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TYLER–The cost of owning a car begins after the purchase. Whether you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re dealing with an oil change or have major repairs to take care of, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s important to use a mechanic or auto shop who is worthy of your trust. In 2018, BBB received 1.6 million inquiries and over 7,650 complaints on auto repair shops. BBB reminds consumers to do their homework before choosing a mechanic for vehicle repairs and maintenance.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153When your vehicle needs repairs, you don’t need a crash course in auto mechanics,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Mechele Agbayani Mills, President and CEO of BBB Serving Central East Texas said. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153However, make sure you take the proactive approach and spend time doing research to find a reliable shop and mechanic.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d BBB offers the following tips to help you find the right shop and ensure a smooth experience:
\n\u00c2\u00b7\tPlan ahead.\u00c2\u00a0Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t wait until you have an accident or your car stops running to look for a mechanic. You will be under a lot more stress when facing an emergency, so do your research when you can take your time and make educated decisions.
\n\u00c2\u00b7\tDo your research. Check bbb.org for a mechanic\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Business Profile to read customer reviews and any complaints. Look for certifications like an Automotive Service Excellence seal which indicates whether technicians have met basic standards of knowledge and competence in specific technical areas.
\n\u00c2\u00b7\tHave a professional diagnose the problem. Describe the problems you are experiencing with as much detail as possible, but do have the auto body shop perform a diagnostic (there may be a cost) to determine what should be done. Don’t rush the technician into making an on-the-spot diagnosis of the problem.
\n\u00c2\u00b7\tMaintain your car properly. Read your vehicle’s manual for suggested routine maintenance to keep it humming along and reduce the need for repairs. Pay close attention to any changes in how your car performs, any lit dashboard signals and unusual smoke or odors.
\n\u00c2\u00b7\tGet everything in writing. Be sure to get a detailed estimate including repairs, labor, parts and expected time to complete the repairs before signing to have the work done. If the shop guarantees its work make sure to get it in writing including what it will cover, how long parts are covered, if the guarantee is adjusted for time and mileage, and whether the guarantee will transfer to a new owner if you sell the car and any exclusions.
\n\u00c2\u00b7\tUnderstand your warranty. If you are getting work done while the car is still under warranty, check to see if there are guidelines you must follow and if you must take the car to a specific location. If in doubt, ask questions at the dealership where you bought your car.
\n\u00c2\u00b7\tPay attention when you pick up your car. When you pick up your car, get a complete and detailed written summary describing everything the mechanic did. Ask the service manager to go over it with you and explain all the work completed including major parts that might have been replaced. Be sure that your bill itemizes the repairs so if a problem occurs later, you can show what was done.
\n\u00c2\u00b7\tFollow up with problems. If you continue to have problems with your car after the work is complete, take it back to the shop that performed the original repair. If issues continue, it will be easier to identify who is responsible for the repair. <\/p>\n
For more tips on how to be a savvy consumer, go to bbb.org. To report a fraudulent activity or unscrupulous business practices, call BBB at (903) 581-5704 or report it via BBB Scam Tracker. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
TYLER–The cost of owning a car begins after the purchase. Whether you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re dealing with an oil change or have major repairs to take care of, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s important to use a mechanic or auto shop who is worthy of your trust. In 2018, BBB received 1.6 million inquiries and over 7,650 complaints on auto repair shops. … Continue reading BBB Column: Avoid Auto Repair Despair<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":62,"featured_media":817314,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[177],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-817313","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-local-news-archive-archives"],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-07-06 03:26:17","action":"change-status","newStatus":"trash","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ktbb.com\/post\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/817313","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ktbb.com\/post\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ktbb.com\/post\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ktbb.com\/post\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/62"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ktbb.com\/post\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=817313"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/ktbb.com\/post\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/817313\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":817315,"href":"https:\/\/ktbb.com\/post\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/817313\/revisions\/817315"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ktbb.com\/post\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/817314"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ktbb.com\/post\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=817313"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ktbb.com\/post\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=817313"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ktbb.com\/post\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=817313"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}