4Zale

Few things in life can fill us with as much mystery and anxiety as automotive service. Any number of questions can arise when something is wrong with your car or even when you just bring it to the dealer for its regular maintenance

“My car only has 12,000 miles on it, so why do the brakes shudder?”

When I brought my car to the dealership for its 15,000-mile maintenance, the service manager showed me a list of things to be done that was a lot more than my owner’s manual called for. Do I go by the book or listen to the service advisor’s recommendations?”

As with anything else in life, the more you know, the better off you are. A little homework and street smarts will go a long way toward saving your pocketbook from unsavory service practices. Yes, we know that not all dealerships and mechanics are out to scam you, and there are a lot of them who take pride in their work ethic. But let’s not be crazy, reputations don’t just materialize out of thin air, either. Can you fully trust that the service advisor at the dealership or the mechanic down the street is going to give you a fair estimate? Maybe, but it wouldn’t hurt to arm yourself with some knowledge to guard against those who are out to rip you off.

That said, here are a few tips and suggestions for dealing with repair problems:

Repairs:

1) If the problem is something that affects safety or seems to be a common manufacturing defect (such as shuddering brakes on a relatively new car), chances are you can get the problem taken care of for free. What you want to do is find out if a recall (which is when the manufacturer openly acknowledges a defect) has been issued for that problem. Oftentimes you’ll get a letter in the mail (a “recall notice”) that will tell you what the problem is (even if you haven’t experienced it) and urge you to make a service appointment to get it taken care of. But if you feel you have a problem and haven’t received any notice in the mail, go to the NHTSA site and click on “Recall Searches by make, model, year.” Under “Select the TYPE of search” you’ll want to go with the already selected “Vehicle” category. You then enter the information that’s requested to obtain the recall notice(s) that have been issued for your vehicle.

2)Along with recalls, there are also “TSBs”(technical service bulletins) or “Service Bulletins”), which are similar to recalls except that the defect(s) haven’t cropped up in enough vehicles for a recall to be issued. In other words, only a small amount of people have discovered and complained about the problem. The manufacturer lets the dealership’s service department know about the problem, and if someone brings in a vehicle with said problem to check for a possible TSB on your vehicle, again go to the NHTSA site only this time click on “Service Bulletins” and then click on “Search Technical Bulletins.” You then enter the information on your vehicle as you would when looking for a recall. Note that you can also find service bulletin and recall information for your car by using the Edmunds.com Maintenance Calculator.

3) When you’ve picked a repair shop and are dropping your car off, tell the person handling your car that you want to be given an estimate before they perform the repair(s). Tell them to call you with the estimate and get your authorization before they do anything else so you can decide whether you want them to do the work.

4) While youre there, inquire with the advisor or manager if the mechanics they employ are “ASE” (Automotive Service Excellence) certified, and in what areas (such as engine, brakes, electrical, etc.). Obviously, you only wantcertified ASE mechanics working on your car.

5) Once you’ve gotten a good description of the necessary repairs and an estimate, it wouldn’t hurt to quickly call another half-dozen or so shops (that also have good credentials) to get a additional estimate for the work. Be certain that you make it clear to them exactly what you need done to your vehicle. What you’re looking for is some consistency - estimates that are a lot lower than the average might not be real, whereas ones that are a lot higher could indicate a shop trying to pull a scam.

6) If the repair facility that already has your car seems to have a fair price for the work, call them back and give your ok for them to make the repairs. Ask them if there is a written warranty. You might want to tell them that you’d like to have the broken parts back - as confirmation that the repairs have been made. Use your best judgment on this one; if you’re getting a new exhaust system, for example, you can simply look under the car to check that a new one has been installed). Finally, don’t forget to ask them when the car will be ready for pick up.

7) After the repairs are complete and you’ve gone to the shop to pick up your car, first scrutinize the bill to make sure the agreed-upon work was done and the cost is the same as the estimate. If anything looks questionable, ask about it right then and there.