subject: Worth The Risk? Taking Your Car To A Mechanic Or Doing The Repairs Yourself [print this page] These days, it seems like an honest mechanic is an oxymoron. Many people have stories about getting scammed or overcharged for work the mechanic either didn't do or did poorly. Some friends of mine have even chosen to buy another car rather than have one repaired due to the exorbitant prices their mechanics quoted them for simple repairs. Have you ever had this happen to you? CBS' "Early Show" correspondent Susan Koeppen recently did an expose story of thirteen mechanics around the country. Their findings confirmed what many people had suspected for years; out of the thirteen mechanics tested, only three proved to be truly honest in their dealings.
Many auto experts recommend finding an honest mechanic by taking your car to a mechanic when you know there is nothing wrong with it and making up vague systems for the mechanic to check. If they come back with a laundry list of problems, then you know to look somewhere else. Others suggest that doing the maintenance and repair work to your car yourself is the best option since you know the car more thoroughly and know that things are done right.
While there are certain situations in which it is better to take your car to a mechanic, for most people it is possible to perform many of the basic maintenance and simple repairs on your own. If you are inclined to try doing it yourself, purchase a repair manual for your car; Chilton or Haynes are good brands to try. These manuals will walk you through the steps to take for most issues you car will have. The internet is another readily available source of information for practically any car related question you could possibly have.
Do you have a friend who knows a little something about cars? Ask them to help you with any repair problems you are uncomfortable doing yourself. If you are unsure what the problem is, another option is to take the car to an honest mechanic for a diagnosis and then fix the problem yourself. Auto repair stores will also diagnose the problem for free if it is related to the check engine light. With the plethora of information available on virtually every car make and model, it is easy to find the knowledge to repair your car yourself and save both money and stress from dealing with a dishonest mechanic.
