How to Pay Less for General Auto Repairs

Posted on November 10, 2015 by Abraham Chavez

Paying for repair and maintenance services can put a dent in your budget as auto repair in San Diego area can be expensive. Yet paying for auto repair doesn’t have to cost you half your paycheck if you take care to follow these tips:

Monitor and Record Your Auto Repair and Maintenance Work – Avoid falling prey to a less than scrupulous auto mechanics or repair shops by keeping track of your own car services. Don’t rely on the garage to tell you when you need an oil change or any other service. Instead, rely on your own record keeping and the manufacturer’s manual. If the mechanic tells you that you need a new air filter but your records indicate that you just got a new one six months ago, then you won’t waste money on an unnecessary service.

Know Your Vehicle’s True Oil Change Schedule – Many repair shops will promote the “Cheapest Oil Change” in order to get you to bring in your car every 3 months. Yet many newer model cars use synthetic oil, which requires oil change every 7,500 or 10,000 miles instead of the old-standard of every 3,000 miles. Of course, don’t rely on el cheapo lube shop to tell you that. Do some research, read your manual, and see for yourself when your car truly needs an oil change.

Go Local and Forgo the Dealership – In many cases, drivers can save money by opting for a local repair shop rather than the dealership. Dealerships can be more expensive (unless you have oil changes & other maintenance covered under your warranty) for a number of reasons and most of them have little to do with quality. They have much higher overhead costs than a neighborhood auto repair shop and make up for this by passing the costs along to the customer. Many mechanics at dealerships bill $75-$90 an hour while mechanics at local shops bill $45-$55, an hour, a significant savings. If your local shop uses ASE certified mechanics, the same as the dealership, then why spend more?

These are just a few more tips on how to save money when (rather than cutting corners) looking to do ongoing maintenance. Trust us, your car and wallet will appreciate this in the long run.