DO YOU REALLY NEED IT?
A common thing that happens at any repair facility is the shop is in business to make money. Most all technicians work on a commission basis and need to sell to make money. Here is a common scenario. You take your car in for a front brake job because the brakes are squeaking and next thing you know, the technician is going over a list of things he found wrong with your car. Things you were not even aware of. He may tell you, you have loose front suspension parts or an oil leak. While this may be true, ask him to show you what he is writing up on your vehicle. If the technician cannot show and explain the exact problem, then go elsewhere. For example, sir, your left outer tie rod is wore and needs to be replaced. OK, let’s take a look. The technician should be able to show you that the tie rod does have play and is not safe. If they claim you have an oil leak, then they should not only be able to show you an oil leak but explain where it is coming from. Very minor oil leaks can make a big mess under a car. Most originate from a very small source and continue to drip all over. Just simply driving the car will blow this small amount of oil all over the underside of the vehicle, making the leak look much worse than it really is. You will want to make sure that any oil is not dripping on the exhaust of the vehicle as this could cause a potential fire.
SHOP SUPPLY CHARGES:
Another charge on a repair bill that is escalating rapidly these days is shop supplies. What are shop supplies anyway? Shop supplies include any chemicals, rags, towels, cleaners and other miscellaneous items that are not parts but help aid in the repair. In my opinion, these items should be a wash on the repair bill and never even be mentioned. Paying a mark up on parts and $75.00 to $100.00 per hour labor charge is enough if you ask me. It started out somewhere around a $5.00 charge and has grown to around $25.00. it does not matter if you need any of these items or not, you will pay. I would question this and ask if these charges can be waved. If not, take your car elsewhere. Rejecting a repair at an auto repair facility because of shop supply charges will make most shop owners wave the charge. Something to think about next time you have your car in for a simple repair.
SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE:
All vehicles come with a scheduled maintenance interval. This means that in 30,000 miles,(or something close) the manufacture is going to recommend scheduled maintenance. If you lease your car, I would save your money as most leases are 36,000 miles any way. You will not benefit from the additional cost, if you are turning the car in within the next 6,000 miles any way. If you own the vehicle, be careful on what you agree to having done. Some items such as brake fluid flush, power steering flush and differential flushes are non sense if you ask my opinion. These fluids will outlive anything else on the vehicle. The normal concerns should always be engine oil, transmission fluid and engine coolant. These items will cost lots of money and headaches if not changes according to the scheduled maintenance intervals
Using a little common sense and getting a second opinion will make sure you are not throwing money down the drain.