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10 Things Your Mechanic Won't Tell You provided by

AnnaMaria Andriotis and Walecia Konrad, SmartMoney.com Buzz Up! send print

1. “You might be in the wrong garage.”

There are many choices as to where consumers can take their car when it’s in need of maintenance
or repair. Those include going to the car dealer, a department or chain-store franchise, or an
independent mechanic at a service station. Where you should go depends on what type of repair
your car needs and its age and condition. But in most cases, mechanics in each type of repair shop
may try to convince you that they’re the best ones for the job.

Work under factory warranty should go to the dealer, says Mark Eskeldson, founder of CarInfo.com,
which provides consumer-protection advice to car buyers and owners. That’s where you’ll find some
of the best-trained mechanics who are trained to fix problems that pop up with new car models, he Most Viewed Pickup Trucks
says. on Yahoo! Autos
But because dealer overhead is high, expect to pay top dollar for repairs not covered under your 1. 2010 Ford F-150 SuperCab SVT 4X4
warranty.
MSRP:
Before leaving your car at an independent mechanic’s shop, find out if the mechanics are certified $38,020
and if they’re getting training (i.e. at a community college) for repairs on new car models. Because
most owners of new car models take them to the dealer for repair, it’s likely that an independent car
2. 2010 Toyota Tacoma 4X4
shop will be more experienced in repairing older cars, he says. Because independents don’t have
the high volume of a chain shop, they may be easier to establish a relationship with. 3. 2010 Ford F-450 SD Crew Cab 4X4
4. 2010 Honda Ridgeline
Chain and department-store shops often advertise free
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ups, but beware if their mechanic insists that your car
needs major repairs after he inspects it. Get a second View slideshow of Top 10
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opinion to confirm it isn’t a ploy to get you to spend Most Popular Cars
more money, he says.

2. “My fancy certificates might not mean very much.” Cars by Category
The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) certifies auto technicians (or Convertibles Hatchbacks Trucks
mechanics) in eight specialties, including brakes, electrical systems, engines, and heating and air- Coupes Sedans Vans
Green Cars Sports Cars Wagons
conditioning. They also provide credentials for diagnostic and emission technicians. Although auto Crossovers SUVs
mechanics must have two years of hands-on work experience and pass an extensive standardized
exam to become certified, an ASE sticker in your repair shop’s window is no guarantee that the
work will be done properly or that all of the technicians employed are ASE certified, says Tony Need help choosing?
Molla, a spokesman for ASE. Yahoo! Autos Car Finder

Most repair shops hire both certified and uncertified mechanics. And only 33% of ASE mechanics
are certified in all eight specialties and earn “master technician” status. Be sure to ask who is going
to do the work on your car and what areas that person is certified in. Also check to see when the
certification expires. ASE-certified mechanics are supposed to recertify every five years. MORE ON YAHOO! AUTOS

http://autos.yahoo.com/articles/autos_content_landing_pages/1315/10-things-your-mechanic-wont-tell-you/[12/03/2010 16:26:35]
10 Things Your Mechanic Won't Tell You- Yahoo! Autos Article Page

Research New Cars

In addition, look for repair shops that are endorsed by AAA with work being guaranteed for a Read New Car Reviews
minimum of 12 months or 12,000 miles. These facilities must meet rigorous standards and Get the Latest on Green
guarantee their work for all customers, says Robert Sinclair, a spokesman for AAA New York. Also,
AAA agrees to arbitrate disputes between its members and approved repair shops. PLUS. . .
See our International Coverage
3. “I make unnecessary repairs.”
You drop off your car at a mechanic’s shop for routine maintenance or a repair only to find out that Recent Yahoo! News Stories
the mechanic made additional repairs that you didn’t request but that he deemed “necessary.” Details on the Virginia Motor Trend
International Auto Show
Recommendations for unnecessary maintenance are a common complaint among consumers, says Richmond Times-Dispatch - Thu Mar 11, 9:13 PM PST
Sherry Mehl, the chief of the Bureau of Automotive Repair (BAR) in California. (The bureau works to
protect consumers within the automotive repair marketplace.) For instance, shops can suggest Fort Worth revs up for auto show
Fort Worth Star-Telegram - Wed Mar 10, 5:07 PM PST
flushing a radiator or fluids, which can harm some cars, she says. (Car owners’ manuals specify if
flushing will help.)

Consumer complaints about auto parts and repairs are on the rise, according to the Federal Trade
Commission. For 2009, the FTC has 2,689 complaints, up from 2,438 in 2008 and 1,698 in 2007. It
was dishonest practices that cost Santa Ana-based EZ Lube $5 million in a civil settlement for unfair
business practices in December 2007. An investigation by the Orange County district attorney’s
office “uncovered a pattern of unfair and deceptive business practices at several EZ Lube locations
where consumers were being sold unneeded parts and services,” according to the DA’s statement.
As part of the settlement, EZ Lube agreed to pay restitution to anyone with a legitimate claim over
the past five years. (When reached for comment, a spokesperson for EZ Lube referred us to a
company’s press release on the matter, which reads: “It is our goal to make sure all of our
customers are protected by the highest safeguards in the industry when they bring their vehicle to
one of our stores.”)

“Most unnecessary repairs are due to the fact that cars are so incredibly complex that often a shop
ends up trying a few things in order to solve the problem,” says Jack Gillis, author of "The Car Book"
and director of public affairs for the Consumer Federation of America, a consumer-advocacy
organization. When a repair baffles a mediocre mechanic, he or she will probably keep replacing
suspect parts until the problem is finally solved. Many of the parts replaced may have nothing to do
with the problem, but you’ll probably end up paying for them anyway, he says.

4. “You might be charged for work that hasn’t been done.”

It happens on purpose. It happens by mistake. Either way, it happens. Let’s say you drop your car
off at the garage to have the fluids, belts and filters replaced. But the garage is busy, the mechanic
who works on your car is a new hire, and the station manager hasn’t left very clear instructions. As
a result, the belts never get replaced, but you drive away thinking you’ve got brand-new ones.
When Gillis worked at the Department of Transportation in the 1980s, he says it was one of the
most common complaints, and that it remains so today.

A good way to avoid the problem of work that was supposed to have been done but wasn’t: Ask to
see the old parts. In some cases, mechanics can give you the parts they’ve removed from your car.
(One exception is if the warranty requires they be sent back to the manufacturer.) “If you have a
concern that a part was replaced when it shouldn’t have been, you should ask for it back,” says
Mehl. (Rules vary by state; in California, for example, mechanics can give parts to customers.)
California residents can contact BAR, and it’ll send a representative to examine the customer’s
invoice and the part. “If it’s not faulty, we can take disciplinary action,” she says.

In addition, Gillis suggests taping to your steering wheel an itemized list of all the repairs you want
made. That way the mechanic who works on it — in most cases not the person you talked to when
you drove in — will have direct instructions from you.

5. “You should get a second opinion.”

Getting a second opinion is a must for major repairs, since it’s a competitive business and prices
can be all over the map. You may have to pay a few dollars more for an extra estimate, but the
hundreds you could potentially save by shopping carefully will more than make up for it.

When exactly is it time to seek out a second opinion? A general rule of thumb is that you should get
more than one mechanic’s take on a repair if you expect to pay more than $200 for it, says Gillis. If
your mechanic calls in the middle of a job with a laundry list of additional repairs, that’s also a good
time to seek another opinion of the problem and an estimate for the cost of fixing it. Beware of the
mechanic who tries to stop you by saying that he’s already taken apart the engine or the
transmission. If you were able to drive the car into the shop, you should be able to drive it back out
for a second opinion.

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10 Things Your Mechanic Won't Tell You- Yahoo! Autos Article Page

6. “Rebuilt parts can be as good as new — and less expensive.”

When it comes time to replace a part on your car, you can save money by buying it used. But often
you must specify that you want a remanufactured part or the mechanic will likely install an
expensive new one.

However, recycled parts aren’t right for every replacement. “Customers may save some money, but
buying a recycled part isn’t so simple,” says Chuck Sulkala, executive director of the National Auto
Body Council and owner of a Boston-based car body shop. “You need to make sure it provides
exactly what you’re looking for and what you need.” For example, a customer who needs to replace
a car’s fender and gets a salvaged one could find that its moldings or side lights are different, he
says, even if the fender comes from the same car model that’s just two or three years older. Sulkala
says: “You can use it, but what good is the molding going to do if it’s in the wrong location?”

7. “Your car is too high-tech for me.”

Cars have become incredibly sophisticated over the past 10 years, but some mechanics haven’t
caught up. Car dealers are required by most manufacturers to buy the expensive diagnostic
equipment needed to pinpoint the source of computer problems. That means their technicians are
more likely to be factory-trained in these complicated repairs.

Still, not all mechanics are properly trained in the computerized systems found in most cars today,
says Gillis. That could be because independent car mechanics have to bear most of the costs when
upgrading their technology. Independent car technicians must make the same investment in
sophisticated diagnostic equipment if they expect to be able to diagnose and repair these complex
cars, says Molla.

If you drive an expensive European car, consider checking out specialty shops that focus on one or
two foreign makes. Mechanics at these outfits are often as well or better trained than those at the
dealer and they usually charge less. Meanwhile, most Japanese and Korean models are serviceable
by independent repair shops, says Molla.

8. “I may send your car somewhere else for repairs — which will cost you.”
Let’s say you’re taking your car in for several repairs at once — replacing the battery and
headlamps, changing the oil, and repairing the fuel-injection system. Some independent shop may
not have the facilities or expertise to do them all in-house, and if so, it may pay another shop to do
all or part of the work. This kind of auto-repair outsourcing can add significantly to the final price tag
on the job, since your mechanic will have to charge a premium for the work he subbed out.

“If I have to carry all of the equipment in order to fix everything on a vehicle, it would make no
sense,” says Sulkala, especially if he doesn't do that type of work on a daily basis. For example, he’s
not asked to upholster cars often, so when a customer requests that he says, “I’ll bring it someone I
know and trust who has that expertise.” As a result, the customer might incur additional costs. But,
he adds, the price charged is at a discounted wholesale rate and not at a retail door rate.

When you take your car in for repairs, ask if all the work will be done on-site before you agree to
anything. If your mechanic tells you he needs to subcontract some of it, tell him not to do those
repairs and take the car yourself to a shop that can handle the rest of the job.

9. “The less you know about your warranty, the happier I am.”
Confusion about your warranty is good for a repair shop. After all, it’s not in an independent
mechanic’s best interest to tell you when a repair is under warranty because if he’s mum, he can
charge you for it. Dealerships, meanwhile, make little money on warranty repairs, so they look to get
as much non-warranty work as possible.

The way dealership warranties often work is that if you get the car repaired somewhere else and
something goes wrong as a result of that repair, the cost of fixing the problem will no longer be
covered by the warranty. So say you get an oil change at a quick-service franchise shop and the
mechanic does something wrong that eventually damages your engine; the dealer doesn’t have to
honor your warranty when your engine is finally repaired, says Gillis. But some dealers like to take it
a step further by making it seem as if you have to bring your car to them for all repairs or risk losing
your warranty protection.

Don’t fall for it. Taking routine work such as oil changes, tire rotations, and even your 10,000-mile
checkups to the less-expensive chains won’t jeopardize your warranty in most cases. Nor will
emergency repairs that would normally be covered under the warranty. Just be sure to keep all your
receipts, says Gillis. That way, if the dealer tries to claim you have an engine problem because you
failed to get an oil change, for example, you can prove otherwise.

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10 Things Your Mechanic Won't Tell You- Yahoo! Autos Article Page

10. “You have more power here than you think.”

If you feel you’ve been wronged by an auto mechanic, you can take action. File a complaint with
your state’s Better Business Bureau and the attorney general’s office. This will help unsuspecting
consumers who check on the reputations of potential car mechanics to avoid shoddy repairmen.

In some states, you have even more recourse; in California, BAR will attempt to resolve each
complaint it receives. To check if your state has a similar agency, contact your state highway
department. Finally, if your auto-repair garage is endorsed by the AAA, contact the organization. If
your complaint is egregious enough, or joined by others, the outfit may lose the AAA’s seal of
approval. “This is an exceedingly rare event,” says Sinclair. “Shops work hard to obtain and retain
their AAA certification and would bend over backwards to correct any problems that may lead to a
loss of AAA’s ‘seal of approval’.”

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