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Lowering Vehicle Repair Costs
by Kyle Busch
The cost of vehicles and their related repairs are expensive. Although
the tips provided in this article will not eliminate such expenses, they
will help you to take control of vehicle repairs and thus lower their
costs.
We have all seen commercials on TV touting the "great vehicle service"
provided by dealer service departments. They know your vehicle better
than anyone else, they use original replacement parts, etc. etc ... But
at what cost is such great service available? Well, usually at about
$75-$95 per hour.
In many instances, vehicle repairs can be completed for substantially
lower hourly rates. Many independent garages employ ASE certified and
licensed mechanics.
These garages generally charge about $40-$50 per hour.
If you are unfamiliar the with independent garages in your area, ask
your friends or talk to a few counter people at auto parts stores about
which garages and mechanics have done good vehicle repair work at
reasonable prices. Be on the lookout for the names of garages and
mechanics that are recommended over and over by numerous people.
Next, visit a few of the garages, talk with the owner, and ask about the
hourly rate charged for vehicle repairs. Also inquire if the rate
charged for the repairs is a "straight hourly rate" or a "book rate."
A straight hourly rate involves the amount of time that it actually
takes a mechanic to do a vehicle repair. On the other hand, a book rate
involves the customer being charged an amount of time the book specifies
a repair should take.
For example, installing new front and rear brake pads on a vehicle
equipped with four-wheel disc brakes could take 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Using a straight rate of $50 per hour, the repair would cost $62.50 for
labor, plus the cost of the brake pads the book rate might specify that
it "should" take the mechanic 2 hours to do the work. Thus, the customer
would be charged $100 for the labor, plus the cost of the brake pads.
When using the book rate method, even if the brake job takes the
mechanic only 1 hour to complete, the customer is still charged for 2
hours of time. The book rate method of doing vehicle repairs generally
benefits the garage and not the customer.
If the garage owner seems to squirm when you ask about the billing
method used for vehicle repairs, it is best to visit other garages.
Mechanic ASE certification, licensure, and the garage owner's response
to billing practices will go a long way in your identifying the garage
that is right for you. Last, but not least, observe how neat and orderly
the repair shop looks. This is a straight forward indication that you
can see with your own eyes of how the garage is run.
In most instances, garages "mark-up" the price of parts used for vehicle
repairs. Garages purchase parts at wholesale prices and then mark-up the
parts used for repairs. Although it is becoming rarer and rarer today,
some garages will allow a customer to purchase the parts that will be
used to repair his or her vehicle. Such garages will quote the customer
on just the cost of labor to install the parts.
It can be to a customer's advantage to get a quote on both the parts and
labor prior to having the vehicles repaired. If the customer is so
inclined, he or she can check on the cost of parts at parts stores such
as Auto Zone, or Advanced Auto. In many instances, even better prices on
parts can be obtained by getting on the Internet and visiting sites such
as: expressautoparts.com or performancemotorcars.com.
When it comes to vehicle repairs, taking the time to ask some questions
and establish a good relationship with an independent garage can really
help to lower vehicle repair costs. Identifying a garage and a mechanic
with whom you are comfortable makes all the difference in the world!
Kyle Busch is the author of Drive the Best for the Price: How to Buy a
Used Automobile, Sport-Utility Vehicle, or Minivan and Save Money The
web site:
www.drivethebestbook.com accepts all transportation questions.
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