Car Buying: Shopping for a Mechanic
Posted by Joseph Della Morte on Mon, Jul 26, 2010 @ 07:14 AM
If you've always taken your car to the dealer when it required maintenance, you are missing out on some of the better auto mechanics available to fix your car. Dealerships have their advantages but so do private mechanics. But how do you find a good mechanic?
Word of mouth is a good place to start. A good experience for a friend or colleague might provide a lead to a suitable mechanic. Visit the shop and take a good look around.
Is it clean? Is it busy? Is it organized? Do the people treat you courteously? What kinds of cars are they currently working on? All of these are excellent indicators as to whether you want this shop to work on your car.
With regard to the owner (or lead mechanic) in particular, two personal experiences have set the tone for me:
One mechanic I use, always shows me exactly what he's done, the worn out part he's replaced and preventative maintenance I can perform for future reference. This type of guidance is worth gold to me.
Another mechanic I use, replaced a belt that had broken. When it broke again shortly after the repair, he replaced it again with a more robust belt. For free. That's right, $0. That's also worth gold.
Lastly, all mechanics should be more than willing to work with you if you have an extended service contract for your vehicle. This is real money to them and they don't have to worry about payment.
So find yourself a good mechanic! With that and a Car Guard extended service contract for your vehicle, you are ready for the open road!
If you enjoyed this article, share it with your friends using the social media buttons at the top of this article.