Do you trust auto service personnel ?

[pixelville]

An ex-colleague who quit a senior corporate job to own and manage a repair shop says that he was taught that it was important to earn trust. Don't upsell everytime, surprise the customer once in a while by having lower repairs than expected and then once you have the customer's trust, from time to time upsell.... Basically he said you can't trust anyone.

 

[rbmrtn]

I'm not that much of a car person, so the one defense I do is to keep a log everytime I bring my car in for service. Car places do that all the time by recording the date, mileage and work done.

I ran across a good software package for auto maintenance. You put in vehicle info, scheduled maint, other work done, who did it, costs etc. And it can print reports for records. Its free for personal use. AutoVIP

Fleet Maintenance Software :: Vehicle Maintenance Log Software

 

[rbmrtn]

My answer to the question is generally, No. But I gotta give credit where credit is due: My Infiniti had a very common problem for my model (the air bag warning light). My local dealer fixed it for a very reasonable price - they could've charged double and I would have paid it, based on my Google searches. So, once in a while my faith in mankind is restored.

They may have done it for free ( or should have ). There was an infiniti recall for air bag warning light, ITB10-030.

 

[ejw93]

The time to develop a working relationship with an auto mechanic is BEFORE something on your car breaks. Find an independent mechanic in your area via referral, yelp, or epinions.

I personally do not like having my car serviced at a dealer. You are forced to talk to a commissioned service-writer and never get to speak with the actual mechanic who will perform the work on your car.

 

[easysurfer]

I ran across a good software package for auto maintenance. You put in vehicle info, scheduled maint, other work done, who did it, costs etc. And it can print reports for records. Its free for personal use. AutoVIP

Fleet Maintenance Software :: Vehicle Maintenance Log Software

It looks very informative and detailed. Thanks

 

[MichaelB]

It is difficult to find trustworthy auto service. The fixed cost is high and a shop can lose money quickly unless they get the average billing up as well. Dealer service depts are a last resort for me as well because customer service and repeat business is not their motivation.

 

[travelover]

In defense of repair facilities, customers expect no repairs for a certain period after they drop a wad on the car. So, it is common to try to fix anything that might go wrong soon, so the garage doesn't get the grief soon after.

I'm not saying that this is rational, it is just that most car owners don't realize that an expensive brake job doesn't do a thing to keep the radiator hoses from leaking soon afterward.

Letting the garage know that you just want a specific item fixed and will risk the rest later, gives them some cover.

 

[ls99]

I would never refer to good machanics as auto repair personnel. Having said that, I deal with a small shop about six miles up the road from the house. It is run by a no nonse guy in his sixties, his son is a mechanic and one or two other mechanics in the shop.

It is the cleanest small auto repair shop I've ver known. I have them do stuff I don't feel like messing with, or needs special tools. Like wheel alignement.

I always have them do the annual PA safety inspections. Plus I tell them to look for other issues while the wheels are on the lift. I do know a good bit about cars and trucks.

The past five years I've used them, if the old man(he, he. Same age as I) says the the vehicle needs something, it really is needed. Sometimes I do the work and he checks it, then issues inspection sticker or I let his guys do the honors. He is flexible, but insists the job is done right.

Bootom line for me, use an independent, and if shop is neat and orderly, they likely take pride in their work, won't be cheap, and can trust their work and opinion..... for the most part. I look at mechanics and doctors from the same perspective, they are necessary, can do stuff that I can not do for myself. Always do homework on their diagnosis, and on their proposed fixes for the problem.

 

[GrayHare]

I leave a few quarters visible near the shifter. If the quarters are gone when I get the car back, I never return to that shop. Sometimes just 75 cents can buy some valuable information.

 

[ls99]

I leave a few quarters visible near the shifter. If the quarters are gone when I get the car back, I never return to that shop. Sometimes just 75 cents can buy some valuable information.

Diito. I have left a fiver on the visor several times. It never got lost.

 

[Buckeye]

Our local Hyundai dealer is not to be trusted. My husband takes his Sonata there for oil changes when they have specials. The fear-mongering and upselling to the elderly and to women is horrible. He get's his "this and this and that need to be fixed and/or replaced list" from his 'free' 1,000 point inspection and we file it away.

The Volvo dealer is actually pretty decent. I get my oil changed there when they have a coupon and they do the vehicle inspection. They tell me what is getting worn/in need of repair (the car is going on 11 years old) but they don't try to freak me out about getting it done immediately. They actually discouraged me from getting my oil changed because I had driven less than 5,000 since the last change. I don't drive a ton of miles anymore and it doesn't seem right to go 8 months without an oil change.

My alternator died about 6 months ago. That was a very expensive repair but if this one lasts as long as the first one (155,000 miles/10 years), I'll be a happy camper! On a previous visit for an oil change, they recommended a new air filter. I declined and said I would buy one and install it myself. When I went in for the new alternator, the service guy saw the same old air filter and suggested I at least buy it from him so I'd have it to change right away. I paid a little extra for a 'genuine' Volvo air filter but at least it got changed as soon as I got home.

 

[imoldernu]

Trust... but verify.

I don't believe it's possible for any mechanic to become so expert in his trade that he can handle all situations. Much too sophisticated. The dealership usually has multiple mechanics, and the chances of getting the proper diagnosis on questionable problems is much better. The other part that's good about dealerships, is that most (not all) use flat rate charts for services. That means more expensive, but maybe not as expensive as the local guy's hourly rate when he tackles repair of an airconditioner diverter... and is doing it by "feel".

I hate all auto service... just because until I got old, I did all of my repairs including engine rebuilds. I particularly hate the dealer service manager, when he says to me... "As soon as your car crosses that white line, the minimum charge is $95."

We all have horror stories... five years ago, my Town Car had a steering squeak that I couldn't find. Brought the car in, and received a call at home an hour later from the "Service Manager"... Four wheel brakes, rotors, shocks, ball joints, suspension compressor, power steering box trailing arms, etc, etc... for a total of $5500 plus tax.... and, in order to get my car back without having all the work done, would have to sign a legal release absolving the dealership of responsibility if I got into an accident.
Smoke pouring from ears and nose, went and got car... svc. mgr. hid in office.
Buddy and I jacked the car and used a hypodermic needle to lube a pitman arm... that was 45,000 miles ago... haven't changed a thing, no tire wear, no squeak. Saying that, though... of the 500+ members of my senior community, there would only be three or four who would question that diagnosis.

But if the A/C heat flap fails... It's the dealer for me... means stripping to the firewall, front and backside to replace a $.15 part. 10 hour job for an expert.

Current challenge is leaking air suspension.... aaargh!

 

[Moemg]

Thanks everybody for the posts. I think it's sad that out of 45 answers there is only one positive . I wonder if they work on commission which would make the upsell understandable ?

 

[SteveNU]

My son is a mechanic and the stories he tells! There seems to be a lot of ethically challenged people in the business especially at the top.

The techs are constantly pushed to sell questionable services and some places give bonuses based on how many of the selected services they are able to talk the customer into.

At the dealerships he has worked at so far, one lost their franchise due to shady dealings, and one had the GM and service manager and his wife fired due to shady practices.

The last time I took a car to the dealer they tried to sell me a new transmission instead of replacing the $12 relay that was causing the problem. I avoid dealerships like the plague!

 

[tinlizzy]

I am so very lucky. One of my oldest friends is the manager at the local junk yard. The mechanics in town don't dare cross him or they'll never get a used car part again. He doesn't do any work on my car but makes all the arrangements when it needs to be fixed and tells them what needs to be done, not visa versa. Even when they find another problem they call him back first before they get my consent. I'm always astounded at how meek they are with him!

For those of you with older cars, I'll give you a tip. When scrap metal prices get very high, go to your local junk yard and stock up on any used car parts you think you may need in the future because they will start crushing and selling the cars for scrap!

 

[Koolau]

I know enough about cars in general to at least have some idea if a mechanic is trying to pull something on me. As often as not, I also google any problem I have so I usually have a good idea what a problem is before I go into the mechanic. A few years back I was having a problem with a warning light about the transmission. The "book" said nothing about it except to take it to the dealer. I did and was told I needed a transmission rebuild. That didn't square with the evidence. The transmission worked just fine (and just like always). The trans fluid was clean and clear. I googled the problem and found out that the warning was actually about the trans overheating due to a design flaw in the trans cooling system. I was able to avoid the problem (and warning light) in the future by not stressing the trans - e.g., shifting down on long hills to save the brakes. Several thousand miles later, no problems and no rebuild.

When the tech at the Jiffy Lube shows me the air cleaner and says it needs replaced, I tell him I'll do so when my gas mileage drops off (which it has NOT).

A little common sense and a little research can save a lot of money. Naturally, YMMV.

 

[Walt34]

I take mine to a local independent shop that has been in business since rocks were soft. He's not the lowest priced but he's honest, several times correcting minor issues that I thought could have been more expensive. Lowest price is not always the best value.

I avoid the dealers also. My experience is they're always trying to sell services not called for in the maintenance book.

Oh, and being somewhat of a geek, I bought (and read) the service manuals. When there's an issue I look it up in the manual so I have some clue as to what the possible causes might be and what work it will take to correct it.

 

[frank]

I have a little experience with dealerships. in the service department. the service manager and the service writers(the people who tell you what you need to fix) work on a small salary plus commission. commission being the operative word. the more they sell you the more they make. I think an independent mechanic is the best route. finding one you can trust on the other hand is a problem. I got an estimate for 2 lower control arms on my car for 625. from an independent and slightly more from a dealer. checked the parts price online and ordered them. I installed them myself for a total of 230. plus 4 hours of labor. When it is said you get nothing for nothing, it is certainly true in the car business. The last dealer I went to wanted 100. fee for diagnosing a problem, much less fixing it.

 

[REWahoo]

I've used this website a couple of times to get an idea of what a particular repair should cost. Not sure how reliable it is but the numbers it gave me vs. the price I paid were reasonably close: RepairPrice Estimator - Get an Estimate for a Service or Repair on Your Car

 

[Nords]

Now that we own not one but two Priuses, we're pretty much hostage to the tender mercies of the Oahu Servco dealership franchise.

In their defense, they have the cool high-priced diagnostic gear and tools. Presumably they can get the training. If we have a bad coolant valve or a busted air conditioner, I'm not going to take the car to ShadeTree Mechanic. And, of course, Servco gets all the warranty work for all the Prius parts that Toyota feels need replacing... for free.

Whenver a problem comes up, though, I'll also post it to PriusChat for their review. There's at least one honest Toyota mechanic on that board, and plenty of enthusiasts.

We do our own oil changes, we have an OBDII code reader, and we'll still buy/rotate our tires at some place like Costco or the military exchange.

Question about the other mechanic. So, if one mechanic A says, you need work A that'll cost $800 and mechanic B says all you need is work B that will cost $500, if one isn't really that car repair savvy, then how do you decide which mechanic is right? The lower quote, though easier on the pocketbook may not be the correct repair. So, even with two mechanics, doesn't the decision still come down to a feeling as to which mechanic is more trustworthy?

You do what we all do on this board.

You take good notes, post the summary here, and get 40 or 50 new opinions to help with your decision.

 

[My Dream]

I think to a certain extend trust has to do with how well you've been treated/serviced in the past. For me and most of my friends, we've all had more then one bad experience and it comes down to "once bitten twice shy".

I do all the repairs on our cars, but there have been times, when I was out of town for weeks and my wife would say, "the car doesn't seem right". I ask if it can wait, if not call up a couple friends and see who they highly recomend. Well I found out that my wife was taken advantage of, car repair wise. Over the years it happened a couple more times. When friends ask, "you know your way around cars, who do you recomend", I have no clear answer.

It's unfortunate that a few bad apples hurt the repution of the reliable mechanics, now, to find them is the next challenge.

 

[travelover]

I mentioned this in another thread, but I was surprised at the parts markup from my local mechanic. As my car ages, I've had to have a few parts replaced and when comparing what I can buy brand name parts for at retail to what I've been charged, it appears that the shop more than doubles the retail price. Given that I'd hope that they get a wholesale price, it is even more. Maybe this is just part of the business model, but it surprised and disappointed me.

I admit that I have been out of the repair scene for decades because I got a new company car yearly when w*rking, then bought a new car at retirement 6 years ago.

 

[Walt34]

I mentioned this in another thread, but I was surprised at the parts markup from my local mechanic. As my car ages, I've had to have a few parts replaced and when comparing what I can buy brand name parts for at retail to what I've been charged, it appears that the shop more than doubles the retail price. Given that I'd hope that they get a wholesale price, it is even more. Maybe this is just part of the business model, but it surprised and disappointed me.

It did me too, until the owner of the independent shop explained how that works. Basically, I can buy factory GM parts cheaper than he can.

If I order a part online GM assumes I'm doing the repair myself and charges (what they consider) minimal markup. The independent shop however, is in direct competition with the dealer's shop and they will not discount those parts to an independent shop.

The conundrum is that while he's tried using other aftermarket parts they just don't last as well as the GM parts and then he has to eat the cost of doing the repair again under his warranty.

 

[Keim]

My mechanic doesn't charge any mark-up on parts. He makes his money on his hourly rate.

 

[travelover]

It did me too, until the owner of the independent shop explained how that works. Basically, I can buy factory GM parts cheaper than he can.........

This kinda blows my mind. Would that also be true of an auto parts store? If I'm having new brakes put on I don't really care if they are OEM as long as they are brand name - Wagner, Bendix, etc. Do you think the local auto parts store charges the independent mechanic more than me?