Finding Auto Repair Pros You Can Trust

As an automotive technician I report with regret that a few years ago, a USA Today poll found that auto repair ranked as “the most frustrating task Americans have to deal with”—worse than tax returns and going to the dentist. Just like doctors and accountants, there are technicians you can trust and those you cannot.

However, because many of us have a difficult time discerning the difference between the two, the fear associated with getting a vehicle repaired is easy to understand. Doctors, accountants, and other professionals have degrees and belong to associations that help make us aware of their expertise.

But how about technicians? There are things that you can and should look for. Lucky for you, once you know how, it is not difficult.

Horror Stories. Ever get your vehicle repaired, not knowing that what was supposed to be fixed really was? It does not matter where you had your vehicle repaired. I have seen vehicles come from dealerships, popular auto repair/lubrication chains, and other repair facilities with all the same problems. Sometimes it’s an air filter that was just “replaced,” but it was never touched. Quite often, an oil filter is the wrong size, a cheap Chinese knockoff, or left unchanged. I have found very expensive components costing my customers large sums of money left unchanged.

However, the preceding are the exception and not the rule. Most of the time repair shops do get the work done. The question is whether the repair is of high quality and cost effective for you, the customer. A high quality repair is not necessarily cheap nor expensive.

On the cheap end, be wary of repairs that are too good to be true, such as a $60 brake job. For that price, there are only two things you will be guaranteed: a subpar brake job that will ultimately cost you more than you saved or, not surprisingly, you will go to the shop only to find out that your repair costs $600 instead of sixty. Cheap brake pads quickly wear away, damaging the rotor and preventing your vehicle from stopping as designed. Ridiculously low prices are a common bait-andswitch technique to get customers into the door only to saddle them with a repair many times more expensive.

An expensive repair may not a good thing either. When the right expertise or equipment to diagnose vehicle problems is not available, mechanics just guess the “likely” cause of the problem. Removing and replacing parts based upon “educated” guessing is ultimately a more expensive repair. It would be like trying to treat an illness by taking random medications instead of getting the ailment diagnosed first. Good technicians test; they do not guess.

Professional Technicians. So, how do we find a professional technician that will repair your vehicle right and for the right cost? Do not judge just by the hourly labor rate. A repair facility might charge very high prices, but not necessarily perform the best repair. Also, do not make assumptions based solely upon a shop’s appearance. Most of the time a professional looking shop reflects the staff’s professionalism, but sometimes this is not the case.

Perhaps the best way to evaluate if a repair facility can be trusted with your vehicle is the same way we evaluate prospective employees. Just as you find a doctor you can trust based upon his qualifications and education, our approach to technicians is the same way. Technicians should have ASE Certifications and continue their education, because vehicles change yearly. Find out your repair facility’s certifications and inquire how often their technicians attend training. Locally in Putnam, there are two sources of professional training, ATTS (Automotive Technician Training Services) and TST (Technicians Service Training) where technicians receive training on a weekly and/or monthly basis that represents the elite amongst technicians. Ask your shop how often and what kind of training their technicians receive.

It is very important to pick a professional to work on your vehicle. After all, a vehicle is a 3,000 pound gun. A repair must be done right, ensuring the safety of the motorist and the integrity of the repair. Reputable repair facilities will stand by their work and their diagnostics. You, the customer deserve, no less.

Craig Truglia is an owner of Car Clinic in Mahopac and can be reached at (845) 628-6668 or on the web at CarClinicNY.com.