Owning a vehicle isn’t cheap. Naturally, there’s the initial purchase cost for a car, but then owners have to take care of both scheduled and unexpected maintenance. It’s for this reason that finding auto mechanics you can trust is paramount. Recently, one automotive expert took to his social media to point out five ways to know a mechanic is attempting to scam you.
Vehicle maintenance is expensive enough without being scammed
Andy’s Auto Service recently took to its TikTok account to discuss vehicle maintenance. Specifically, he highlighted five signs, from personal experience, that an auto mechanic is trying to scam you. The first sign he names is mechanics charging high prices for simple repairs. His example is drivers needing brake repairs and mechanics charging them $750. Notably, he says brakes should only cost $300 to $500, with some exceptions.
Regarding vehicle maintenance, he also says to avoid mechanics who charge for a diagnostic but then refuse to issue a repair until drivers fix a separate issue. Andy calls this the diagnosis bait and switch. While paying for a diagnostic is commonplace, some mechanics try to tack on repairs for extra money. Next, he says to watch out for auto mechanics who mark up the price for OEM parts instead of aftermarket.
The following vehicle maintenance tip he gives is to avoid shops that don’t provide upfront quotes. He says mechanics should be transparent about their costs to avoid issues down the line. Shops also shouldn’t say “we don’t know yet” when it comes to the price. Finally, he says that some shops will fix things and seemingly break other components, so drivers have to come back. The problem is that this is something many people may not know until after they’ve used a particular mechanic, which makes prior research necessary.
There are several great mechanics out there. However, the market also has some not-so-stellar ones. The best thing drivers can do is pay attention to reviews and get referrals from friends. Additionally, upon finding a trusted auto mechanic, try to continue utilizing them instead of going to multiple others.
