Comments on: Question of the Week: Who Does Your Car Service?

By: Meghan Fife

Meghan Fife — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

I just recently went and got my oil changed at Precision Tune Auto Care and for a basic oil change it was $20!

The particular one I went to even gave me a complimentary beverage while I waited. Pretty rad.

By: Saving Money Today

Saving Money Today — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

I try to take it to the local shop but it’s not always convenient. If I don’t get it there first thing in the morning he can’t take it right away. So sometimes I use the 10 minute oil change places, but I’m always suspicious of them. They’re always trying to get you to spend more money than necessary. One guy was trying to get me to drop $150 on some kind of fluid flush because my oil was dirty. I said, “No kidding…that’s why I’m getting an oil change.”

By: youngandthrifty

youngandthrifty — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

I go to a local “mom and pop” mechanic. He charges like, next to nothing and doesn’t tell me to come back in a matter of months, but rather a matter of miles/ kilometers.

I think it works out to be 2-3 oil changes a year.

Yes, I agree that finding a mechanic can be tough- it’s like finding a good doctor! You need to find one you can trust who won’t be out to get your hard earned $$. =)

By: The Rat

The Rat — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

I usually go to a Ford dealership for my vehicle service. I normally ask for a thorough inspection before going on vacation and before hitting the road.

Nice post.

By: Peter

Peter — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

Depending on what I’m having done I do it at different places. If I’m having the oil changed I just use one of the coupons i get in the mail and go to the cheapest place. Usually that ends up being the walmart near my house. They’ve always done a decent job and they’re always less than $20.

For tires I’ve usually gone to Discount Tire, they had a black friday special this year so i basically got one tire free, and they rotate your tires for free if you go back to their store.

For other maintenance issues or real problems I go to a local mechanic that I trust near my work. In the past when i had problems I shopped around pricewise to find the cheapest place to get work done, and they were always the cheapest. Despite being the cheapest their work was second to none as well. Finding a good mechanic can be tough, but once you do – stick with ‘em!

By: LeanLifeCoach

LeanLifeCoach — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

We’ve got a 12 year old car with less than 65K on the odometer. It’s hard to get upset at the cost of maintenance. We take our car to the Honda dealership. The oil change is a little more than a local garage but I know it will be good quality. We follow the book and nothing else.

By: PT

PT — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

@Liane – That’s great. What a huge benefit. So, he obviously sees the value in changing every 3000.
@Elle – Sounds like you’ve got an honest mechanic on your hand there.

I just got back from the service place, and the guy turned me down. He said it hadn’t been long enough. He recommended I come back after another 2000 miles. Making the total, 5,000. He also gave me a free car wash for my trouble. Awesome.

By: Elle

Elle — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

We go to an independent VW shop. They’ve been great with service and offer a very competitive price. They usually 1/3 of the dealership’s price and they have on occasions recommended to me another mechanic that can do certain repairs cheaper.

By: Liane

Liane — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

My husband is an auto body technician with mechanical knowledge and he has always serviced our vehicles. Unless there’s an issue that deals with the car’s computer system, he does all of the maintenance and repairs himself. Our family owns four vehicles (four drivers all going different places) and we save a ton of $ this way. He does an oil change and check of all fluids around 3,000 miles.

By: PT

PT — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

Thanks for sharing, Kev.