Car maintenance is more complicated and expensive than ever, but it doesn’t have to be. First, understand that you don’t have to take your car to the dealer or a mechanic every time it needs service or repair. Instead, you can trust a professional garage to do the work right the first time. Second, you can save money by taking your car to a garage instead of the dealer. Third, you can save time and effort by taking it to a garage you trust.
What to Know When Taking your Car to a Garage?
As if your car isn’t important enough to you, now you have to take it to a place called a garage to get it fixed! Why? Well, in the past, the auto industry has been notorious for taking your money with false claims, overpriced repairs, and in some cases, outright theft. The good news is that things are changing, and car repair is now a true industry of integrity. Now here are the things that you should know before you take your car to a garage:
- Written estimate required for taking your car to the garage
We can’t stress enough the importance of getting a written estimate for repair work when you take your car to a garage. You need to get a written estimate before handing the keys over to any mechanic. They will tell you during the repair and sometimes even before a job begins that they cannot complete the work without a written estimate. For example, your mechanic may say, “This job requires an estimate before we begin.” Or, “If you would like us to give you an estimate, we can do so now.” So, get the estimate and make sure you get the work done – and don’t give in to the temptation to save a few dollars.
- The garage has a warranty for repairs
Most garages tend to offer warranty for the repairs that they do. Why is this important? Well, simply put, as garages are more likely to take care of your car for a longer period, it is for this reason that they offer such services. If a regular mechanic has to replace your exhaust manifold, it’s unlikely that they’ll be willing to fix it for free or even at a low cost. So before taking your car to any garage, maybe talk to a few different mechanics such as the ones from this Auto repair shop in Fate, TX, and Rockwall, TX, and other similar ones to get an idea of what they offer. By comparing a few different ones, you could pick the ones that offer the best warranty and service.
- Have a detailed invoice
It can be easy to get a detailed invoice from a garage to know about your expenses. There’s the cost of the labor and parts, of course, but then there’s the cost of the actual repair shop and the cost of keeping your vehicle there while your car is getting fixed.
- If you should leave the replaced part
After your car gets fixed or repaired, maybe you think you can bring back the parts that they replaced. Yes, you can take the parts, but you can’t take it if the labor is free, or the parts they replace are refurbished parts. An alternative could be you taking them the parts you want your car replaced with-you can find engine parts or others for almost any car make and model, so if you have certain specifications in mind, you can do this too.
- The garage holds your car
Any garage has the right to hold your car if you haven’t paid them yet. But if they didn’t give you the written estimate before working on your car as required by the law, they don’t have the right to hold it. Or if they want you to pay more than the written estimate, they’ve given you.
To avoid such situations, it would be best for you to look up garages around you on the internet. This way, you can also look at the reviews of such automotive repair shops and make an informed decision accordingly. For instance, if you live in Gilbert, you can search for ‘Car Detailing Gilbert AZ‘ on Google to find different credible garages in the area.
- Cost When Taking your Car to Garage
Cars parked in garages get a lot of wear and tear on their tires, brakes, suspension, and engine. There’s an old saying that “garages are for cars that have to be fixed,” but it may not be entirely accurate. One factor that can cost a lot of money is premature tire wear, and an auto repair shop can help you stop that. You’ll find that if your tires aren’t worn, then the cost of repairing your car will be much lower. However, if you can’t afford to pay for car repair from your pocket, you can consider looking for installment loans canada, which can be used for basic automotive repairs and can help you manage your monthly budget better.
Car ownership is a pretty big responsibility, so it’s important to choose the right place to take your car for a tune-up or repair. But you should first understand the things that could happen before you bring them to the garage or any car repair shop.