Car ownership comes with many costs. Whilst many of these can be planned for, car repairs can often catch us by surprise. Many of us spend thousands in mechanic bills – some of may even spend more overall than we did purchasing the vehicle initially. Here’s how you can cut the cost of repairs next time your vehicle needs fixing up.
Shop around for price quotes
Every mechanic will charge different rates. It’s worth ringing up mechanics in your area and getting a quote. Collecting quotes may even allow you to negotiate a price match. Not all mechanics will do quotes over the phone if the repair job isn’t obvious, in which you may need to weigh up the cost of driving to the mechanic to get a quote. There are also sites out there such as Who Can Fix My Car that compare repair centres in your area.
Consider a repair centre’s reputation
Reputation is important factor to take into account. A suspiciously low-priced mechanic could be making up for a bad reputation. To avoid a costly botch job, read online reviews and get recommendation from people you know. There may also be specialist centres out there such as Bay Diagnostic that cater for a certain type of car or a certain type of repair. Do your research and don’t just go with the cheapest quote.
Go DIY
If you think you’re savvy enough, you could consider taking a DIY approach to repairs. There are plenty of online tutorials on Youtube that can guide you through fixing pretty much any fault. Some of the simplest include fixing headlights, replacing brake pads and covering up scratches. Even if you yourself aren’t confident, you may know a friend or family member who can do the job for cheap – just make sure that you trust them.
Buy your own parts
Even if you’d prefer to use a mechanic, you may be able to deduct some money from the repair bill by sourcing your own parts. Repair centres often make a profit on any parts that they have to order in. By looking online on sites like Part Shark, you may be able to save a lot of money on these components.
Get legal cover
In certain situations, you may be able to seek legal coverage that could help to cover the cost of damage. Even if your insurer doesn’t want to pay out, you may be able to file a lawsuit if the damage wasn’t your fault. Some people have made successful lawsuits against damage caused by everything from potholes to unsignposted equipment in the road.
Know when to cut your losses
There are some situations when it could be cheaper to buy a new car than continue getting repairs. This may be the case with an old second-hand car that’s passed its mileage – there may be no point getting it repaired if you’re only going to be fixing another fault in a couple months’ time. You may even be able to get some money to put towards you new car by selling your current vehicle for scrap.
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