By understanding necessary preventative maintenance, basic understanding on your auto, and common issues that arise when getting your vehicle worked on, your car can last longer, your safety will be certain and you can save money at the same time. Below are a few of your rights to remember when seeking auto repair or service.
- You are not required to take your vehicle to the dealer in order to maintain your warranty.
- A warranty cannot require the use of a specific brand of replacement parts offered by your selling dealer.
- You have the right to receive a written or oral estimate for any repair that costs more than $50, and shops must notify you of this right.
- The shop may not charge you a price more than 10 % over the estimate – unless they contact you with a higher estimate and you approve the additional cost.
- The repair shop cannot charge you for any repairs that are unnecessary or that you did not authorize.
Other Common Scams*:
1. Waiting until the vehicle is up on the lift and partially disassembled before getting your authorization to proceed with the repairs. By then, you are essentially forced to: (a) authorize overpriced repairs or risk getting your car back in a disassembled and unusable condition; or (b) pay a large and unexpected fee to have your vehicle reassembled, only to discover it no longer runs at all.
2. Showing you dirty oil with metal filings in it as evidence that you need a new transmission. Virtually all used transmissions have dirty oil with some amount of dirt and metal filings. This is normal and is not necessarily a sign that you need a whole new transmission. However, once the transmission is disassembled and reassembled with the same old seals and parts, it usually does not work the same as before.
3. Commencing repair work on your car without first getting your authorization to perform the repair work, and then charging you for repair work that you did not authorize,
4. Giving you a verbal estimate as to the cost of repairs, and then charging a higher price.
5. Representing that repair services will be completed by a certain day in order to induce the sale, then failing to have the repair services completed by that day.
6. Telling you that repairs are needed when in fact they are not needed.
7. Failing to disclose reassembly or inspection charges before starting repair work.
8. Advertising that the shop will provide “Free towing” and then requiring you to pay for your towing costs.
9. Telling you that the shop will provide a free rental car during repairs and then requiring you to pay for the rental charges.
10. Telling you that the shop will provide repair services pursuant to a warranty then charging you for repair work covered by the warranty.
11. Representing that work or services have been done, or parts replaced in your car, when the work or services were not done or the parts were not replaced.
12. Starting repair work on your car before obtaining authorization from you, then charging you for it.
13. Starting repair work before obtaining written approval of the loan from the finance company, in those instances where you borrow money to pay for repairs. If the loan company does not approve the loan, and the work is already done, you may still be liable for the payment if you can’t show the deception.
14. Failing to complete the repairs as represented to you in the repair work agreement.
15. Failing to repair your car in accordance with the warranty provided after your car is brought to the shop for warranty repairs.
16. Failing to notify you and secure your additional approval, in writing, for any additional work to be done that was not set forth in the original written agreement.
17. Representing or advertising that the shop will accept consumer credit cards or personal or business checks as payment for goods and services, and then refusing to accept credit cards or checks.
