AUTO RAMA ’85
PAGE TWO
Your car stalls when you turn left or
drips oil all over th street. You know it
has to be repaired - but where do you go?
New Driver magazine takes it readers
by the hand in pursuit of that elusive
answer in the following article reprinted
from their first issue of the present
school year.
Drivers would like to think that all auto
repair shops have Supermechanics who
can coax your car back to health for a
small charge. But you've heard enough
rip-off stories to make you think twice
before you head for the nearest garage.
Auto repair complaints are the nation’s
number one consumer problem, accord-
ing to the U.S. Office of Consumer
“Affairs. A Department of Transportation
study showed that over half of what is
spent on repairs is wasted on unneeded
or improperly done work. The problems
you're most likely to have are your car
not being ready on time, the problem not
fixed, rudeness and overpricing. The
most fraudulent mechanics trick consum-
ers with ploys‘like squirting oil on the
engine ‘and then “recommending a new
fuelpump. §&
You can ward off fraud by tracking
down a good mechanic. And the time to
find out about mechanics and repair
facilities is before your car needs repair.
There are many kinds of: shops from
which to choose. For certain: types. of
work, one kind may make more sense
than the others. Here are the pros and
cons:
Service station - It’s usuall conven-
tiently located and has long hours, but
may not handle a wide range of repairs.
Independent repair shop - Some experts
favor these because the shops’ business is
repairs. They usually do general repairs,
and their business comes from cus-
tomer’s recommendtions. Prices are not
usually as steep as at dealerships.
Special repair shop - These shops do
one or two specific repairs, such as
muffler replacement, transmission work
or brake jobs. Because they’re based on
large volume, these are usually good
values.
Mass merchandiser - Repairs at big
merchandisers (like Sears and K-Mart)
often are wide in range and high in value.
Car dealership - The mechanics at a
dealership are specialists on that particu-
lar make of car, have the latest informa-
tion, have parts available and can do a
wide range of repairs, The disadventage
of dealing with a dealership is that they
are often high priced. If you have a new
car, your warranty often covers repairs
at the dealership. When you buy a car, be
sure to check out the dealer’s service
area.
In every category, shops range from
efficient, courteous and honest to bum-
bling, thieving and abusive. According to
experts, one sign of a top shop is that it is
nearly always busy.
To get good service, check out repair
facilities in advance. Here’s how:
Shop’s reputation
Talk to friends, neighbors and relatives
about the most reliable shops in town.
Word-of-mouth recommendations are
good bets. But you should also call the
Better Business Bureau (BBB) or local
consumer protection agency to learn the
shop’s complaint record.
Facilities
Are old tires heaped in the windows?
Do junker cars block every step? Or does
the facility look neat and organized? You
don’t have to be a mechanical genius to
spot a garage that’s clean and orderly.
Look, too, to see if the equipment is
modern and in good condition. The logic
is that if mechanics take pride in their
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work. According to one American Auto-
mobile Association (AAA) service spe-
cialist. “Ninety percent of the shops that
are sparkling clean will be good places to
deal with.”
While you're at the repair shop, talk to
the service manager or shop boss. See
how you’re treated and how your ques-
tions are answered. You might even talk
to customers to get their opinions.
Repair practices
Before you hand over your car to a
mechanic, know her or his policies.
You’ll need answers to these questions:
— Do you give a written, itemized
estimate? With a written estimate, you
know exactly what’s to be done and how
much it will cost. Sometimes the
mechanic must examine the car before
diagnosing the problem and giving an
estimate.
— Do you get approval before doing
AUTO PARTS
* MONROE SHOCK ABSORBERS
* AP MUFFLERS & PIPES
* AC & WIX OIL & AIR FILTERS
* BLUE STREAK IGNITION
* AC & CHAMPION SPARK PLUGS
* AMALIE OILS & GREASES
* REPLACEMENT PARTS FOR
ALL VEHICLES
repairs that exceed the estimate? Ask the
shop to call you to get authorization for
work not written on the estimate. Never
give a shop the go-ahead to repair
whatever’s wrong.
— Do you give a guarantee? You can’t
always expect a guarantee, but many
shops do guarantee their work for 90
days, or 4,000 miles, whichever comes
first. Longer guarantees may mean a
shop will ‘“over-repair’’ to make sure
nothing goes wrong.
— Do you give back old parts? When
they replace parts, reputable garages
either give back the old parts or let you
see them. Then you know that the
mechanic actually did the work, espe-
cially if you marked the car’s parts:
— Do you test drive cars? Test driving
can help the mechanic to spot problems
and be certain that the car is fixed after
doing the repairs. ~
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