How to Find a Reputable Import Car Repair Shop

19 Feb 2019 Samantha Munoz

Some people inherently distrust mechanics because they feel mechanics are always trying to rip them off. However, many mechanics care as much about your import car repair as you do and want you to be a repeat customer. Here are a few tips for knowing if a shop is trying to rip you off or do a quality job on your import car repair.

1. Listening: A mechanic who cares about your import car repair will listen and take your input into consideration. A con artist mechanic will talk all over you and care little for what you have to say.
2. Generalization: A good mechanic will describe in detail what issues your car has and try their best to make you understand what needs to be repaired, and how those repairs relate to cost. A lower quality mechanic will generalize issues, and not explain what is going on to make you pay more for issues that may be cheap to fix or not there at all.
3. Check Online Reviews: Online reviews may not be the most reliable, but consistent comments that a repair shop is scamming customers is not a good sign. While the prices may be lower, it is not worth risking your import car repair to a mechanic with low reviews.
4. Unnecessary Repairs: If your car needs a specific repair, a repair shop will fix it and tell you about any other issues they see. A sketchy repair shop will try and force you to purchase additional repairs such as flushes and filters. These are maintenance things that most likely can be put off for a long time, so if a repair shop says something along the lines of “if you don’t flush your transmission fluid your transmission will break” do not believe them. A quality repair shop will not scare you into purchasing maintenance related issues. Of course, brakes and such are necessary, but a fluid flush or air filter replacement are not life or death.

 

While there are more tactics that a sketchy auto mechanic can employ, these are a few telltale signs. Make sure to find out about these things before your import car repair is completed, because you are always allowed to say no. Before the repair starts you can say no and go try a different, more confidence inspiring import repair shop.