Taking your car to the shop is never an easy experience. Auto repair is especially frustrating if you have limited knowledge of the mechanics of your vehicle and what it takes to make the repair. You feel like the shop can tell you anything and you would naively open your wallet and let them take all your money. In days past, there were only a few ways to protect yourself against unscrupulous shops. Word of mouth and second opinions were at the top of the list. While these two pieces of advice are still valuable, we live in a technological age and information is just a mouse click away. Consumer advocate web sites are plentiful on the internet. Some are dedicated strictly to auto repair while others, such as major search engines, offer ratings based on actual consumer experiences with various businesses.

I suggest reviewing businesses as they are listed on the major search engines such as GOOGLE. Enter in the key words “auto repair” followed by your city. If you live in Tucson enter the phrase, “auto repair Tucson, AZ.” You will see a list of shops with consumer ratings. Read the ratings and make an informed decision on where to take your vehicle.

Another creditable web site dedicated to auto repair is REPAIRPAL.COM. On this web site, finding a reputable shop is as easy as entering your zip code and make of vehicle. REPAIRPAL.COM will generate a list of repair shops within your area showing how people rated each shop. The best feature of REPAIRPAL.COM is the “repair estimator.” This feature allows you to enter the recommended repair for your vehicle. REPAIRPAL will generate an estimate of the cost of the repair with both parts and labor. You know you’re being taken if the cost you’re being quoted by the shop is far from the quote on REPAIRPAL.

 
Telephone Shopping is not always the best method of finding the best repair shop. Unscrupulous shops will “low-ball” telephone estimates to get you to bring your vehicle to them. In other words, they tell you a deceitfully low price on the telephone to get you to bring your car to them. They then hit you with an inflated estimate for the repair or force you to pay check out fees before they return the car back to you. You’re asking for trouble if you telephone shop for the lowest price.