With increasing gas prices, we are all looking for ways to save money. Buy a Hybrid for around`$30,000 to save $10 a week in gas? I don’t think so. A lot of us realize that with the economic slow down our best bet is to reduce debt and drive what we already have a little longer. This article is for people that are looking to save money on their car repairs but don’t want to do the repairs themselves.
Find a repair shop before your car is in desperate need of repair. The easiest and less stressful way to try a shop’s services out is to schedule an oil change. By scheduling your car for this service, you can get to know the place, see if it seems trustworthy, organized and professional. Look for ASE certifications or dealer training certifications while there on your visit. Ask about their other services and what their warranty is on parts and labor.
Save money by having repairs done as soon as there is a problem. Delaying repairs can often result in more damage being done to related parts, requiring more labor and material. Have the car checked, just because your car overheated, don’t assume that it needs a water pump. If you ask for a water pump, that is what you’ll get and your car may still overheat. If you ask the service writer to have your car checked for overheating, then it will be their diagnosis and you have a leg to stand on if the repair didn’t remedy the problem.
You are much more likely to have a good experience if you communicate well with the shop. Don’t always elect go with the lowest price, you may end up with inferior parts and possibly a less experienced auto technician performing the repairs. Everyone is in a rush these days, but when you get your car worked on allow ample time for the repair so the work is not rushed. Anyone that works too fast is prone to make mistakes. Ask to see the old parts, you may not know what you are looking at, but this helps to insure the parts were replaced and that they did in fact fail. With a little common sense, you’ll save a ton of money on car repair and you won’t even get your hands dirty.
