Is Auto Repair A Convenience or Necessity?

This sounds like a silly question, I mean, of course cars "need" service and repairs. Unfortunately, however, the repair industry has become accustomed to charging for convenience. In other words, your car repair prices will be higher because your car broke down in area A versus Area B.

Now some folks have no problem paying a little more for convenience. Others folks, however, are struggling to makes ends meet....read the full article @ auto repair

-Ted Olson
RepairTrust
Making sense of car repair prices

Car Repair Prices - The Top 5 Reasons It's Your Fault You Paid Too Much

Nobody likes to hear it, but often times you cost yourself $100s, even $1000s of dollars unecessarily in auto repairs. While I'll be the first the throw the entire auto repair industry under the bus, the repair customer can really muck things up...

Whether it's through lying, providing one's own parts, or telling the technician what you want done, there is one horror story after another.

One of my favorites is of the women who pulled into a gas station becuase her car was overheating. Refusing offers to help, she told the technician that her dad was a mechanic and she knew exactly what to do. Indeed, she got the diagnoses correct - the car was overheating, as the coolant had leaked out. She then proceeded to remove the "oil cap" and fill the "engine" up with water.

That cooled the engine down alright!

Learn how to avoid the 5 most common mistakes - click car repair prices

-Ted
RepairTrust
Making Sense of Auto Repair

Auto Repair Costs - Same Repair Three Different Prices - Shoot For the Middle!

I had to post this as it raises a very common scenario for many car repairs.

A client wrote to me asking:

I have an Acura TL 3.2, 1998. The muffler pipes between the exhaust and engine need to be replaced. I am getting three different prices:

Midas = $350.00
Acura Dealership = $600.00
Local Car Mechanic = $475.00

Which one sounds most reasonable, and who should I go with?

I responded:

You pose a fantastic question!

In short, given the age of the car - go with the $475. Just be sure that they're installing what's called a "direct fit" assembly - not some pieced together/makeshift jumble of cheap exhaust parts.

Stay far away from Midas - the precision of Acura and the hacks at Midas don't go well together.

The dealer's fine too - but the $475 will be the best bang for the buck...

My mother "still" tells me - get three estimates (on any type of service or product) and take the one in the middle - she's usually right - and she'll remind me of this often!

But check out this article too...
http://www.repairtrust.com/articles_dealer_locals.html

Let us know how you make out...

Thanks for the questions...

-Ted
RepairTrust
Making Sense Of Car Repair Prices