine whether you’ve found a good mechanic or not.
- What are their affiliations and certifications? Are their mechanics registered with the National Institute of Automotive Service Excellence (ASE)? Are they affiliated with other trade associations such as the Automotive Service Association (ASA) or American Automobile Association (AAA)? If they are, it’s not a guarantee of a solid operation, but these associations typically require a certain amount of training for mechanics in order for the business to achieve affiliation. It’s a good place to start.
- Check with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) for customer complaints.
- Check review sites such as Google Maps and NPR’s Mechanics Files to see what people say about the business.
- What is their warranty policy? The longer the better (unless you’re paying for extending it). Is it only on parts, or does it also include labor?
- Does the mechanic give you options that you can choose from that will save you money? This is a sure sign of an honest mechanic.
- Will they let you watch while they work? Good mechanics aren’t afraid to let you sit nearby to see the quality and speed at which they work.
- Are they friendly, helpful, and not irritated by your questions? A good mechanic typically has an enthusiasm or excitement towards educating their customers about their vehicles. If you’ve run into a jerk who doesn’t want to discuss things with you, go elsewhere.
- Is the shop organized and clean? Good mechanics and management typically have a clean shop as it is an extension of the work that they do.
- Talk to them and build a relationship.
Following this list, you’ll know when you’ve found a good mechanic.
How I Knew I Found a Good Mechanic
For the first time in my new area of residence I had to find a mechanic. I visited the Cartalk website and looked for local mechanics. Fortunately, I had many to choose from nearby. A few of the mechanics had a large number of comments. I looked through them and found one that had comments such as “I moved 2,000 miles away, but considered driving back so that he could look at my car”, “I was worried he wasn’t charging enough to keep his business going”, and “I’ll take my car to him until one of us dies”. This was good enough for me to call make the call and set up the appointment.
When I got there I was happy to see that I could sit 10 feet away from the mechanic while he worked. He was able to give me pointers and discuss things with me while he was working on the vehicle. He gave me an option between $20 and $150 fix to an issue and urged me towards the $20 fix. He also was able to determine the cause of a noise on the underside of my car that had plagued me for two years (and fixed it for free). All costs were laid out and explained prior to him starting work. He was friendly, efficient, and the price was affordable. Not only will I go back, but I’ll recommend him to others.
Finding a Good Auto Mechanic Discussion:
- How were you able to find a good mechanic?
- What is your best experience with a mechanic?
- What is your worst experience with a mechanic?
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Thanks for the site, I had a good local mechanic but have moved and need to find a new one in my town. I agree a local mechanic is the way to go. My car had problems over the summer that required me to go a few times and they really got to not just know my car, but know me to. I like that personal relationship you don’t get at the larger chains.
Craig
do you have enough money to keep your family together and still have food on the table
I really appreciate the advice in this article. I moved to a new town a little over a year ago, and decided to take my car in to be serviced at a Firestone shop in town. They gave me a list with over $1,500 in recommended repairs/replacements, but said most of them were based on mileage (and probably not really necessary). I think when I am “home” over the holidays, I will take my car in to the (local) mechanic my dad takes his vehicles to for a second opinion. Also, my car has to pass a state inspection in order to get my license plates renewed in January, so I might just wait and see what (if anything) is needed to pass that inspection!
I’ve never been much good with cars, I’m more of a computer guy, so this article is very informative to me. I’m just glad you took the time to try and make a quality guide for people like me who don’t know a piston from a gasket. I feel like the next time I take my car in for some work I will be better prepared to get a good deal. Thanks for the help.
Try this Website as we phone around for the best price on all your Car Repairs & Servicing from our list of Approved Car Garages withing the uk.
Try this Website as we phone around for the best price on all your Car Repairs & Servicing from our list of Approved Car Garages within the uk.
Very informative article. I want to sugest these places for people trying to find good service providers.
1) http://www.angieslist.com
2) http://www.mechanicratingz.com
Thanks for your article.
Pedro Talavera.
Thats definitely some good advice.Any garage or mechanic that is not up front with its prices on car repair or servicing has got something to hide.Always ask as many questions you can,again if the answers are short you know this is not the right garage for you
Thanks for the article and I used cartalk also to find my new mechanic and I am in love. (no homo)
Hi G.E. Miller,
You raise some great points in this article regarding the importance of finding a trustworthy and reliable mechanic (too many people settle for a mechanic based on convenience, which isn’t always the best option, especially when wanting a high quality and cost effective mechanic). I have actually just created an infographic on the do’s and don’t’s of choosing a mechanic. Let me know if you would like to see it.
Cheers, Chris
This is extremely helpful!!!
Thank you for the wonderful tips.
Thanks so much for this! It’s been touch and go finding a good mechanic, so these tips are gold. I never considered that friendliness and overall appreciation for their job is a good indicator of quality and professionalism. This might be completely wrong, but I feel like people who like their jobs are more likely to be honest. Great information!
I like how this talks about finding local mechanics that you can trust. For a long time we had our neighbor that we were good friends with check out our cars and fix issues they had. It was nice because we knew he wouldn’t rip us off and we knew he was a good guy, overall. He would also give us deals because we would share some of our farm produce with him. Eventually he had the business of our whole neighborhood. So I think overall it helps to get to know who people and about their lives and you can share services.
I think looking through the comments is a great way to tell how dedicated your auto shop is to your car. However, I do sometimes take off-the-wall comments with a grain of salt. I know some people just can’t be pleased, but if there are a lot of comments about how good they are, it is probably a pretty good sign.
Thanks for your post. I think these are all really useful tips. One of the questions you posted was to ask yourself if the mechanic gives you options to choose from. I think that’s a great tip. Often they will just tell you how it is because I think they do know what is best. However, sometimes I find I cant pay for such services and need to find an alternative to getting my car back on the road.
This is some really great advice for anyone looking for a great mechanic in their area. I like that you started with referrals, as they’re a great way to find any sort of product or service, and they’re likely one you can trust, because others have trusted. And looking up affiliations and the like is another great way to make sure you can trust a mechanic. Thanks so much for writing!
I love that you mentioned you were able to watch your mechanic fix your car. I like that he gave you options as well, a sign of a good honest mechanic. I have never been able to fix my own cars so it is nice to know I’m not paying for things I don’t need.
Thanks for going through this checklist of things to look for in a mechanic. I’ve been on the lookout for a good car repair service for years, so it will help me to have a list of criteria that will point me to a good technician. Going to a repair service that’s helpful and happy to answer my questions seems like a good indicator that I’ve found someone trustworthy to work on my car. I’ll also check if they would allow me to be in a waiting area where I can watch them repair my car, since that would indicate they feel comfortable with me knowing exactly what they’re doing to work on it.
The whole owning and driving a car thing is something that I’m not used to and am fairly new at. With that being the case, I honestly have no idea how to go about getting my car fixed if it ever breaks down. This helped me a ton and I hope to find a local mechanic that will work hard to make sure that my car is well taken care of so that their rep stays at a good place.
I have always known it’s really important to find a good mechanic. It makes sense that a local mechanic would be best, I prefer them. From my experience, you’re right, their prices are as good or better than bigger chains.
I really like the car that I drive, and wanted to keep it in good condition for a while. It sounds like a great idea to check your local newspaper for a mechanic. We get the paper delivered to our house, and will usually just throw it out, but we will have to start looking at it now.
Problems changing gears
I had no idea that a good auto mechanic will have a warranty policy. I’ll have to ask my mechanic about that. I found a local mechanic who works great with me and has always been very reliable and straightforward with me. Thanks for the article, it’ll help me keep my mechanic on his toes!
I think this article makes a good point about the advantage of local mechanics. Since their reputation is at stake, it would make sense they would want long-term relationships with customers through providing great service. I think it also gives you an advantage because you can ask around your neighbors and friends for referrals of which local mechanic they prefer.
I like that you stated that there are tools that you can use to price out the cost of the work. Getting your car repaired can be a costly job. When my sister was getting her car repaired after the crash, she planned it all out and made sure that she wasn’t being over charged. I don’t think that she would have been satisfied if she paid too much for the repair.
I really liked what you had to say about local mechanic and how their success against chains is to build long-term relationships with customers. I can see how that sort of relationship would be really nice for me as a consumer, as they would probably be more willing to educate me and help me make good decisions for myself and my car, not just for their business. It would also be easy to gauge their reputation since you could just ask around your neighborhood and see what people have to say.
My car has been making a lot of weird noises lately, and I was curious about how you would go about choosing a mechanic to help you out. It’s interesting that you say to look and see if the shop is organized and clean. Since it is an auto shop, it might be nice to just see that it’s organized chaos.
These are some great tips for finding a good repair shop. I really don’t know anything about cars, so finding a good repair place is important. Local mechanics seems like the best thing for me, so I will start looking and asking around.
When first buying my car, I was referred to use my car maker’s dealership if problems ever arise. But whenever I take my car in for maintenance, I never feel like this big chain dealership really focuses entirely on my car. After reading this article I think I will look into finding a local mechanic so that the mechanic will learn in the inside and out of my vehicle, be able to discuss all of the real problems with me, and not want to charge me extra for fake problems they hypothesize.
I liked your comment about the local mechanic advantage and how typically the good ones operate through word of mouth and customer retention. I feel like that would mean getting input from family hand friends would be important. It could be a good idea to see what sort of roadside assistance they offer as well, like towing or jump-start services.
Thank you for the tremendous article. You wrote that you should choose a local mechanic, as you can work with them for years and grow a great relationship over time. I just got a truck and I want to make sure that I keep it working great. I’ll have to find a service that could even work on the AC, so that I can go to them for all my truck needs.
Thanks for letting me know that a good mechanic will be associated with organizations such as the Automotive Service Association or the American Automobile Association. Since I just moved to a new town, one of the first things I want to settle is finding a great service that can help take care of my beautiful car. So I’ll be sure to make sure that the mechanic I choose is affiliated with some kind of automotive organization as a sign that they are trustworthy.
Yes can you please help me out my 02 Honda Accord LX needs a fule pump I don’t have any tools can you please send someone to fix my car . My name is Eddie Lara.
It’s nice to know how to find a mechanic. I like how you said to price out a job before actually getting the work done, to avoid getting ripped off. We want to find a shop in our new neighborhood, so I’ll try that strategy.
My uncle drives trucks for a living, and I’m sure that the trucks have issues from time to time. I love how you mentioned that one should ask vehicle enthusiasts for local mechanic recommendations, as it can show you who trusted mechanics are. These tips could potentially help my uncle in the future, so thanks for sharing them.
I totally agree, using your local mechanic is a great idea, as you are supporting a local person who is part of your community.
I like the tip that you gave to choose a mechanic who is properly insured. My wife and I have been talking about finding a mechanic to help us fix my truck, and it would be important for us to know that we could trust in who we choose to hire. If we decide to find a mechanic, I will be sure to check their insurance status beforehand.
You’ve got some great tips for choosing a mechanic. I love how you said that it’s good to find someone local because they watch out for their reputation. We need to find a shop to take my truck to in our new town, so I’ll search locally!
I like the tip that you gave to choose a mechanic who will offer a warranty on their work. My wife and I have been talking about finding a mechanic to help us if we were to get our transmission replaced, and it would be important for us to know that we could trust in who we choose to hire. If we decide to find a mechanic, I will be sure to look for one who will offer warranties on their work.
I like the tip that you gave to check the customer reviews for you to check before you hire mechanic. My wife and I have been talking about finding a mechanic who we could enjoy working with, and it would be important for us to know that we could find one who we could trust will have a good work quality. If we decide to find a mechanic, I will be sure to check the customer reviews before we hire them.
I like that you say it is important to get estimates online from different mechanic shops before choosing one. This way I can compare their prices and the reviews from their previous customers before choosing one. After that, I will visit a few different shops and make sure they are professional, friendly, and helpful.
I just got a car and need to find a good mechanic to have on hand. Thanks for the advice about making sure that the mechanics are certified and up to date on all their certifications. And A good mechanic can help to keep your car running longer and save you money on repairs. And i think i’ll find someone good who also provides guarantees on their work.
Thank you for stating that you should ask your friends or neighbors if they know of a good local mechanic. My friend’s car has a diesel engine, and a couple of days ago it started to make weird noises, so she needs to get it fixed. I will definitely pass along all of your great tips and information to my friend so she can find a great auto mechanic that can fix her engine.
I had never thought about asking the people at car shows to find the best mechanic in town for car repairs. My car has been having some issues with it lately and I am not sure what is wrong with it. I’ll have to ask some of the people I know that regularly go to the car shows who is the best mechanic in town for repairs.
I liked that you mentioned you have a couple of options to fin a car repair shop for your car. My brother is having problems with his car, and we are looking for advice. I will let him know about your article to help him find a good car repair shop.
Good information on finding a trustworthy mechanic. I hate to single out a lot of the big chain discount tire stores and brake shops. But it is also a good idea to generally stay clear of them for auto repair work.
Big national discount auto repair places are known for upselling and even trying to scare people into repairing things they don’t need. This is why they do a 1000 point inspection when a car is brought in for only an oil change. Their sales managers often need to meet a quota for sales and they even earn a commission sometimes. This just encourages high repair bills and mechanics being less than trustworthy.
I like your advice to check for affiliations and certifications for auto mechanics we’re considering. My car’s engine needs to be serviced soon. Thanks for helping me feel prepared to identify the right mechanic service to use!
Thanks for pointing out the sorts of certification I have to look for in a mechanic to make sure that they will deliver good work for my car. My car recently have burned through its fanbelt and while installing one is complicated as it is, looking for loose piece of the old fanbelt is just as hard. I hope I can find a repair service with expertise on this kind of problem.
You made a good point that it would be better if I find an auto repair service with a long warranty period. The body of my car was slightly dented due to a large tree branch falling on tip of it. But more importantly, my windshield was badly cracked as well and I think I’m going to need a replacement. That’s where a long warranty period would come in handy.