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What to Look for In an Honest Auto Mechanic

The auto repair industry can frequently feel intimidating, especially for young or inexperienced-in-maintenance car owners. The inner workings of your car have complex systems and parts that you might not know what’s what. With this complexity, it has, unfortunately, become an industry reputation for mechanics to try and milk customers for every penny. This is most often seen by making repairs just for extra profit. So who can you trust when it comes to auto repair and how do you know? There are a few things to look out for when trying to find an honest mechanic with your best interests in mind.

National Certification

While you want to trust your local mechanic, you don’t want to trust an average joe with your vehicle. Before getting repairs done, check to make sure that your mechanic is certified by the National Institute of Automotive Service Excellence. These certifications provide a benchmark and standard for automotive excellence. You can usually find these certifications prominently hung on the walls of an auto shop. 

Discussion of Services

Have you ever stopped to ask about a repair? This could come as a couple of different questions to ask your mechanic such as:

  1. Why are you fixing that?
  2. What does that part serve?
  3. What are other options for such a repair?

These are critical questions to ask as it’s your car and your hard-earned dollar. However, if your mechanic is unwilling to answer these types of questions, that is a red flag in and of itself. This type of mechanic will likely also pressure you into additional services outside of necessities. Meanwhile, an honest mechanic serving your best interests is willing to walk you through the services being performed. 

Lack of Estimate or Warranty

Don’t get caught off guard by your final bill. A good mechanic should give you an estimate prior to completing repairs of how much it will cost. If you don’t receive an estimate, ask for one. If they refuse to give you one, take your vehicle to another shop. While estimates may change with more extensive repairs being needed, the estimate is the best way to get a sense of cost before completion of service. 

While the cost matters to your wallet, the warranty matters for your vehicle. A good, honest mechanic stands by their work and offers a warranty for services completed. Mechanics may have a better price, but if they don’t have a warranty for their service, it probably means you’ll be in again fixing similar problems again in the future. 

City Auto Repair is Here to Help

Whether it’s your first time getting your car serviced or you’ve tried many shops, we’re here to help. For 38 years, City Auto Repair has been a family-owned shop serving Alachua County, Florida. Our certified technicians will communicate honestly with you at all stages of the repair process to make sure you are never caught off guard. Plus, with our 24,000-mile warranty, we stand by our work as we believe in making the best repair the first time. Get in touch with us for your maintenance needs today.