Auto repair is an inevitable part of life. It’s often painful, unexpected, and costly, much like medical bills or home repairs. You don’t want to spend money fixing your car, and what makes it worse is that you lack the technical knowledge to know if a repair facility is charging you fairly and honestly. It’s essential to note that while dishonesty is rare, incompetence remains prevalent. Working with a facility that lacks competency will mean paying hundreds or even thousands of unnecessary dollars. Car repairs are stressful and expensive enough without having to worry about whether your Technician has your best interests at heart. As a certified European auto repair specialist in Phoenix, I have worked on numerous vehicles that other shops or vehicle owners have misdiagnosed or improperly repaired. In every instance, they would have saved more money by paying fair prices for a competent professional upfront. Here are a few tips to help Arizona car owners vet their mechanics and find competent repair facilities.
Understand the limitations of price shopping for services
When a consumer wants to find the fair market rate for a good or service, their first step is to price shop. They seek a second opinion! After all, it’s the same pair of shoes, headphones, or sofa, right? Since you probably don’t want to spend much on this water pump in the first place, the lower the price, the better. However, when it comes to services, all water pump repairs are not equal. It might even be the wrong repair option in the first place depending on the competency of who diagnosed it.
You can’t shop for services the same way you shop for consumer goods.
When it comes to professional services, comparing prices is much more difficult because:
-You will never be knowledgeable enough to fact-check or talk tech with your mechanic to vet them. These professionals spend their entire careers developing their knowledge and techniques, often just to keep up with rapidly evolving technology. What you need to do is find ways to gauge if you can trust this professional.
– In professional services, your time becomes far more valuable than the money involved. An inexperienced, incorrect, or guesswork approach with the wrong professional will cost 2-3 times as much in your time and money to fix; you’ll lose the money on that attempt and pay twice as much for someone else to fix the mistakes. Additionally, the repair might turn out to be unnecessary or missing parts needed for a complete fix. The cost of trusting an untrustworthy professional is extremely high.
There is nothing wrong with price shopping for auto repairs, but it is crucial to understand that choosing the lowest bid will not be in your best interest. A competent repair facility won’t underbid quality work and expertise. Instead of focusing only on price, also weigh these other important factors.
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Pay for a Diagnostic/Consultation
Top-notch professionals dedicate their entire careers to expanding their knowledge and skill set and staying relevant with specialized tools and advanced equipment which all comes at cost. They charge accordingly for their time and their commitment to you. When you pay a shop a diagnostic fee, you are buying security. That professional becomes legally responsible for their assessments and plan of action. You can be sure they will do their best to get it right and stand by it.
Ask about the shop’s warranty and part quality
Most reputable independent facilities offer warranties that surpass those of dealership repairs. A 3-year / 36,000-mile warranty is a good baseline. Anything shorter than a 2-year warranty suggests that part quality may be compromised, increasing the risk of a repeat failure. Always ask the auto shop for warranty details and avoid working with a shop that has inadequate warranty coverage.
Ask about experience
How experienced are the technicians doing the job? What are their credentials?
At my shop, all our technicians have been doing this for over 18 years. They know that the water pump on your EA888 engine has a belt that drives it from the back of the countershaft and a 1-inch connecting pipe to the oil cooler that must be purchased only from the dealer, or that specific part will leak, and that belt can break. An experienced team of technicians may cost more on paper when price shopping but will save you money in the long run because you’re paying for a complete repair. Paying all the labor twice for that 1-inch pipe that wasn’t put on just got a lot more expensive. Ask any prospective shop about their team’s experience and whether they are experienced in your make of vehicle.
Build a relationship with your service advisor
The person you will talk to the most is not the mechanic but your service advisor. They are the first person you contact when you call or visit the shop. They are the ones who update you about your vehicle. Behind the scenes, they are managing your car repair projection from start to finish along with the whole shop operation. The key is to develop a relationship with a service advisor you trust to look out for your best interests and communicate well with.
A reliable service advisor will take the time to understand you and your needs, then recommend repair and maintenance plans that fit those needs.
A good service advisor communicates in a manner you understand and takes responsibility for any issue that arises during or after a repair. They proactively call you with updates about your repair instead of waiting for you to contact them. Build a relationship with a service advisor who understands you and your family’s specific driving needs.
Auto repair is often costly but essential. It is important to find a competent repair facility you can trust. Shop competency, not price, ask about their warranty, and find a Service Advisor you trust. Taking these steps will protect you from incompetent technicians and allow you to continue to focus on your life and what you do well while leaving your car problem to the experts.
Author: Andrew Durkin is the Owner of Ultimate European Repair in Phoenix, Arizona. The shop exclusively services BMW, Mini Cooper, Audi, Porsche, Volkswagen, and Mercedes-Benz. Andrew pioneered the diagnostic guarantee with his background as a top BMW diagnostic technician & loves continuing to teach and train Ultimate European Repair’s team of certified German specialists with over 80 cumulative years of experience, providing their clients with a unique automotive service experience.
