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Thursday, August 31, 2006

Car / Auto Mechanics: Putting a Dent In Your Wallet

When you're looking to get your car serviced or repaired, you have two options: the vehicle dealership or an independent shop. As always, the choice involves a trade-off: independent shops usually charge a bit less than their dealership counterparts, but there's also less accountability and no dealer warranty. But no matter which lot you pull into, you'll run into the same time-honored tricks over and over again. In this article, we'll tell you what you need to know when dealing with auto mechanics, and what you have to do to protect yourself.


What It Costs:

Every service or repair job has two cost components: parts and labor. Just what they'll be put together will vary widely depending on what the job is. If you're coming in for scheduled maintenance on a like-new ride with no problems to speak of, it will cost you $100 – $300, depending on the make and model of your car; more expensive vehicles typically need more expensive replacement parts. If you sputter into the lot looking for a tune-up on your old warhorse, that can run you $500 – $1,000 or more. For older cars, the cost will depend not only on make and model, but age, mileage, and how conscientious you've been about getting your car serviced in the past. If you're trying to reconstruct a wreck after a head-on collision, you can expect the bill to be a few thousand dollars. Accident damage, however, may be covered in whole or in part by your insurance policy.

The Car / Auto Mechanic Says:

“I am an honest, reliable, and dedicated professional. I became an auto mechanic because I love cars, and all I want is to give your car the care it deserves at a price that's fair both to me and to you. I always take pains to make my estimates as accurate as possible, and, once I begin the repairs, I do everything I can to stay within the figure I gave you. I will never try to foist unnecessary parts or services on you and will only do the work we agreed upon beforehand. You'll be back on the road in no time, but in a much safer car than the one you came in with. Because above everything else, my first interest is to keep you and your family safe.”

The Snitch Says:

“While few people actually put your interests ahead of their own, most people at least make an effort to consider them. Of course, most people aren't car mechanics. No one else has nearly as abysmal a track record as mechanics do when it comes to consideration of the client. Auto mechanics typically provoke more complaints to consumer protection agencies than any other profession. While a car salesman may sucker you into buying something you don't want or need, auto mechanics take the exploitation much further, cashing in on their "expert" cachet and preying on your everyday fears. If you pull into the lot for a routine tune-up, don't be surprised if the mechanic 'discovers' a few very critical (and very expensive) problems along the way. And if you don't get them fixed right now—that is, in his shop—the worst could happen the moment you pull back onto the freeway, he'll warn. It's a bit like a doctor insisting you need an emergency quadruple bypass when you just came in for a flu shot.

The car mechanic hooks his victims on flashy marketing gimmicks. That 'free brake inspection' is just a pretext to get you into the lot so he can tell you you need new brakes. That 'low-cost tune-up' doesn't include anything beyond a spark plug change, if that, and if you want anything else, it'll cost you more than if you'd gotten a regular tune-up at a more reputable outlet.

Mechanics love nothing more than to beat each other's estimates, and many will factor out some or all of the parts in order to give you the lowest possible quote. For instance, if you want your radiator replaced, one mechanic may offer you a lower price than any other game in town, but deliberately leave off the cost of antifreeze. It'll show up on your bill later, of course, and by then that price will be higher than all the other estimates you heard.

Unfortunately, these are among the more honest practices that car mechanics engage in. It is accepted practice to change parts that aren’t broken but which are statistically likely to break soon, and to engage in repairs that may or may not resolve difficult-to-diagnose problems. Obviously, it’s also a common practice to make up repairs that weren’t done, and to purposely break things so that they need to be repaired. Kind of like when a customer conveniently gets a flat tire in a parking garage and the attendants are ready and waiting to repair it on the spot for the right fee.

How do unscrupulous auto mechanics get away with scamming their customers so easily? Because, in most states, once they have started service on your car, they are legally entitled to keep it until you pay, and to repossess it if you stop the check or dispute the credit card charge. Even if they pop a tire right in front of your face and then demand money to fix your tire, you’re not getting your car back until you either pay, or you win when your court date comes up several months later (and who knows what would be broken in that case.) So the lesson is that if you're not careful when you choose a mechanic, you won't realize until you get that $3,000 invoice that you've been ripped off…but unless you want to walk home, there's not much you can do except hand over the money."

Protecting Yourself:

When considering a repair shop—and you should consider several repair shops before deciding on one—ask for references. Any upstanding repair shop will have dozens of loyal customers in their records who will happily attest to their workmanship. You should also ask the mechanics whether they have certification from the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE). To earn ASE certification in a particular service (engines, brakes, etc.), a mechanic has to pass a written test, and he has to renew his certification every five years. Any ASE-certified mechanic will put their certificate up on the wall, so ask to see it, and check the date. Shops that meet particularly rigorous standards will have the ASE Blue Seal of Excellence. If a shop has the Blue Seal, 75% of the mechanics have ASE certification and at least one technician has ASE certification in every service offered by the repair shop. The American Automobile Association sets similarly high standards for outlets that are listed in their Approved Auto Repair directory. No matter how many certificates and awards a shop has, however, always call your local Better Business Bureau to see if any complaints have been filed against them. Finally, ask the shop if they guarantee or warranty their service—all reputable outlets will—and ask if they put it in writing. As shady as the industry's reputation is, you have many ways of establishing accountability and telling an honest garage from a bunch of grifters.

If you have an expensive car, go to a repair shop that specializes in your type of car. You can look on the Internet for enthusiast clubs and websites for your car and ask the members or owners if anyone knows of a good repair shop in your area. These guys are obsessed with the same type of car you have and someone will almost definitely know a mechanic if that person is not a mechanic himself.

Always ask for an estimate before any repairs are made and before you commit to anything. You want a detailed explanation of what the estimate includes. Are all the parts and accessories covered? Do they anticipate you'll have to pay for something else? As always, once you have an estimate, shop around. If a garage tells you they can't figure out the full extent or the exact nature of the problem and so can't make any estimate before beginning work on the car, reserve judgment until you hear a few more opinions. If a shop gives you an estimate which you feel is unreasonable, say so. Remind them you're free to take your business elsewhere; they may lower the price. You can always play garages off each other, too. If one mechanic gives you an estimate of $300 when the shop across town puts the same job at $250, ask him how he justifies the higher price. Be sure to get as many opinions as possible, but remember that an estimate dramatically lower than all the competition is as suspect as one that's dramatically higher. When you finally settle on the right shop, get your estimate written and signed before the work begins. Many states forbid mechanics from exceeding the written estimate by more than 10% without your consent.

If you have an unexpected problem with a relatively new car, check the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's website and search for your make and model to find any recalls or technical service bulletins (TSB's). A recall is a defect acknowledged by the manufacturer, while a TSB is a defect enough people have noticed to merit attention, but not enough that the manufacturer has issued a recall for it yet. If the problem with your car is listed as a recall or a TSB, you can usually get your car serviced at your local dealership free of charge.

Before taking in your vehicle for scheduled maintenance, whether to a dealership or an independent garage, check the owner's manual to see just what parts need service or replacement at this benchmark. If the mechanic insists your car needs more service than what you suggest, show him the manual and see what he says. Chances are he'll back off his initial assessment pretty quickly.

If you're taking in your car for a repair, buy a service manual (also called a "repair manual" or “shop manual”) for your model. It tells how much time all sorts of different repairs take, on average. It is what mechanics use to estimate their prices. Read up on the service you need so when you take your car to the garage you'll know just what the mechanic is talking about, and he won't be able to fast-talk you into an extortionate invoice. You can find a manual at automotive specialty outfits like Pep Boys and AutoZone.

If you're looking to get a tune-up on your vehicle, remember that what constitutes a tune-up will vary from shop to shop. Ask the mechanic what is included in his tune-up and demand a clear answer. If he seems evasive, the "tune-up" is probably just an overpriced spark plug replacement. Even worse, all the other parts that need to be changed—like the filters and the PCV valve—will be left untouched.

If (Heaven forbid) you have a transmission problem with your car, even the honest mechanics out there will tell you a precise estimate is impossible. Before they can give you a price, they need to know just what the problem is, and before they can do that, they need to take the car apart. Don't let anyone lay a finger on the car until he tells you what the worst case scenario is, and what the cost will be. Remember that if you let your mechanic tear your car apart, you'll have to pay whatever he charges if you ever want it put back together again.

Sometimes, when you bring in a car for maintenance or minor repairs, the mechanic will tell you he's found some potentially serious problem that you never suspected. When this happens, use your common sense. If your car's a run-down junker that hasn't been serviced since the Reagan administration, it's probably legitimate. If it's a three-month-old luxury model that you've babied since you drove it off the lot, it's probably a scam. The mechanic will make foreboding predictions if you choose to let this "problem" go unattended, but don't give in to his fear-mongering before hearing a few more opinions.

If you're taking in your vehicle because you need some parts replaced, tell the mechanic beforehand that you'd like the old parts back afterwards. You'll want to be able to tell he actually did the work, after all. Before you agree to anything, however, be sure to ask the mechanic how long he thinks the replacement parts will last. The quality and durability of replacement parts can vary widely from shop to shop.

After the repairs are complete, examine your bill carefully. If there's any charge or fee you don't understand, ask for clarification. Before you pay, take the car out for a brief test drive, even just around the parking lot, with someone from the shop. That way, you'll have a witness to any lingering problems. If you still hear the same rattling or clicking or scraping that made you bring the car into the garage in the first place, tell the manager of the shop that you won't take the car back and you won't pay the bill until it's fixed.

If you don't want any bank-breaking mechanic's bills cropping up in your future, you have to practice preventive maintenance. Take your car in for routine tune-ups at the scheduled benchmarks. Change your oil regularly and keep an eye on the coolant, transmission, and brake fluid levels. It'll seem like a hassle sometimes, but it'll cost you much less time and money in the long run. After all, the best way to avoid getting ripped off is to avoid getting into situations where you're susceptible to getting ripped off altogether.

Just Because You Were Curious:

Car mechanics usually get paid on a commission basis and that commission is usually 40% of the gross cost of labor. So if you pay $1000 for 5 hours of labor, the mechanic gets $400. Mechanics can get fired for failing to meet sales quotas, just like anyone else.

Rarely does anybody in the automotive service industry have a formal education beyond the high school level, but plenty of people take specialized classes offered by manufacturers and dealers. People in the automobile repair industry may choose to specialize in one thing or to become general mechanics.

The full mechanic is the most experienced. Those new to automotive service usually start as trainee technicians, technicians’ helpers, or lubrication workers, and gradually acquire and practice their skills by working with experienced mechanics and technicians. With a few months’ experience, beginners perform many routine service tasks and make simple repairs. While some graduates of postsecondary automotive training programs are often able to earn promotion to the journey level after only a few months on the job, it typically takes 2 to 5 years of experience to become a journey level service technician, who is expected to quickly perform the more difficult types of routine service and repairs. An additional 1 to 2 years of experience familiarizes technicians with all types of repairs. Complex specialties, such as transmission repair, require another year or two of training and experience. In contrast, brake specialists may learn their jobs in considerably less time because they do not need a complete knowledge of automotive repair. (Occupational Outlook Handbook).

Posted by admin on 08/31 at 11:34 PM



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