Question of the Week: Who Does Your Car Service?

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.

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."

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 $$. =)

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.

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!

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.

@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.

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.

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.

Thanks for sharing, Kev.

I love our mechanic! They are less expensive, super honest, and they check over my car now and again for free (like when I bought a car- they gave it a once over for nothing).

I do all my oil changes at firestone- they have coupons for 10$ off in the mail a lot. They also top of fluids, check brakes, tires, and a few other things. That way, I can keep ahead of service issues. This particular one does not try to upsell me every time- which is why i stopped going to 10 minute places.
Also- firestone keeps track of all our invoices so we can get them printed out once a year for taxes or when I sold my car- I could hand a years worth of services to the buyer. helpful

I just went through this last October. Wrote to articles about it:
1. http://www.nodebtplan.net/2009/10/23/the-value-and-joy-of-finding-a-trustworthy-mechanic/
2. http://www.nodebtplan.net/2009/11/10/how-to-find-and-keep-honest-tradesmen/

Bottom line for us on cars: I get my oil changed/tires rotated at a local shop (like a Firestone, NTB, Big 10, etc.) for $25-30. We currently use Big 10 and they have a $23 coupon on their website.

For major repairs: I develop a relationship with a local, solid, independent mechanic that will treat you fairly. There's immense value in that.

Also a lot of manufacturer's say to change the oil every 10,000 or 15,000 miles. Look at your manual. You likely don't need to change it every 3,000 miles. I do ours every 5,000 to 6,000.

2005 Honda Accord. I was pretty surprised when I read that in the owner's manual too but if that is not the definitive resource, then what is?! :) I normally do it before the winter season because I assume that is the hardest season on the engine (I'm not a car person though, don't quote me)

Nice, Jeremy. http://www.tiresplus.com/coupons/ $19.99 Not bad.

10,000 miles?!? What kind of car do you drive if you don't mind sharing.

So, my question today is, “who services your vehicles and why?” Oh, and a bonus question is “how often do you change the oil?”

By buying a newer-used car 2.5 years ago, I haven't had any serious maintenance does besides an oil change every 10,000 miles which is recommended by the manufacturer's manual. :) For the oil change service, I just goto Tires Plus because it is the closest to my work place and has a reasonable coupon online that I use every time.

@Evan - sounds like my kind of place.

The only person that services my car is my buddy's shop. He is absolutely NOT the cheapest, but he is great at what he does. An honest mechanic is worth a few extra bucks in my opinion.

The shop has a stellar reputation and has been around for 30 or so years (his dad and grandfather started it).