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Are Mechanic shops worth consumer’s money?

For many people who own a car, their easy way out when it breaks down is to take it to

the mechanic shop. However there are also owners who like working on it themselves and find it

a waste of money to take it to a shop. They believe that when you take your car to a shop the

mechanics will tend to try and scam you by saying that something else is wrong with your car. If

this is the case people will end up paying the extra amount without knowing what was really

wrong with it.

Although there might not be something mechanically wrong with it, you can still take

your car to a different shop if you want to do something with it cosmetically. Whether it is

changing the paint of your car or getting new wheels it is always a smart idea to do some

research of how the price will be, and if it is worth spending that money on your car. You can

change much more on your car, but it all depends on the consumer’s taste. There is always

something to change, but money is an incredible factor to consider. As the car community is

increasing more and more people are willing to spend money on cosmetics to change the

appearance of their car. There are also owners that spend too much of their money on their car to

the point where money becomes scarce.

Although many people do not have a care for how their car already looks it is still

important to do research on the designated vehicle so that in the future in case of an accident the

consumer knows what is broken. They need to know what to buy to make sure the car functions

with no problems, and so the car is also safer to drive. A main reason people consider shops is

not only to make their car seem nice, but to also take care of a possible danger within the car.

As a recent car owner I anticipate spending some money on my car, and I have to take in

mind that some parts can be expensive. I have to consider if it is too much and if it is really

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worth what I am spending on. There is always something to be checked on a car because even

the most miniscule error could become a problem either now or in the future while you are

driving. With being a recent driver and car owner it made me wonder: Is taking your car to a

shop really worth a consumer’s money?

The main question that people think of is if the problem can be simply fixed and if the

repairs will cost them a lot of money. An honest answer is that it depends on how severe it is

damaged and what area got damaged. “Doing things yourself can save you money, but can also

end up costing you far more than you thought it would.” (Fitment Industries) For example if you

were to scrape on the exhaust of your car and noticed that the vehicle is leaking oil from that area

the problem can be solved by taking the car to a muffler shop and having them weld the exhaust

together for a fair price. However if the check engine light either turns on or starts blinking the

car should be immediately taken to a mechanic shop so the damage does not get worse and then

becomes more expensive. Not all shops have the same price for certain repairs, and car owners

should check prices between different shops so they can find which one will be more affordable

for them. If the damage done is minimal and believe that it can be fixed at home, a very simple

way to figure out how to fix it is from watching a youtube video. Most youtube videos will show

step by step instructions so you will not be able to get lost in the process of fixing the car, and

you also have access to being able to rewind the video to make sure you did not miss anything

important.

Another reason why cars break down frequently is because many people tend to not

check around their car or even pay no attention to the alerts that may show up on the dashboard.

Depending on the year of your car, if it is an older car, the owner may not receive any alerts

because the car may be technologically behind newer year cars. Either with or without the

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technology the car may or may not offer it is always important to check around your car

somewhat frequently to avoid any major problems in the future.

Another factor as to why your car may need frequent maintenance is because of the

amount of miles that car may have. The lower the miles means that the car is somewhat new as

compared to a car with higher miles will require more maintenance. Most modern gasoline-

powered vehicles will start to struggle after the 200,000-mile mark. Electric cars can usually

make it up to 300,000 miles. Examples of low miles are anywhere from 160,000 miles and

below. Once the car surpasses that average mileage your car will soon start to require more

maintenance checks.

The benefits of taking your vehicle to a shop is that you have a professional working on

the vehicle who has years of experience, and has seen the same issue throughout his career.

Mechanics can simply find what is wrong with the vehicle and determine what the price will be

once the repair is completed. “Consumers who go to independent mechanics have a more

satisfying experience and are more successful at negotiating a discount than those who go to car

repair chains or dealerships.”(Monticello) Taking your vehicle to a mechanic is always the

smarter option because depending on what may need to be fixed, their shops have the right

equipment and tools that are needed to complete the job and solve the issue. “If you had to sell

your car immediately after the repair, you’d still recoup the money you just put into it. In this

case, you’re probably leaning more toward a repair.” (Ramsey Solutions) It is always safer

having a mechanic do the repair because if you were to attempt the repair yourself you may end

up causing permanent damage, and if that were to happen you would need to spend more money

on either trying to repair it or having to buy a new car.

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As time has moved on and the mechanic industry has evolved throughout the years they

have come up with various ways to extend their businesses. A recent example has been mobile

mechanics service. However, customers seem to wonder if it is the smarter and cheaper option.

Although they are quicker and go straight to your home many people seem to have doubts

whether it is trustworthy. Due to the fact that they may not have the suitable equipment, it leaves

customers thinking if it will satisfy them enough to pay those prices. According to Connor

Fynes, a writer from fitment industries, he claims that mobile mechanics may sometimes be up to

30% cheaper than if you were to take your car to a shop. One of the few downsides about mobile

mechanics is that they are not able to attend to the consumer. The reason they tend to be cheaper

is because they are not an official business and some employees may lack the experience and

training that they would receive in a mechanic shop. Many people recommend that if you do not

know how to do simple repairs such as an oil change or change a tire then they recommend

calling a mobile mechanic so that they can solve your problem and get your car to be fully

functional. In any case if there is severe damage, and there are not any other options available,

the safest and smartest option could be to call a mobile mechanic.

Roberto Hernandez is a mechanic who grew up in the city of Livermore California. He is

a graduate of Livermore High School and he works at a shop called Dublin Automotive and

Smog. Hernndez has always been interested in working on cars and being able to fix them. He is

a very experienced mechanic and has been working at Dublin Automotive and Smog for about

four years now. Hernadez talked about how in any mechanic shop they require any new

employee to go through training, and that without it they would not have the opportunity to work

in that environment. Hernandez did agree that mobile mechanics are having a rise in the

industries, but many customers had a variety of opinions due to the main reason being lack of

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experience and training. Hernandez also stated that taking your car to a mechanic shop is 75%

more efficient than if you were to work on it themselves. The reason the percentage is not at a

full 100% is because many repairs that do occur are common ones that can simply be fixed at

home by watching a video on social media. Hernandez believes that the main reason some

customers are left unsatisfied is due to the fact that some mechanic shops are not used to working

on that specific car, and although this is a rare occurrence that can happen Hernandez suggests

asking the shop beforehand so that there will not be any problems when taking a car. At the shop

where Hernandez works, he claims that main issue that customers run into is that they are

uninformed with what their vehicle offers and what specific parts it may require, and Hernandez

believes that it is always smart to read the handbook or also to look up information about the car

so that the customer can learn more about it.

If an owner's vehicle has a breakdown or a malfunction and they realize that it is

something serious within the car, their main idea is to take it to a shop. However many people

believe that all shops are the same, and that they are able to fix the same problems, but in this

case they are incorrect. Cars are almost the same as human anatomy in the sense that each part of

a human body reacts differently and it requires specific attention, and it is almost the same as a

car. Each part whether it is the exhaust engine or anything on the exterior each part of a car will

react differently and require a specific shop to take it to. There are many kinds of shops such as

muffler shops, tire shops, and a fleet shop. So depending on what the issue is you will need to

take your car to that specific shop so that you have trained professionals at service. Muffler

shops work mainly on the exhaust system of your car, and work on fixing any problems that the

exhaust system may have such as a leak in the exhaust tips or if you wanted to replace a certain

part like a resonator or a catalytic converter these shops are where a customer would end up

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going. Muffler shops are not only for fixing issues, but are also great help for the people who

want to change the sound of their car. At a muffler shop a customer is only charged for the

installation of a part because of the fact that the customer needs to provide the part that is going

to be installed. There are some mechanic shops that have few mechanics that are specialized in

some of those problems, however some shops do not have the correct mechanics for the certain

job.

Independent shops are mechanic shops that are not linked to a dealership or a specific car

brand. Independent shops are more popular, and although they do not pay the mechanics as much

money as they do within a dealership shop, they make most of the money from selling

aftermarket parts. The independent shops also have lower prices when it comes to the labor cost

and the overall price for parts. These mechanic shops are also well trusted for how much a repair

costs, and with how flexible their scheduling and pricing is which makes it very crucial for when

the car will need a repair.

In case of any minor emergency, whether it is having to change your oil, check your tire

pressure, and also change your wiper fluid, service stations are always a great way to help solve

those problems. The purpose for these services is to make sure that any minor inconveniences are

resolved, and to make the service quicker so that the driver can be on their way. These shops

tend to be located next to gas stations and which tend to be near the highway so that any driver is

able to make a quick and safe stop.

Many customers get confused when they either buy a new part or go to get one repaired

because they are asked about aftermarket parts and OEM parts. Aftermarket parts are car parts

that are made by other manufacturers, and not by a specific branded manufacturer. Although

these parts are not authentic they are still considered very reliable, and aftermarket parts are

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mainly used by mechanics. When it comes to the price of these parts it can always vary

depending on the year and brand of the car. If the car is from a common brand then some of

these parts will be simpler to find and possibly on the cheaper side. The price is also determined

by the specific part you are buying. If you were buying an aftermarket exhaust it will be more

expensive than if you were just buying a muffler. There are some instances where aftermarket

parts can sometimes perform better than a factory part and an OEM part.

OEM parts stands for “Original Equipment Manufacturer” meaning that these are parts

that are made within the factory and are in cars once they have been bought. These parts are

known for being able to last a bit longer than aftermarket parts, and for being slightly more

reliable.”Those from the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) can be the most expensive, but

you can save money by using OEM-equivalent parts.” (Monticello) Since these parts are made

by manufacturers they are more simple to find, but may sometimes end up costing more. Another

main reason why OEM parts are popular is because once a part is purchased the order comes

with a warranty that differs from the manufacturer.

One of the most important things to pay attention to when buying a car whether it is new

or used is checking the manufacturer of the car. There are many different cars that are known for

being either unreliable or having trouble looking for parts for that specific car. Some of these

cars are BMW, Cadillac, Chrysler, etc. These few cars are considered unreliable because they

focus more on the luxury and the overall performance of the car then focusing on its parts.

Having cars with high performance but unreliable parts can really cost an owner money because

they become careless of the car thinking it has everything in perfect condition so they decide to

speed or do other reckless driving. Not only will these cars require more frequent maintenance

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because of carelessness, but in case of a breakdown the parts may become more expensive due to

the fact that they are considered luxury cars.

Hondas, Toyotas, and Audi are considered reliable because these cars do not focus as

much on the luxury side but tend to focus on the parts and overall safety of the driver. These cars

offer smaller engines whether it is a V6 or 4 cylinder making them safer for drivers. If any of

these cars were to break down many parts can be easily found whether it is at a shop or online on

websites like Ebay. When it comes to safety they have incredible features such as cruise control.

Cruise control is an electronic system within the car that helps drivers set their speed limit so that

they are not able to exceed the speed limit. These cars also have safety features for the drivers to

where it lets them know if there is an inconvenience such as if a tire has low pressure in it and

also notifies you of how much engine oil you have left. These notifications will generally show

up on your dashboard followed by an alarm noise to let the driver know what is the specific

problem with the car.

It is always important to consider what the best options will be there for when your

vehicle will need a repair. There will always be options for any amount of money an owner is

willing to spend for a repair, and there are always shops available to choose from. A Lot of

people neglect the importance of a car, and sometimes do believe that nothing will occur,

however it is always important to have caution in case of an emergency.

Going to mechanic shops is not only a more efficient way of keeping your car fully

stable, but it is also a safer option when trying to repair your car. the tools to get the job done.

“Mechanics have all the right equipment, and are expensive.” (ThielTools) They always have the

right equipment and tools that are required for the specific repair.

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Another important thing to do before going to a shop is calling the shop prior to your visit

so that they would know what they have to do for when a customer arrives for an appointment.

Also when looking for a correct shop it is also important to check the reviews to see what

experiences people have had with that shop. Depending on the shop that you take the car to you

may have the possibility of negotiating