How to Lower Vehicle Repair Costs

It is almost unfeasible to avoid the expensive repair costs. The tips and points given in this article may not suffice to eliminate the repair costs, but they certainly help you control the vehicle repairs to some extent.

We have often seen on a television advertisement highly praising the great vehicle service by dealer service departments. They are best at your vehicle and use original replacement parts etc. But the question arises that at what cost we avail this service? It may be at $75-$95 per hour or more.

• You can have your repair work done at considerably low rates at independent garages that have licensed and ASE certified mechanics employed. These garages usually cost you about $40-$50 per hour.
• If you are new to town or unsatisfied with your current repair center, you can seek help from your friends, family and co-workers to have an idea of good reputable garages in your area. Always go for the garages first which are suggested by people over and over again.
• Visit a number of garages in your area and talk to their managers or owners about the hourly rate charged for vehicle repair. Make certain that the rate charged is purely a straight hourly rate or a book rate.
• A straight hourly rate suggests the amount of time actually taken by the mechanic to complete a job. For example, a maintenance work involves the installation of front and rear brake pads and it will take one. So, by straight hourly rate of $50 per hour, the repair would cost $50 for labor plus cost of the pads.
• Whereas a book rate suggests the amount of time a book specifies a repair should take. For example, a book rate specifies that the installation of brake pads will take 1.5 hour to complete. In this way the customer will be charged $75 labor charges plus cost of the pads.
• In book rate method, the customer has the disadvantage of being paid a fixed amount whether the job takes less time to complete. This method surely favors the shop and cost much to customer.
• If at any stage you feel that the garage owner wriggle when you ask the method of billing, it is better to visit other shops. Billing method, professional certified mechanics all plays a vital role in making a garage a perfect for you. Another thing which you should keep in mind is the neatness and order of the shop. Neat and well organized shops are usually of good repute.
• Most of the time garages purchase parts at wholesale prices and later mark up the price of the parts used for vehicle repairs. However, there are still garages that allow their customer to purchase the part on their own and they will only charge the labor cost from the customer.
• Getting a quote on both the parts and labor prior to repair is definitely good from customer’s point of view. But customer can still visit retail parts stores like Advanced Auto, or Auto Zone to check the cost of parts. Even customer can visit online supplier’s site for reasonable prices.
• To have an advantage of low repair cost, it is best to communicate with the garage manage or mechanic. Ask them question to clear your doubts. Remember, a good relationship can be of great help to lower the cost of vehicle repairs. Always look for mechanics with whom you feel comfortable and explain them clearly the problem your vehicle having.