Auto warranty companies routinely insist that repair shops lower the cost of the repair estimates, because they have the inside information on what parts cost and how long each repair should take. Unless you have access to this information as well, you’re overpaying for auto repairs as much as 85% of the time.

Patrice Samuelson* of St. Louis, Missouri had always resisted bringing her car in for service, hoping the problems she noticed while driving would simply go away. But, this time there was no denying that something was seriously wrong with her 2002 Dodge Intrepid. As the car limped into “Mr. Bill’s” repair shop (where both her father and brother always brought their own autos), Patrice steeled herself for the bad news – and she wasn’t disappointed. Her Dodge had “thrown a rod”, according to Bill, and needed an engine. Even using a recycled one, the repair estimate came to a whopping $3,500.

Patrice’s friend Ron convinced her to bring her car to another facility for a second opinion. His diagnosis: the “thrown rod” was actually a loose timing belt. The cost? Just $68.

Her story is not that unique. Americans are overcharged daily for auto repairs. Sometimes, like in Patrice’s case, it was a repair that wasn’t correctly diagnosed (or perhaps an unscrupulous repair facility). Other times, the parts used for the repairs are marked up outrageously. Often the mom-and-pop repair shop just doesn’t know where to find the parts less expensively. And even though industry standards determine how long a repair should take, most people simply don’t have access to that information and some shops take advantage and “pad” the time it took to complete the job.

The following statistics probably won’t surprise many automobile owners:

• The FTC claims that auto repairs are the #1 “service fraud” in the United States
• The National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) say that that auto repairs are 8^th on the national list of consumer complaints
• According to the BBB auto repairs are the 2^nd most common consumer complaint filed against businesses

When Samantha Arnold* of Seattle, Washington finally acknowledged that her 2006 Acura MDX wouldn’t go into reverse unless she put her entire weight into shifting gears, she feared it was going to be an expensive repair. When she was told it would cost her $6,250 for a new transmission, she almost resigned herself to the painful price tag. Instead, the process of calling around to other repair shops began and she learned that using an overhauled transmission could reduce the price significantly. In the end, the original repair facility agreed to overhaul her transmission for $3,950 less than their original quote.

So, what is stopping us all from doing this? One reason is that most of us don’t speak the same language as auto mechanics; many of us don’t have the time to shop around. But the biggest reason is that we really don’t know when we’re being overcharged. That’s because, unlike computers or flat screen TVs, we just can’t access pricing information on car parts or repairs. Sure, all of that information is available, most of it online, but virtually none of us is willing to pay hundreds of dollars a month to access it.

Bob Jones* of Austin, Texas loved his Porsche. He knew every repair – from major to minor – would cost him a pretty penny. And he knew how to search online. What he didn’t know was even though he found what he thought was the best price for new tires ($485 each), he was still going to have to get them shipped, at considerable cost.

That is, until someone put him in touch with a local dealer who not only had the tires in stock, but would mount and balance them for only $375 per tire, saving him $440 and the cost of shipping.

Even warranty companies negotiate with repair shops and reduce the cost of the repairs they cover 85% of the time. With three quarters of U.S. cars no longer under any kind of warranty, you need someone to advocate for you or run the risk of overpaying for repairs by hundreds or thousands of dollars every year.

To learn more about how Mechanic-on-Duty, The Motorist’s Advocate™, can take the scare out of auto repairs for you, go to www.MechanicOnDuty.com or call 1-888-690-5MOD (888-690-5663).

* Names have been changed.