Clark's Big Book of Bargains (34 page)

The time to find the right mechanic to repair a car is before it’s broken. Start by asking people who have your brand of car. Every time you see somebody who’s in your “club”—because having a foreign car is like being in a club—ask them how they like it, how it’s been running, and where they get their maintenance and repairs done. If you hear the same place mentioned a couple of times, go in there for regular maintenance, a low-risk way to get acquainted. Over time, you can build up trust in their work. This is going to sound shocking, but I trust Gordon so much that when I take my Honda in for a repair, I don’t even ask for an estimate, because I know he’s not going to pull any stunts on me. He’s the real thing.

If you haven’t established that kind of relationship, it’s critical to get the mechanic’s estimate of what’s wrong. If the proposed repairs are significant, take the car to another shop for a second opinion, even if you have to have it towed to the second shop. If the estimate is for more than $2,000, it’s worth getting two additional estimates.

Having your car towed to another shop for a second opinion may sound extreme, but the cost of a tow is insignificant compared to the hundreds of extra dollars you might pay if the first mechanic is wrong, or is trying to take your money. In my TV work we did a series on auto repair, and we found a woman who had been told her car needed $5,500 in engine and transmission work. The car wasn’t driveable, so she had it towed to another repair shop. The second shop diagnosed the problem as a broken timing belt, plus some transmission damage that could be repaired. She paid $1,500, and her car ran great. So by paying for a tow and getting a second opinion, she saved $4,000.

Another woman had a car that was “skipping and popping,” which she thought might be a fuel system problem. She took it to a mechanic who had been recommended by friends, and he said the car needed a new clutch, a tune-up, and a fuel filter. She paid $600 to have that work done, $500 of it for the clutch, but when she picked up the car, it still had the original problem. The mechanic then said it needed a new catalytic converter, which would cost $250. She didn’t trust him anymore, so she took it to a muffler shop, which said it didn’t need a catalytic converter, but it did need a new coil pack. She paid $68 for that, and the muffler shop also adjusted a spark plug wire. The car ran fine for a month, then started skipping and popping again. So she took it back to the muffler shop, which by then had hired a mechanic. He wanted $45 to put the car on a diagnostic machine, and said it did need a catalytic converter and a muffler—and it still needed a fuel filter, which the first mechanic charged her for but never installed. The second mechanic installed the fuel filter and did the diagnostic and charged $90. The car continued to skip and pop. The car’s owner then bought a catalytic converter and a muffler from an auto parts store, for another $85, and her brother-in-law installed them. The car still skipped and popped. Finally, the brother-in-law bought some new spark plug wires for $8 and installed them, and that took care of the problem. She had paid $851 and taken the car to three different people to repair a problem that was caused by $8 worth of spark plug wires. She probably needed the new muffler and catalytic converter, but she didn’t need the $500 clutch. And all of it could have been avoided if she’d gotten estimates from two or three mechanics before she paid for any work.

One of the most important things you can do to keep your car running well is to have regular maintenance done, and make sure to keep your maintenance records. I’m surprised again and again by people who think the only thing you have to do when you own a car is to put gas in and change the oil occasionally. That’s not enough. You have to follow the manufacturer’s maintenance schedule. It’s not there just as advice. It’s mandatory. Following it doesn’t mean your car will run well, but it sure improves the odds. We keep our cars so much longer now than we used to keep them. The average car on the road in 2001 was 9.3 years old, according to the Car Care Council, a nonprofit organization based in Maryland. Putting some money into maintaining your car is a lot cheaper than new car payments.

• Tips on Repairs •

• Find the right mechanic to repair your car before it’s broken. Start by asking people who have your brand of car.
  

• Get the mechanic’s estimate of what’s wrong. If the proposed repairs are significant, take the car to another shop for a second opinion, even if you have to have it towed to the second shop.
  

• Keep your car running well by having regular maintenance done.
  

* TOWING *

The Automobile Club of America, which everybody knows as AAA, used to have a hammerlock on the towing business, because AAA offered such an all-encompassing service, with tour books, maps, and special trip maps called TripTiks. But now you can plan your driving route using Internet services such as Mapquest (www.mapquest.com) or software such as Delorme’s Street Atlas and Microsoft’s Streets & Trips. Some cars even use Global Positioning System (GPS) devices to plan your route.

The best way to evaluate AAA is to compare its emergency road service to what others offer. When you do that, AAA, at $35 to $80 a year, doesn’t look as good.

Many car insurers now include an emergency road service rider that’s very inexpensive. State Farm, for example, has a rider that costs just $2 to $6 a year. It provides a reimbursement for up to $65 if you need to have your car towed, and pays for one hour of labor if you lock your keys in your car, need a jump start, have a flat tire, or run out of gas.

The warehouse clubs also offer emergency road service. Costco’s costs just $29.99 a year. The program at Sam’s Club comes free when you sign up for the club’s $100-a-year “Elite” membership. Both dispatch help for the same list of roadside emergencies. Sam’s service comes from the United States Auto Club, Costco’s from Road America.

You may also get roadside assistance from your car manufacturer. Many car companies now provide free emergency road service for a year or two, then try to get you to pay for it after that. Compare prices to see if it’s worthwhile.

The types of programs are different. AAA and the warehouse clubs dispatch their own trucks to help you, while others allow you to use whatever towing service you wish, then reimburse you by a certain amount per tow. In some ways, the single-fleet service originated by AAA is more convenient, because you don’t have to figure out who to call. But the biggest complaint I hear about AAA is how long people have had to wait for the tow truck to arrive. If you use a reimbursement service, keep the name and number of your mechanic or a local towing service with you in your wallet or glove compartment, or as a saved number in your cell phone.

Should you pay $30 to $80 a year for emergency road service? Probably not. How many times in the past five years have you needed a vehicle towed, or needed emergency road service for any other purpose, such as running out of gas or locking your keys in your car? Most people would say never or once. If that’s the case, you’re better off saving the $150 to $400 you would have spent over those five years and paying the cost of the help out of your pocket when you need it. If you’re accident-prone, maybe you should have it. Check with your auto insurer to see what it offers.

If you travel frequently, AAA offers discounts on hotels, car rentals, and cruises that may make it worthwhile. I have remained a AAA member for that reason. You also get the very detailed maps of states and cities that I still find superior to online or computer-based services.

• Tips on Towing •

• You can buy emergency road service plans from AAA, Costco, Sam’s Club, or your insurer.
  

• The types of programs are different. AAA and the warehouse clubs dispatch their own trucks to help you, while others allow you to use whatever towing service you wish, then reimburse you.
  

• If you use a reimbursed plan or no emergency road service plan, keep the number of a local towing service or mechanic with you, in your glove compartment, or in your cell phone.
  

• Internet •

• www.mapquest.com
  

• www.aaa.com
  

• www.costco.com
  

• www.samsclub.com