This Month's Topic "Putting Brakes on Bad Repairs"

This article was published in The Toronto Sun, August 15, 1998.
Written by Maryanna Lewyckyj, it is titled "Put Brakes on Bad Repairs."

"Consumers should consider skill and reputation, instead of price alone, when shopping for a good garage."

When I need to have my car serviced, I am often reminded of the saying, "Never ask a barber if you need a haircut."

Experience has taught me that a garage-- which stands to profit from selling me extra repairs-- may try and sell me work I haven't requested and don't really need.

It happened again recently when I took my car to a dealer for a routine oil change. I was advised a rear axle seal was leaking, a repair that would cost $180.

I declined the work and got a second opinion. As it turns out, my front-wheel drive car doesn't even have a rear axle. Nor were any of the rear axle seals leaking.

This incident was no surprise to George Iny, President of the Automotive Protection Association.

Since 1981, the APA has sent "Ghost" cars rigged with a simple problem (such as loose battery cable) to 120 in Toronto, Montreal, and Quebec City.

"We consistently find that 30% of the time, garages in large cities will rip you off," said Iny. "20% of the time, service will be incompetent. In about 1 of every 2 repairs, there is an element of dishonesty or incompetence."

In 1995, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission reported to Congress the results of an exhaustive study into auto repair practices.

The conclusion? "Although fraud is often perceived as the major cause of consumers' auto repairs problems, the reality is that most auto repair problems are due to misdiagnosis and faulty repairs made in good faith," said the report.

It's hardly comforting to consumers to know that incompetence is more common that dishonesty.

Nor does it help to know that many garages use service advisers that are on commission. You may think the smiling person at the service counter is there to take care of your concerns, but the advice may be tainted by an incentive to oversell repairs.

Although it is easy to be taken for a ride by a garage, there are many skilled, honest technicians who work hard to please customers and deserve your business. The only challenge for consumers is finding them.

A good place to start is to start with friends, relatives and co-workers. If they have shops they trust, ask them why.

Another source is the CAA and the APA. Both have networks of approved service facilities with a track record of satisfying customers. If anything should go wrong, you have a third party with some clout and expertise to complain to.

You can also check with the Better Business Bureau. A shop can be reputable without being a member of the BBB. If a non-BBB shop has piled up complaints and not co-operated in resolving disputes, it's a red flag.

It's a good idea to scout for a good shop before your vehicle needs major service such as transmission work. The closest and cheapest may be fine for routine brake work or oil changes, but inadequate for more complicated repairs. The more expensive the work, the more important it is to shop around.

Good technicians are constantly upgrading their skills and getting certified through organizations such as the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence. There are only 427 ASE-Certified technicians in Canada. Keeping up with the dizzying advances in automotive technology is a challenge.

Finding an honest and skilled garage can head off many repair headaches, but consumers should also learn to communicate well with a technician or service adviser to make sure things run smoothly.

When a problem with a vehicle crops up, it helps if you can provide as many details as possible. When did the noise start? Is is it worse at start-up or after the car has been running? Does the problem only occur at a certain speed? Does it only happen when it is rainy, cold or hot?

Motorists should never tell a garage to simply fix a problem, its like handing over a blank check. Ask the garage to check and report on the cause of the problem. Find out if there is a diagnostic fee. Before you sign a work order ask to have your parts returned.

Once you get a diagnosis, find out exactly what needs to be done and why. Get a break down of the parts and labour. If it's a major repair, you might want to get a second opinion. Find out how long the repair will be guaranteed. A cheap repair with a poor warranty is no bargain.

When you go to pick up your car after a repair, make sure you get a detailed invoice, a written warranty and your old parts. Keep careful records. A warranty claim maybe void if you can't find the warranty, or you can't prove you've performed regular maintenance.

Finally, while consumers like to complain about mechanics, motorists sometimes contribute to their own repair woes, with bad driving habits and poor maintenance.

Mechanics have a code phrase for problems caused by careless drivers. "There's a nut loose behind the wheel," they quip. Make sure the joke isn't at your expense.