Getting your car repaired can feel like getting yourself repaired: you dont know enough about the inner workings to know whats wrong; you just know somethings not right. And this lack of specific information can make you feel that you are at the mercy of your car mechanic.

So how can you as a consumer protect yourself? Consider two ways. The first is to use a reputable mechanic. Word of mouth is probably the best way to find a mechanic. Most repair shops in the United States are owner-operated, and those owners know that the best way to lose business is to provide shoddy work. Their self-interest makes them want to do a good job for you, because if they do not, you wont bring your car back when it needs service in the future. In addition, you may tell the person who referred you about your bad experience, and that person may decide not to go back and/or not tell any of their other friends to use him. Studies have found that one satisfied consumer will tell just a few friends, but a consumer that is unhappy tells an average of ten.

Your best bet will be a car repair garage recommended by your friends or peers over and over again. Another sign to look for is one that is involved in the community C for example, a shop that sponsors a local baseball or softball team. Finally, if a shop is family-owned and been in the community for decades, you may be supporting a merchant who is committed to the supporting the well-being of your community.

But what if you dont have a personal referral? Then you need a way to ensure that you are getting the right price for the service. Some common ways that disreputable repair shops try to inflate the amount you spend is through adding services on to what you originally asked for (called up-selling) or claiming that you need repairs which are really unnecessary, charging you more than they charge someone else (who may know or look like they know more about cars) for the same service. Lets look at how you can protect yourself in each of these instances.

Up-selling and Unnecessary Repairs

An oil change provides a prime chance for disreputable up-selling. For example, if you go for a simple oil change, the repair garage may tell you that you need to replace your brake fluid or automatic transmission fluid. If you know how often you should change these fluids (see your cars manual) and keep track of when you do, you will know if its time to change these fluids. Others areas to be wary of is suggestions to replace your wiper blades or air filters. Again, keep track of when you change these and a mechanic wont be able to pressure you to change car parts before you need to.

Unfair Prices

Knowing how much you should pay for a car repair is very tricky. According to the Insurance Information Institute, average auto repair bill is $871 (as of June 2004) Luckily, you have resource available that you can access to ensure that your car repair bill is in line with average auto costs. For example, you can find average auto repair costs from the Auto Warranty Group and information on costs from associations like the American Automobile Association (AAA). You can also scour the Internet by using search engines to obtain prices on parts, or visit your local auto parts store. Remember that garages do mark prices up a bit, but you can get an excellent idea of the cost of those parts. And dont forget to ask the experts at the local auto parts store whether a quote youve received for repairs seems fair.