Car Repair Shop Buying Guide

Any car you own will need routine maintenance, and if you keep it long enough, parts will wear out and it will need repairs too. 

Routine maintenance items include jobs like oil and fluid changes, tire rotations, engine and cabin air filter changes, and brake pad replacement. These are periodic and planned service items listed in the service schedule of your owner’s manual and are meant to keep your vehicle in top operating condition throughout its (hopefully) long life.

Repairs, on the other hand, are usually unexpected and are performed to fix a problem such as an oil leak, worn-out shocks, or an infotainment system screen that freezes up all the time. 

Read for help with choosing the best type of repair facility for you. (Use Consumer Reports’ car repair estimator tool to find out approximately what a maintenance or repair item will cost.) In any case, an honest mechanic will tell you when you’re better off going to a dealership or specialist. Read on for more information on which type of shop is best for you.

Labor rates and parts prices are higher at dealership service departments, but they’re supported by the manufacturer with high-quality factory parts and the latest and greatest training for mechanics.

Best For:
• Repairs while the car is still under factory warranty, recall repairs, and “service campaigns,” all of which are paid for by the car’s manufacturer.
• Problems such as safety system recalibration or infotainment system glitches that require special tools, diagnostic equipment, or expertise you’re not likely to find anywhere else.
• Software updates (unless your car gets over-the-air updates, in which case you don’t have to do anything).
• Safety sensor recalibrations that might be needed in conjunction with crash repair. (These sensors are often located behind the windshield glass or in the bumpers. They need to be recalibrated with special equipment so that the car’s computer knows where the car is in relation to other cars and objects for systems such as automatic emergency braking and adaptive cruise control.)

Other than the handful of repairs that can be handled only by a dealership service department or specialist, an independent repair shop can handle most large and small repairs. They do everything from oil changes to engine replacements and, according to John Ibbotson, CR’s chief mechanic, usually feature lower labor rates and are staffed by experienced technicians (some of whom may have worked as dealership techs previously). Some independent shops specialize in certain brands or regions of manufacture, such as European and Japanese cars.

Independent shops got the highest ratings in CR’s survey. Ibbotson says the best way to establish a relationship with an independent repair shop is to use one regularly for routine maintenance items, giving the technicians a chance to get to know your car, its maintenance schedule, and potential problems that may be developing. That will also help minimize the inconvenience and expense of surprise repairs, Ibbotson says.

Best For: 
• Routine maintenance, such as oil and fluid changes, engine and cabin air filter changes, brake pads, and tire rotations.
• Replacement of worn steering and suspension system parts, such as shock absorbers, ball joints, and tie rod ends.
• Spark plugs and other tuneup parts.
• Diagnosis and repair of engine, transmission, and other drivetrain problems.

Like independent shops, chain repair facilities like AAA Car Care Plus, Firestone, and Goodyear are also capable of performing most maintenance and repair operations. Ibbotson says some chains tend to employ less experienced technicians, but that isn’t always the case, and there’s usually an experienced tech or two in the shop to guide the less experienced ones. Across the board, chains were rated highly for their convenience and location—an important consideration for anyone who has to pile car repairs on top of an already busy schedule.

Best For:
• Saving money on tire installation, wheel alignments, and exhaust work.
• Convenient location.

There’s no single clue to what makes a good repair shop, but the following advice should help guide you to a reliable shop you can count on for the long term.

Find a Shop for Your Brand of Car
Many garages specialize in certain brands and are more likely to have the latest training and equipment to fix your vehicle, as well as the experience to troubleshoot problems quickly.

Ask Your Family and Friends
Seek recommendations from people you trust who have a vehicle similar to yours and live nearby.

Search the Internet
Look for information about local mechanics on RepairPal (a CR partner), Angi (a site formerly known as Angie’s List that requires a membership to use), Google, or Yelp. A shop with a few five-star reviews on Google may or may not be good, but a facility with hundreds or thousands of stellar reviews is more likely to be a safe bet.

Check the Better Business Bureau
Go to bbb.org to see if the shop you’re considering has numerous unresolved complaints against it. You can quickly search by selecting "Auto Services" in your area. The results can be filtered by BBB Accredited only. Like online reviews, the information from the BBB might help you figure out which shops you should avoid.

Check for Certification
Your mechanic and shop should be certified by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence, aka ASE. For bigger repairs, ask for an ASE-certified master technician, who will have a range of certifications.

Give the Shop a Tryout
Before your car needs a big repair, you might want to try out some local shops for smaller repairs or maintenance items such as oil and filter changes. Routine maintenance is a good way to establish rapport with a shop and its mechanics.

Ask About Warranties
Warranties on work performed can vary greatly among shops, so ask about them ahead of time. Use a common repair, such as brake work, as your guide.

Make Sure the Shop Is Convenient
Even the best shop might not be worth the effort if its hours conflict with your schedule, or you have few transportation options after you drop off the car. See whether the shop can accommodate after-hours drop-off and pickup. 

Use a AAA-Approved Shop
Members of AAA can choose from a list of approved repair facilities, which are required to have certified technicians. Furthermore, AAA may offer a $75 discount on labor, and guarantees repair work for two years or 24,000 miles.

Getting the right repairs at a fair price depends partly on communicating with your mechanic. Here’s what to say and to expect.

Describe the Problem in Detail
Provide as much information as you can. Write down the symptoms and when they occur. If possible, talk directly to the mechanic who will be working on your car.

Don’t Offer a Diagnosis
Avoid saying what you think is causing the problem. You may be on the hook for any repairs the shop makes at your suggestion, even if they don’t solve the problem.

Request a Road Test
If the problem occurs only when the car is moving, ask the mechanic to accompany you on a test drive so that they can see and hear what you are seeing and hearing.

Ask for Evidence
If you’re not comfortable with the diagnosis, ask the shop to show you. Worn brake pads or rusted exhaust pipes are easy to see. Don’t let the mechanic refuse your request by saying that his insurance company doesn’t allow customers in the work area. Insist on evidence anyway.

Ask About Discounts and Financing
Many shops may be willing to negotiate on price and may offer short-term financing on big-ticket items like engine or transmission replacement or major suspension and steering work. If you need the car for daily transportation and it’s not safe to drive in its current condition, financing may be worthwhile. Check their website before visiting; dealerships and shops often post coupons or indicate lower-cost services on their slower days.

Federal law gives you the right to service your vehicle wherever you like without affecting your car’s factory warranty coverage. (Depending on the contract, lessees may be required to have all services performed at a dealership.) Wherever you go for service, make sure the mechanics have access to the manufacturer’s latest technical service bulletins (TSBs), which are basically instructions on how to fix common problems with a particular model. Often, an automaker will do TSB repairs free of charge, but you’ll have to go to a dealership to get the work done. Repairs of defects in cars still covered by the original factory warranty will have to be done at the dealership if you want to avoid paying for the work. If you have an extended warranty, you’ll need to check the terms to see where the repairs it covers must be performed.

We surveyed 10,973 CR members to learn about their recent car repair experiences to help you find the best places for work not covered by a warranty. (For repairs covered by warranty, customers should go to the dealership service department.) The survey asked consumers to rate repair shops based on 12 attributes: honesty, price, the quality of the work, the amount of time it took to complete repairs, the level of communication about the repair, whether the problem was fixed the first time, the accuracy of the initial cost estimate, the shop’s willingness to negotiate on price, the presence of free perks with service (such as car washes, loaner cars, and shuttle service), the presence of discounts, the proximity or convenience of the shop’s location, and the presence of guarantees or warranties for work done.