Women, woefully underrepresented in the auto repair profession, seem like particularly appealing prey for fraudulent mechanics. They see us as being genetically programmed to know nothing about cars.
Even those of us who may know something about cars still need to find a good mechanic when things go seriously wrong.
Whether you decide to take your car to a dealership, chain, or independent shop, Deanna Sclar, author of Car Repair for Dummies, recommends looking for the following:
* AAA approval. The group's Approved Auto Repair Program does the leg work for you by visiting and evaluating repair shops according to stringent standards.
* Members of the Independent Garage Owners Association (California Only). If the garage has an IGO sign, that means the garage must abide by a code of ethics dictated by this organization.
* Service/achievement awards. These may include customer-service excellence awards, factory training programs that technicians have completed and other community/civic awards. Check the dates.
* A clean, well-organized facility. How long did it take for someone to help you? Do the workers seem frazzled or untrained? What kind of cars are they working on?
* Guarantees on their repairs. Less than a three-month guarantee? Go somewhere else.
* Major Repairs? “Like a patient seeing a doctor, if it’s major surgery, get a second or third opinion,” recommends Sclar.
Another way to find a good mechanic is to take suggestions and recommendations from trusted sources. After my very expensive altercation with a slimy car guy, I avowed to never have any car I owned be assessed by someone I had no background on. Now when I need mechanic, I talk to friends, family, or others who have the same type of car I have. Ask your neighbors, who may be able to suggest someone local. The Internet, with its wealth of consumer reports and ratings, can augment this type of research, but truly the best source of information is people you know. At best, they give you the name of a reliable fix-it person; at worst they tell you the ones to avoid.
