How to Find a Good Mechanic
Your car is probably one of your most essential and valuable possessions, so it’s important to know a good mechanic in your area. Whether you need routine maintenance or a major repair, bringing your vehicle to a trustworthy mechanic will give you peace of mind. It can be difficult to tell if a mechanic is reliable, though, especially if you don’t know much about car repair yourself. To make sure your car is in safe hands, you have to do your research and evaluate your options carefully.
Here are seven tips for finding a good mechanic:
1. Get recommendations from family and friends.
Word-of-mouth recommendations are usually very trustworthy. Your family and friends don’t stand to gain anything from recommending their mechanic, so you should feel comfortable trusting their advice. If you live in a suburban or rural area, almost everyone you know owns a car. It should be fairly easy to get a referral to a good mechanic or to learn which garages to avoid.
2. Stick to family-owned businesses.
While you should still take your time when evaluating family-owned garages, they tend to be more affordable and form stronger relationships with customers than dealerships or franchises. Small businesses are more closely connected to their community, and their mechanics are proud to help their neighbors. Because family-owned garages aren’t bound by strict corporate rules, they typically offer lower prices and can be more flexible.
3. Look for mechanics with longevity.
Mechanics with years of experience will almost always be more reliable than new garages. Not only do mechanics with decades in the business have more experience, but they also have a better reputation. If a mechanic had a history of bad business practices, they probably wouldn’t still be around after all these years.
4. Check for ASE certification.
The mechanic or garage you work with should be certified by ASE, the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence. To earn an ASE certification, mechanics need to pass at least one exam and gain hands-on experience. Even better is an ASE Master Technician certification, which mechanics receive by passing all eight ASE exams.
5. Visit the Better Business Bureau website.
Consumers are usually more vocal about their bad experiences than their good experiences, so if a garage is unprofessional or does poor-quality work, you’ll probably see a complaint on the Better Business Bureau site. After you narrow down your search to a few mechanics in your area, search for each of them on the BBB website to see their ratings.
6. Read Google reviews.
Google reviews can give you a good understanding of a shop’s overall performance. Keep in mind that most businesses will receive an occasional negative review from an unreasonable customer, so a couple bad ratings may not be a serious red flag. Patterns or repeated complaints in the Google reviews can be a sign of a more serious problem, though.
7. Bring your car in for a quick maintenance task first.
It can be risky to bring your car to a mechanic for the first time for a complex, expensive, or lengthy job. Ideally, you should test out a garage with a quick and easy task before you need a major repair. This way, if something goes wrong, you won’t have wasted a lot of time or money. During this visit, you can assess the shop, the customer service, and the pricing in addition to the quality of the work. If the job goes smoothly, you won’t have to worry when the time comes for a bigger repair.
Dealing with car problems can be stressful, but choosing the right mechanic makes the process so much easier. You may be tempted to bring your car to the closest shop or to the first one that appears in a Google search, but it’s critical that you do your research. By listening to recommendations, reading reviews, and learning about the mechanic’s experience and credentials, you can feel more confident in your decision.
Mario LoMedico Exotic Motors has been serving customers in New Jersey since 1981. We are a family-owned business committed to top-quality maintenance and repairs and excellent customer service. Our ASE Master Technician is equipped to handle any repair you may need. You can contact us today to schedule an appointment.
