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Preventing Mechanic Fraud

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While it probably occurs less often than you fear, some mechanics do take advantage of customer ignorance to do unnecessary work and/or bill exorbitantly. The best way to avoid being taken advantage of is to show that you are not as ignorant as the mechanic might think.

First of all, know your car. Keep all your service records and glance over your owner's manual. When a mechanic says you need new brakes, be able to say, "I had new rear brakes less than two years ago. Why do I need them again?" In addition, follow the maintenance schedule from your manual and ask the mechanic for clarification if he suggests repairs widely differ from what is listed in the manual.

Second, before you go to the mechanic, study your car's problem. Look under the hood for worn belts and hoses, and look under the car for drips. Notice if the car has problems accelerating, braking, or starting. Listen for strange sounds (e.g. taps, rattles, or rumbles), and be able to describe under what conditions these symptoms occur.

Third, when the mechanic diagnoses the problem (hopefully in layman's terms), ask for a price, and then compare that price with auto parts stores and with friends who have had similar jobs done. In addition, you can ask if he's consulted the technical service bulletin (TSB) on your car.

Use the Internet as your cheat sheet, and learn what exactly your mechanic is talking about when he says struts, gasket head, or thingimabob. If the first solution doesn't work, ask why and consider asking for a discount on that part of the work. In the end, make sure that the problem is actually fixed. If the situation becomes criminal, you can sue your mechanic, but that is very rarely necessary.

At some point, however, you have to trust your mechanic; after all, it's a good thing that he knows more than you do. Over time, you may even be able to write your mechanic a blank check, authorizing him to do any work that he thinks is necessary.

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