Things You Should Never Say to a Mechanic
Ellie Dyer-Brown, 2 months ago
5 min read
- Car ownership
- Repair
WhoCanFixMyCar discusses six things you should never say to a mechanic.
You can probably think of a few things a mechanic could say to rub you up the wrong way. But what about the other way around? Here are six things you should avoid saying next time you take your car to a garage.
Contents
1. I tried to fix the car myself
2. I bought all the parts myself
4. Can you come down on the price?
1. I tried to fix the car myself
If your boiler broke, would you try to fix it before calling a plumber? Probably not. Likewise, if you have limited mechanical knowledge, trying to fix your own car could do more harm than good.
Basic maintenance tasks can be completed on your driveway, but more complex jobs are best left to the professionals.
Joe Stevenson, from Delilahs Mobile Mechanics, weighs in:
"If a driver asks me to finish a repair they have started, I tell them I am not interested. Cars are incredibly complex machines, and it takes years of training and experience to fully understand how they work and what is required to fix them. If a driver came to my garage with a car they had tried to fix, I would turn them away."
2. I bought all of the parts myself
It's easy to buy replacement parts on the internet, but you should be wary of quality. If something looks too cheap, it probably is - the last thing you want to do is fit flimsy or badly made parts that will break again in no time.
Some mechanics may agree to fit parts purchased by drivers if they are of OEM quality, but the work is generally not guaranteed. Most mechanics prefer to choose the components themselves. It's worth asking (politely) before you go ahead and book.
Joe said:
"If a driver brings their car to the garage and hands over some parts they have found online, I’ll refuse to fit them. I don't know where the parts have come from, and the likelihood is that they are not good enough for the car.
I will only ever fit parts that are OEM quality, meaning I have sourced them from reliable suppliers. I know they will last for a long time as they are made with the best materials and by the best people.
If a driver arrives with their parts and I fit them, I would also lose my public liability license and even be responsible if something went wrong and the driver was involved in an accident. That is why we don’t fit driver-supplied parts."
3. I know what the problem is, just fix what I tell you
Even though you might have an inkling about what's wrong with your car, it's best not to instruct a mechanic on what they should fix. The truth is, you probably don’t know for certain, so you shouldn’t try to tell an expert.
Joe said:
"I will always listen to what a driver has to say because I need to understand how their car is behaving to provide an accurate diagnosis, but I need to test a lot before I know what their problem is.
People seem to think that mechanics are trying to rip them off by finding new problems, but the truth is that they are really there and need to be resolved."
4. Can you come down on the price?
Car repairs can be expensive, which might tempt you to haggle for a better price. However, when you get an estimate from a garage, you should respect their position. Instead of asking them to change their estimate, you could request quotes on WhoCanFixMyCar to see if a different garage offers a better price.
There's no harm in shopping around, but it's also important to be respectful - some repairs cost a lot because they are complex and time-consuming, and that's just how it is.
Joe said:
"My price is what it is for a reason, and it is the same for most garage owners. We have to account for our time and overheads, which must be built into pricing to make a living. Having drivers haggle is never pleasant because the estimate has been agreed beforehand. If you want to choose a cheaper garage, you can do that but don’t wait until the repair has been done to try to get a lower price."
5. All I care about is the price
Price is important, but it isn't everything. The reputation and reviews of a garage also matter - after all, a dodgy repair might be cheap, but it likely won't last and could put you in danger.
6. I read it on Google or saw it on Youtube
If you've ever tried Googling your symptoms before, you'll know that diagnosing your illness using the internet doesn't always go well. It's easy to trick yourself into thinking there's something seriously wrong, when in reality, you've just got a headache.
The internet is a valuable tool for research, and you should take advantage of it to boost your knowledge. There's nothing wrong with reading up about your car.
However, car problems can often be tricky to diagnose, and many have similar symptoms, making it almost impossible to know what is wrong without going under the bonnet to investigate.
If you think you know what's wrong based on a video you watched, but a mechanic tells you it's something else, you should trust the mechanic over YouTube.
Looking for reliable car repairs that won't break the bank? Whatever your car needs, WhoCanFixMyCar's trusted garage network is here to help.
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Written by Ellie
Ellie is WhoCanFixMyCar’s Content Writer. She has a BA in English literature from Durham University, a master’s degree in creative writing, and three years of experience writing in the automotive industry. She currently drives a Suzuki Swift.