Bearing in mind how important your car is for you, it is crucial that you find the best repair shop according to your car’s features. Choosing a mechanic takes some time; looking for an honest professional who is highly qualified is a hard task. Here you will find key pieces of advice that will help you choose the right mechanic and avoid tricks and misunderstandings. Remember that a mechanic is the one in charge of repairing your car and that he has to be reliable. A good repair shop will offer quality services, honesty, affordable prices and speed when repairing you car.

Look for a repair shop in advance

It is important that you look for a reliable repair shop as soon as you buy a car. You should not wait until your car breaks down to look for a repair shop because, in case of emergency, you will take you car to any shop. Over time and as your car works properly, you will be able to choose the right mechanic.

Follow recommendations

A great way to choose a mechanic is asking your friends and acquaintances for recommendations. They will recommend the mechanic who repairs their cars and you will be sure they will not deceive you. The judgment of people you know is very important when choosing a repair shop. It is not advisable to search only in phonebooks or going to shops you do not have references of. It is also a good choice to go to the local authorized service centers of your car’s brand.

Consult consumer protection organizations

Basically, every city has a consumer protection organization; there you can check if a repair shop has a good reputation or if there are complaints done by consumers about it.

Pick a nearby repair shop

It is important that the repair shop you choose is close to your home and/or working zone, because that way, you can easily reach them if you car breaks down.

Make sure the repair shop is authorized

According to the different cities’ regulations, repair shops need an authorization or commission to repair cars. It is important that you make sure the shop meets the legal commissioning requirements.

Look for registered mechanics

Even though many good and old mechanics are not registered and they still offer quality repair services, nowadays consumers take their cars to registered professionals. You should look for diplomas and certificates in the repair shop, or the mechanics’ credentials. There are several authorized organizations that can certify that a mechanic has the necessary skills to repair a car. Generally these certificates are achieved when mechanics go through practical examinations in courses repairing engines, brakes, transmission, ignition systems, etc.

Bear other certificates in mind

Besides the certificates on technical skills, you should also consider if in a repair shop you see diplomas and awards conferred by consumer associations or community institutions. That implies the services the shop offers are high-quality ones.

Examine the facilities

Examine the facilities, machines and tools when visiting a repair shop, as well as the kind of cars there to be repaired.

Ask if the mechanics are qualified to repair your car model

As there are many car brands and models, it is important that you ask in the repair shop if the mechanics have the necessary skills to repair your model. Remember that some repair shops specialize in certain models.

Bear in mind the quality-price ratio

You should ask for the most frequent repairing prices so that you have an estimate of the cost that may arise from you car’s repair in every shop. You should choose the one that offers the best quality-price ratio. Do not let extremely low prices tempt you, as you can end up hiring inexperienced people. Even though their prices may be higher, it is advisable to hire qualified mechanics.

Consider customer service quality

In addition to the mechanics’ training, a good repair shop should have a kind team of professionals who can efficiently communicate with you. When choosing a repair shop, you should consider if the staff is kind and gives you the information you ask for, as well as if they pay attention to what you say about the car problem. It is essential that the staff explains the diagnosis of your car’s problem and the options to fix it in detail. The team should also be as clear as possible and they should ask you about your budget, the delivery date and the type of service you need ―diagnosis or repair.

Demand you car’s record

Among other things, it is essential that a repair shop offers a written record of your car’s features, problems, repairs and guarantees. Thus, you can follow up of the mechanic’s performance. Nowadays each car’s record is stored in computers.

Do not be satisfied with just one opinion

If you are not satisfied with the mechanic’s diagnosis because he suggests several repairs and a high price, and you feel the problem is much simpler, ask other mechanics.

Start with a small repair service

In order to try the mechanic’s quality and trustworthiness, it is advisable to start with a small repair service. If the results are positive, then you can feel sure when hiring his services for more important repairs.

Always ask for a written estimate before repairing your car

Once you have chosen a mechanic, it is important that you have a written estimate before you get the car repaired. In order to give you an estimate, the mechanic will first diagnose the car’s problem and then determine the cost. Once you have heard the diagnosis, you should demand a written estimate, which usually has an additional cost. In the estimate, the car’s problem and the price should be written in detail. Besides, there should be a guarantee and its expiration date.

Demand a written guarantee

Before you agree to repair your car, you should clearly know what kind of guarantee the mechanic offers. He should give you an invoice with a detailed explanation of the job to be done and a written guarantee for the repair or the part to be changed. The guarantee should clearly state its expiration date.

Do not authorize any repair if they do not ask you first. It is important that you never sign a blank paper, because if you do so, the mechanic may perform any kind of repair without you knowing about it, and the price will be a real surprise. You should state that before any repair, they have to ask you about it and you have to confirm it.

Keep all the papers

In order to have a record or complain about something, you should keep all the papers the mechanic has given to you: the estimate, the work order, the invoice and the guarantees.

Get to know you car

The key to avoid being deceived by a mechanic is acquiring as much knowledge as you can about cars in general and about your own car. Thus, you will be able to properly interpret your car’s symptoms, understand what the mechanics say and argue when necessary. In addition to learning from experience, reading you car manual is a good start. And, of course, surfing our site is also a good way to have the information you need to recognize you car’s damages and to feel safe when you take it to the repair shop.