You should always ensure that you're getting good value for your money from your car caregivers. Everything you spend on tune-ups and maintenance inspections should be worth it.
Prevent mechanics and technicians from fleecing you by doing your part to increase your knowledge in car maintenance. Don't shop for car shops on price alone.
If the time comes, the cheap business might not be around to honor their proposed warranty when push comes to shove. Sometimes you simply get what you pay for, whether it's faulty spark plugs or less than satisfactory brake pads.
Research, Research, and More Research
How to Properly Research for Car Mechanic Shops: You should do loads of research when it comes to finding mechanics and technicians for your busted car.
Go to review sites, research businesses, and get referrals from friends and family. This will help you find a trustworthy and reputable repair shop.
The Internet exists for a reason, so use it extensively for your fact-finding mission to get the best car repairmen on the job. Go to forums and pick the brains of fellow motorists in order to use their experience to your advantage.
Try Out a Repair Facility First with Minor Repairs: Instead of jumping with both feet into an unknown repair shop, why not have your prospective shop's mechanics tinker around with minor jobs first. If they do a good enough job, then you can entrust them with bigger overhauls and whatnot.
The idea here is to establish some sort of relationship with them by letting them handle small stuff at first. If you can't trust the mechanic to replace your headlight, then what more your engine?
Warranties and Certifications: When shopping for a facility, make sure that they have decent warranty deals on parts and labor. A 12,000 miles or 12 months warranty is the industry standard.
You should also ask for proof of certification from the mechanics you're working with. The certificates indicate if they've been tested or trained for their mechanical knowledge. If they're uncertified then buyer beware.
You might as well just do it yourself with an online tutorial. Or have a friend who's a "mechanic" do it for you. At least you'll save on labor fees and get the same amount of quality assurance.
More about Certifications
When it comes to car mechanics and technicians, you should specifically search for ASE certifications, vehicle system certifications, and so forth. The modern mechanic should be able to handle today's more advanced vehicles.
They should be able to figure out the meaning behind error codes or piece together what's probably wrong with your car by the symptoms it's showcasing. Most importantly, go with a mechanic you can easily talk to. A taciturn technician whom you can't even converse with isn't worth the trouble or labor fees.