family auto mechanics - helping you find the problem

3 Important Tips for Lowering Your Car Repair Expenses

26 January 2017 by Herman Mills

Have you been having car trouble lately? Do you need to take your vehicle in for repairs, but you're worried about how much it'll cost? Auto repair can be a scary and expensive prospect, especially if you have an extremely limited budget. Fortunately for you, there are some things you can do that can help bring the costs down and make them more affordable for you. Some things that can be done include:

Replace your transmission: It can be a tossup as to which costs more, transmission repair or replacement. While repair may seem cheaper right now, in the long term it may be more expensive. Simply replacing a worn out part isn't going to do anything about the other parts of the transmission that are starting to wear out. A simple repair may work for now, but then you could be back in the shop next week to fix another part. Instead of this seemingly endless loop of repairs, have the transmission shop install a rebuilt transmission in your vehicle. A rebuilt transmission should be just about as good as a brand new one, eliminating future problems for now and preventing you from needing to return to the repair shop any time soon.

Buy your own parts: Many other car parts besides just your transmission can be rebuilt or otherwise purchased used. Your alternator, for example, can be an expensive piece to replace if you buy a brand new one from your local dealer. Depending on your vehicle, the part alone could cost many hundreds of dollars before you even factor in the labor cost of having it installed. But if you can find a repair shop that will allow you to have used parts installed, it may be possible for you to get a rebuilt alternator with a warranty for a fraction of the price of a new one. 

Go somewhere new: If you live in the middle of a medium to large size city, you may have a favorite repair shop that is just down the road. They may do great work there, but they may also have to charge high prices so as to be able to cover the high expenses associated with being located in such a good location. But if you travel a few miles towards a more rural area, you may be able to find another shop whose quality is similar but that is able to charge a lower fee due to the reduced cost of rent where they are located. Traveling just a few miles out of your way has the potential to save you hundreds of dollars on your final repair bill.