Find A Great Mechanic
The popular NPR Car-Talk radio show hosts a database of great mechanics. Enter your zip, make specialty (if you want), and miles from your town, and the site displays a list of recommended auto shops. Therein, reviewers rate shops based on honesty, competency and price.
And to think, just last week we wondered if there were any honest mechanics left in the world.... — BEN POPKEN
Car Talk Mechanic Files [Official Site] (Thanks to something_amazing!)
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Comments:
wreckingcru-- Also try brickboard.com for your Volvo. That site has carried me through two Swedes over the years (and saved me thousands over my local brick specialist!)
I have used cartalk in two different cities & have been very happy both times.
Like Yelp, it relies on readers to post their experiences however, I wish more people did.
They used to call it the Mechan-X Files. But then I think they got busted.
It's harder to find a good mechanic than to find a good doc or hair chopper; thanks for the post.
comment eaten: wreckingcru-- also try brickboard.com (it's ushered me through 2 Swedes and saved me thousands over what my local brick mechanic charges.)
I used one of their recommendations once. The mechanic I found was the nicest guy you could ever meet, but he didn't fix my car properly. Fed up, I took it to the ripoff dealer who said that it looked like someone just "threw parts" at the problem rather than properly diagnosing the issue. Sometimes, I think people mistake "nice" for "good."
triteon: I'm a frequent user on brickboard since I got the swede. The problem is that I'm not that knowledgeable about the mechanics of an automobile (computers: brilliant, cars: idiot), so a lot of the advice has gone straight over my head, especially since a lot of solutions are very DIY.
With this, hopefully I can take it straight to a live person and he/she can tell me (in somewhat lay man's terms) what the problem is, etc.
I have never had a problem finding an honest or great mechanic. I follow some simple rules: 1) I never use a chain for anything - oil changes, tune ups, tires, etc. nothing. I take it all to one mechanic. 2) i take time to talk to the mechanic and understand whom or what they are and what interests them. I find the chevy guy who likes to work on chevys, the vw guy, the toyota guy, etc. 3) if they sell gas I buy gas from them from time to time.
I've done this when I've lived in cities, in suburbs, in small towns.
Thank you! I need this for my Volvo really badly...sick and tired of local mechanics fleecing me.