Friday, May 13, 2011

Friday’s Advice: Finding Areas to Reduce Expenses on Car Repair (A Review)


Who wants to reduce their expenses on car repairs? For sure, everybody does. But, who’s making a way to get that reduction? Chances are, not all do. Or, not all are aware that they can.

I’ve already talked a lot about auto repairs, rip-offs, avoidance, and ways to save on repairs. In this post, I just want to sum up all that I’ve mentioned before to give concrete examples of ways to save on auto repairs.

1. Recall and TSB
These I have mentioned in my last few posts. By being aware of recalls issued on your car, you can save on repair costs. On the other hand, being aware of issued TSBs can save you on unnecessary expenses due to wrong diagnosis and incorrect repairs.

2. Replacement parts
By being resourceful, you can find ways to save on the part that you mount as a replacement. Although some shops will not allow you to buy your replacement on other sources, there are shops that allow this set up, and this is a great way to save on repair costs.

3. Labor
When it comes to labor cost, there is a so-called flat rate or a book rate, which means the shop bills according to the manufacturer-indicated amount of time for the specific repair, regardless how long the actual repair takes. Meanwhile, a straight hour rate is a rate based on the actual amount of time consumed to do the repair.

4. Work done
To reiterate, you can save a lot on auto repairs by being a DIYer. By familiarizing yourself with the automotive basics, you will not be totally dependent on auto repair shops when it comes to problems, so you won’t have to shell out cash every once in a while.

With all these means, it would be easy to save more on auto repairs.

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