The Mobile Mechanic - Who is really working on your car?

Today is going to be a pretty short post.  I just wanted to bring up a couple points about the recent surge in "Mobile Mechanics" out there during these hard economic times.

First of all I need to make something clear.  I don't believe that all mobile mechanics are bad, in fact I know of some that are great technicians, take pride in their work, and do a great job.  With that being said, you also have to be very careful about who is under the hood of your vehicle.

I had a gal come into my shop last week and ask what I would charge to do front brakes on her Subaru Outback (this is a pretty simple task for any legit technicians, even at the entry level).  I told her I have a special running this month for $99.00 which includes resurfacing her rotors and replacing the brake pads.  If you read my previous post about doing brakes the correct way than you already know that I am very proper about even the most simple jobs like brakes.  She told me she did not have enough money for the job and I can completely understand that.  The next day she was browsing on Craigslist and found a mobile mechanic that would do the job for $30 less than my price, so she called him and scheduled a time for him to come out and replace the brake pads on her car.

She called me 2 days later and explained that she had a mobile mechanic do the brakes on her car and it was now making a very loud grinding noise.  She brought the car in to my shop to have it rechecked as she could not get a hold of the mobile mechanic.  What I found was pretty disturbing...

First of all the rotors were not refinished (which will lessen the life of the brake job).  None of the moving parts were cleaned and lubed.  I see this pretty often so I was not too surprised.  What did surprise me though was the fact that the mobile mechanic left a brake caliper bolt out on the brake caliper mounting bracket which was causing the caliper to lodge itself up against the inside of the right front wheel.  This could have caused a major accident and I'm very glad it didn't.  The caliper was ruined and had to be replaced.  The brake pads were ruined and had to be replaced.  I was able to refinish the rotors and re-do the whole brake job properly.  By the time we fixed everything properly it ended up costing the customer twice as much as I originally had quoted the job + the $70 she paid the mobile mechanic.

The point that I want to make here is: not all mobile mechanics do these kinds of repairs, but there are people out there that do not know what they are doing.  Just because someone tells you they have been fixing their cars their entire life does not mean they have the proper training and credentials to be fixing your vehicle the right way.  A mobile mechanic may be a great option for you but please check them out thoroughly first.  Do they carry ASE Certification cards with them.  Do they have legit refrences you can call to check?  Do they have a proper business license and are they checking to make sure that the land they will be working on your vehicle is safe for the job.  Are they properly disposing of harmful chemicals?

These are just some things to think about while deciding how to go about your next vehicle repair or service.

Feel free to call me 208.664.6400 for any questions or advice about your vehicle.  My name is Cory and I'm the owner of Save More Automotive in Coeur d'Alene, ID.  We can tackle any of your vehicle repairs and services with only the best ASE Certified technicians available.  Brakes, tune ups, check engine light diagnosis, transmission repair, engine repair, timing belts, oil changes, and everything inbetween.  We are the experts when it comes to saving your car or truck.  You can also find us online at http://www.cdasavemore.com/ where you can fill out a free online quote form.

Save More Automotive
1425 E Sherman Ave
Coeur d'Alene, ID 83814
208.664.6400
http://www.cdasavemore.com/
cory@cdasavemore.com