Can you trust your mechanic?
A friend was considering selling her car at the end of the year but, before she could make her decision, she wanted to know if the vehicle was in good condition. Not only would this influence her asking price, but it would inform her of whether there was a problem that needed fixing in the immediate future.
Mechanics who try to swindle their female customers are an urban legend and, since most of us know painfully little about the workings of our cars, we are very vulnerable to accepting misdiagnoses, inflated quotes and dangerously sub-standard work.
Seeing my friend’s situation as a great opportunity to test whether this urban legend is true, I offered to take her car to three different auto service stations in and around Cape Town, as well as to the AA. The idea was to compare the results, help her decide what she needed to get fixed, and hopefully disprove the stereotype of the ‘dodgy mechanic’ or raise a flag of warning to fellow female motorists.
When requesting the examinations, I told each service station that the car was going to be sold and that I wanted to fix any problems so that I wouldn’t have to deal with complaints from the buyer later. Surprise, surprise: my worst suspicions were confirmed. The reports from each of the service centres (let’s call them mechanics A, B and C) differed completely. In fact, the only thing they had in common was their failure to do the thorough exam that I was paying them for. Here’s what transpired:
Mechanic A
The first service station I visited was in Zonnebloem. They performed what they call a ‘full defect report’ which, I assumed, was a technical examination. They found that the inner and outer rear wheel-bearings needed to be replaced, as well as the battery and the front hub-caps which had been stolen.
The car had only just hit 15000km and, to date, the battery had performed perfectly, so I was more than a little surprised to hear that it needed replacement. As for the wheel-bearings, when I asked Mechanic A to explain what they were and why I needed to replace them, he shrugged evasively and told me he didn’t really know how to explain their function.
Mechanic B
The next workshop, in Sea Point, is what one might call a hole-in-the-wall kind of place – dingy, dirty and small. When I dropped the car off at 8.30am, I told them I would be collecting it at 3pm sharp, but when I arrived that afternoon I had to wait a further 20 minutes for them to perform the final examination. They wrote out their report on a torn piece of paper and didn’t bother to give me the quote that I had specifically requested.
They reported that the front tyres were worn and that the wheel alignment needed to be checked, there was a noise in the front suspension, a leak in the master-cylinder and the front brake-pads needed replacing. When performing the last exam, where they raised the car, they did invite me to take a look and offered to explain their findings.
Mechanic C
The third mechanic, in Lower Gardens, was a small, family-owned business, complete with a friendly, chatty mom handling the admin. I fetched the car at the end of the day and, when I asked them to explain one of the items on the report, namely the worn tyres, both of the mechanics took me through what needed to be fixed.
They told me that the car was mechanically in good condition, but that the rear window-washer was inoperative, that the front tyres were severely worn and that the left-front fog lamp was broken. When informing me of the bodywork the car needed, they gave me the name of a reliable panel-beater which was really helpful. In addition, they advised me against buying certain makes of cars, warning me about expensive parts that are difficult to get hold of.
When leaving their shop, I felt as though this was the one I would choose to go back to (as it turned out, Mechanic C’s report was the one that correlated the closest with the AA’s).
The AA
This was my last port of call. I dropped the car off at 8am and was told that it would be ready for collection at l0.30am – a very pleasant surprise. On collection, I was handed a small booklet with all the problems noted and those that needed to be fixed, highlighted. Even minor problems, such as moisture inside the right-front headlight, were picked up. And the AA technicians confirmed that there was nothing wrong with the battery. All in all, I would recommend the AA for technical examinations and the cost of R655 for the exam is well worth the quality of service provided.
I asked a media representative from the AA to comment on the differences between the mechanics’ reports. Colin Musset, Technical manager, explained that it is vital that car owners identify a trustworthy mechanic who will fully test their vehicle, and not just claim to do checks to make an easy buck. A good place to start is with AA Quality Assurance (AAQA) Service Providers which conform to a high standard of service, such as having the appropriate tools, mechanics and training, and provide warranties and guarantees. There are many of these AA-affiliated auto service centres around the country.
Manufacturer-approved workshop
As it turned out, my friend’s car was due for a minor service a few days after I’d taken it to the AA. None of the AA-identified problems were picked up by the manufacturer-approved workshop which merely replaced the brake pads, ordered a new inner gear-shift cover and told me to sort out the worn tyres: another sad lesson.
It seems the moral of the story is that if you suspect there is something wrong with your car or it has reached a certain age take it to the AA, find out what the problems are and then tell your preferred mechanic what you want fixed, insist that he uses manufacturer-approved parts and demand to see the old, replaced parts afterwards. Until your mechanic has proved himself, it’s safer to be on your guard and get at least one second opinion. And when he does come through for you, be sure to tell all your friends.
By Daniella Biess