5 Tips to Reduce Repair Cost for Your Foreign Auto
Owning a car is rarely hassle-free. Unless you just bought a brand-new car that’s still 100% under warranty, you know minor repairs are necessary at times. Even new cars benefit from regular maintenance, but having an older car can really drive up your out-of-pocket cost for repairs. In this article, you’ll learn how to reduce those auto repair costs for your foreign car.
1. Find the Best Mechanic
If you own a foreign car, it’s really important to take it to a good mechanic. Not all mechanics are equally qualified to work on foreign cars. But that’s not because foreign cars are built fundamentally different than cars manufactured in the United States. Rather, the difference for mechanics is personal experience.
Mechanics who work on foreign cars all day long know the ins and outs of your car, because they’ve worked on similar models before. This means they can get the work done quicker, and they can get it done right.
2. Get Estimates
If you need extensive repairs done on your foreign car, it’s a good idea to get some estimates for the repair costs. You’re not necessarily looking for the cheapest possible price here, because you want to combine quality repairs, good service, and reasonable costs. But if one mechanic quotes significantly higher prices than another, you need to investigate the difference.
Is the price difference the cost of parts or labor? Are they buying cheap parts to cut the price, or are they marking their auto parts up too high? Will they stick to their price estimate or charge you more later if it took longer than anticipated? Reputable mechanics won’t use the bait-and-switch techniques to get you in there with a low price and charge you a lot more by the time you’re done.
3. Do Your Own Diagnostics
You might be able to save money on auto repairs if you invest in diagnostic equipment. There are lots of apps that will diagnose what’s wrong with your car before you ever set foot in a mechanic’s shop. Knowing what’s wrong might help you save on auto repairs because you can shop around for the best deal.
4. Do Some Work Yourself
When it comes to foreign auto repair in Atlanta, you may be able to do some of the work yourself. Of course this is only a good idea if you know what you’re doing and have the right equipment to fix your car. You also need time to do the work yourself. Don’t overestimate how long it takes to just change the oil yourself.
5. Get Educated about Cars
Your best defense against high car repairs cost is educating yourself. Before you give your mechanic the go-ahead to do the repairs, you should research what is being done and why. The more you learn about the car repair process, the easier it will be to talk to your mechanic about what needs to be done and when.
