Mechanic Advisor

5 Biggest Mistakes People Make When Choosing a Mechanic

Posted July 07, 2014 by Ken Kupchik



Finding a mechanic can be a stressful experience, especially if you're new to an area, or recently out of warranty. Finding a great, dependable mechanic can mean the difference between saving money and correctly fixing your car, and losing thousands of dollars without fixing a problem or worse. There are, however, some mistakes people make when searching for a mechanic, all of which can easily be avoided with some due diligence. Here are the 5 most important ones:

1) Choosing the lowest price - Cheaper doesn't always mean better, and in the world of automotive repair, sometimes it can be a huge red flag. If a mechanic is offering a price that seems to good to be true for a repair that is quoted higher nearly everywhere else, something might be up. The old adage "You get what you pay for," holds true with mechanics as well. Our review section is littered with stories of customers deciding to go with a mechanic who was able to undercut everyone else, only to perform shoddy work, or raise the price during the repairs, finally ending in a 1-star rating.  

2) Falling for scare tactics - While mechanics may be genuinely concerned for your safety when warning you about the drive-ability of your car, there are some out there who will take it to an unethical place, using the potential danger as a way to make a sale. If your mechanic says things like "You shouldn't drive that deathtrap another mile," or "Your kids are not safe in that car," then carefully get another opinion, or have the mechanic explain what they are concerned about to your satisfaction. While not many mechanics will actually go this far, there are a small few who have no qualms with using fear, a very powerful motivator, to make themselves some more money.

3) Ignoring bad reviews - Our review section is incredibly valuable to customers past and future. When searching for a mechanic, always utilize the power of the internet in the form of checking reviews before committing to do business with a mechanic. If a shop has multiple negative reviews, don't ignore them in the hope that they are exceptions. Use review sites like Mechanic Advisor, Yelp, Angie's List, and even Facebook to investigate how the shop conducts business, and, nearly as importantly, how they handle their reviews. A shop owner who offers to resolve a customer's complaint after an online review will show that they are willing to take responsibility and go above and beyond for the sake of customer experience. 

4) Not asking (enough) questions - For some strange reason, a vast number of people simply don't like asking questions of their mechanics. Whether it's because they are shy, don't want to sound like they don't know what they're talking about, or are simply in a hurry, they neglect to find out as much information as possible before hiring someone and trusting them with their car. This leads to miscommunication, frustration, and surprises down the road. Never hesitate to ask as many questions as possible, including questions about certifications, timelines for repair work completion, mechanical explanations, and even for referrals. Don't wait until you get home and say to yourself, "I really wished I had asked them that!"

5) Ignoring poor customer service - A misconception people have about mechanics is that they have no people skills, and aren't interested in providing good customer service. While this may be the case sometimes, it's not always so, and the best mechanics offer great customer service in addition to top notch automotive service. So if you're a customer looking to book an appointment, and you are treated rudely by the mechanic, or the person on staff doing the booking, don't just ignore it out of convenience or because you assume that it is just a part of the industry. If you're having issues with customer service before you've even left the vehicle to get worked on, imagine how things may go once the work actually starts. Think ahead, and don't brush off rudeness, or incompetence as you will probably regret it later. 

MechanicAdvisor.com is one of the largest online mechanic resources in the US. We are the premier website for consumers to research and connect with reputable local mechanics for routine and specialty automotive repair. Our website features instructional videos, articles about maintaining your car, and detailed profiles of over 500,000 mechanics across the country. If you're a shop owner, please claim your shop page for free here