How to Find a Good Mechanic

Developing a good relationship with an auto mechanic can help you achieve a lot of peace. When your car starts having mechanical or electrical issues, you will need to look for answers. Additionally, bringing your car to a garage for a routine auto maintenance will help in keeping it healthy and running for long. But the big question lingers on how to find a good auto mechanic. From answer from automotive experts, here is how you can go about it to get be the best auto mechanic.

Get Recommendations

When is to come to getting advice about mechanics, there is no shortage of places. You can turn to sites such as Yelp and Angie’s list as a good starting place, but you should not trust these places blindly. You need to look for consistency so that you can see a trend in terms of consistency of reviews. Ask yourself if the reviews are well-written to a point they can become believable. You can also check for Better Business Bureau to help you check on organizations that have multiple complains.

Look for Certification

Once you have gathered some names, do a research on each. First, you need to ensure that the mechanic is certified by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence – which is a big deal for most shops. Beyond looking for certifications, you need to check if a shop has a current license, in case your state requires shops to be licensed. For the specific make that you need services for, you should also consider the experience of the mechanic. Additionally, look at his overall training and experience.

Be Informed

When you take your car to an auto mechanic, you should not expect them to do everything for themselves. You should be informed and guide them so as to deliver the best services for you. Guide them on vehicle owner’s manual especially on maintenance service schedule. Help them understand which work your vehicle needs to be done at various stages of mileage. You can research pricing for specific repairs. Be cautious for a mechanic who may suggest you need a service or repair that you might have already done.

Ask the Right Questions

After you have established what brings you to the shop, next you need to right the right kind of questions. First, you need to check if your car is under a factory or any extended warranty. You should also ask for a price quote before allowing any work to be done on the vehicle. Ideally, a quote will consist of broken down parts that need to be replaced as well as labor.

Testing

You need to look for a mechanic even before you need an actual service. When you have a mechanic in advance, it will help you in case of an emergency, as you will not rush in a panic to anyone who offers auto mechanic service. It may make a good financial sense to go for a regular maintenance. Someone who is changing your oil may better advise you on any upcoming repair or service you may need.