Auto repairs are never fun, they are costly and inconvenient. Not to mention that no one ever seems to give it to you straight. OK, ok sooo what do I really need? The mechanic is telling me that I need a whole steering gearbox for some reason, the guy at the dealership is telling me that I need to update my power steering pump to the 2011 system. All of which will cost about $4000, but what do I really need if it was my brake rotor that is warped?
Many mechanics and dealers may have the 20 years of experience behind them but that does not always mean they know what they are doing. In the past 20 years cars have changed significantly, ask yourself if you would let someone who always works on 86 Buicks work on your 2010 Mercedes. Do you really think they would know the first thing about that car or how any of the systems on it really work? The answer of course is no, not one thing.
The systems that cars and trucks use have changed so much in the past 10 years alone that anything you may have known about cars in 2000 will be completely obsolete today. Being a mechanic is like being a doctor nowadays, taking classes to update yourself on the new technologies and procedures. From steering systems to the electronics everything has been reimagined and redesigned with better performance and more efficiency in mind.
The average mechanic has been doing repairs for about 5 years and knows a good amount about cars and repairs. He will know how to do most of the small repairs and has books and DVDs that will help him with the rest. Just remember that what he tells you is a combo of experience and guessing so for any auto repair do a little research yourself, being an informed customer is the best way to avoid being swindled out of your money.
