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Avoiding Auto Repair Rip-Offs

Expert Advice from an ASE-Certified Mechanic

Created by Phil Coconis (ASE Re-certified L1 and X1 Master Automobile Technician)

My dentist probably hates me. Or at the very least, he's mystified. It's all because, by his accounting, I'm breaking many of the established rules for proper dental hygiene while suffering no adverse consequences. While I do brush a couple of times a day, I rarely floss. I show up for a cleaning and check-up every three or four years and there really are no dental problems to speak of. Which leaves the man utterly flabbergasted. He reasons that good genetics are working in my favor. I agree, and add that I also eat a very healthy diet, get plenty of exercise, and a reasonable amount of rest.

So for now I'm enjoying a phenomenal, trouble-free run. Which brings us to the topic of automotive hygiene (really, it does!), otherwise known as vehicle maintenance.

Of Machines and Men

Many people believe—or want to, at any rate—that if they buy the right vehicle, change the oil a couple of times a year, and fix it when it otherwise falls into dysfunction, order will prevail in their automotive world—all will be just fine.

They are, in fact treating the vehicle maintenance issue much like I treat the dental issue: tapping into a superior gene pool, performing cursory (minimal) maintenance, and addressing the rest under the topic of damage control.

But for those who either own their vehicles, or have a long-term lease (one which does not include routine maintenance), this approach just doesn't work. Why not?

The answer is not hard to grasp: While the human body is capable of repairing and rejuvenating itself for a number of years, an automobile, being a mechanical device, cannot. From the moment it starts being used for its intended purpose, it starts to wear out.

If it Ain't Broke, Fix it Anyway

It's true enough that high-quality vehicles of simple and rugged design will outlast their complicated and effete counterparts—especially if driven with care. Still, wear is inevitable, and breakdown guaranteed, if worn parts are not replaced or serviced no later than when they reach their limit of usefulness. Such breakdowns can result in repair costs many times greater than repair or replacement of such parts before they fail completely.

Let me illustrate with several painful scenarios. For instance, brake pads run beyond their service limit can and will do damage to the rotors they contact, rendering them unfit for future use, and adding hundreds of dollars to repair costs. Failure to replace tune-related items (spark plugs, plug wires, filters, and oxygen sensors, to name several) on time, will not only cause excessive fuel consumption, but can often damage the catalytic converter(s) in the exhaust system, especially on late-model vehicles. Even mild damage to these units will likely cause vehicle performance to suffer, and the "Check Engine" Malfunction Indicator Lamp to illuminate (a condition that will also cause you additional expense for proper diagnosis).

If your state has mandatory vehicle emissions inspections, this condition will cause the vehicle to fail the test. The Department of Motor Vehicles will withhold the registration operating documents for the vehicle until it passes the test. (Adding insult to injury would be if the vehicle were not paid off by that time!)

Belts, especially timing belts, if allowed to run into what I like to call the "bonus zone" and then break, can cause a catastrophic engine failure in some cases. Now the repair procedure that would have cost $500 before the belt failure, may now approach the $5000 dollar mark afterwards!

While these are just a few choice cause-and-effect scenarios, the list of all possibilities is very long indeed. The scary thing about all of these types of failures is that many of them occur without an apparent warning to the owner; and can result in consequences even more serious than just additional repair costs they generate.

Can you imagine what might happen if that timing belt failed while you're doing battle with rush-hour traffic at speed on a crowded freeway or expressway? For those unfamiliar with this type of failure—the engine shuts off abruptly. Life and limb, as well as property are then involved!

Know Thy Vehicle

So, as a vehicle owner, what do you do to deal with this issue? Since knowledge is power, Step One is to familiarize yourself with your vehicle's maintenance needs. The Owner's Manual is a very good place to start. In it, you will find information as to the maintenance schedule your vehicle should be on (which will vary depending on how and where you drive), and specifics as to which, and when, items should be inspected or replaced.

There is also another alternative to this, since we are, after all, well into the computer age. There are online services such as Valvoline's Vehicle Manager website, which essentially provide you access not only to the maintenance information about your car, but also to an e-mail messaging service for reminding you of upcoming maintenance intervals. How cool is that?

Choosing Your Supporting Cast

Step Two is a little more difficult, because it involves choosing the repair facility that is actually going to perform the maintenance service on your vehicle. If you think that all repair shops are more or less the same, and it doesn't really matter which one you choose, you've been living in a bubble. The modern automobile is quite complex, and service and maintenance requirements and procedures vary by manufacturer, year and model.

For instance, there are significant differences in transmission fluid types. What will work perfectly fine in one manufacturer's transmission will destroy another's! Can you tell the difference? Let's hope that the shop you take your vehicle to can tell! That's just one example of thousands with which a competent technician must be familiar.

What about honesty and integrity? Are you getting the service that your vehicle needs? Are you getting what you're paying for?

Doubtless, questions and issues such as these can seem overwhelming, causing some to be totally petrified or, conversely, to have a cavalier attitude when it comes to selecting a competent repair shop. And failing to choose, or choosing poorly, is really not what you want.

While it does take some time and people skills to determine who is trustworthy and who isn't, it is not anywhere near as impossible as some may think. Just as there are ways to find good services in other fields, there are also ways to find good auto repair facilities.

Some States have a Bureau of Automotive Repair, which will keep a record of whether a shop in fact has a current license to repair autos, as well as a list of any legitimate complaints against it. That is not to say, though, that all licensed shops with no complaint history will be the right shop for you.

Independent organizations, such as the Auto Club will also have a recommended listing for repair shops, just as they do for lodging accommodations. I wouldn't doubt that their recommendations are excellent, but there are many good repair facilities out there that are not listed with such organizations, so be extra thorough with your homework.

The Blue Seal of Approval

There is another organization that is very useful in finding a quality repair shop: the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence—commonly known by the acronym ASE.

In existence for more than 30 years, the ASE organizes voluntary testing and certification of auto and truck repair technicians, as well as other professionals involved in the field. Since involvement with the ASE is voluntary, it speaks well of technicians and the facilities that employ them when they spend valuable resources such as time, money, and personal effort to submit to their program.

It shows an interest in raising the level of their performance against the tough but fair standards the organization sets. It shows that they care about what they do, and they want to communicate this to the repair customer by having their qualifications posted in clear view at the repair facility.

Shops that are involved with and support the ASE program will have a trademark "Blue Seal" with white ASE script on it, displayed on and about the facility.

There are different levels of technicians, depending on how many areas of repair the technician has proven to be competent in. Those who have proven to be competent in all areas of automotive repair are considered Master Technicians.

Unless the shop specializes in just one type of repair, it's likely that the higher quality shops will employ at least one person of such qualifications. Feel free to go in to such facilities and talk to the owner or manager about the shop and technicians employed there. Before that, you may want to visit the ASE website at www.asecert.org, to get a good working knowledge of the organization and its mission. Just as you need to be well-informed about your vehicle's maintenance needs, so too should you be up to speed on your mechanic's level of training, all in order to minimize your risk of expensive repairs.