Ahhh, the old "bad mechanic." While most mechanics are professionals looking to make an honest living, they are tarred by the actions of a small segment that make the rest look awful. If you've spoken to a professional mechanic in depth before, you'll know that no one has a bigger problem with sleazy mechanics than an honest mechanic whose business suffers as a result. Good mechanics have to convince customers to trust them because of the bad ones. Here are 5 ways to tell that you may have found a bad mechanic:
1) Asks You To Pay Before The Job Is Started or Refuses to Give Estimate - If a mechanic at an actual repair shop asks for money upfront before repairing your car, and it's not just a friend of yours doing the work in exchange for beer looking to buy the parts, you may have a bad mechanic on your hands. The only exception to the rule may be if you've had issues with making payment to the mechanic in the past, and in that case the mechanic may be justified. And if the mechanic is unwilling to provide an estimate on a company letterhead, run the other way.
2) Doesn't Take Responsibility for Mistakes - A good mechanic will take responsibility for their mistakes, as mistakes can happen. A bad mechanic will pass the buck to everyone in the world, from you, to their co-workers, to the manufacturer, before they admit they did something wrong. That being said, sometimes there are legitimate explanations for things going wrong and it may not be the mechanics fault, but a good mechanic takes responsibility. There are frequent situations where mechanics and shops actually lose money on a particular job for situations outside their control, which shows true character and integrity in business.
3) Uses Scare Tactics To Make a Sale - If a mechanic says thing to you like "I wouldn't risk my life in that death trap" and other hyperbole designed to scare you into letting them work on your car, you should be more scared of giving them your business. A competent mechanic will explain in detail what's wrong with your car and show you, without having to resort to scare tactics. Of course, there may be a legitimate safety issue with your vehicle, but only a bad mechanic will act like the mafia: "Pay me or else!"
4) Doesn't Have Tools - A mechanic by trade who has experience will also have tools, which he or she accumulates over their career. The only good mechanics who don't have tools are ones just starting out. In fact, a good mechanic gets excited when the tool truck stops by, and usually spends more money than their wives and girlfriends feel comfortable about on getting new wrenches and the like. But someone who claims to be a mechanic and doesn't have any tools is not someone to do business with. A mechanic without tools is like a lawyer without a computer, a landscaper without a lawnmower, or a pizza shop without an oven.
5) Won't Show You Certifications - If a mechanic claims that they have certifications, they shouldn't hesitate if you ask to see them. A bad mechanic will get upset and refuse to show you their certifications because they probably don't have them, even though they claim they do on their website, or when discussing their reputation with you. Many mechanics work hard to earn their certifications, and are proud to show them off, so if someone is claiming they put in the work and have the expertise and refuses to prove it, it's time to go somewhere else.
Update: This post has been updated and "Clean Hands" has been removed from the list as many great mechanics use gloves to keep their hands clean and free from dangerous chemicals.
Thank you to all of our loyal mechanics who helped us come up with this list.
