Victoria Rumsey felt as if she was being taken for a ride.
The brake warning light on her 2000 Volkswagen Jetta was on, so when she was
getting her oil changed at the dealership, she asked the shop to look into it.
She was told she needed a new suspension, brake pads and rotors. Rumsey didn't
want to put a lot of money into the car, so she told the shop to skip the
suspension. Then she got a call from the dealership's used-car division telling
her that the service department mentioned she might be in the market for a car
because hers was not drivable. Rumsey called the shop and found out that a
broken knuckle (part of the steering assembly) would add $2,000 to the tab, and
she couldn't drive the car without the fix. She decided to have the car towed
from the dealership and ask a friend to do the repairs. The cost of parts: less
than $150. "I felt as though I was being misled because I was a woman and
didn't know too much about cars," she says.
Nine in ten women believe they are treated differently at
auto-repair shops than men are, according to a national study by the Car Care
Council, an association that encourages consumer education. Even I, the car
writer at Kiplinger's, have been the target of repair-shop gender
politics. Take our advice on taking control -- but keep in mind, anyone can get
ripped off. These rules aren't just for ladies.
Get a clue. You can diagnose what's wrong before you hit the
shop by using the CarMD tool ($99; www.carmd.com). Just plug the hand-held
device into your car (every model after 1996 has a standard connection port)
and it reads the car's computer codes. You can then plug it into your computer
for a full report of what problem the codes indicate, the most likely fix, and
what labor and parts for the repair cost in your area. The report also lists
recalls for your vehicle and summaries of technical service bulletins (recall
notices are also available at www.nhtsa.gov). You can also use the car-care
guide at www.carcare.org to learn about typical repairs and questions to ask
the mechanic.
Show them you know. Familiarize yourself with the owner's
manual -- you'll avoid unnecessary maintenance if you know what needs to be
done at every service interval. When choosing a repair shop, make sure the
technicians are ASE certified by the National Institute for Automotive Service
Excellence.
Use all your senses to describe a problem, says auto expert
Lauren Fix, author of Lauren Fix's Guide to Loving Your Car (St.
Martin's Griffin, $17.99). If you say you feel the car pulling to the left,
particularly at speeds faster than 40 miles per hour, or you hear a knocking
sound only when you turn right, it shows that you've been paying attention and
may help the technician diagnose the problem faster.
Don't overpay for repairs. If you're getting the car
repaired by an independent shop, call the service department at your dealership
after you get the diagnosis to see whether it's covered by the warranty, a
recall or a technical service bulletin; having the car fixed at an independent
shop won't void the warranty, but you may have to pay for the repair.
RepairPal.com can help you find out whether your mechanic is
quoting a fair price. Enter your car's make, model and year, plus your zip
code. You'll see a price range for dozens of fixes at dealerships and shops in
your area.
Get a second opinion. If you're unsure about what
you're being told, go somewhere else. Don't repeat what the other shop said;
just provide the same information about the problem and see what the mechanic
finds and what the shop will charge to fix it. Before a repair, ask to see the
part, where it goes and why it needs to be replaced, and then ask to see the
old part after the repair is made. If you feel pressured to make a repair, walk
away.
Article Credit: www.kiplinger.com
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