In the past five years, we have noticed that more and more people are trying to find ways to save money on car repair services. From the do-it-yourselfers who prefer to repair the car themselves to those who seek used parts, people are trying to make auto repair as cheap as possible. Unfortunately, this is something around which you do not want to cut corners.
The first example is the tech-savvy generation. These motorists will Google a car’s symptoms, watch a couple of “how-to” videos on YouTube, suddenly feel like they are an ASE Certified technician and attempt to repair the car themselves. In the majority of the cases, they risk not only causing more damage to the vehicle but making the repairs even more expensive and also compromising their safety.
Another way motorists try to save on their auto repair needs is by shopping at the big-box auto parts stores. Here the vehicle is carelessly diagnosed and customers are first given a trouble code and then sold a part that will “fix the problem.” In most cases, after several attempts and much money spent on parts, consumers get frustrated and bring their car to a professional service center. Once again, having your vehicle inspected by a professional not only saves you time and money, but also gives you peace of mind, as you do not want to risk an auto breakdown.
Lately we have also been asked by some customers about the use of used parts with the hope that this would save them lots of money. Although it is okay to install used body parts such as trim, interior, glass, bumpers and wheels, it is inadvisable to install used mechanical parts. A trustworthy mechanic would never mount used engine parts, transmissions, brakes, suspensions, or electrical parts.
Lastly, there are the motorists that will ask for a temporary repair; but once the car goes into the shop for a scheduled maintenance inspection, we may discover additional problems. In this case, it is important that you speak with the service adviser at the repair shop to find out which problems need to be addressed immediately and which issues can be saved for a later date. The consequences of postponing your car maintenance inspection can be significant and costly:
- As many parts on your vehicle are interrelated, ignoring maintenance can compromise parts or cause an entire system to fail.
- Neglecting even simple routine maintenance, such as changing the oil or checking the coolant can lead to poor fuel economy, unreliability, and/or costly breakdowns.
- Finally, it may invalidate your warranty