It’s funny how many people complain how they can’t find an honest auto care shop. I’ve heard to many times how some mechanic ripped someone off. Yet when I ask a few questions it seems like the problem always boils down to a few simple problems. The mechanic wasn’t skilled for the job. They didn’t care about the customer, or care to understand the actual complaint. Last but not least they didn’t bother to educate the customer about the problem and the solution. So how do you find an honest auto care shop?
Check for Certifications and Associations.
If you want to find an honest auto care shop, look for their certifications. Most shops love to show off any certificate of training they’ve ever gotten. The most common certifications a mechanic gets is by the ASE (Automotive Service Excellence).
With ASE you can get certified in all sorts of areas. It takes being certified in 8 specific automotive areas to become a ASE Master Technician. It’s not easy to become ASE certified, it takes 2 years of experience passing a test on a specific area.
Of course ASE isn’t the only place that gives certifications. AAA, ASA. and the Better Business Bureau are just a few companies that honest auto care shops can earn certifications from. So make sure you look around for some sort of certification when you walk into a repair shop. There’s only two reasons why a shop wouldn’t post these things for everyone to see. They are so good and have so much business they don’t care to take a few tests or do a few extra things to get the certification, or they are that bad. If they are that good you’ll know it. On the other hand if they are that bad you may not know until it’s too late. So look around.
Understand your concerns
You want a good mechanic shop that you can trust to give you honest auto care, look for one that genuinely cares about your concerns. Lots of shops will listen to your complaint for a whole 2 to 3 minutes then grab your keys and go try to find a problem. The issue with that is they don’t always find the problem that is related to your concern.
You know your car better than anyone else. If you have a noise complaint, the shop should take you for a ride so they can be sure that what they hear is what you care about. Not to mention if you bring the car in for an engine problem, they shouldn’t be trying to sell you anything before addressing your engine problem. Even if they didn’t find any engine problems. They shouldn’t be trying to sell you brakes, or suspension parts before explaining they didn’t find any engine problems, and these are the tests we did looking for them. Only after they fully addressed your concern should an honest and trustworthy mechanic try to sell you anything else, including any required maintenance.
Educate instead of Sell?
The most honest auto care shops will educate you fully as to why your car needs fixed, instead of selling you a repair. I know this sounds like just rephrasing the same statement but it’s not. Many shops go for the hard sell. They explain how bad your car is and how much you need to fix it. Without truly explaining the problems and why you are better off to fix them.
Explain the problem
The first thing any shop should do is explain the problem. If you have worn out brakes they shouldn’t just say hey you need brakes. They should explain that your brake pads are at the end of their useful life and will need to be replaced soon or they may stop working. The best repair shops will give you the exact measurements and explain to you that your brake pads have 3 mm of brake material left, new ones have over 8 mm and and the minimum amount required on your car to safely drive and stop is 2 mm. Or at least something to that effect. Having all the numbers and suggestions is a good way to educate you so you aren’t left wondering if the mechanic needs to make his boat payment with your car’s repairs.
Show you the problem
Many times just explaining the problem isn’t enough. A lot of time it’s hard to understand a ripped CV boot, or a loose suspension part. They should always offer to take you into the shop and show you the problem. This way you can see how big the rip is, or just how loose the part is. Loose is sort of a judgement call to many people, however in the automotive world many specs are simple any perceived play equals the part is dangerous and needs replaced. If you aren’t shown the play or explained the specs you may decide not to spend to money to fix your car. It’s only a little loose right?
Explain Options and Fixes
Now that the honest auto care shop has explained the problem and shown it to you. They need to explain your options. This sounds pretty simple you either fix it or you don’t. The problem is it’s not always that simple. Many times there’s options of parts costs, extras that should be replaced while do the the repair that will save you money later on, and other stuff. Not to mention you should be given an explanation of how important it is that it get fixed today. Not every repair is life or death that it be fixed today. If you feel that after they explain what’s broke that it ok to wait till you have money. The repair shop shouldn’t give you the full court press to fix it today. An honest shop doesn’t want your money today. They want your business for life.
Always checking for your Safety
Well it may seem dishonest when your mechanic tells you, you need brakes when you just came in for an oil change. It’s not dishonest or even bad. You want an honest auto care shop that goes above and beyond looking for safety issues that may get you hurt if not fixed. Brakes, steering, and suspension problems are the most dangerous issues your car can have. It doesn’t matter if you runs if it doesn’t stop. It doesn’t matter if it stops if you can’t control where it’s going. A good shop will look for these issues even if that’s not what you are paying them for. They will always make sure they have your safety in mind when looking at your car.
Conclusion
If you are looking for an honest auto care then first thing you should look for is certifications. After that make sure they clearly address your concerns first and foremost. In the process of addressing your concerns they should be teaching you about your car. They need to only explain your problem but show you and give you options of repairs to fix your problem. Last but not least they should always have your safety at heart. Even going above and beyond to make sure your car is safe to drive.
View Comments (2)
It made sense when you said that an honest mechanic will explain our options about parts and extras so we can make the best decision for our situation. My husband thinks his diesel truck needs to be serviced soon because the engine has been making strange noises for the last couple of days. Reading your article was helpful because now I know how to identify a good auto service to work with!
Thank you. My goal with this blog is to help others. I'm glad to know I've helped you. If you ever have any questions please feel free to contact me.