How to Choose An Auto Repair Shop Thank you for checking out our website.  I'm grateful for the opportunity to provide you with the information about auto repair and help you choose the right company. I've been in the auto repair business for over 35 years.  And in that time, I've learned that choosing the right repair shop can be confusing.  In fact, people have so many misconceptions about auto repair shops that I decided to offer this consumer information guide so when you need to select an auto repair company, you can make an informed, intelligent decision. While reading this, I'll share with you four costly misconceptions about getting your car repaired, offer a few suggestions on how  to save time, and give you eight questions you should ask every auto repair company before you set up an appointment. Now here's Misconception #1:  Your car manufacturer specifies regular maintenance schedules just to get you back into their shop to make more money off of you. No.  Although manufacturers are making cars that last longer and require less overall maintenance, they do require some preventative maintenance in order to extend their warranties. If maintained properly, you can expect your car to go well over 100,000 miles without major service.  For instance, most engines have timing belts that must be replaced before they wear out and break and cause even more expensive damage. Misconception #2:  A shop can give you an accurate price quote over the phone without seeing your car. No.  You can waste your time calling 10 different shops and get 10 different price quotes and chances are every one of them will be wrong.  Unless the shop has had a chance to examine or test drive the car in person, there is no way to accurately diagnose your problem and give you an accurate price quote. Beware of any shop that is willing to give you a quote over the phone without seeing the car.  Most likely they'll tell you a real low price just to get  you to set up an appointment.  Then they'll probably hit you with a much higher price once you get there. Misconception #3:  Most repair shops will recommend extra work just to get you spend more money.   The fact is, any repair shop that doesn't look for potential problems is actually doing you a great disservice.  Quality repair shops do a safety inspection on every car that comes into their shop to uncover  those inexpensive repairs that may be needed now, before they turn into major expenses later. Something as simple as changing a worn or cracked belt, when recommended, may save you the danger and inconvenience of breaking down on a busy street or highway.  Plus, you could possibly end up with more damage to your vehicle and pay for an expensive towing charge. Misconception #4:  All repair shops are the same. No.  In fact, there can be a huge difference between repair shops.  The new car technology requires constant training to keep up with all the changes.  It also requires the shop to have the latest diagnostic equipment available. The repair shops with the best trained certified mechanics  (ASE) and up to date equipment will usually do the best repairs for your vehicle. Here are a few suggestions that will help you choose a good, reputable repair shop. First, ask around.  Has anyone you know had a good or a bad experience with a particular repair shop? Next, try to find a shop that has a lot of repeat customers.  Customers are more likely to stay with a repair shop that they trust and one that does a good job for them. And finally, make sure they guarantee all their work with a 12 month / 12,000 mile warranty. Now, here are the eight questions that you must ask any auto repair shop before you set up an appointment. 1.  Do they have the most up to date training and diagnostic equipment for your particular make of car? 2.  If they give you an estimate over the phone, will they absolutely guarantee the price? 3.  Do their oil change services include a free safety inspection to uncover any other potential problems? 4.  Are all their technicians factory trained and/or ASE Certified? 5.  Will they pickup and deliver your vehicle for you, or offer you a ride to and from work the day your car is being serviced? 6.  Will they provide you a list of satisfied customers that you can call? 7.  Do they use floor mats and fender covers for your car's protection during service? 8.  Do they guarantee all their work, parts and labor, with a 12 month / 12,000 mile warranty? By following these suggestions and asking the repair shop these questions, you'll gain all the information that you need to make an informed, intelligent decision. If you are just looking for the cheapest repair possible, there are many discount companies in the phone book can help you. But if you're looking for an honest, ethical, professional auto repair company to protect your valuable investment and values your business -- then I invite you to call us at our Boca Raton Down town location (561) 391-0260 or you can e-mail us at Treborfx@comcast.net. Thank you for taking the time to read our consumer guide.  I hope you found it to be helpful.  If you have any questions or comments, or would like to schedule an appointment, please contact us at 561-391-0260, we look forward to serving you.

Can you give me an estimate for the repair of my vehicle over the phone? In order to give you an accurate estimate, we must first perform an accurate diagnosis or inspection of your vehicle. A proper diagnosis or inspection is the only way to make sure that your time is not wasted by hidden surprises that can arise if this very important step is not done. The price that competitors will quote over the phone is often cheaper than the actual repair-just to get you in the door. They know you are calling for a price comparison, and will deliberately adjust their initial quotes to get your business. Although there is nothing wrong with doing this, the shop may adjust the prices back up once they have won your confidence, or until you start calling other shops for more price comparisons. Sometimes the customer is his own worst enemy.   What is your hourly labor rate? We do not charge by how long a repair takes. We charge based on the nature of the repair. So, no matter how long it takes to fix, you will know the charges before we do the work. Why do I have to pay diagnostic charges just to find out what is causing my concern? Today's vehicles are very high-tech, and that means that more sophisticated labor and diagnostic tools are necessary to find the cause of your problem. Without skilled technicians and cutting-edge equipment, you could end up wasting time and money trying to correct something that is not wrong. As a professional mechanic I have some pride in what I do and it is important to me to be able to do a good job as inexpensively and quickly as possible. However, I don't sacrifice quality for speed; I want to do the job right the first time. This makes me happy and most important it makes my customers happy. There is a saying in my business and sometimes it's all too true, "There's never enough time to do the job right the first time, but there's always enough time to do it right the second time. Quality is not expensive, it's priceless. Vehicle maintenance is one of the most important aspects to vehicle safety, longevity, and value. Preventive maintenance is a schedule of planned maintenance actions aimed at the prevention of breakdowns and failures. The primary goal of preventive maintenance is to prevent the failure of equipment before it actually occurs. It is designed to preserve and enhance equipment reliability by replacing worn components before they actually fail. Preventive maintenance activities include equipment checks, partial or complete overhauls at specified periods, oil changes, lubrication and so on. In addition, workers can record equipment deterioration so they know to replace or repair worn parts before they cause system failure. Recent technological advances in tools for inspection and diagnosis have enabled even more accurate and effective equipment maintenance. The ideal preventive maintenance program would prevent all equipment failure before it occurs. 3K - Every 3,000 Miles, between Maintenance Services Premier 30 pt. Courtesy check Drain & renew engine oil & filter Adjust tire pressure Check brakes & record % Top off all fluid levels Lubricate suspension, doors & hood Road test & written evaluation 6K - Mileage Scheduled Service 6,000 / 12,000 / 24,000 / 36,000 / 42,000 / 48,000 / 54,000 / 60,000 Premier 30 Pt. Courtesy check Drain & renew engine oil and filter Install oil supplement Adjust clutch Check brakes & record % Rotate tires/adjust air pressure Top off all fluid levels Check A/C & heater operation Lubricate suspension, doors & hood Road test & written evaluation   15K - Mileage Schedules Service 15,000 / 45,000 / 75,000 / 105,000 / 135,000 Miles Premier 30 Pt. Courtesy check Drain & renew engine oil and filter Install oil supplement Adjust clutch Check, clean, adjust brakes & record % Rotate tires/adjust air pressure Balance all four tires Service battery, including pads Top off all fluid levels Check A/C & heater operation Lubricate suspension, doors & hood Check spark plug condition Install fuel additive (remove carbon) Reset engine maintenance light Road test & written evaluation 30K - Mileage Scheduled Service 30,000 / 60,000 / 90,000 / 120,000 / 150,000 Miles Premier 30 Pt. Courtesy check Drain & renew engine oil and filter Install oil supplement Adjust clutch Check, clean, adjust brakes & record % Rotate tires/adjust air pressure Balance all four tires Service battery, including pads Top off all fluid levels Check A/C & heater operation Lubricate suspension, doors & hood Replace spark plugs Install fuel additive (remove carbon) Replace fuel filter Replace air filter & PCV valve Complete transmission service Replace anti-freeze Reset engine maintenance light Road test & written evaluation