For the longest time I have felt like I am getting ripped off by every mechanic that I visit. I have seen some of the worst behaviour, from lying about work they claim to do (and didn't do) to suggesting repairs and services that are not necessary. I could tell you so many stories, and the the worst is that I am very open about my hesitations when I pick a new mechanic. They nod and agree with me about how mechanics are lazy and don't do a very good job, then do the very same thing to me! I recently had dinner with a car mechanic teacher who agreed with me. He went even further to say ALL mechanics are 100% motivated to get the maximum amount of money out of their clients rather than actually help fix the car. Not only that, but that mechanics these days have had their training standards continuously dropped so that they don't even know how to properly fix anything that is broken. They basically just plug in a computer, change some fluids and filters, and that is it! Bit of a rant, but if you know anything about the industry or have some tips about picking a good mechanic, I would appreciate it.
While there are tons of terrible mechanics, I'd have to say there are plenty of good ones, too. If you're that worried about getting ripped off constantly, then you should just perform the repairs yourself. It's not difficult at all to learn how to diagnose and repair your own vehicle. I do about 40% of the maintenance on my vehicle by myself and leave the rest to the mechanic, although I could probably handle more of these issues myself with more time. The only way you can be assured you're not getting a bad deal is by doing things yourself.
There are a number of good mechanics but they are very few of them. Best way to find such a mechanic is through friends. If someone has had a bad experience with a particular mechanic they won't recommend him/her, right? To avoid such people, ask friends to tell you where they got the best of worst service. Should they recommend someone then go and find out for yourself if that person is really that good at what they do.
I use a really honest mechanic who instead of trying to fleece me out of money, told me the truth about my car. He could have done the work and made a lot of money out of it. Instead, he told me I would be better off scrapping the car.
Well I am lucky I know plenty of good car mechanics, but that's because my brother is one and I know all his friends. I think it's hard for them because they have to pay so much out for parts these days. The cost of finding a good car mechanic has gone up because so has the cost of buying parts etc.
The point for me it's not if they are good not, I don't question that they are good, for me the question is, are they honest? And the answer to this question, sadly in over 50% of the cases is no, they are not honest and they charge us for things we don't need, just because we have no way to verify them.
Not very many that's for sure. Over the last few years we have been taken advantage of at almost every dealer we have been to! It's terrible. We have learned quite a bit from the experience though. We learned to ask around to family and friends and get a feel of who they use and ask for suggestions. Most of the time they will be honest and point you in the right direction. We did just that and now we have a mechanic we can trust! Nothing better in the world!!! Danyel
Why do people always complain about doing some needed work he/she couldn't do, but get mad at others, with way more know how, because their services didn't completely meet expectations?! It's like crying to one's mother or father, because she/he didn't feed you milk with the right bottle, but you were still fed. These privileage people these days, need a true hard lesson in be barred from services he or she requires, that he or she doesn't know how to do, so he or she will have to find a way to fix things their selves. I've always tried to fix my own cars, and for the things I don't have the tools or knowledge to do, I pay service for and be glad with the results, whether it was mediocre, poor, or great. Perfection, is the falsified and exclusionary expectations, of human perceptions.
Finding a good auto mechanic shouldn't be a problem these days. Note that the net has probably made mechanics more responsible to the public. For instance, many bad reviews could possibly sink a competitive business. Anyway, though, I'm sure people got reviews before the net, but I don't think they were as powerful. Oh, by the way, how did people find out about auto-mechanics in the past?
When I bought our public utility vehicle, I also 'inherited' its mechanic who does home service. However, after realizing that he wasn't meticulous with his job and always had to be called for back jobs, I had to look elsewhere. A friend referred me to this shop located along the highway with three mechanics who knows their business and work fast and efficiently as a team. I was quite satisfied with their performance and their rates are reasonable, too. However, when the vehicle's counter gear broke down, they're hesitant to take on the job because they have to open the transmission system to find out what parts should be replaced and the vehicle would have to remain in their garage while we're out looking for a counter gear. That would prevent them from taking more customers. We decided to just look for a mechanic who can do home service. A driver recommended an experienced mechanic and we decided to try him. He opened the transmission system, took out the counter gear as well as needle roller bearings that require replacement. It took us two days to find a counter gear and he cleaned and assembled the system in less than four hours. He changed us $30 for labor which is the standard rate for this job in our area. I always seek recommendations when it comes to vehicle repair as it can be very costly and time consuming to entrust repairs to shops or repair people who are not up to the job.
There are many good and not so good mechanic around and sometimes it's not that the mechanic may not be competent, it's that he may be trying to get more than he should from you for doing the job. The best bet is to probably look around and try to find out from people that you may know that would be honest to you and give you information that would enable you to determine a credible mechanic who you could probably stick with him for the long haul.
When my first mechanic retired, I asked him if he could recommend one to me, knowing I'm not at all in the know about cars he recommended my next mechanic. Then I moved and my now mechanic was too far away. I made friends that I could trust who lived in area, and asked them for a good mechanic near by that I can trust. I got a good mechanic this way always. Good luck in finding your new mechanic. All my mechanics were good, never cheated me and was fair pricing too.