With so much money invested into your vehicle, it wouldn’t be good to see extra money going into servicing where extra costs are spent because an auto repair shop isn’t being totally honest. Many things can go wrong with your vehicle, and as stated in an online article from ABC15, how do you know you can trust your mechanic not to repair more than you need?

Mark Essig, a writer in a small town in North Carolina, says he was astonished to be charged $150 by a local mechanic to replace a missing cover for the trunk-release switch in his ten-year-old Mercedes. While expensive repair bills are not uncommon for upscale European vehicles, Essig says this one was the icing on a frosty $2,000 repair bill he’d expected to come in at much less. He also noted it came as an additional cost not included in the estimate. He says: “It was part of a $2000 repair bill that included valve cleaning and brake work, and I was so sick to my stomach that I couldn’t quibble over $150. Best part was, I didn’t ask him to do it.” Similarly, another consumer shared this story on a consumer website; “When I was 16, my first car developed a loud exhaust leak. I took it to one auto repair shop and they told me I needed a new catalytic converter. I ponied up the big bucks and everything was grand. For about 2 months, when I heard another loud exhaust leak. Took it back to the same place and they told me the catalytic converter was shot. I showed them the receipt, and they told me that “this car has 2 catalytic converters, we replaced the first one, now your other is bad” I didn’t doubt them at the time, but I also couldn’t afford the repair, so I drove home, put it on ramps and got underneath, only to see a single catalytic converter, and a bad gasket from where they botched the job last time. Fixed the gasket myself for $2.”

Not backing up work is a sure sign that their customer service, or service in general, may not be at the highest quality you deserve. As mentioned in the article, Dave Pennigton with NARPRO says don’t wait until your car is having problems to find a mechanic. Find a good shop before you need one. NARPRO helps narrow down your search. If they don’t maintain a 95-percent customer satisfaction level, they probably won’t be a NARPRO shop. Another way to tell if a shop is credible is to go online to see what other people are saying about the shop. Pennigton says, “Pay close attention to how the shop handles the issue. That will give you a good feel of how they will treat you. If they don’t take time to take care of you at the front desk and tell you exactly what’s going on with your car, then run.” The key is to start looking for a reliable auto repair shop now and not when it is too late. You and your vehicle deserve the best service around.