Find A Good Auto Repair Shop Before You Need One

Don't wait until you need major work done on your automobile to find a good auto repair shop. You need to find a good repair shop before you actually need one. Otherwise, it's usually too late and you're at the mercy of whatever shop you've taken it to. You're at their mercy that they'll properly repair your vehicle and at their mercy that they won't charge you too much.

Here are some things you need to do before you need major auto repair work done:

1. Ask your friends if they know of any good repair shops. Friends help friends and their advice can be helpful, especially if they have the same model of vehicle that you have.

2. Try to find an auto shop that has mechanics that specialize in your make of vehicle. For example, if you have a vehicle that was made in Japan, you may want to consider a repair shop that specializes in repairing Japanese vehicles. This can make a big difference.

3. Check your phone book and call a few places. You can learn a lot about an automotive repair shop by talking to them over the phone. Are they courteous? Do they sound helpful? You should also ask them how much they charge to repair certain parts on a vehicle such as a tune up or brake replacement. This will give you an idea about pricing at these shops. Also, ask them what kind of warranty they have on parts and labor.

4. Once you've narrowed your search down, go online and go to the Better Business Bureau's website at BBB.org. Find out if any kind of complaints have been filed for the potential shops that you've picked out and what kind of ratings they've been receiving.

5. Find out if the potential shops you've picked out have mechanics that are ASE certified. To become ASE certified, a mechanic must have at least two years of experience and pass a test.

Do these things now before you need major repair work done on your vehicle. I know because I made the mistake of not doing these things before my transmission went out and the repair work cost me a small fortune. I found out later that another shop that had ASE certified mechanics would have done it for much less.

Don't make the same mistake I made. Look for and find a good auto repair shop before you need one.