Whether it’s routine maintenance or an emergency car repair, none of us is ever ready for the bigger repair expenses, and if you’re not a mechanic–how on earth do you know if you’re getting a good deal, or getting ripped off?
Behold RepairPal.com. Go there and bookmark it immediately, and it will save you money. I promise.
It’s a cinch to use–just use drop-down menus to select your exact make of car, select the servic
e you’re interested in, and up pops an estimate range, with the high end what you can expect to pay at a dealership (and don’t ever get your car fixed at the dealership–you’ll always pay more than you need to) and the lower end reflects the price you can expect from a private repair shop.
For example: I’m getting close to needing a 90,000 mile standard maintenance for the Budgetmobile, a 2003 Hyundai Accent (great car, by the way). The price range for that service in my zip code is $336 to $459. Once you get to the screen with the price range, you can choose one of the sponsored repair businesses listed and call for an estimate and/or appointment, or you can use that price range to call around and get the best estimate at whichever shop pleases you. But when you do, you’ll be armed with good information. The estimate also breaks down what the usual cost is for parts, as well as the estimated labor cost. So if somebody quotes you an insanely high price that’s nowhere in the Repair Pal range, you’ll know to look elsewhere for a good deal.
What I like best about Repair Pal is that they’re not owned by the industry, and their estimates are objective. From their website:
Located in Emeryville, California, RepairPal was founded in 2007 by a group of automobile enthusiasts and entrepreneurs who were frustrated by the expensive and tedious process of fixing and maintaining their vehicles. They created RepairPal to provide drivers with the most accurate, unbiased, and useful car ownership information available. RepairPal is not owned, in whole or in part, by any automobile manufacturer, dealership, auto parts provider, or auto repair facility.
RepairPal offers a stress-free, time-saving method of obtaining all the relevant information conscientious consumers need. Unlike any other online resource, RepairPal provides impartial, fair price estimates, the most comprehensive auto shop directory, and expert insights and advice from certified mechanics. RepairPal’s unique, patent-pending system relies on multiple sources of difficult-to-acquire proprietary data that has never before been available to consumers.
RepairPal also provides a centralized online location where your records can be maintained for the entire ownership cycle of your vehicle. Emails will remind you of an upcoming oil change or scheduled service (coming soon). It’s our pleasure to provide all of these features free of charge!
This is a site I use whenever I need anything as basic as an oil change, because I like to know what the current price range is in my neighborhood for that service. When it was time to replace my timing belt last year, I used Repair Pal to get the price range, and then called around until I found a reputable repair shop on the low end of that range. Money saved over what I’d have paid at a dealership or big franchise (say, a Firestone or the like)? Almost $300.
And THAT keeps my budget happy (and my car running great).
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