11 Tips For Choosing The Right Auto Repair Service

Here Are Our Tips For Choosing The Right Auto Repair Service

No matter how well you take care of your car, especially if you take care of your car, auto repair is an unavoidable part of life.

At some point, your vehicle will need proper service to run its best. Needless to say, vehicle repairs and maintenance can come with sticker shock and can leave you without a car, or stuck in the shop, for longer than you’d like.

You need to make sure that whichever company you trust for auto repair, it’s the best in town and knows how to work on your vehicle.

To help you save your time and money, we have put together 11 tips for choosing the right auto repair service for your vehicle. Take your time to read through, and then practically implement them whenever choosing an auto repair company.

Choosing The Right Auto Repair Service

Whenever your car needs work, you want it done quickly and inexpensively. These tips are designed to make sure that happens:

1: Experience Matters the Most

No matter what, whenever you put your trust in any auto repair service you should check how experienced they are and how long they have been working. Their mechanics should be certified and not easily thrown off by issues affecting your vehicle.

If you can, go through their past work details to get an idea of how experienced and professional the company is. Speaking of which…

2: Professional & Well Organized

Once you decide you need service, pay a visit to their work shop before bringing your car in. It sounds like a lot, but this will ensure that you’re not taken by surprise. Make sure everything is professional, neat and well organized.

You could even tell them you’re scouting a new shop. They’ll appreciate that you do your homework. The staff should be courteous and kind and must be willing to answer all your questions.

3: Get Reviews

A reliable company will always have their customer reviews published on their website. You can even ask questions online about the level of service received for their vehicle, staff behavior and the cost incurred.

You can also ask people in your social network about the company. Maybe one of them have used the service in the past and can give you a better review.

4: Be Fully Prepared

Do you know your insurance policy number and your vehicle’s identification number? You may also want to keep in touch with your car towing company just in case an accident occurs. You should keep your cool in case of an accident and prioritize safety before thinking about repairs.

5: Mechanics Must Be Certified

No matter how much the company claims that their mechanics are skilled and experienced, you should make sure that they are certified and have dealt with enough car repairs in past. If they have treated a similar repair issue like yours it will be a plus point. Some inexperienced car mechanics can create more problems instead of fixing them.

6: Get An Estimate

We highly recommend that you get a free of cost estimate before opting for the service. Discuss what repairs you need for your vehicle and ask the company to give you the best estimate so you get an idea of how much you’ll be spending.

Moreover, a professional auto repair company will always let you know the price upfront. If they don’t, either they’re not professional or they’re not being as honest as they could be. Of all the red flags, this is the one to pay most attention to.

7: Ask Questions

Once you know the issue that needs to be fixed, you should ask some questions about it. Even if you no idea what the repair shop is about to do, just ask them what type of repair it is. Try to get a gauge on their expertise, and their transparency.

Why it costs this much and how long it will take? As a customer you have the right to ask your mechanic for explanation regarding every repair he performs on your car. A good shop will encourage your questions.

8: Guarantee for Services

Choosing an auto repair that doesn’t stand behind a guarantee for their services is a bad idea. Most reputable shops will also hesitate to use products that aren’t warrantied.

Though vehicle problems are unexpected, whatever service you get, the company should stand behind their work.

9: Dealer vs. Local Shop

There is a difference between an auto repair dealer and a local shop. Depending on your problem, you have to choose one. For instance, if someone lost their car smart keys and they want a new one programmed, then definitely they should choose a dealer who works on one car brand. Bear that car dealers are very expensive and you may be overcharged for services which don’t cost that much. There is a reason for this. Brand specific dealers charge more because they deal only in a particular brand.

On the other hand, if you need some heavy duty work, a local shop is the best option. The majority of the experienced auto repair shops can easily handle major issues without overcharging you and also offering a guarantee on their services.

10: Price

Theoretically, pricing for a given service should be consistence from shop-to-shop. But that’s not always how it is in practice. Because some shops may specialize in certain services, but still offer every service, you could end up paying more for labor than if you had gone with another shop.

For example, Shop A might do top-tier engine rebuilds, but could be less adept at brake replacement. Shop B might be able to get you a new set of brakes in record time, but it might have been a while since changing a timing belt.

Try taking your car in for services that they know how to do efficiently.

11: Employee Focused

We find that when a shop takes care of its employees, they do better work overall. We make sure our employees get time off, get home for the weekends, and are able to do their best work when their on the clock.

Federal Way Automotive has been offer auto repairs for over 30 years and have served thousands of customers who always choose us whenever a problem occurs. You can contact us today to get a free estimate.