Keep records of your car repairs with labor, parts, dates, mileage and who did it. don’t always rely on shop records. Make your own record book and look at the estimate and repair bill and if you don’t understand any thing on it call the shop to explain it to you as soon as possible.

Your records will keep you from having things done twice like transmission service or if your brakes are only lasting 6,000 miles maybe a caliper is sticking or a brake hose or line is stopping the fluid from returning.

Before you have any work done, ask how the shop prices its work. Some repair shops charge a flat rate for labor on auto repairs. This published rate is based on an independent or manufacturer’s estimate of time required to complete repairs. Others charge the actual time the technician worked on the repair.

Check your car yourself listen for noises make a note when you hear it. Dose it happen all the time or just when the car is cold or hot. When you hear the noise try turning the AC or heater on and off. Turn the steering wheel. Put the car in drive or push the clutch down. Did the noise change? If the noise happens when you are driving have someone help you listen to it. Does it happen while driving on certain types of roads, over bumps, up or down hills or when turning.

Describe the noise, what dose it sound like. Use descriptive things like, It sounds like someone is hammering nails every time I step on the brakes. If possible go on a test drive with the technician or service writer and point out the noise, this is the best way to pinpoint the problem. If you just tell them that there is a noise and don’t tell them when it happens, they may not hear it and they might charge you for checking your car.

You actually have a better chance of getting scammed by an auto repair shop because most people don’t know about how a car works. You most likely have paid for unneeded or misdiagnosed auto repair. Asking certain questions before you get your car worked on is the first step.

Some repair shops charge you for parts and never even place them in the car and other shops make the repair but do such a bad job that the customer has to bring the car back two or three times.

Here is a good example of a repair gone wrong. A customer asked me to look at his truck that he just had work done on it a few weeks ago. First he took the truck to his mechanic, the mechanic said he checked the car out and found that it needed a tune up. The mechanic changed the spark plugs and charged the customer $60.00. A week later the truck had the same problem again. The customer came to me and told me his story. He said that the truck would not start in the morning when it was cold. He said it started fine when it was warm or in the afternoon. I checked the truck out and tried to start after sitting overnight. The truck would not start. I did notice that there was a gasoline smell, it was coming from the tail pipe. I pulled a spark plug out and it was soaked with gas. I put the plug back in and did a fuel pressure test. A normal reading would be 47 psi but his was 80 psi. This is why I smelled gas when I tried to start the truck. This is why the truck would not start. The old spark plugs were still good and replaced because of a misdiagnosis.

I changed the fuel pressure regulator. After cranking the truck over with the fuel pump disabled (I pulled out the fuel pump relay) to clean out all the gas that was on the spark plugs I then plugged the fuel pump back in and it started up. I checked the fuel pressure it was 47 psi and no gas smell was coming from the truck now. I asked the customer if he told the mechanic that changed the spark plugs about the truck not starting when it was cold. He said no he just told him that the truck was hard to start. Now who`s fault was it that the spark plugs were changed for no reason? Was it the mechanic who didn`t know that the problem was happing only when the truck was cold or the customer for not telling him that it only happens when it`s cold. This is why you need to give details about any repair problems because if they check the car and don`t see the problem they may find something that looks bad but is not the problem that you brought the car in for.

Not knowing your car can cost you money. If your power window stops working on the passenger side of the car and you take it to the shop to get it fixed. If you did not read your owners manual there may be a switch that turns off all but the drivers window. The shop may find that you pushed the switch by mistake and did not know it and charge you for unneeded repairs.

You want to be ready for your auto repair happening. We all want to repair our own cars, but if we need to take it to the repair shop for a professional job, we need to be prepared. Most shops are honest and are there to help you save cash by keeping your car in top shape. But just in case, here are 10 things you should be thinking about when you walk through the door of a repair shop. Avoid any scams, up sells, overcharging, or incompetence by keeping your eye on the ball. We could fill a barrel with auto repair advice, both bad and good, but this list is an superior start.

10 Things To Know About You And Your Technician

Second opinions are great, but be sure to make it an anonymous trip. It’s fine to tell the second technician that you’re there for a second opinion, but don’t share the diagnosis or the cost estimate. That’s sure to muddy the waters.

Never authorize work to be done on your car or truck without a written estimate that states you’ll be contacted before any work not on the original estimate is performed. The estimate should be specific and include both parts and labor charges. Many states require this by law, so check to see where you stand on that.

Beware the up sell. Automotive up sells are baffling. On one hand we don’t want to pay for work that our car doesn’t need. On the other hand, preventive maintenance is the best insurance against future repairs. Your best defense is time. Don’t be pressured into an up sell on the spot. If you’re not sure, tell your technician you may want to do that, but to give you a couple of hours to decide. Do some research, ask around, and decide for yourself when its quiet and the pressure’s off.

When buying tires, ask for details on differences in tire quality and guarantees. Our tire information guide will tell you what all of the markings on the tires mean, but there’s often more to the story. Ask the salesperson to explain any warranties to you. For instance, you might see a sign next to a tire display that says “60K Mile Warranty,” and you think that they will guarantee you get 60K miles out of the tire. Wrong. The warranty covers the tire against manufacturer defect only. They should cover that anyway, right?

Find a technician who is ASE certified. ASE stands for Automotive Service Excellence, and they take their certification severely. If your technician opted to skip the ASE, this might reflect on their dedication to keeping you happy as a customer. There are lots of good technician out there who aren’t certified by ASE, or even AAA, but why take the chance?

If your check engine light has been haunting you, don’t allow your technician to “reset it and let’s see what happens.” Your car’s OBD (On Board Diagnostics) system will give specific codes relating to your check engine light problem. If your technician doesn’t have the ability or knowledge to read these codes, or doesn’t feel like it, you’re wasting time and money at that shop.

Take a good look at the shop’s work areas. A good technician will refuse to work in a pig sty. They will keep a clean organized work area, and clean their tools and equipment on a regular basis, usually every day. The floor will be swept (oil stains are a fact of life) and free of old parts, peanut shells and soda cans. Don’t worry about what the technician looks like, car repair is not a beauty contest.

Follow personal recommendations, not coupons or flashy advertising. This applies to technician, dentists and real estate agents. There is no substitute for a thumbs-up from a good friend of family member. Good shops know this, and their customer service reflects it.

If your technician shows you “tell-tale signs” of upcoming problems like metal shavings in your transmission fluid, don’t assume the worst. This isn’t always the sign of a problem, so be sure to ask more questions. If something’s really wrong, you’ll know it.

Check to see if labor charges can be combined to get two repairs done at the same time. There are lots of jobs that, when done at the same time, can save a lot of money on labor. For instance if you are having your timing belt replaced, it’s often a good time to take a look at your water pump since all of the belts will be removed anyway.
Remember, always stay on top of the situation and you won’t be taken advantage of or miscommunicate with your technician. The more you know about your car and how it works, the more empowered you’ll be at the repair shop.

People are keeping their vehicles longer because they are more reliable and last longer. In 1969 the average age for a car was 5.1 years.

But, jump forward to 1990 and it was 6.5 years, and by 2007 it grew to 9.4 years. Although the cost of maintenance has gone up since the 1960s (accounting for inflation) the annual amount spent is less. This is due to the reliability of new vehicles. For instance new vehicles can go 150,000 miles before a tune-up where older vehicles needed one every 30,000 miles.

Accounting for inflation, in 1960 the average cost to repair a mid-size car was $8,053. In 1970 it dropped to $7,770. By 1990 it was down to $6,880.

Car manufacturers and experts stress that the best way to keep your vehicle running for a long time is to perform routine maintenance. By keeping your car operating efficiently it will last longer. Paying $150 in maintenance a year can save you the $3-5 thousand for a new (used) engine.

To help you not be overwhelmed when a repair does come up, save $50 every month for repairs and maintenance. Even a simple trip to your Utah brake repair shop will average $350. There are some items you can anticipate such as replacing tires (avg. $400), but it’s always a good idea to have some cash when the unexpected happens.

Here are a few more examples of average repair costs. You can expect to spend around $700 if you need to fix your air conditioning system. It will cost you about $465 to repair your engine cooling system. And you’re looking at $3000 for a new transmission.

It’s important to take the time to inspect your vehicle regularly; rather than just taking it to your Utah brake repair shop and other garages when you have major problems. If you notice any vibrations, sounds, or smells that are out of the ordinary, don’t ignore them. If you catch a problem early on and get it fixed rather than letting the problem continue to damage your vehicle you’ll save a lot of money in the long run.