Auto repairs not completed as agreed

Sometimes auto repairs are not completed as agreed upon. In some cases it can be a miscommunication between you and the service writer. In other cases it can be lack of communication between the service writer and the mechanic.

This problem is probably more common than most automotive consumers realize. What spurred me to write this short post about it was a site visitor named Greg posted a story to my other website that described how his auto repair work was not performed.

Greg purchased a dodge van from a dealership that needed some work done. He was told that the needed repairs would be covered under the power train warranty. But after the papers were signed he was told that they would not be covered.

After working a deal out with the service department they agreed to do a long list of repairs for a discounted rate. When Greg got his Dodge van back he decided to take a look at the repaired areas. He was extremely disappointed to find that many auto repairs were not completed as agreed upon.

In the above situation the service manager stated that the mechanic was told what to do and ignored the instructions. When customers complain, the auto repair shop will usually assign blame to an individual. All too often it is the low man on the pole the mechanic. Some say that stuff rolls downhill.

One thing that you can do as an auto repair consumer is attach a note to the steering wheel outlining the items that are supposed to be inspected or repaired. In most cases the service writer or service manager will never actually get into your vehicle. The mechanic the guy who is doing the work most often is the first one to enter the vehicle and he will see your note.

Another thing that you can do to increase the chances that all work will be performed properly and at the price agreed upon is ask for a copy of a signed written estimate. This estimate should be signed by an auto repair shop representative and yourself.

In the story about the dodge van above Greg knew his way around cars and knew exactly what to look for. The dealer stated that they would replace the spark plugs and wires. When he removed the engine cover he could clearly see that neither of these items was replaced with new parts.

Here is one thing that you can do if you’re not sure of what a new part would look like. You can find and mark the old part with a permanent marker or similar hard to remove marking. Before you drive away from the auto repair center you can verify that this part was actually replaced. This could be better than asking for the old parts because you can verify it was completed on your vehicle.

There is no question that an educated auto repair consumer is better able to protect themselves against the auto repairs not completed situation. If you are having specific repairs performed such as a water pump replacement you can do some research and get a basic education on that repair procedure so you are properly prepared to deal with any problems that arise.

To shamelessly plug one of my other websites which is called you fix cars.com I have added repair module sections that include a lot of free information about specific auto repairs. You can also search through this blog about auto repair for articles that address your situation. In my opinion Knowledge is the best way to make sure you get what you paid for.