When you ask people to describe who their mechanic is you always get two completely different answers. One side usually talks about how cheap they are, or how fast they are, but they always add-in you have to watch them so they don’t get ripped off. The other people talk about how their mechanic is amazing they make an appointment drop off their car and pick it up. They trust everything he says and normally don’t even question anything they say. They just tell the mechanic to fix the car and trust it’s done. These people have found a trustworthy mechanic and they know it.
Trustworthy VS. Good
When people ask about finding a mechanic they always ask do you know any good mechanics. Like most mechanics are bad and there are few good mechanics. Very few mechanics that are bad stay in business for any length of time. What they really want is a mechanic shop that is so trustworthy, that they can drop their car off, and know nothing was fixed or done that didn’t need to be done. The kind of shop that if you handed them $1000 dollars and said fix it. When they found only $100 dollars of work needed that is all that would get done.
Good mechanics can fix problems. Replace parts. Make sure your car runs better than it did when you brought it in. However, you can be a good mechanic, and even a great mechanic and still rip people off by charging for unnecessary repairs.
A trustworthy mechanic will address your problem fix it, let you know if anything else needs to be addressed, and never try to get money for things that are required. Plus if they are great and trustworthy they will try their hardest to save you money in the long run.
How Mechanics Get Paid
Most mechanics get paid by the job, not by the hour. Because of this, they want to stay as busy as possible. Sometimes this could be construed as the mechanic trying to rip you off. We’ve all heard “I just made my mechanics boat payment”. This is not the truth they are doing their best to find everything that is wrong with your vehicle. This is a good thing.
A trustworthy mechanic will tell you about the things that are a safety issue, first. Then they will show you what is worn out, or getting close to needed repaired. Last they will help you understand the things they can do now to save you money in costly repairs later. The fastest way to know you have a trustworthy mechanic is how they sell you the repairs you need.
The Sale
When your mechanic explains to you what your vehicle needs, he should address your concerns first. Many times the fix for your concern will not make him a lot of money. If you complain about a noise. The cause of this noise should be the first thing he talks to you about. It shouldn’t matter that the noise is the same noise every car of your make and model makes. Your concerns should be addressed before any other attempts to sell you anything. A mechanic that truly cares about you will answer your concerns first. Even when he knows you have no need to be concerned.
Once your main concerns are handled, unless you have a new car there will be things you need to do. Any safety concerns will be addressed next. Then things that should be fixed soon and last maintenance. Walk away from any shop that pushes maintenance over repairs. There is only two explanations for this behavior. The repairs aren’t needed but they are trying to sell them anyway, or they make more money on maintenance and that’s all they care about.
Bad Mechanics, and Salesmen
If you find a mechanic that makes you feel that everything is a life or death repair, you need a second opinion. Unless it’s a brake issue or a steering/suspension issue there are very few things on a car that will cause death. Many things can leave you stranded. That’s not a life or death situation for most people. They shouldn’t be selling you like it is. The most trustworthy mechanics are not going to pressure you do to work on your vehicle. They know it’s your car. You will fix it if you want.
They may tell you things like, I’d fix this as soon as possible, or I wouldn’t drive it until you get it fixed. You’ll also get suggestions like this needs to be fixed in the next few months or even before winter. These are all acceptable suggestions. What you really want is a person who takes the time to explain it to you. They need to make you understand why it needs repaired so you can decide if you are willing to risk not fixing it. You never feel pressured to fix it. You should only be educated as to why you need to fix it.
Maintenance
If you ever get find a mechanic who is pushy about maintenance on a vehicle be leery. It’s one thing to remind you that you need to flush your radiator or transmission. They should explain why you need maintenance. Once they have explained the benefits of doing the maintenance, they should back off. A friendly reminder every now and then is acceptable. What’s not acceptable is making you feel like you have to do it today. You should never feel like you’ll ruin your car tomorrow if you don’t get a flush done today.
Always Go Back
Once you’ve found your mechanic stop looking. Too many people have more than one mechanic. Trust is something that is earned. It works both ways. If you want a mechanic to be open and honest with you. You must be a loyal customer.
Many mechanics will help you out free if they know you will be back. Expecting them to always go that extra mile when you always go to the cheapest place, doesn’t work. If you only come to them for things where they will lose money, they will stop losing money.
Conclusion
If you want to find a trustworthy mechanic find someone who puts your needs over their finances. Don’t worry about if your mechanic is good because bad mechanics don’t stay in business very long. You want someone that is always going to treat you like they would treat their mom or grandma. When you do find that mechanic you trust don’t take your car anywhere else. Just because you find someone else cheaper doesn’t mean you are going to get a better deal. You should treat your mechanic like you would a doctor. When you find one that is right for you to keep going to them.
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