5 Tips to Avoid Getting Ripped Off By Mechanic

When the car shows a warning sign, all we want is to fix it as quickly as possible. We depend on the mechanic to get your vehicle back on the road right away. But, not every mechanic is honest. It’s not rare to go to the shop for an oil change and hear that your car needs a new transmission. Or, the innocent inquiry about the brake warning light could end up with a list of repairs including brake pads, suspension, and rotors. Well, you have to be smart and know some basic information to avoid getting ripped off by mechanic.

5 Ways to Avoid Getting Ripped Off by Mechanic

Keep your eyes open and follow these 5 tips to avoid car repair rip-offs:

Learn the basics

It’s easier for a shady mechanic to scam a customer if s/he does not know anything about the engine mechanism and car parts. If you want to protect your wallet, start learning. Just spend a couple of hours with the owner’s manual and familiarize yourself with the components under the hood.

Ripped Off By Mechanic What Can I Do — Get under the hood sometimes to learn some basics. (photo source: Shutterstock)

Use a diagnostic tool

It’s an easier way to find out what’s wrong with the car. Before going to the shop, plug a diagnostic tool such as CarMD or ScanGauge II to your vehicle’s OBD 2 port. The display will show problem codes that you can decode by using the manual that comes with it. It will give you an idea about what’s wrong and if the mechanic is telling the truth about the repairs.

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Rely on referrals

It’s an easy way to avoid getting ripped off at by an auto mechanic. If you don’t have the time or are not willing to spend your time reading the manual or checking the engine parts, your only option is to find an honest mechanic. Referrals from friends, family, or colleagues could be the best way to find a good one. Also, all good mechanics believe in a long-term business strategy. They always try to provide good value for money. So, if your acquaintance speaks highly of someone’s service, you can trust that mechanic.

Check the price of new auto parts

A dishonest serviceman never leaves any chance to overcharge the customers. One way of doing that is to ask for more than what the actual prices of auto parts are. Most people do not check the market price and pay the bills. But, you should check online or call the dealer to see if the charges are correct.

In this situation, it is best to take your car to a reputable repair and maintenance center or a genuine store.

Ask for the old parts

Always do it if you want to avoid getting ripped off by mechanic. Some technicians charge for the replacement of parts without changing anything. Protect yourself from this scam by telling them beforehand that you want the replaced old parts.

Additionally, your vehicle loses genuine spare parts and is replaced with poor-quality goods when taken to private repair shops to replace spare parts or sent to the yard.

To overcome this problem, before taking your car to the mechanic, you should mark spare parts that are likely to be replaced with separate symbols for tracking. If it has not been marked, you should carefully check those parts before paying and taking the car out of the store. In case you discover that your vehicle has been altered, you should notify the competent police agency in that area for help and to warn others.

Vehicle owners should bring their vehicles to genuine maintenance centers such as Toyota or Honda… for periodic inspection and maintenance. By doing so, customers will always be assured of genuine spare parts and correct prices.

Here is the ways to avoid car mechanic scams!