How do I choose the right auto repair shop?

Choosing the right auto repair shop can be a daunting and high anxiety task. Lets face it, the industry doesn’t have the best reputation. TV news segments on dishonest shops has damaged the public trust. Picking a quality repair shop in Queens and Brooklyn can be really hard to do, especially with so many options. A good independent repair shop can also provide intangible benefits to their customers which a dealership can never hope to achieve. Hopefully these set of questions that you can ask can help you make the right decisions and give you some more things to think about when it comes down to who services your vehicle.

General Repair Shop or Specialist?

Vehicles today especially German makes such as BMW, Mercedes,  and Audi/Volkwagen can be extremely complicated in their workings. Many times a General repair shop may not have the experience, training, or tools and equipment to tackle the neccessary service your vehicle may need. 

What are the qualifications? Continual Technical Training?

The qualifications of the technicians working on your vehicle can be very important. It can also be an important indication of how much the technicians as well as the shop take their profession seriously. ASE certifications are a gold standard in the industry. Also specific car make training such as BMW Engine Repair or Mercedes chassis training are also important indicators. You want to select a shop with a culture of being up to date with the newest technology. Every year new technology and new models are released. It is important for any shop to stay up to date with the latest knowledge.

What kind of warranty is provided?

Any quality repair shop should offer some sort of warranty for their services. The warranty should include both parts and warranty. Any shop worth their weight will want to stand behind their work and also the parts that go into your vehicle. A long warranty will show the confidence the shop has with their work. It also provides peace of mind to the customer.

Reviews? Are they good?

In this day and age the internet is king. More specifically google and yelp. Most of us use both everyday to find any services we may need. An automotive repair shop’s reviews can give great insight into what you can expect. I will say that almost every business will have their share of negative or low star reviews. Whether it was a miscommunication, a mistake by the business, or just a grumpy customer a single or several bad reviews shouldn’t turn you away neccessarily. What you should look for is a pattern of behavior. If there are a string of reviews stating something negative then that would be a possible red flag. There is also something that should be said about shop responses. Many times if a shop cares about their reputation the owner may also respond to reviews. That is also a potential indication of how much that shop cares about what their customers think of them.

We hope these few insightful questions help you choose the right auto repair shop for you!