How To Find A Good Mechanic

In my limited experience, finding a good mechanic hasn't been all that difficult, but it does take an effort. (And man, as with most things, the bad ones you meet along the way sure stand out, don't they?)

Change can be difficult – even if you're in a relationship of sorts with a mechanic where you feel you're not quite getting good value, even if you suspect you're being treated badly, it can take years before you get fed up enough to move on or look elsewhere.

Fair or not, I am generally pretty mistrustful of mechanics. A big part of this stems from the fact that I am pretty ignorant about the inner workings of my car. The other part of this mistrust comes from past experience where we've been overcharged quite a bit by a guy we took our business to for years. There was also a recurring pattern of new problems that would always show up after ever visit to his shop. (My dear mechanics, I know you're not all crooks. Some of you are fantastic, much like the person we see for most things today – largely with his help and patience I am trying very hard to get over this mistrust.)

Finding a good mechanic can make an amazing difference (all the difference in the world, really) in your car's quality of life, and in your own quality of life at times, as well.

The easiest way to find a good mechanic is to ask around (more on that in a minute). Outside of that, Dave Redinger, "the neighbourhood mechanic", car expert, teacher and radio show host, as well says there are usually three or four different ways people find a shop for service:

"One, you don't have a choice about the shop you go to because you're stuck on the side of the road. The second way is to actually, physically go out and try to find a shop. People will first go after the big names like Canadian Tire or NAPA. The third one is an independent shop; you find those guys through word of mouth, then there's the fourth way, which is couponing," he says.

1. You're stuck at the side of the road.
Sadly, you're probably at the mercy of the tow truck driver who picks you up. (A costly thing in and of itself if you don't have an auto club membership or other form of insurance that covers such things.) In many cases, Redinger says the recommended shop pays a commission to the drivers. "It happens a lot if you have an accident," he says. "If you're not sure, tow it home or leave it there and come back later."

2. Go find a shop.
If your car is new, take it to the dealer to make sure you're not voiding any warrantees or service agreements that you might have in place. If you're searching for service from a chain or franchise, word of mouth is sometimes helpful, but not always, since it's unlikely you'll be working with the owner or the mechanic in charge when you get there. (In some places the person at the counter could be making minimum wage. Or worse, says Redinger, he or she could be working on commission.

One possible source of assistance is the J.D. Power and Associates annual Canadian Customer Commitment Index Study that examines customer satisfaction with the service provided at both dealership and after-market car maintenance facilities. (You can see a list of the 2012 Customer Commitment Index study winners here, on page three.)

3. Find an independent mechanic.
Word of mouth is where it's at. Ask your friends where they take their older cars for service. I've recently started taking my car to specialist shops for service, which has saved us a bundle in the process, believe it or not. Our muffler and exhaust work, for example, gets done at a custom exhaust place that does nothing but. Sure, it's a little weird to see my 13-year-old car on the hoist next to a custom hot rod, but the work is amazing, and it gets done for almost half the price at times, because the guy owns a machine shop to make his own parts. You only find places like this by asking around ahead of time, before you need the service.

4. Couponing.
I haven't enjoyed the best luck with car-related coupons (see: My $976 Oil Change for that cautionary tale) but taking advantage of a coupon deal is not a bad way to test the waters and see what other service centres are out there. My advice: Leave time to go get a second opinion about things, if needed.

"The best way is word of mouth," says Redinger. "Go to that shop before you need the service. See what the place is like and talk to the guy, if you can. Chasing around when you have a problem, you're under the gun. Do your homework beforehand."


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Kate McCaffery is a freelance writer, editor and former urbanite, now living somewhere in between the lake, the ski hill and some farmer's cow path. Visit mccaffery.ca/kate2.0/ for more information.