You bring your car to the shop to have a particular problem checked. After diagnosis and some other mechanical works, the shop technician tells you there are a few other problems in your car that need to be addressed. Wait! They’re not within your budget! What do you do? And how can you be sure you’re not being ripped off?
First step: prioritize.
Prioritize according to the gravity of the problem.
Ask the mechanic which of these repairs are needed as a matter of life and death (just like the brakes). Then, ask which of these can wait for a little while longer without putting you or your car in danger. Go only for those that are so serious you can’t drive your car without paying attention to them. Then, schedule the less serious ones later on.
Prioritize according to the most major issue.
Ask the mechanic which of the problematic parts is on the verge of total and complete failure—the kind whose difference between functioning and non-functioning is just a strand of hair. Ask also which of the damaged parts are still in functional condition and can still work at their present state. Then, pay attention to the part with the most serious issue.
Prioritize repair over replacement, or replacement over repair, according to the situation.
I have already mentioned this in one of my previous posts. A repair is often less costly than a replacement in many instances (there are only a few exceptions), so try to ask whether a repair is a good option. There are instances, however, when a replacement is a more practical option, depending on the specific problem. Ask your mechanic which is better, and go for it. Who knows, there’s only one problem that actually needs a new part while all the other problems can be solved by a simple fix.
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